Classification schemes for knowledge translation interventions: a practical resource for researchers.

PubMed

Slaughter, Susan E; Zimmermann, Gabrielle L; Nuspl, Megan; Hanson, Heather M; Albrecht, Lauren; Esmail, Rosmin; Sauro, Khara; Newton, Amanda S; Donald, Maoliosa; Dyson, Michele P; Thomson, Denise; Hartling, Lisa

2017-12-06

As implementation science advances, the number of interventions to promote the translation of evidence into healthcare, health systems, or health policy is growing. Accordingly, classification schemes for these knowledge translation (KT) interventions have emerged. A recent scoping review identified 51 classification schemes of KT interventions to integrate evidence into healthcare practice; however, the review did not evaluate the quality of the classification schemes or provide detailed information to assist researchers in selecting a scheme for their context and purpose. This study aimed to further examine and assess the quality of these classification schemes of KT interventions, and provide information to aid researchers when selecting a classification scheme. We abstracted the following information from each of the original 51 classification scheme articles: authors' objectives; purpose of the scheme and field of application; socioecologic level (individual, organizational, community, system); adaptability (broad versus specific); target group (patients, providers, policy-makers), intent (policy, education, practice), and purpose (dissemination versus implementation). Two reviewers independently evaluated the methodological quality of the development of each classification scheme using an adapted version of the AGREE II tool. Based on these assessments, two independent reviewers reached consensus about whether to recommend each scheme for researcher use, or not. Of the 51 original classification schemes, we excluded seven that were not specific classification schemes, not accessible or duplicates. Of the remaining 44 classification schemes, nine were not recommended. Of the 35 recommended classification schemes, ten focused on behaviour change and six focused on population health. Many schemes (n = 29) addressed practice considerations. Fewer schemes addressed educational or policy objectives. Twenty-five classification schemes had broad applicability, six were specific, and four had elements of both. Twenty-three schemes targeted health providers, nine targeted both patients and providers and one targeted policy-makers. Most classification schemes were intended for implementation rather than dissemination. Thirty-five classification schemes of KT interventions were developed and reported with sufficient rigour to be recommended for use by researchers interested in KT in healthcare. Our additional categorization and quality analysis will aid in selecting suitable classification schemes for research initiatives in the field of implementation science.

Application of Decision Making and Team Training Research to Operational Training. A Translative Technique.

DTIC Science & Technology

DECISION MAKING , * GROUP DYNAMICS, NAVAL TRAINING, TRANSFER OF TRAINING, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, CLASSIFICATION, PROBLEM SOLVING, MATHEMATICAL MODELS, SUBMARINES, SIMULATORS, PERFORMANCE(HUMAN), UNDERSEA WARFARE.

Summary of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development-best pharmaceuticals for Children Act Pediatric Formulation Initiatives Workshop-Pediatric Biopharmaceutics Classification System Working Group.

PubMed

Abdel-Rahman, Susan M; Amidon, Gordon L; Kaul, Ajay; Lukacova, Viera; Vinks, Alexander A; Knipp, Gregory T

2012-11-01

The Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) allows compounds to be classified based on their in vitro solubility and intestinal permeability. The BCS has found widespread use in the pharmaceutical community to be an enabling guide for the rational selection of compounds, formulation for clinical advancement, and generic biowaivers. The Pediatric Biopharmaceutics Classification System (PBCS) Working Group was convened to consider the possibility of developing an analogous pediatric-based classification system. Because there are distinct developmental differences that can alter intestinal contents, volumes, permeability, and potentially biorelevant solubilities at different ages, the PBCS Working Group focused on identifying age-specific issues that need to be considered in establishing a flexible, yet rigorous PBCS. We summarized the findings of the PBCS Working Group and provided insights into considerations required for the development of a PBCS. Through several meetings conducted both at The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health, Human Development-US Pediatric Formulation Initiative Workshop (November 2011) and via teleconferences, the PBCS Working Group considered several high-level questions that were raised to frame the classification system. In addition, the PBCS Working Group identified a number of knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to develop a rigorous PBCS. It was determined that for a PBCS to be truly meaningful, it needs to be broken down into several different age groups that account for developmental changes in intestinal permeability, luminal contents, and gastrointestinal (GI) transit. Several critical knowledge gaps were identified, including (1) a lack of fully understanding the ontogeny of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters along the GI tract, in the liver, and in the kidney; (2) an incomplete understanding of age-based changes in the GI, liver, and kidney physiology; (3) a clear need to better understand age-based intestinal permeability and fraction absorbed required to develop the PBCS; (4) a clear need for the development and organization of pediatric tissue biobanks to serve as a source for ontogenic research; and (5) a lack of literature published in age-based pediatric pharmacokinetics to build physiologically- and population-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) databases. To begin the process of establishing a PBPK model, 10 pediatric therapeutic agents were selected (based on their adult BCS classifications). These agents should be targeted for additional research in the future. The PBCS Working Group also identified several areas where greater emphasis on research was needed to enable the development of a PBCS. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and initial validation of the Classification of Early-Onset Scoliosis (C-EOS).

PubMed

Williams, Brendan A; Matsumoto, Hiroko; McCalla, Daren J; Akbarnia, Behrooz A; Blakemore, Laurel C; Betz, Randal R; Flynn, John M; Johnston, Charles E; McCarthy, Richard E; Roye, David P; Skaggs, David L; Smith, John T; Snyder, Brian D; Sponseller, Paul D; Sturm, Peter F; Thompson, George H; Yazici, Muharrem; Vitale, Michael G

2014-08-20

Early-onset scoliosis is a heterogeneous condition, with highly variable manifestations and natural history. No standardized classification system exists to describe and group patients, to guide optimal care, or to prognosticate outcomes within this population. A classification system for early-onset scoliosis is thus a necessary prerequisite to the timely evolution of care of these patients. Fifteen experienced surgeons participated in a nominal group technique designed to achieve a consensus-based classification system for early-onset scoliosis. A comprehensive list of factors important in managing early-onset scoliosis was generated using a standardized literature review, semi-structured interviews, and open forum discussion. Three group meetings and two rounds of surveying guided the selection of classification components, subgroupings, and cut-points. Initial validation of the system was conducted using an interobserver reliability assessment based on the classification of a series of thirty cases. Nominal group technique was used to identify three core variables (major curve angle, etiology, and kyphosis) with high group content validity scores. Age and curve progression ranked slightly lower. Participants evaluated the cases of thirty patients with early-onset scoliosis for reliability testing. The mean kappa value for etiology (0.64) was substantial, while the mean kappa values for major curve angle (0.95) and kyphosis (0.93) indicated almost perfect agreement. The final classification consisted of a continuous age prefix, etiology (congenital or structural, neuromuscular, syndromic, and idiopathic), major curve angle (1, 2, 3, or 4), and kyphosis (-, N, or +) variables, and an optional progression modifier (P0, P1, or P2). Utilizing formal consensus-building methods in a large group of surgeons experienced in treating early-onset scoliosis, a novel classification system for early-onset scoliosis was developed with all core components demonstrating substantial to excellent interobserver reliability. This classification system will serve as a foundation to guide ongoing research efforts and standardize communication in the clinical setting. Copyright © 2014 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.

An inter-comparison of similarity-based methods for organisation and classification of groundwater hydrographs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haaf, Ezra; Barthel, Roland

2018-04-01

Classification and similarity based methods, which have recently received major attention in the field of surface water hydrology, namely through the PUB (prediction in ungauged basins) initiative, have not yet been applied to groundwater systems. However, it can be hypothesised, that the principle of "similar systems responding similarly to similar forcing" applies in subsurface hydrology as well. One fundamental prerequisite to test this hypothesis and eventually to apply the principle to make "predictions for ungauged groundwater systems" is efficient methods to quantify the similarity of groundwater system responses, i.e. groundwater hydrographs. In this study, a large, spatially extensive, as well as geologically and geomorphologically diverse dataset from Southern Germany and Western Austria was used, to test and compare a set of 32 grouping methods, which have previously only been used individually in local-scale studies. The resulting groupings are compared to a heuristic visual classification, which serves as a baseline. A performance ranking of these classification methods is carried out and differences in homogeneity of grouping results were shown, whereby selected groups were related to hydrogeological indices and geological descriptors. This exploratory empirical study shows that the choice of grouping method has a large impact on the object distribution within groups, as well as on the homogeneity of patterns captured in groups. The study provides a comprehensive overview of a large number of grouping methods, which can guide researchers when attempting similarity-based groundwater hydrograph classification.

Clinical research data warehouse governance for distributed research networks in the USA: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Holmes, John H; Elliott, Thomas E; Brown, Jeffrey S; Raebel, Marsha A; Davidson, Arthur; Nelson, Andrew F; Chung, Annie; La Chance, Pierre; Steiner, John F

2014-01-01

To review the published, peer-reviewed literature on clinical research data warehouse governance in distributed research networks (DRNs). Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and INSPEC were searched for relevant documents published through July 31, 2013 using a systematic approach. Only documents relating to DRNs in the USA were included. Documents were analyzed using a classification framework consisting of 10 facets to identify themes. 6641 documents were retrieved. After screening for duplicates and relevance, 38 were included in the final review. A peer-reviewed literature on data warehouse governance is emerging, but is still sparse. Peer-reviewed publications on UK research network governance were more prevalent, although not reviewed for this analysis. All 10 classification facets were used, with some documents falling into two or more classifications. No document addressed costs associated with governance. Even though DRNs are emerging as vehicles for research and public health surveillance, understanding of DRN data governance policies and procedures is limited. This is expected to change as more DRN projects disseminate their governance approaches as publicly available toolkits and peer-reviewed publications. While peer-reviewed, US-based DRN data warehouse governance publications have increased, DRN developers and administrators are encouraged to publish information about these programs. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Research Data Alliance: Understanding Big Data Analytics Applications in Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedel, Morris; Ramachandran, Rahul; Baumann, Peter

2014-05-01

The Research Data Alliance (RDA) enables data to be shared across barriers through focused working groups and interest groups, formed of experts from around the world - from academia, industry and government. Its Big Data Analytics (BDA) interest groups seeks to develop community based recommendations on feasible data analytics approaches to address scientific community needs of utilizing large quantities of data. BDA seeks to analyze different scientific domain applications (e.g. earth science use cases) and their potential use of various big data analytics techniques. These techniques reach from hardware deployment models up to various different algorithms (e.g. machine learning algorithms such as support vector machines for classification). A systematic classification of feasible combinations of analysis algorithms, analytical tools, data and resource characteristics and scientific queries will be covered in these recommendations. This contribution will outline initial parts of such a classification and recommendations in the specific context of the field of Earth Sciences. Given lessons learned and experiences are based on a survey of use cases and also providing insights in a few use cases in detail.

Research Data Alliance: Understanding Big Data Analytics Applications in Earth Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riedel, Morris; Ramachandran, Rahul; Baumann, Peter

2014-01-01

The Research Data Alliance (RDA) enables data to be shared across barriers through focused working groups and interest groups, formed of experts from around the world - from academia, industry and government. Its Big Data Analytics (BDA) interest groups seeks to develop community based recommendations on feasible data analytics approaches to address scientific community needs of utilizing large quantities of data. BDA seeks to analyze different scientific domain applications (e.g. earth science use cases) and their potential use of various big data analytics techniques. These techniques reach from hardware deployment models up to various different algorithms (e.g. machine learning algorithms such as support vector machines for classification). A systematic classification of feasible combinations of analysis algorithms, analytical tools, data and resource characteristics and scientific queries will be covered in these recommendations. This contribution will outline initial parts of such a classification and recommendations in the specific context of the field of Earth Sciences. Given lessons learned and experiences are based on a survey of use cases and also providing insights in a few use cases in detail.

Aerodynamic Classification of Swept-Wing Ice Accretion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broeren, Andy; Diebold, Jeff; Bragg, Mike

2013-01-01

The continued design, certification and safe operation of swept-wing airplanes in icing conditions rely on the advancement of computational and experimental simulation methods for higher fidelity results over an increasing range of aircraft configurations and performance, and icing conditions. The current state-of-the-art in icing aerodynamics is mainly built upon a comprehensive understanding of two-dimensional geometries that does not currently exist for fundamentally three-dimensional geometries such as swept wings. The purpose of this report is to describe what is known of iced-swept-wing aerodynamics and to identify the type of research that is required to improve the current understanding. Following the method used in a previous review of iced-airfoil aerodynamics, this report proposes a classification of swept-wing ice accretion into four groups based upon unique flowfield attributes. These four groups are: ice roughness, horn ice, streamwise ice, and spanwise-ridge ice. For all of the proposed ice-shape classifications, relatively little is known about the three-dimensional flowfield and even less about the effect of Reynolds number and Mach number on these flowfields. The classifications and supporting data presented in this report can serve as a starting point as new research explores swept-wing aerodynamics with ice shapes. As further results are available, it is expected that these classifications will need to be updated and revised.

The infant disorganised attachment classification: "Patterning within the disturbance of coherence".

PubMed

Reijman, Sophie; Foster, Sarah; Duschinsky, Robbie

2018-03-01

Since its introduction by Main and Solomon in 1990, the infant disorganised attachment classification has functioned as a predictor of mental health in developmental psychology research. It has also been used by practitioners as an indicator of inadequate parenting and developmental risk, at times with greater confidence than research would support. Although attachment disorganisation takes many forms, it is generally understood to reflect a child's experience of being repeatedly alarmed by their parent's behaviour. In this paper we analyse how the infant disorganised attachment classification has been stabilised and interpreted, reporting results from archival study, ethnographic observations at four training institutes for coding disorganised attachment, interviews with researchers, certified coders and clinicians, and focus groups with child welfare practitioners. Our analysis points to the role of power/knowledge disjunctures in hindering communication between key groups: Main and Solomon and their readers; the oral culture of coders and the written culture of published papers; the research community and practitioners. We highlight how understandings of disorganised attachment have been magnetised by a simplified image of a child fearful of his or her own parent. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Comparison of World Health Organization and Asia-Pacific body mass index classifications in COPD patients.

PubMed

Lim, Jeong Uk; Lee, Jae Ha; Kim, Ju Sang; Hwang, Yong Il; Kim, Tae-Hyung; Lim, Seong Yong; Yoo, Kwang Ha; Jung, Ki-Suck; Kim, Young Kyoon; Rhee, Chin Kook

2017-01-01

A low body mass index (BMI) is associated with increased mortality and low health-related quality of life in patients with COPD. The Asia-Pacific classification of BMI has a lower cutoff for overweight and obese categories compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. The present study assessed patients with COPD among different BMI categories according to two BMI classification systems: WHO and Asia-Pacific. Patients with COPD aged 40 years or older from the Korean COPD Subtype Study cohort were selected for evaluation. We enrolled 1,462 patients. Medical history including age, sex, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ-C), the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, and post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) were evaluated. Patients were categorized into different BMI groups according to the two BMI classification systems. FEV 1 and the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) percentage revealed an inverse "U"-shaped pattern as the BMI groups changed from underweight to obese when WHO cutoffs were applied. When Asia-Pacific cutoffs were applied, FEV 1 and DLCO (%) exhibited a linearly ascending relationship as the BMI increased, and the percentage of patients in the overweight and obese groups linearly decreased with increasing severity of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria. From the underweight to the overweight groups, SGRQ-C and mMRC had a decreasing relationship in both the WHO and Asia-Pacific classifications. The prevalence of comorbidities in the different BMI groups showed similar trends in both BMI classifications systems. The present study demonstrated that patients with COPD who have a high BMI have better pulmonary function and health-related quality of life and reduced dyspnea symptoms. Furthermore, the Asia-Pacific BMI classification more appropriately reflects the correlation of obesity and disease manifestation in Asian COPD patients than the WHO classification.

Proposal of a New Adverse Event Classification by the Society of Interventional Radiology Standards of Practice Committee.

PubMed

Khalilzadeh, Omid; Baerlocher, Mark O; Shyn, Paul B; Connolly, Bairbre L; Devane, A Michael; Morris, Christopher S; Cohen, Alan M; Midia, Mehran; Thornton, Raymond H; Gross, Kathleen; Caplin, Drew M; Aeron, Gunjan; Misra, Sanjay; Patel, Nilesh H; Walker, T Gregory; Martinez-Salazar, Gloria; Silberzweig, James E; Nikolic, Boris

2017-10-01

To develop a new adverse event (AE) classification for the interventional radiology (IR) procedures and evaluate its clinical, research, and educational value compared with the existing Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) classification via an SIR member survey. A new AE classification was developed by members of the Standards of Practice Committee of the SIR. Subsequently, a survey was created by a group of 18 members from the SIR Standards of Practice Committee and Service Lines. Twelve clinical AE case scenarios were generated that encompassed a broad spectrum of IR procedures and potential AEs. Survey questions were designed to evaluate the following domains: educational and research values, accountability for intraprocedural challenges, consistency of AE reporting, unambiguity, and potential for incorporation into existing quality-assurance framework. For each AE scenario, the survey participants were instructed to answer questions about the proposed and existing SIR classifications. SIR members were invited via online survey links, and 68 members participated among 140 surveyed. Answers on new and existing classifications were evaluated and compared statistically. Overall comparison between the two surveys was performed by generalized linear modeling. The proposed AE classification received superior evaluations in terms of consistency of reporting (P < .05) and potential for incorporation into existing quality-assurance framework (P < .05). Respondents gave a higher overall rating to the educational and research value of the new compared with the existing classification (P < .05). This study proposed an AE classification system that outperformed the existing SIR classification in the studied domains. Copyright © 2017 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Classification of speech and language profiles in 4-year old children with cerebral palsy: A prospective preliminary study

PubMed Central

Hustad, Katherine C.; Gorton, Kristin; Lee, Jimin

2010-01-01

Purpose Little is known about the speech and language abilities of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and there is currently no system for classifying speech and language profiles. Such a system would have epidemiological value and would have the potential to advance the development of interventions that improve outcomes. In this study, we propose and test a preliminary speech and language classification system by quantifying how well speech and language data differentiate among children classified into different hypothesized profile groups. Method Speech and language assessment data were collected in a laboratory setting from 34 children with CP (18 males; 16 females) who were a mean age of 54 months (SD 1.8 months). Measures of interest were vowel area, speech rate, language comprehension scores, and speech intelligibility ratings. Results Canonical discriminant function analysis showed that three functions accounted for 100% of the variance among profile groups, with speech variables accounting for 93% of the variance. Classification agreement varied from 74% to 97% using four different classification paradigms. Conclusions Results provide preliminary support for the classification of speech and language abilities of children with CP into four initial profile groups. Further research is necessary to validate the full classification system. PMID:20643795

[An object-based information extraction technology for dominant tree species group types].

PubMed

Tian, Tian; Fan, Wen-yi; Lu, Wei; Xiao, Xiang

2015-06-01

Information extraction for dominant tree group types is difficult in remote sensing image classification, howevers, the object-oriented classification method using high spatial resolution remote sensing data is a new method to realize the accurate type information extraction. In this paper, taking the Jiangle Forest Farm in Fujian Province as the research area, based on the Quickbird image data in 2013, the object-oriented method was adopted to identify the farmland, shrub-herbaceous plant, young afforested land, Pinus massoniana, Cunninghamia lanceolata and broad-leave tree types. Three types of classification factors including spectral, texture, and different vegetation indices were used to establish a class hierarchy. According to the different levels, membership functions and the decision tree classification rules were adopted. The results showed that the method based on the object-oriented method by using texture, spectrum and the vegetation indices achieved the classification accuracy of 91.3%, which was increased by 5.7% compared with that by only using the texture and spectrum.

Gout Classification Criteria: Update and Implications

PubMed Central

Vargas-Santos, Ana Beatriz; Taylor, William J.

2016-01-01

Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis, with a rising prevalence and incidence worldwide. There has been a resurgence in gout research, fueled, in part, by a number of advances in pharmacologic therapy for gout. The conduct of clinical trials and other observational research in gout requires a standardized and validated means of assembling well-defined groups of patients with gout for such research purposes. Recently, an international collaborative effort that involved a data-driven process with state-of-the art methodology supported by the American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism led to publication of new gout classification criteria. PMID:27342957

How should children with speech sound disorders be classified? A review and critical evaluation of current classification systems.

PubMed

Waring, R; Knight, R

2013-01-01

Children with speech sound disorders (SSD) form a heterogeneous group who differ in terms of the severity of their condition, underlying cause, speech errors, involvement of other aspects of the linguistic system and treatment response. To date there is no universal and agreed-upon classification system. Instead, a number of theoretically differing classification systems have been proposed based on either an aetiological (medical) approach, a descriptive-linguistic approach or a processing approach. To describe and review the supporting evidence, and to provide a critical evaluation of the current childhood SSD classification systems. Descriptions of the major specific approaches to classification are reviewed and research papers supporting the reliability and validity of the systems are evaluated. Three specific paediatric SSD classification systems; the aetiologic-based Speech Disorders Classification System, the descriptive-linguistic Differential Diagnosis system, and the processing-based Psycholinguistic Framework are identified as potentially useful in classifying children with SSD into homogeneous subgroups. The Differential Diagnosis system has a growing body of empirical support from clinical population studies, across language error pattern studies and treatment efficacy studies. The Speech Disorders Classification System is currently a research tool with eight proposed subgroups. The Psycholinguistic Framework is a potential bridge to linking cause and surface level speech errors. There is a need for a universally agreed-upon classification system that is useful to clinicians and researchers. The resulting classification system needs to be robust, reliable and valid. A universal classification system would allow for improved tailoring of treatments to subgroups of SSD which may, in turn, lead to improved treatment efficacy. © 2012 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

Adding an alcohol-related risk score to an existing categorical risk classification for older adults: sensitivity to group differences.

PubMed

Wilson, Sandra R; Fink, Arlene; Verghese, Shinu; Beck, John C; Nguyen, Khue; Lavori, Philip

2007-03-01

To evaluate a new alcohol-related risk score for research use. Using data from a previously reported trial of a screening and education system for older adults (Computerized Alcohol-Related Problems Survey), secondary analyses were conducted comparing the ability of two different measures of risk to detect post-intervention group differences: the original categorical outcome measure and a new, finely grained quantitative risk score based on the same research-based risk factors. Three primary care group practices in southern California. Six hundred sixty-five patients aged 65 and older. A previously calculated, three-level categorical classification of alcohol-related risk and a newly developed quantitative risk score. Mean post-intervention risk scores differed between the three experimental conditions: usual care, patient report, and combined report (P<.001). The difference between the combined report and usual care was significant (P<.001) and directly proportional to baseline risk. The three-level risk classification did not reveal approximately 57.3% of the intervention effect detected by the risk score. The risk score also was sufficiently sensitive to detect the intervention effect within the subset of hypertensive patients (n=112; P=.001). As an outcome measure in intervention trials, the finely grained risk score is more sensitive than the trinary risk classification. The additional clinical value of the risk score relative to the categorical measure needs to be determined.

Survey of natural products reported by Asian research groups in 2016.

PubMed

Liu, Yan-Fei; Yu, Shi-Shan

2017-11-01

The new natural products reported in peer-reviewed articles in 2016 in journals with good reputations were reviewed and analyzed. The advances that Asian research groups made in the field of natural products chemistry in 2016 were summarized. Compounds with unique structural features and/or promising bioactivities originating from Asian natural sources were discussed based on structural classification.

Selectivity of physiotherapist programs in the United States does not differ by institutional funding source or research activity level.

PubMed

Riley, Sean P; Covington, Kyle; Landry, Michel D; McCallum, Christine; Engelhard, Chalee; Cook, Chad E

2016-01-01

This study aimed to compare selectivity characteristics among institution characteristics to determine differences by institutional funding source (public vs. private) or research activity level (research vs. non-research). This study included information provided by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) and the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Data were extracted from all students who graduated in 2011 from accredited physical therapy programs in the United States. The public and private designations of the institutions were extracted directly from the classifications from the 'CAPTE annual accreditation report,' and high and low research activity was determined based on Carnegie classifications. The institutions were classified into four groups: public/research intensive, public/non-research intensive, private/research intensive, and private/non-research intensive. Descriptive and comparison analyses with post hoc testing were performed to determine whether there were statistically significant differences among the four groups. Although there were statistically significant baseline grade point average differences among the four categorized groups, there were no significant differences in licensure pass rates or for any of the selectivity variables of interest. Selectivity characteristics did not differ by institutional funding source (public vs. private) or research activity level (research vs. non-research). This suggests that the concerns about reduced selectivity among physiotherapy programs, specifically the types that are experiencing the largest proliferation, appear less warranted.

Guidelines for a priori grouping of species in hierarchical community models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pacifici, Krishna; Zipkin, Elise; Collazo, Jaime; Irizarry, Julissa I.; DeWan, Amielle A.

2014-01-01

Recent methodological advances permit the estimation of species richness and occurrences for rare species by linking species-level occurrence models at the community level. The value of such methods is underscored by the ability to examine the influence of landscape heterogeneity on species assemblages at large spatial scales. A salient advantage of community-level approaches is that parameter estimates for data-poor species are more precise as the estimation process borrows from data-rich species. However, this analytical benefit raises a question about the degree to which inferences are dependent on the implicit assumption of relatedness among species. Here, we assess the sensitivity of community/group-level metrics, and individual-level species inferences given various classification schemes for grouping species assemblages using multispecies occurrence models. We explore the implications of these groupings on parameter estimates for avian communities in two ecosystems: tropical forests in Puerto Rico and temperate forests in northeastern United States. We report on the classification performance and extent of variability in occurrence probabilities and species richness estimates that can be observed depending on the classification scheme used. We found estimates of species richness to be most precise and to have the best predictive performance when all of the data were grouped at a single community level. Community/group-level parameters appear to be heavily influenced by the grouping criteria, but were not driven strictly by total number of detections for species. We found different grouping schemes can provide an opportunity to identify unique assemblage responses that would not have been found if all of the species were analyzed together. We suggest three guidelines: (1) classification schemes should be determined based on study objectives; (2) model selection should be used to quantitatively compare different classification approaches; and (3) sensitivity of results to different classification approaches should be assessed. These guidelines should help researchers apply hierarchical community models in the most effective manner.

Relationship between the hip and low back pain in athletes who participate in rotation-related sports.

PubMed

Harris-Hayes, Marcie; Sahrmann, Shirley A; Van Dillen, Linda R

2009-02-01

Hip function has been proposed to be related to low back pain (LBP) because of the anatomical proximity of the hip and lumbopelvic region. To date, findings have been inconclusive, possibly because the samples studied were heterogeneous. Sub-grouping samples based on characteristics such as activity demand, LBP classification, and sex might clarify research findings. To describe and summarize studies that examine 3 factors proposed to be important to the study of the hip-LBP relationship. Review of cross-sectional studies. Academic health-care center and research laboratory. 3 groups: athletes with a history of LBP who regularly participate in rotation-related sports, athletes without a history of LBP who are active but do not regularly participate in rotation-related sports, and athletes without a history of LBP who participate in rotation-related sports. Hip range of motion and hip-lumbopelvic region coordination. Hip range of motion was measured with an inclinometer. Coordination was examined based on kinematics obtained with a 3-dimensional motion-capture system. Differences among groups were found based on activity demand, LBP classification, and sex. When assessing athletes with and without LBP, characteristics such as activity demand, LBP classification, and sex should be considered.

Genetic and environmental contributions to age of onset of alcohol dependence symptoms in male twins.

PubMed

Liu, I-Chao; Blacker, Deborah L; Xu, Ronghui; Fitzmaurice, Garrett; Tsuang, Ming T; Lyons, Michael J

2004-11-01

To investigate genetic and environmental influences on the development of specific alcohol dependence symptoms. A classical twin study of 3372 male-male twin pairs in the Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry based on telephone interviews about alcohol use. The nine diagnostic symptoms according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, version III (revised) (DSM-III-R) definition of alcohol dependence. Symptoms were grouped into those based on impaired control, biological effects and social consequences (Beresford's classification) or early versus late symptoms (Nelson's classification). Survival models with random effects were used to examine the age of onset of each symptom. Approximately 38% of the variation in age of onset of each symptom group based on Beresford's classification is due to additive genetic factors. The age of onset of late symptoms from Nelson's classification appears to be most affected by genetic factors. Estimates of genetic effects for impaired control symptoms are greatly decreased when twins with comorbid psychiatric disorders are excluded. Our results support the heritability of age of onset of DSM-III-R-defined symptoms for alcohol dependence. However, no symptom group in Beresford's classification could be identified as more heritable than other symptom groups. A strong association between genetic vulnerability and co-occurring diseases for symptoms indicative of impaired control could be found. In addition, our findings show that the late symptom group could be a good candidate for subsequent genetic research.

Research methodology of the artifact effect in the blood to the result of cell classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polyakov, E. V.; Nikitaev, V. G.; Seldyukov, S. O.

2017-01-01

A study of the influence of artifacts on the result of the division of blasts and lymphocytes in the problem of diagnosing the types of acute leukemia was conducted. A group of artifacts was formed to conduct the study. Preliminary studies allowed to estimate the degree of influence of artifacts on the results of the classification of red blood cells.

Why patients visit their doctors: assessing the most prevalent conditions in a defined American population.

PubMed

St Sauver, Jennifer L; Warner, David O; Yawn, Barbara P; Jacobson, Debra J; McGree, Michaela E; Pankratz, Joshua J; Melton, L Joseph; Roger, Véronique L; Ebbert, Jon O; Rocca, Walter A

2013-01-01

To describe the prevalence of nonacute conditions among patients seeking health care in a defined US population, emphasizing age, sex, and ethnic differences. The Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP) medical records linkage system was used to identify all residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, on April 1, 2009, who had consented to review of their medical records for research (142,377 patients). We then electronically extracted all International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes noted in the records of these patients by any health care institution between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2009. We grouped International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes into clinical classification codes and then into 47 broader disease groups associated with health-related quality of life. Age- and sex-specific prevalence was estimated by dividing the number of individuals within each group by the corresponding age- and sex-specific population. Patients within a group who had multiple codes were counted only once. We included a total of 142,377 patients, 75,512 (53%) of whom were female. Skin disorders (42.7%), osteoarthritis and joint disorders (33.6%), back problems (23.9%), disorders of lipid metabolism (22.4%), and upper respiratory tract disease (22.1%, excluding asthma) were the most prevalent disease groups in this population. Ten of the 15 most prevalent disease groups were more common in women in almost all age groups, whereas disorders of lipid metabolism, hypertension, and diabetes were more common in men. Additionally, the prevalence of 7 of the 10 most common groups increased with advancing age. Prevalence also varied across ethnic groups (whites, blacks, and Asians). Our findings suggest areas for focused research that may lead to better health care delivery and improved population health. Copyright © 2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suicide Mortality Across Broad Occupational Groups in Greece: A Descriptive Study.

PubMed

Alexopoulos, Evangelos C; Kavalidou, Katerina; Messolora, Fani

2016-03-01

Several studies have investigated the relationship between specific occupations and suicide mortality, as suicide rates differ by profession. The aim of this study was to investigate suicide mortality ratios across broad occupational groups in Greece for both sexes in the period 2000-2009. Data of suicide deaths were retrieved from the Hellenic Statistical Authority and comparative mortality ratios were calculated. Occupational classification was based on the International Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88) and the coding for Intentional self-harm (X60-X84) was based on the international classification of diseases (ICD-10). Male dominant occupations, mainly armed forces, skilled farmers and elementary workers, and female high-skilled occupations were seen as high risk groups for suicide in a period of 10 years. The age-productive group of 30-39 years in Greek male elementary workers and the 50-59 age-productive group of Greek professional women proved to have the most elevated number of suicide deaths. Further research is needed into the work-related stressors of occupations with high suicide mortality risk and focused suicide prevention strategies should be applied within vulnerable working age populations.

Abnormal uterine bleeding: advantages of formal classification to patients, clinicians and researchers.

PubMed

Madhra, Mayank; Fraser, Ian S; Munro, Malcolm G; Critchley, Hilary O D

2014-07-01

To highlight the advantages of formal classification of causes of abnormal uterine bleeding from a clinical and scientific perspective. Review and recommendations for local implementation. In the past, research in the field of menstrual disorders has not been funded adequately with respect to the impact of symptoms on individuals, healthcare systems and society. This was confounded by a diverse terminology, which lead to confusion between clinical and scientific groups, ultimately harming the underlying evidence base. To address this, a formal classification system (PALM-COEIN) for the causes of abnormal uterine bleeding has been published for worldwide use by FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics). This commentary explains problems created by the prior absence of such a system, the potential advantages stemming from its use, and practical suggestions for local implementation. The PALM-COEIN classification is applicable globally and, as momentum gathers, will ameliorate recurrence of historic problems, and harmonise reporting of clinical and scientific research to facilitate future progress in women's health. © 2014 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Metabolomic analysis applied to chemosystematics and evolution of megadiverse Brazilian Vernonieae (Asteraceae).

PubMed

Gallon, Marília Elias; Monge, Marcelo; Casoti, Rosana; Da Costa, Fernando Batista; Semir, João; Gobbo-Neto, Leonardo

2018-06-01

Vernonia sensu lato is the largest and most complex genus of the tribe Vernonieae (Asteraceae). The tribe is chemically characterized by the presence of sesquiterpene lactones and flavonoids. Over the years, several taxonomic classifications have been proposed for Vernonia s.l. and for the tribe; however, there has been no consensus among the researches. According to traditional classification, Vernonia s.l. comprises more than 1000 species divided into sections, subsections and series (sensu Bentham). In a more recent classification, these species have been segregated into other genera and some subtribes were proposed, while the genus Vernonia sensu stricto was restricted to 22 species distributed mainly in North America (sensu Robinson). In this study, species from the subtribes Vernoniinae, Lepidaploinae and Rolandrinae were analyzed by UHPLC-UV-HRMS followed by multivariate statistical analysis. Data mining was performed using unsupervised (HCA and PCA) and supervised methods (OPLS-DA). The HCA showed the segregation of the species into four main groups. Comparing the HCA with taxonomical classifications of Vernonieae, we observed that the groups of the dendogram, based on metabolic profiling, were in accordance with the generic classification proposed by Robinson and with previous phylogenetic studies. The species of the genera Stenocephalum, Stilpnopappus, Strophopappus and Rolandra (Group 1) were revealed to be more related to the species of the genus Vernonanthura (Group 2), while the genera Cyrtocymura, Chrysolaena and Echinocoryne (Group 3) were chemically more similar to the genera Lessingianthus and Lepidaploa (Group 4). These findings indicated that the subtribes Vernoniinae and Lepidaploinae are non-chemically homogeneous groups and highlighted the application of untargeted metabolomic tools for taxonomy and as indicators of species evolution. Discriminant compounds for the groups obtained by OPLS-DA were determined. Groups 1 and 2 were characterized by the presence of 3',4'-dimethoxyluteolin, glaucolide A and 8-tigloyloxyglaucolide A. The species of Groups 3 and 4 were characterized by the presence of putative acacetin 7-O-rutinoside and glaucolide B. Therefore, untargeted metabolomic approach combined with multivariate statistical analysis, as proposed herein, allowed the identification of potential chemotaxonomic markers, helping in the taxonomic classifications. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM): A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges.

PubMed

Phillips, Charles D

2015-01-01

Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large state in the USA. Using classification and regression tree analyses, a case-mix model for long-term pediatric home care was developed. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM) grouped children and youth in the study sample into 24 groups, explaining 41% of the variance in annual home care expenditures. The P/ECM creates the possibility of a more equitable, and potentially more effective, allocation of home care resources among children and youth facing serious health care challenges.

The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM): A Home Care Case-Mix Model for Children Facing Special Health Care Challenges

PubMed Central

Phillips, Charles D.

2015-01-01

Case-mix classification and payment systems help assure that persons with similar needs receive similar amounts of care resources, which is a major equity concern for consumers, providers, and programs. Although health service programs for adults regularly use case-mix payment systems, programs providing health services to children and youth rarely use such models. This research utilized Medicaid home care expenditures and assessment data on 2,578 children receiving home care in one large state in the USA. Using classification and regression tree analyses, a case-mix model for long-term pediatric home care was developed. The Pediatric Home Care/Expenditure Classification Model (P/ECM) grouped children and youth in the study sample into 24 groups, explaining 41% of the variance in annual home care expenditures. The P/ECM creates the possibility of a more equitable, and potentially more effective, allocation of home care resources among children and youth facing serious health care challenges. PMID:26740744

DSM-III as a research tool.

PubMed

Treece, C

1982-05-01

The author describes the use of the DSM-III's diagnostic criteria and classification system as a research instrument and discusses some of the advantages and drawbacks of DMS-III for a specific type of study. A rearrangement of the hierarchical order of the DSM-III diagnostic classes is suggested. This rearrangement provides for levels of certainty in analyzing interrater reliability and offers a simplified framework for summarizing group data. When this approach is combined with a structured interview and response format, it provides a flexible way of managing a large classification system for a smaller study without sacrificing standardization.

Aerodynamic Classification of Swept-Wing Ice Accretion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diebold, Jeff M.; Broeren, Andy P.; Bragg, Michael B.

2013-01-01

The continued design, certification and safe operation of swept-wing airplanes in icing conditions rely on the advancement of computational and experimental simulation methods for higher fidelity results over an increasing range of aircraft configurations and performance, and icing conditions. The current stateof- the-art in icing aerodynamics is mainly built upon a comprehensive understanding of two-dimensional geometries that does not currently exist for fundamentally three-dimensional geometries such as swept wings. The purpose of this report is to describe what is known of iced-swept-wing aerodynamics and to identify the type of research that is required to improve the current understanding. Following the method used in a previous review of iced-airfoil aerodynamics, this report proposes a classification of swept-wing ice accretion into four groups based upon unique flowfield attributes. These four groups are: ice roughness, horn ice, streamwise ice and spanwise-ridge ice. In the case of horn ice it is shown that a further subclassification of "nominally 3D" or "highly 3D" horn ice may be necessary. For all of the proposed ice-shape classifications, relatively little is known about the three-dimensional flowfield and even less about the effect of Reynolds number and Mach number on these flowfields. The classifications and supporting data presented in this report can serve as a starting point as new research explores swept-wing aerodynamics with ice shapes. As further results are available, it is expected that these classifications will need to be updated and revised.

Aerodynamic Classification of Swept-Wing Ice Accretion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diebold, Jeff M.; Broeren, Andy P.; Bragg, Michael B.

2013-01-01

The continued design, certification and safe operation of swept-wing airplanes in icing conditions rely on the advancement of computational and experimental simulation methods for higher fidelity results over an increasing range of aircraft configurations and performance, and icing conditions. The current state-of-the-art in icing aerodynamics is mainly built upon a comprehensive understanding of two-dimensional geometries that does not currently exist for fundamentally three-dimensional geometries such as swept wings. The purpose of this report is to describe what is known of iced-swept-wing aerodynamics and to identify the type of research that is required to improve the current understanding. Following the method used in a previous review of iced-airfoil aerodynamics, this report proposes a classification of swept-wing ice accretion into four groups based upon unique flowfield attributes. These four groups are: ice roughness, horn ice, streamwise ice and spanwise-ridge ice. In the case of horn ice it is shown that a further subclassification of nominally 3D or highly 3D horn ice may be necessary. For all of the proposed ice-shape classifications, relatively little is known about the three-dimensional flowfield and even less about the effect of Reynolds number and Mach number on these flowfields. The classifications and supporting data presented in this report can serve as a starting point as new research explores swept-wing aerodynamics with ice shapes. As further results are available, it is expected that these classifications will need to be updated and revised.

A protein and mRNA expression-based classification of gastric cancer.

PubMed

Setia, Namrata; Agoston, Agoston T; Han, Hye S; Mullen, John T; Duda, Dan G; Clark, Jeffrey W; Deshpande, Vikram; Mino-Kenudson, Mari; Srivastava, Amitabh; Lennerz, Jochen K; Hong, Theodore S; Kwak, Eunice L; Lauwers, Gregory Y

2016-07-01

The overall survival of gastric carcinoma patients remains poor despite improved control over known risk factors and surveillance. This highlights the need for new classifications, driven towards identification of potential therapeutic targets. Using sophisticated molecular technologies and analysis, three groups recently provided genetic and epigenetic molecular classifications of gastric cancer (The Cancer Genome Atlas, 'Singapore-Duke' study, and Asian Cancer Research Group). Suggested by these classifications, here, we examined the expression of 14 biomarkers in a cohort of 146 gastric adenocarcinomas and performed unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis using less expensive and widely available immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Ultimately, we identified five groups of gastric cancers based on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positivity, microsatellite instability, aberrant E-cadherin, and p53 expression; the remaining cases constituted a group characterized by normal p53 expression. In addition, the five categories correspond to the reported molecular subgroups by virtue of clinicopathologic features. Furthermore, evaluation between these clusters and survival using the Cox proportional hazards model showed a trend for superior survival in the EBV and microsatellite-instable related adenocarcinomas. In conclusion, we offer as a proposal a simplified algorithm that is able to reproduce the recently proposed molecular subgroups of gastric adenocarcinoma, using immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization techniques.

Low back related leg pain: an investigation of construct validity of a new classification system.

PubMed

Schäfer, Axel G M; Hall, Toby M; Rolke, Roman; Treede, Rolf-Detlef; Lüdtke, Kerstin; Mallwitz, Joachim; Briffa, Kathryn N

2014-01-01

Leg pain is associated with back pain in 25-65% of all cases and classified as somatic referred pain or radicular pain. However, distinction between the two may be difficult as different pathomechanisms may cause similar patterns of pain. Therefore a pathomechanism based classification system was proposed, with four distinct hierarchical and mutually exclusive categories: Neuropathic Sensitization (NS) comprising major features of neuropathic pain with sensory sensitization; Denervation (D) arising from significant axonal compromise; Peripheral Nerve Sensitization (PNS) with marked nerve trunk mechanosensitivity; and Musculoskeletal (M) with pain referred from musculoskeletal structures. To investigate construct validity of the classification system. Construct validity was investigated by determining the relationship of nerve functioning with subgroups of patients and asymptomatic controls. Thus somatosensory profiles of subgroups of patients with low back related leg pain (LBRLP) and healthy controls were determined by a comprehensive quantitative sensory test (QST) protocol. It was hypothesized that subgroups of patients and healthy controls would show differences in QST profiles relating to underlying pathomechanisms. 77 subjects with LBRLP were recruited and classified in one of the four groups. Additionally, 18 age and gender matched asymptomatic controls were measured. QST revealed signs of pain hypersensitivity in group NS and sensory deficits in group D whereas Groups PNS and M showed no significant differences when compared to the asymptomatic group. These findings support construct validity for two of the categories of the new classification system, however further research is warranted to achieve construct validation of the classification system as a whole.

A novel processed food classification system applied to Australian food composition databases.

PubMed

O'Halloran, S A; Lacy, K E; Grimes, C A; Woods, J; Campbell, K J; Nowson, C A

2017-08-01

The extent of food processing can affect the nutritional quality of foodstuffs. Categorising foods by the level of processing emphasises the differences in nutritional quality between foods within the same food group and is likely useful for determining dietary processed food consumption. The present study aimed to categorise foods within Australian food composition databases according to the level of food processing using a processed food classification system, as well as assess the variation in the levels of processing within food groups. A processed foods classification system was applied to food and beverage items contained within Australian Food and Nutrient (AUSNUT) 2007 (n = 3874) and AUSNUT 2011-13 (n = 5740). The proportion of Minimally Processed (MP), Processed Culinary Ingredients (PCI) Processed (P) and Ultra Processed (ULP) by AUSNUT food group and the overall proportion of the four processed food categories across AUSNUT 2007 and AUSNUT 2011-13 were calculated. Across the food composition databases, the overall proportions of foods classified as MP, PCI, P and ULP were 27%, 3%, 26% and 44% for AUSNUT 2007 and 38%, 2%, 24% and 36% for AUSNUT 2011-13. Although there was wide variation in the classifications of food processing within the food groups, approximately one-third of foodstuffs were classified as ULP food items across both the 2007 and 2011-13 AUSNUT databases. This Australian processed food classification system will allow researchers to easily quantify the contribution of processed foods within the Australian food supply to assist in assessing the nutritional quality of the dietary intake of population groups. © 2017 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

[Variability in nursing workload within Swiss Diagnosis Related Groups].

PubMed

Baumberger, Dieter; Bürgin, Reto; Bartholomeyczik, Sabine

2014-04-01

Nursing care inputs represent one of the major cost components in the Swiss Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) structure. High and low nursing workloads in individual cases are supposed to balance out via the DRG group. Research results indicating possible problems in this area cannot be reliably extrapolated to SwissDRG. An analysis of nursing workload figures with DRG indicators was carried out in order to decide whether there is a need to develop SwissDRG classification criteria that are specific to nursing care. The case groups were determined with SwissDRG 0.1, and nursing workload with LEP Nursing 2. Robust statistical methods were used. The evaluation of classification accuracy was carried out with R2 as the measurement of variance reduction and the coefficient of homogeneity (CH). To ensure reliable conclusions, statistical tests with bootstrapping methods were performed. The sample included 213 groups with a total of 73930 cases from ten hospitals. The DRG classification was seen to have limited explanatory power for variability in nursing workload inputs, both for all cases (R2 = 0.16) and for inliers (R2 = 0.32). Nursing workload homogeneity was statistically significant unsatisfactory (CH < 0.67) in 123 groups, including 24 groups in which it was significant defective (CH < 0.60). Therefore, there is a high risk of high and low nursing workloads not balancing out in these groups, and, as a result, of financial resources being wrongly allocated. The development of nursing-care-specific SwissDRG classification criteria for improved homogeneity and variance reduction is therefore indicated.

49 CFR 173.52 - Classification codes and compatibility groups of explosives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Classification codes and compatibility groups of... Class 1 § 173.52 Classification codes and compatibility groups of explosives. (a) The classification..., consists of the division number followed by the compatibility group letter. Compatibility group letters are...

Data-driven heterogeneity in mathematical learning disabilities based on the triple code model.

PubMed

Peake, Christian; Jiménez, Juan E; Rodríguez, Cristina

2017-12-01

Many classifications of heterogeneity in mathematical learning disabilities (MLD) have been proposed over the past four decades, however no empirical research has been conducted until recently, and none of the classifications are derived from Triple Code Model (TCM) postulates. The TCM proposes MLD as a heterogeneous disorder, with two distinguishable profiles: a representational subtype and a verbal subtype. A sample of elementary school 3rd to 6th graders was divided into two age cohorts (3rd - 4th grades, and 5th - 6th grades). Using data-driven strategies, based on the cognitive classification variables predicted by the TCM, our sample of children with MLD clustered as expected: a group with representational deficits and a group with number-fact retrieval deficits. In the younger group, a spatial subtype also emerged, while in both cohorts a non-specific cluster was produced whose profile could not be explained by this theoretical approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards the use of similarity distances to music genre classification: A comparative study.

PubMed

Goienetxea, Izaro; Martínez-Otzeta, José María; Sierra, Basilio; Mendialdua, Iñigo

2018-01-01

Music genre classification is a challenging research concept, for which open questions remain regarding classification approach, music piece representation, distances between/within genres, and so on. In this paper an investigation on the classification of generated music pieces is performed, based on the idea that grouping close related known pieces in different sets -or clusters- and then generating in an automatic way a new song which is somehow "inspired" in each set, the new song would be more likely to be classified as belonging to the set which inspired it, based on the same distance used to separate the clusters. Different music pieces representations and distances among pieces are used; obtained results are promising, and indicate the appropriateness of the used approach even in a such a subjective area as music genre classification is.

Towards the use of similarity distances to music genre classification: A comparative study

PubMed Central

Martínez-Otzeta, José María; Sierra, Basilio; Mendialdua, Iñigo

2018-01-01

Music genre classification is a challenging research concept, for which open questions remain regarding classification approach, music piece representation, distances between/within genres, and so on. In this paper an investigation on the classification of generated music pieces is performed, based on the idea that grouping close related known pieces in different sets –or clusters– and then generating in an automatic way a new song which is somehow “inspired” in each set, the new song would be more likely to be classified as belonging to the set which inspired it, based on the same distance used to separate the clusters. Different music pieces representations and distances among pieces are used; obtained results are promising, and indicate the appropriateness of the used approach even in a such a subjective area as music genre classification is. PMID:29444160

Classification of autism spectrum disorder using supervised learning of brain connectivity measures extracted from synchrostates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamal, Wasifa; Das, Saptarshi; Oprescu, Ioana-Anastasia; Maharatna, Koushik; Apicella, Fabio; Sicca, Federico

2014-08-01

Objective. The paper investigates the presence of autism using the functional brain connectivity measures derived from electro-encephalogram (EEG) of children during face perception tasks. Approach. Phase synchronized patterns from 128-channel EEG signals are obtained for typical children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The phase synchronized states or synchrostates temporally switch amongst themselves as an underlying process for the completion of a particular cognitive task. We used 12 subjects in each group (ASD and typical) for analyzing their EEG while processing fearful, happy and neutral faces. The minimal and maximally occurring synchrostates for each subject are chosen for extraction of brain connectivity features, which are used for classification between these two groups of subjects. Among different supervised learning techniques, we here explored the discriminant analysis and support vector machine both with polynomial kernels for the classification task. Main results. The leave one out cross-validation of the classification algorithm gives 94.7% accuracy as the best performance with corresponding sensitivity and specificity values as 85.7% and 100% respectively. Significance. The proposed method gives high classification accuracies and outperforms other contemporary research results. The effectiveness of the proposed method for classification of autistic and typical children suggests the possibility of using it on a larger population to validate it for clinical practice.

Testing R&D and Planned Applications to Enlisted Personnel Selection and Classification: Proceedings of a Topical Area Review, Held in Alexandria, Virginia on December 8-9, 1988

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

on reverse If neceasary and Identify by block number) FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP CAT -ASVAB, testing, computerized adaptive testing, Armed Service Vocational...129 John J. Pass, Navy Personnel Research and Development Center Accelerated CAT -ASVAB Project...133 William A. Sands, Navy Personnel Research and DevelopmerLt Center Accelerated CAT -ASVAB Program Psychometric Accomplishments

Classification of pasture habitats by Hungarian herders in a steppe landscape (Hungary)

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Landscape ethnoecology focuses on the ecological features of the landscape, how the landscape is perceived, and used by people who live in it. Though studying folk classifications of species has a long history, the comparative study of habitat classifications is just beginning. I studied the habitat classification of herders in a Hungarian steppe, and compared it to classifications of botanists and laymen. Methods For a quantitative analysis the picture sort method was used. Twenty-three pictures of 7-11 habitat types were sorted by 25 herders.’Density’ of pictures along the habitat gradient of the Hortobágy salt steppe was set as equal as possible, but pictures differed in their dominant species, wetness, season, etc. Before sorts, herders were asked to describe pictures to assure proper recognition of habitats. Results Herders classified the images into three main groups: (1) fertile habitats at the higher parts of the habitat gradient (partos, lit. on the shore); (2) saline habitats (szík, lit. salt or saline place), and (3) meadows and marshes (lapos, lit. flooded) at the lower end of the habitat gradient. Sharpness of delimitation changed along the gradient. Saline habitats were the most isolated from the rest. Botanists identified 6 groups. Laymen grouped habitats in a less coherent way. As opposed to my expectations, botanical classification was not more structured than that done by herders. I expected and found high correspondence between the classifications by herders, botanists and laymen. All tended to recognize similar main groups: wetlands, ”good grass” and dry/saline habitats. Two main factors could have been responsible for similar classifications: salient features correlated (e.g. salinity recognizable by herders and botanists but not by laymen correlated with the density of grasslands or height of vegetation recognizable also for laymen), or the same salient features were used as a basis for sorting (wetness, and abiotic stress). Conclusions Despite all the difficulties of studying habitat classifications (more implicit, more variable knowledge than knowledge on species), conducting landscape ethnoecological research will inevitably reveal a deeper human understanding of biological organization at a supraspecific level, where natural discontinuities are less sharp than at the species or population level. PMID:22853549

ECOD: An Evolutionary Classification of Protein Domains

PubMed Central

Kinch, Lisa N.; Pei, Jimin; Shi, Shuoyong; Kim, Bong-Hyun; Grishin, Nick V.

2014-01-01

Understanding the evolution of a protein, including both close and distant relationships, often reveals insight into its structure and function. Fast and easy access to such up-to-date information facilitates research. We have developed a hierarchical evolutionary classification of all proteins with experimentally determined spatial structures, and presented it as an interactive and updatable online database. ECOD (Evolutionary Classification of protein Domains) is distinct from other structural classifications in that it groups domains primarily by evolutionary relationships (homology), rather than topology (or “fold”). This distinction highlights cases of homology between domains of differing topology to aid in understanding of protein structure evolution. ECOD uniquely emphasizes distantly related homologs that are difficult to detect, and thus catalogs the largest number of evolutionary links among structural domain classifications. Placing distant homologs together underscores the ancestral similarities of these proteins and draws attention to the most important regions of sequence and structure, as well as conserved functional sites. ECOD also recognizes closer sequence-based relationships between protein domains. Currently, approximately 100,000 protein structures are classified in ECOD into 9,000 sequence families clustered into close to 2,000 evolutionary groups. The classification is assisted by an automated pipeline that quickly and consistently classifies weekly releases of PDB structures and allows for continual updates. This synchronization with PDB uniquely distinguishes ECOD among all protein classifications. Finally, we present several case studies of homologous proteins not recorded in other classifications, illustrating the potential of how ECOD can be used to further biological and evolutionary studies. PMID:25474468

ECOD: an evolutionary classification of protein domains.

PubMed

Cheng, Hua; Schaeffer, R Dustin; Liao, Yuxing; Kinch, Lisa N; Pei, Jimin; Shi, Shuoyong; Kim, Bong-Hyun; Grishin, Nick V

2014-12-01

Understanding the evolution of a protein, including both close and distant relationships, often reveals insight into its structure and function. Fast and easy access to such up-to-date information facilitates research. We have developed a hierarchical evolutionary classification of all proteins with experimentally determined spatial structures, and presented it as an interactive and updatable online database. ECOD (Evolutionary Classification of protein Domains) is distinct from other structural classifications in that it groups domains primarily by evolutionary relationships (homology), rather than topology (or "fold"). This distinction highlights cases of homology between domains of differing topology to aid in understanding of protein structure evolution. ECOD uniquely emphasizes distantly related homologs that are difficult to detect, and thus catalogs the largest number of evolutionary links among structural domain classifications. Placing distant homologs together underscores the ancestral similarities of these proteins and draws attention to the most important regions of sequence and structure, as well as conserved functional sites. ECOD also recognizes closer sequence-based relationships between protein domains. Currently, approximately 100,000 protein structures are classified in ECOD into 9,000 sequence families clustered into close to 2,000 evolutionary groups. The classification is assisted by an automated pipeline that quickly and consistently classifies weekly releases of PDB structures and allows for continual updates. This synchronization with PDB uniquely distinguishes ECOD among all protein classifications. Finally, we present several case studies of homologous proteins not recorded in other classifications, illustrating the potential of how ECOD can be used to further biological and evolutionary studies.

Urban Image Classification: Per-Pixel Classifiers, Sub-Pixel Analysis, Object-Based Image Analysis, and Geospatial Methods. 10; Chapter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myint, Soe W.; Mesev, Victor; Quattrochi, Dale; Wentz, Elizabeth A.

2013-01-01

Remote sensing methods used to generate base maps to analyze the urban environment rely predominantly on digital sensor data from space-borne platforms. This is due in part from new sources of high spatial resolution data covering the globe, a variety of multispectral and multitemporal sources, sophisticated statistical and geospatial methods, and compatibility with GIS data sources and methods. The goal of this chapter is to review the four groups of classification methods for digital sensor data from space-borne platforms; per-pixel, sub-pixel, object-based (spatial-based), and geospatial methods. Per-pixel methods are widely used methods that classify pixels into distinct categories based solely on the spectral and ancillary information within that pixel. They are used for simple calculations of environmental indices (e.g., NDVI) to sophisticated expert systems to assign urban land covers. Researchers recognize however, that even with the smallest pixel size the spectral information within a pixel is really a combination of multiple urban surfaces. Sub-pixel classification methods therefore aim to statistically quantify the mixture of surfaces to improve overall classification accuracy. While within pixel variations exist, there is also significant evidence that groups of nearby pixels have similar spectral information and therefore belong to the same classification category. Object-oriented methods have emerged that group pixels prior to classification based on spectral similarity and spatial proximity. Classification accuracy using object-based methods show significant success and promise for numerous urban 3 applications. Like the object-oriented methods that recognize the importance of spatial proximity, geospatial methods for urban mapping also utilize neighboring pixels in the classification process. The primary difference though is that geostatistical methods (e.g., spatial autocorrelation methods) are utilized during both the pre- and post-classification steps. Within this chapter, each of the four approaches is described in terms of scale and accuracy classifying urban land use and urban land cover; and for its range of urban applications. We demonstrate the overview of four main classification groups in Figure 1 while Table 1 details the approaches with respect to classification requirements and procedures (e.g., reflectance conversion, steps before training sample selection, training samples, spatial approaches commonly used, classifiers, primary inputs for classification, output structures, number of output layers, and accuracy assessment). The chapter concludes with a brief summary of the methods reviewed and the challenges that remain in developing new classification methods for improving the efficiency and accuracy of mapping urban areas.

Suicide Mortality Across Broad Occupational Groups in Greece: A Descriptive Study

PubMed Central

Alexopoulos, Evangelos C.; Kavalidou, Katerina; Messolora, Fani

2015-01-01

Background Several studies have investigated the relationship between specific occupations and suicide mortality, as suicide rates differ by profession. The aim of this study was to investigate suicide mortality ratios across broad occupational groups in Greece for both sexes in the period 2000–2009. Methods Data of suicide deaths were retrieved from the Hellenic Statistical Authority and comparative mortality ratios were calculated. Occupational classification was based on the International Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88) and the coding for Intentional self-harm (X60–X84) was based on the international classification of diseases (ICD-10). Results Male dominant occupations, mainly armed forces, skilled farmers and elementary workers, and female high-skilled occupations were seen as high risk groups for suicide in a period of 10 years. The age-productive group of 30–39 years in Greek male elementary workers and the 50–59 age-productive group of Greek professional women proved to have the most elevated number of suicide deaths. Conclusion Further research is needed into the work-related stressors of occupations with high suicide mortality risk and focused suicide prevention strategies should be applied within vulnerable working age populations. PMID:27014484

Evaluating Intervention Effects in a Diagnostic Classification Model Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madison, Matthew J.; Bradshaw, Laine

2018-01-01

The evaluation of intervention effects is an important objective of educational research. One way to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention is to conduct an experiment that assigns individuals to control and treatment groups. In the context of pretest/posttest designed studies, this is referred to as a control-group pretest/posttest design.…

U.S. Geological Survey Library classification system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sasscer, R. Scott

2000-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey Library classification system has been designed for earth science libraries. It is a tool for assigning call numbers to earth science and allied pure science materials in order to collect these materials into related subject groups on the library shelves and arrange them alphabetically by author and title. The classification can be used as a retrieval system to access materials through the subject and geographic numbers.The classification scheme has been developed over the years since 1904 to meet the ever-changing needs of increased specialization and the development of new areas of research in the earth sciences. The system contains seven schedules: Subject scheduleGeological survey schedule Earth science periodical scheduleGovernment document periodical scheduleGeneral science periodical schedule Earth science map schedule Geographic schedule Introduction provides detailed instructions on the construction of call numbers for works falling into the framework of the classification schedules.The tables following the introduction can be quickly accessed through the use of the newly expanded subject index.The purpose of this publication is to provide the earth science community with a classification and retrieval system for earth science materials, to offer sufficient explanation of its structure and use, and to enable library staff and clientele to classify or access research materials in a library collection.

Men who have sex with men and women (MSMW), biphobia and the CDC: A bridge ignored?!

PubMed

Fernando, Daniel

2017-12-01

This is a letter to the editor on a Short Communication by a group of CDC researchers. It speaks of the importance of bisexual behavior in the transmission of HIV to heterosexual females. In this letter, I demonstrate that the differences between MSM only and MSMW have been discussed by CDC researchers and CDC collaborative researchers previously, although the CDC continues to maintain its original risk category classification, which undermines the role of bisexuals in HIV transmission to heterosexual females. In the CDC risk category classification where men who have sex with men and women (MSMW) are subsumed under the MSM category, it is impossible to know the extent of HIV transmission from MSMW to heterosexual women. Since more Blacks and Hispanics admit to bisexual behavior, the original CDC risk category classification has had a more serious adverse impact on minority communities. I argue that the CDC should change its risk category classification to include MSM only and MSMW as well as women who have sex with men only (WSM) and women who have sex with men and women (WSMW), even at this late stage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Classification of breast abnormalities using artificial neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaman, Nur Atiqah Kamarul; Rahman, Wan Eny Zarina Wan Abdul; Jumaat, Abdul Kadir; Yasiran, Siti Salmah

2015-05-01

Classification is the process of recognition, differentiation and categorizing objects into groups. Breast abnormalities are calcifications which are tumor markers that indicate the presence of cancer in the breast. The aims of this research are to classify the types of breast abnormalities using artificial neural network (ANN) classifier and to evaluate the accuracy performance using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. The methods used in this research are ANN for breast abnormalities classifications and Canny edge detector as a feature extraction method. Previously the ANN classifier provides only the number of benign and malignant cases without providing information for specific cases. However in this research, the type of abnormality for each image can be obtained. The existing MIAS MiniMammographic database classified the mammogram images into three features only namely characteristic of background tissues, class of abnormality and radius of abnormality. However, in this research three other features are added-in. These three features are number of spots, area and shape of abnormalities. Lastly the performance of the ANN classifier is evaluated using ROC curve. It is found that ANN has an accuracy of 97.9% which is considered acceptable.

Supervised classification in the presence of misclassified training data: a Monte Carlo simulation study in the three group case.

PubMed

Bolin, Jocelyn Holden; Finch, W Holmes

2014-01-01

Statistical classification of phenomena into observed groups is very common in the social and behavioral sciences. Statistical classification methods, however, are affected by the characteristics of the data under study. Statistical classification can be further complicated by initial misclassification of the observed groups. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of initial training data misclassification on several statistical classification and data mining techniques. Misclassification conditions in the three group case will be simulated and results will be presented in terms of overall as well as subgroup classification accuracy. Results show decreased classification accuracy as sample size, group separation and group size ratio decrease and as misclassification percentage increases with random forests demonstrating the highest accuracy across conditions.

Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health to identify outcome domains for a core outcome set for aphasia: a comparison of stakeholder perspectives.

PubMed

Wallace, Sarah J; Worrall, Linda; Rose, Tanya; Le Dorze, Guylaine

2017-11-12

This study synthesised the findings of three separate consensus processes exploring the perspectives of key stakeholder groups about important aphasia treatment outcomes. This process was conducted to generate recommendations for outcome domains to be included in a core outcome set for aphasia treatment trials. International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health codes were examined to identify where the groups of: (1) people with aphasia, (2) family members, (3) aphasia researchers, and (4) aphasia clinicians/managers, demonstrated congruence in their perspectives regarding important treatment outcomes. Codes were contextualized using qualitative data. Congruence across three or more stakeholder groups was evident for ICF chapters: Mental functions; Communication; and Services, systems, and policies. Quality of life was explicitly identified by clinicians/managers and researchers, while people with aphasia and their families identified outcomes known to be determinants of quality of life. Core aphasia outcomes include: language, emotional wellbeing, communication, patient-reported satisfaction with treatment and impact of treatment, and quality of life. International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health coding can be used to compare stakeholder perspectives and identify domains for core outcome sets. Pairing coding with qualitative data may ensure important nuances of meaning are retained. Implications for rehabilitation The outcomes measured in treatment research should be relevant to stakeholders and support health care decision making. Core outcome sets (agreed, minimum set of outcomes, and outcome measures) are increasingly being used to ensure the relevancy and consistency of the outcomes measured in treatment studies. Important aphasia treatment outcomes span all components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Stakeholders demonstrated congruence in the identification of important outcomes which related Mental functions; Communication; Services, systems, and policies; and Quality of life. A core outcome set for aphasia treatment research should include measures relating to: language, emotional wellbeing, communication, patient-reported satisfaction with treatment and impact of treatment, and quality of life. Coding using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health, presents a novel methodology for the comparison of stakeholder perspectives to inform recommendations for outcome constructs to be included in a core outcome set. Coding can be paired with qualitative data to ensure nuances of meaning are retained.

Systematic Review of Cerebral Palsy Registries/Surveillance Groups: Relationships between Registry Characteristics and Knowledge Dissemination

PubMed Central

Hurley, Donna S; Sukal-Moulton, Theresa; Gaebler-Spira, Deborah; Krosschell, Kristin J; Pavone, Larissa; Mutlu, Akmer; Dewald, Julius PA; Msall, Michael E

2016-01-01

The aims of this study were to provide a comprehensive summary of the body of research disseminated by Cerebral Palsy (CP) registries and surveillance programs from January 2009 through May 2014 in order to describe the influence their results have on our overall understanding of CP. Secondly, registries/surveillance programs and the work they produced were evaluated and grouped using standardized definitions and classification systems. Method A systematic review search in PubMed, CINAH and Embase for original articles published from 1 January 2009 to 20 May 2014 originating from or supported by population based CP registries and surveillance programs or population based national registries including CP were included. Articles were grouped by 2009 World CP Registry Congress aim, registry/surveillance program classification, geographical region, and the International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF) domain. Registry variables were assessed using the ICF-CY classification. Results Literature searches returned 177 articles meeting inclusion criteria. The majority (69%) of registry/surveillance program productivity was related to contributions as a Resource for CP Research. Prevention (23%) and Surveillance (22%) articles were other areas of achievement, but fewer articles were published in the areas of Planning (17%) and Raising the Profile of CP (2%). There was a range of registry/surveillance program classifications contributing to this productivity, and representation from multiple areas of the globe, although most of the articles originated in Europe, Australia, and Canada. The domains of the ICF that were primarily covered included body structures and function at the early stages of life. Encouragingly, a variety of CP registry/surveillance program initiatives included additional ICF domains of participation and environmental and personal factors. Interpretation CP registries and surveillance programs, including novel non-traditional ones, have significantly contributed to the understanding of how CP affects individuals, families and society. Moving forward, the global CP registry/surveillance program community should continue to strive for uniformity in CP definitions, variables collected and consistency with international initiatives like the ICF so that databases can be consolidated for research use. Adaptation to new technologies can improve access, reduce cost and facilitate information transfer between registrants, researchers and registries/surveillance programs. Finally, increased efforts in documenting variables of individuals with CP into adulthood should be made in order to expand our understanding of CP across the lifespan. PMID:27790626

Hydrologic Landscape Regionalisation Using Deductive Classification and Random Forests

PubMed Central

Brown, Stuart C.; Lester, Rebecca E.; Versace, Vincent L.; Fawcett, Jonathon; Laurenson, Laurie

2014-01-01

Landscape classification and hydrological regionalisation studies are being increasingly used in ecohydrology to aid in the management and research of aquatic resources. We present a methodology for classifying hydrologic landscapes based on spatial environmental variables by employing non-parametric statistics and hybrid image classification. Our approach differed from previous classifications which have required the use of an a priori spatial unit (e.g. a catchment) which necessarily results in the loss of variability that is known to exist within those units. The use of a simple statistical approach to identify an appropriate number of classes eliminated the need for large amounts of post-hoc testing with different number of groups, or the selection and justification of an arbitrary number. Using statistical clustering, we identified 23 distinct groups within our training dataset. The use of a hybrid classification employing random forests extended this statistical clustering to an area of approximately 228,000 km2 of south-eastern Australia without the need to rely on catchments, landscape units or stream sections. This extension resulted in a highly accurate regionalisation at both 30-m and 2.5-km resolution, and a less-accurate 10-km classification that would be more appropriate for use at a continental scale. A smaller case study, of an area covering 27,000 km2, demonstrated that the method preserved the intra- and inter-catchment variability that is known to exist in local hydrology, based on previous research. Preliminary analysis linking the regionalisation to streamflow indices is promising suggesting that the method could be used to predict streamflow behaviour in ungauged catchments. Our work therefore simplifies current classification frameworks that are becoming more popular in ecohydrology, while better retaining small-scale variability in hydrology, thus enabling future attempts to explain and visualise broad-scale hydrologic trends at the scale of catchments and continents. PMID:25396410

Hydrologic landscape regionalisation using deductive classification and random forests.

PubMed

Brown, Stuart C; Lester, Rebecca E; Versace, Vincent L; Fawcett, Jonathon; Laurenson, Laurie

2014-01-01

Landscape classification and hydrological regionalisation studies are being increasingly used in ecohydrology to aid in the management and research of aquatic resources. We present a methodology for classifying hydrologic landscapes based on spatial environmental variables by employing non-parametric statistics and hybrid image classification. Our approach differed from previous classifications which have required the use of an a priori spatial unit (e.g. a catchment) which necessarily results in the loss of variability that is known to exist within those units. The use of a simple statistical approach to identify an appropriate number of classes eliminated the need for large amounts of post-hoc testing with different number of groups, or the selection and justification of an arbitrary number. Using statistical clustering, we identified 23 distinct groups within our training dataset. The use of a hybrid classification employing random forests extended this statistical clustering to an area of approximately 228,000 km2 of south-eastern Australia without the need to rely on catchments, landscape units or stream sections. This extension resulted in a highly accurate regionalisation at both 30-m and 2.5-km resolution, and a less-accurate 10-km classification that would be more appropriate for use at a continental scale. A smaller case study, of an area covering 27,000 km2, demonstrated that the method preserved the intra- and inter-catchment variability that is known to exist in local hydrology, based on previous research. Preliminary analysis linking the regionalisation to streamflow indices is promising suggesting that the method could be used to predict streamflow behaviour in ungauged catchments. Our work therefore simplifies current classification frameworks that are becoming more popular in ecohydrology, while better retaining small-scale variability in hydrology, thus enabling future attempts to explain and visualise broad-scale hydrologic trends at the scale of catchments and continents.

Investigating the limitations of tree species classification using the Combined Cluster and Discriminant Analysis method for low density ALS data from a dense forest region in Aggtelek (Hungary)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koma, Zsófia; Deák, Márton; Kovács, József; Székely, Balázs; Kelemen, Kristóf; Standovár, Tibor

2016-04-01

Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) is a widely used technology for forestry classification applications. However, single tree detection and species classification from low density ALS point cloud is limited in a dense forest region. In this study we investigate the division of a forest into homogenous groups at stand level. The study area is located in the Aggtelek karst region (Northeast Hungary) with a complex relief topography. The ALS dataset contained only 4 discrete echoes (at 2-4 pt/m2 density) from the study area during leaf-on season. Ground-truth measurements about canopy closure and proportion of tree species cover are available for every 70 meter in 500 square meter circular plots. In the first step, ALS data were processed and geometrical and intensity based features were calculated into a 5×5 meter raster based grid. The derived features contained: basic statistics of relative height, canopy RMS, echo ratio, openness, pulse penetration ratio, basic statistics of radiometric feature. In the second step the data were investigated using Combined Cluster and Discriminant Analysis (CCDA, Kovács et al., 2014). The CCDA method first determines a basic grouping for the multiple circle shaped sampling locations using hierarchical clustering and then for the arising grouping possibilities a core cycle is executed comparing the goodness of the investigated groupings with random ones. Out of these comparisons difference values arise, yielding information about the optimal grouping out of the investigated ones. If sub-groups are then further investigated, one might even find homogeneous groups. We found that low density ALS data classification into homogeneous groups are highly dependent on canopy closure, and the proportion of the dominant tree species. The presented results show high potential using CCDA for determination of homogenous separable groups in LiDAR based tree species classification. Aggtelek Karst/Slovakian Karst Caves" (HUSK/1101/221/0180, Aggtelek NP), data evaluation: 'Multipurpose assessment serving forest biodiversity conservation in the Carpathian region of Hungary', Swiss-Hungarian Cooperation Programme (SH/4/13 Project). BS contributed as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow. J. Kovács, S. Kovács, N. Magyar, P. Tanos, I. G. Hatvani, and A. Anda (2014), Classification into homogeneous groups using combined cluster and discriminant analysis, Environmental Modelling & Software, 57, 52-59.

A Comprehensive Analysis of the SRS-Schwab Adult Spinal Deformity Classification and Confounding Variables: A Prospective, Non-US Cross-sectional Study in 292 Patients.

PubMed

Hallager, Dennis Winge; Hansen, Lars Valentin; Dragsted, Casper Rokkjær; Peytz, Nina; Gehrchen, Martin; Dahl, Benny

2016-05-01

Cross-sectional analyses on a consecutive, prospective cohort. To evaluate the ability of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-Schwab Adult Spinal Deformity Classification to group patients by widely used health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) scores and examine possible confounding variables. The SRS-Schwab Adult Spinal Deformity Classification includes sagittal modifiers considered important for HRQOL and the clinical impact of the classification has been validated in patients from the International Spine Study Group database; however, equivocal results were reported for the Pelvic Tilt modifier and potential confounding variables were not evaluated. Between March 2013 and May 2014, all adult spinal deformity patients from our outpatient clinic with sufficient radiographs were prospectively enrolled. Analyses of HRQOL variance and post hoc analyses were performed for each SRS-Schwab modifier. Age, history of spine surgery, and aetiology of spinal deformity were considered potential confounders and their influence on the association between SRS-Schwab modifiers and aggregated Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores was evaluated with multivariate proportional odds regressions. P values were adjusted for multiple testing. Two hundred ninety-two of 460 eligible patients were included for analyses. The SRS-Schwab Classification significantly discriminated HRQOL scores between normal and abnormal sagittal modifier classifications. Individual grade comparisons showed equivocal results; however, Pelvic Tilt grade + versus +  + did not discriminate patients according to any HRQOL score. All modifiers showed significant proportional odds for worse aggregated ODI scores with increasing grade levels and the effects were robust to confounding. However, age group and aetiology had individual significant effects. The SRS-Schwab sagittal modifiers reliably grouped patients graded 0 versus + / +  + according to the most widely used HRQOL scores and the effects of increasing grade level on odds for worse ODI scores remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders. However, effects of age group and aetiology should not be neglected. 3.

Integration of visual quality considerations in development of Israeli vegetation management policy.

PubMed

Misgav, A; Amir, S

2001-06-01

This article deals with the visual quality of Mediterranean vegetation groups in northern Israel, the public's preference of these groups as a visual resource, and the policy options for their management. The study is based on a sample of 44 Mediterranean vegetation groups and three population groups of local residents, who were interviewed using a questionnaire and photographs of the vegetation groups. The results of the research showed that plant classification methods based on flora composition, habitat, and external appearance were found to be suitable for visual plant classification and for the evaluation of visual preference of vegetation groups by the interviewed public. The vegetation groups of planted pine forests and olive groves, characterizing a cultured vegetation landscape, were preferred over typical Mediterranean landscapes such as scrub and grassed scrub. The researchers noted a marked difference between the two products of vegetation management policy, one that proposes the conservation and restoration of the variety of native Mediterranean vegetation landscape, and a second that advanced the development of the cultured landscape of planted olive groves and pines forests, which were highly preferred by the public. The authors suggested the development of an integrated vegetation management policy that would combine both needs and thus reduce the gap between the policy proposed by planners and the local population's visual preference.

Limitations and implications of stream classification

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juracek, K.E.; Fitzpatrick, F.A.

2003-01-01

Stream classifications that are based on channel form, such as the Rosgen Level II classification, are useful tools for the physical description and grouping of streams and for providing a means of communication for stream studies involving scientists and (or) managers with different backgrounds. The Level II classification also is used as a tool to assess stream stability, infer geomorphic processes, predict future geomorphic response, and guide stream restoration or rehabilitation activities. The use of the Level II classification for these additional purposes is evaluated in this paper. Several examples are described to illustrate the limitations and management implications of the Level II classification. Limitations include: (1) time dependence, (2) uncertain applicability across physical environments, (3) difficulty in identification of a true equilibrium condition, (4) potential for incorrect determination of bankfull elevation, and (5) uncertain process significance of classification criteria. Implications of using stream classifications based on channel form, such as Rosgen's, include: (1) acceptance of the limitations, (2) acceptance of the risk of classifying streams incorrectly, and (3) classification results may be used inappropriately. It is concluded that use of the Level II classification for purposes beyond description and communication is not appropriate. Research needs are identified that, if addressed, may help improve the usefulness of the Level II classification.

Classification of "multipole" superconductivity in multiorbital systems and its implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nomoto, T.; Hattori, K.; Ikeda, H.

2016-11-01

Motivated by a growing interest in multiorbital superconductors with spin-orbit interactions, we perform the group-theoretical classification of various unconventional superconductivity emerging in symmorphic O , D4, and D6 space groups. The generalized Cooper pairs, which we here call "multipole" superconductivity, possess spin-orbital coupled (multipole) degrees of freedom, instead of the conventional spin singlet/triplet in single-orbital systems. From the classification, we obtain the following key consequences, which have never been focused in the long history of research in this field: (1) A superconducting gap function with Γ9⊗Γ9 in D6 possesses nontrivial momentum dependence different from the usual spin-1/2 classification. (2) Unconventional gap structure can be realized in the BCS approximation of purely local (onsite) interactions irrespective of attraction/repulsion. It implies the emergence of an electron-phonon (e-ph) driven unconventional superconductivity. (3) Reflecting symmetry of orbital basis functions there appear not symmetry protected but inevitable line nodes/gap minima, and thus, anisotropic s -wave superconductivity can be naturally explained even in the absence of competing fluctuations.

Measurement of the center edge angle and determination of the Severin classification using digital radiography, computer-assisted measurement tools, and a Severin algorithm: intraobserver and interobserver reliability revisited.

PubMed

Carroll, Kristen L; Murray, Kathleen A; MacLeod, Lynne M; Hennessey, Theresa A; Woiczik, Marcella R; Roach, James W

2011-06-01

Numerous studies underscore the poor intraobserver and interobserver reliability of both the center edge angle (CEA) and the Severin classification using plain film measurements. In this study, experienced observers applied a computer-assisted measurement program to determine the CEA in digital pelvic radiographs of adults who had been previously treated for dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Using a teaching aid/algorithm of the Severin classification, the observers then assigned a Severin rating to these hips. Intraobserver and interobserver errors were then calculated on both the CEA measurements and the Severin classifications. Four pediatric orthopaedic surgeons and 1 pediatric radiologist calculated the CEAs using the OrthoView TM planning system and then determined the Severin classification on 41 blinded digital pelvic radiographs. The radiographs were evaluated by each examiner twice, with evaluations separated by 2 months. All examiners reviewed a Severin classification algorithm before making their Severin assignments. The intraobserver and interobserver reliability for both the CEA and the Severin classification were calculated using the interclass correlation coefficients and Cohen and Fleiss κ scores, respectively. The intraobserver and interobserver reliability for CEA measurement was moderate to almost perfect. When we separated the Severin classification into 3 clinically relevant groups of good (Severin I and II), dysplastic (Severin III), and poor (Severin IV and above), our interobserver reliability neared almost perfect. The Severin classification is an extremely useful and oft-used radiographic measure for the success of DDH treatment. Our research found digital radiography, computer-aided measurement tools, the use of a Severin algorithm, and separating the Severin classification into 3 clinically relevant groups significantly increased the intraobserver and interobserver reliability of both the CEA and Severin classification. This finding will assist future studies using the CEA and Severin classification in the radiographic assessment of DDH treatment outcomes.

Construction of Military Intelligence Military Occupational Specialty Taxonomy

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-11-01

Ji ARI Research Note 91-10 Construction of Military Intelligence Military Occupational Specialty N Taxonomy IFrederick A. Muckler, Sally Seven, and...11. TITLE (Include Security Classification) Construction of Military Intelligence Military Occupational Specialty Taxonomy 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S...Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number) FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP Military intelligence Evaluation taxonomy MOS restructuring

Orthostatic hypotension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ninet, J.

1981-01-01

Basic orientation of the article, by the leader of a group of medical researchers associated with hospitals in Lyon, France, is toward definition and classification. A table divides OH (orthostatic hypotension) according to physiopathological classification into sympathicotonic and asympathicotonic types and then each of these into primary and secondary with subdivisions. The figure sketches organization and functioning of the baroreflex arc. Applications to clinical study of circulatory reflexes, listing measurement tests and the biological study of hormonal regulation listing the appropriate kinds of studies. Data are not given.

Usefulness and applicability of the revised dengue case classification by disease: multi-centre study in 18 countries

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In view of the long term discussion on the appropriateness of the dengue classification into dengue fever (DF), dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), the World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined in its new global dengue guidelines a revised classification into levels of severity: dengue fever with an intermediary group of "dengue fever with warning sings", and severe dengue. The objective of this paper was to compare the two classification systems regarding applicability in clinical practice and surveillance, as well as user-friendliness and acceptance by health staff. Methods A mix of quantitative (prospective and retrospective review of medical charts by expert reviewers, formal staff interviews), semi-quantitative (open questions in staff interviews) and qualitative methods (focus group discussions) were used in 18 countries. Quality control of data collected was undertaken by external monitors. Results The applicability of the DF/DHF/DSS classification was limited, even when strict DHF criteria were not applied (13.7% of dengue cases could not be classified using the DF/DHF/DSS classification by experienced reviewers, compared to only 1.6% with the revised classification). The fact that some severe dengue cases could not be classified in the DF/DHF/DSS system was of particular concern. Both acceptance and perceived user-friendliness of the revised system were high, particularly in relation to triage and case management. The applicability of the revised classification to retrospective data sets (of importance for dengue surveillance) was also favourable. However, the need for training, dissemination and further research on the warning signs was highlighted. Conclusions The revised dengue classification has a high potential for facilitating dengue case management and surveillance. PMID:21510901

A model-based test for treatment effects with probabilistic classifications.

PubMed

Cavagnaro, Daniel R; Davis-Stober, Clintin P

2018-05-21

Within modern psychology, computational and statistical models play an important role in describing a wide variety of human behavior. Model selection analyses are typically used to classify individuals according to the model(s) that best describe their behavior. These classifications are inherently probabilistic, which presents challenges for performing group-level analyses, such as quantifying the effect of an experimental manipulation. We answer this challenge by presenting a method for quantifying treatment effects in terms of distributional changes in model-based (i.e., probabilistic) classifications across treatment conditions. The method uses hierarchical Bayesian mixture modeling to incorporate classification uncertainty at the individual level into the test for a treatment effect at the group level. We illustrate the method with several worked examples, including a reanalysis of the data from Kellen, Mata, and Davis-Stober (2017), and analyze its performance more generally through simulation studies. Our simulations show that the method is both more powerful and less prone to type-1 errors than Fisher's exact test when classifications are uncertain. In the special case where classifications are deterministic, we find a near-perfect power-law relationship between the Bayes factor, derived from our method, and the p value obtained from Fisher's exact test. We provide code in an online supplement that allows researchers to apply the method to their own data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Attachment classification, psychophysiology and frontal EEG asymmetry across the lifespan: a review

PubMed Central

Gander, Manuela; Buchheim, Anna

2015-01-01

In recent years research on physiological response and frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry in different patterns of infant and adult attachment has increased. We review research findings regarding associations between attachment classifications and frontal EEG asymmetry, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA). Studies indicate that insecure attachment is related to a heightened adrenocortical activity, heart rate and skin conductance in response to stress, which is consistent with the hypothesis that attachment insecurity leads to impaired emotion regulation. Research on frontal EEG asymmetry also shows a clear difference in the emotional arousal between the attachment groups evidenced by specific frontal asymmetry changes. Furthermore, we discuss neurophysiological evidence of attachment organization and present up-to-date findings of EEG-research with adults. Based on the overall patterns of results presented in this article we identify some major areas of interest and directions for future research. PMID:25745393

Environmental Impact Research Program. Common Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana). Section 7.5.4, US Army Corps of Engineers Wildlife Resources Management Manual.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-01

0sl.oApos - 943- 3’% ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT RESEARCH PROGRAM 2 w T[CHNICAL HFPOfz1 EL P36 36 COMMON CHOKECHERRY (Prunus virginiana ) Section 7.5.4...ACCESSION NO Washington, DC 20314-1000 EIRP 31631 11 TITLE (Include Security Classification) Common Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana ): Section 7.5.4, US...Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number) FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP Chokecherry Prunus virginiana Rosaceae Plant materials Habitat

Neuroimaging classification of progression patterns in glioblastoma: a systematic review.

PubMed

Piper, Rory J; Senthil, Keerthi K; Yan, Jiun-Lin; Price, Stephen J

2018-03-30

Our primary objective was to report the current neuroimaging classification systems of spatial patterns of progression in glioblastoma. In addition, we aimed to report the terminology used to describe 'progression' and to assess the compliance with the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) Criteria. We conducted a systematic review to identify all neuroimaging studies of glioblastoma that have employed a categorical classification system of spatial progression patterns. Our review was registered with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) registry. From the included 157 results, we identified 129 studies that used labels of spatial progression patterns that were not based on radiation volumes (Group 1) and 50 studies that used labels that were based on radiation volumes (Group 2). In Group 1, we found 113 individual labels and the most frequent were: local/localised (58%), distant/distal (51%), diffuse (20%), multifocal (15%) and subependymal/subventricular zone (15%). We identified 13 different labels used to refer to 'progression', of which the most frequent were 'recurrence' (99%) and 'progression' (92%). We identified that 37% (n = 33/90) of the studies published following the release of the RANO classification were adherent compliant with the RANO criteria. Our review reports significant heterogeneity in the published systems used to classify glioblastoma spatial progression patterns. Standardization of terminology and classification systems used in studying progression would increase the efficiency of our research in our attempts to more successfully treat glioblastoma.

Detection of Alzheimer's disease using group lasso SVM-based region selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhuo; Fan, Yong; Lelieveldt, Boudewijn P. F.; van de Giessen, Martijn

2015-03-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most frequent forms of dementia and an increasing challenging public health problem. In the last two decades, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown potential in distinguishing patients with Alzheimer's disease and elderly controls (CN). To obtain AD-specific biomarkers, previous research used either statistical testing to find statistically significant different regions between the two clinical groups, or l1 sparse learning to select isolated features in the image domain. In this paper, we propose a new framework that uses structural MRI to simultaneously distinguish the two clinical groups and find the bio-markers of AD, using a group lasso support vector machine (SVM). The group lasso term (mixed l1- l2 norm) introduces anatomical information from the image domain into the feature domain, such that the resulting set of selected voxels are more meaningful than the l1 sparse SVM. Because of large inter-structure size variation, we introduce a group specific normalization factor to deal with the structure size bias. Experiments have been performed on a well-designed AD vs. CN dataset1 to validate our method. Comparing to the l1 sparse SVM approach, our method achieved better classification performance and a more meaningful biomarker selection. When we vary the training set, the selected regions by our method were more stable than the l1 sparse SVM. Classification experiments showed that our group normalization lead to higher classification accuracy with fewer selected regions than the non-normalized method. Comparing to the state-of-art AD vs. CN classification methods, our approach not only obtains a high accuracy with the same dataset, but more importantly, we simultaneously find the brain anatomies that are closely related to the disease.

A research of selected textural features for detection of asbestos-cement roofing sheets using orthoimages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Książek, Judyta

2015-10-01

At present, there has been a great interest in the development of texture based image classification methods in many different areas. This study presents the results of research carried out to assess the usefulness of selected textural features for detection of asbestos-cement roofs in orthophotomap classification. Two different orthophotomaps of southern Poland (with ground resolution: 5 cm and 25 cm) were used. On both orthoimages representative samples for two classes: asbestos-cement roofing sheets and other roofing materials were selected. Estimation of texture analysis usefulness was conducted using machine learning methods based on decision trees (C5.0 algorithm). For this purpose, various sets of texture parameters were calculated in MaZda software. During the calculation of decision trees different numbers of texture parameters groups were considered. In order to obtain the best settings for decision trees models cross-validation was performed. Decision trees models with the lowest mean classification error were selected. The accuracy of the classification was held based on validation data sets, which were not used for the classification learning. For 5 cm ground resolution samples, the lowest mean classification error was 15.6%. The lowest mean classification error in the case of 25 cm ground resolution was 20.0%. The obtained results confirm potential usefulness of the texture parameter image processing for detection of asbestos-cement roofing sheets. In order to improve the accuracy another extended study should be considered in which additional textural features as well as spectral characteristics should be analyzed.

Advances in Risk Classification and Treatment Strategies for Neuroblastoma

PubMed Central

Pinto, Navin R.; Applebaum, Mark A.; Volchenboum, Samuel L.; Matthay, Katherine K.; London, Wendy B.; Ambros, Peter F.; Nakagawara, Akira; Berthold, Frank; Schleiermacher, Gudrun; Park, Julie R.; Valteau-Couanet, Dominique; Pearson, Andrew D.J.

2015-01-01

Risk-based treatment approaches for neuroblastoma have been ongoing for decades. However, the criteria used to define risk in various institutional and cooperative groups were disparate, limiting the ability to compare clinical trial results. To mitigate this problem and enhance collaborative research, homogenous pretreatment patient cohorts have been defined by the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group classification system. During the past 30 years, increasingly intensive, multimodality approaches have been developed to treat patients who are classified as high risk, whereas patients with low- or intermediate-risk neuroblastoma have received reduced therapy. This treatment approach has resulted in improved outcome, although survival for high-risk patients remains poor, emphasizing the need for more effective treatments. Increased knowledge regarding the biology and genetic basis of neuroblastoma has led to the discovery of druggable targets and promising, new therapeutic approaches. Collaborative efforts of institutions and international cooperative groups have led to advances in our understanding of neuroblastoma biology, refinements in risk classification, and stratified treatment strategies, resulting in improved outcome. International collaboration will be even more critical when evaluating therapies designed to treat small cohorts of patients with rare actionable mutations. PMID:26304901

A Comparison of Two-Group Classification Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holden, Jocelyn E.; Finch, W. Holmes; Kelley, Ken

2011-01-01

The statistical classification of "N" individuals into "G" mutually exclusive groups when the actual group membership is unknown is common in the social and behavioral sciences. The results of such classification methods often have important consequences. Among the most common methods of statistical classification are linear discriminant analysis,…

[Landscape classification: research progress and development trend].

PubMed

Liang, Fa-Chao; Liu, Li-Ming

2011-06-01

Landscape classification is the basis of the researches on landscape structure, process, and function, and also, the prerequisite for landscape evaluation, planning, protection, and management, directly affecting the precision and practicability of landscape research. This paper reviewed the research progress on the landscape classification system, theory, and methodology, and summarized the key problems and deficiencies of current researches. Some major landscape classification systems, e. g. , LANMAP and MUFIC, were introduced and discussed. It was suggested that a qualitative and quantitative comprehensive classification based on the ideology of functional structure shape and on the integral consideration of landscape classification utility, landscape function, landscape structure, physiogeographical factors, and human disturbance intensity should be the major research directions in the future. The integration of mapping, 3S technology, quantitative mathematics modeling, computer artificial intelligence, and professional knowledge to enhance the precision of landscape classification would be the key issues and the development trend in the researches of landscape classification.

Reporting observational studies of the use of information technology in the clinical consultation. A position statement from the IMIA Primary Health Care Informatics Working Group (IMIA PCI WG).

PubMed

de Lusignan, S; Pearce, C; Kumarapeli, P; Stavropoulou, C; Kushniruk, A; Sheikh, A; Shachak, A; Mendis, K

2011-01-01

To develop a classification system to improve the reporting of observational studies of the use of information technology (IT) in clinical consultations. Literature review, workshops, and development of a position statement. We grouped the important aspects for consistent reporting into a "faceted classification"; the components relevant to a particular study to be used independently. The eight facets of our classification are: (1) Theoretical and methodological approach: e.g. dramaturgical, cognitive; (2) DATA COLLECTION: Type and method of observation; (3) Room layout and environment: How this affects interaction between clinician, patient and computer. (4) Initiation and Interaction: Who starts the consultation, and how the participants interact; (5) Information and knowledge utilisation: What sources of information or decision support are used or provided; (6) Timing and type of consultation variables: Standard descriptors that can be used to allow comparison of duration and description of continuous activities (e.g. speech, eye contact) and episodic ones, such as prescribing; (7) Post-consultation impact measures: Satisfaction surveys and health economic assessment based on the perceived quality of the clinician-patient interaction; and (8) Data capture, storage, and export formats: How to archive and curate data to facilitate further analysis. Adoption of this classification should make it easier to interpret research findings and facilitate the synthesis of evidence across studies. Those engaged in IT-consultation research shouldconsider adopting this reporting guide.

Digital Refractometry of Piezoelectric Crystalline Media

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-01

Research and Development Technical Report SLCET-TR-87-0727-1 III DIGITAL REFRACTOMETRY OF PIEZOELECTRIC CRYSTALLINE MEDIA CD Dr. Edward Collett...1L 1 DA313485 11. TITLE (include Security Classification) DIGITAL REFRACTOMETRY OF PIEZOELECTRIC CRYSTALLINE MEDIA (U) 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Dr...GROUP SUB-GROUP Lasers; quartz; dielectrics; permittivity; refractometry 9 U-1optics; millimeter waves; microwaves; crystals. ,𔄃. ABSTRACT (Continue on

Knee replacement and Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs): patient classification and hospital reimbursement in 11 European countries.

PubMed

Tan, Siok Swan; Chiarello, Pietro; Quentin, Wilm

2013-11-01

Researchers from 11 countries (Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden) compared how their Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) systems deal with knee replacement cases. The study aims to assist knee surgeons and national authorities to optimize the grouping algorithm of their DRG systems. National or regional databases were used to identify hospital cases treated with a procedure of knee replacement. DRG classification algorithms and indicators of resource consumption were compared for those DRGs that together comprised at least 97 % of cases. Five standardized case scenarios were defined and quasi-prices according to national DRG-based hospital payment systems ascertained. Grouping algorithms for knee replacement vary widely across countries: they classify cases according to different variables (between one and five classification variables) into diverging numbers of DRGs (between one and five DRGs). Even the most expensive DRGs generally have a cost index below 2.00, implying that grouping algorithms do not adequately account for cases that are more than twice as costly as the index DRG. Quasi-prices for the most complex case vary between euro 4,920 in Estonia and euro 14,081 in Spain. Most European DRG systems were observed to insufficiently consider the most important determinants of resource consumption. Several countries' DRG system might be improved through the introduction of classification variables for revision of knee replacement or for the presence of complications or comorbidities. Ultimately, this would contribute to assuring adequate performance comparisons and fair hospital reimbursement on the basis of DRGs.

A new conceptualization of ethnicity for social epidemiologic and health equity research.

PubMed

Ford, Chandra L; Harawa, Nina T

2010-07-01

Although social stratification persists in the US, differentially influencing the well-being of ethnically defined groups, ethnicity concepts and their implications for health disparities remain under-examined. Ethnicity is a complex social construct that influences personal identity and group social relations. Ethnic identity, ethnic classification systems, the groupings that compose each system and the implications of assignment to one or another ethnic category are place-, time- and context-specific. In the US, racial stratification uniquely shapes expressions of and understandings about ethnicity. Ethnicity is typically invoked via the term, 'race/ethnicity'; however, it is unclear whether this heralds a shift away from racialization or merely extends flawed racial taxonomies to populations whose cultural and phenotypic diversity challenge traditional racial classification. We propose that ethnicity be conceptualized as a two-dimensional, context-specific, social construct with an attributional dimension that describes group characteristics (e.g., culture, nativity) and a relational dimension that indexes a group's location within a social hierarchy (e.g., minority vs. majority status). This new conceptualization extends prior definitions in ways that facilitate research on ethnicization, social stratification and health inequities. While federal ethnic and racial categories are useful for administrative purposes such as monitoring the inclusion of minorities in research, and traditional ethnicity concepts (e.g., culture) are useful for developing culturally appropriate interventions, our relational dimension of ethnicity is useful for studying the relationships between societal factors and health inequities. We offer this new conceptualization of ethnicity and outline next steps for employing socially meaningful measures of ethnicity in empirical research. As ethnicity is both increasingly complex and increasingly central to social life, improving its conceptualization and measurement is crucial for advancing research on ethnic health inequities. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pattern classification of kinematic and kinetic running data to distinguish gender, shod/barefoot and injury groups with feature ranking.

PubMed

Eskofier, Bjoern M; Kraus, Martin; Worobets, Jay T; Stefanyshyn, Darren J; Nigg, Benno M

2012-01-01

The identification of differences between groups is often important in biomechanics. This paper presents group classification tasks using kinetic and kinematic data from a prospective running injury study. Groups composed of gender, of shod/barefoot running and of runners who developed patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) during the study, and asymptotic runners were classified. The features computed from the biomechanical data were deliberately chosen to be generic. Therefore, they were suited for different biomechanical measurements and classification tasks without adaptation to the input signals. Feature ranking was applied to reveal the relevance of each feature to the classification task. Data from 80 runners were analysed for gender and shod/barefoot classification, while 12 runners were investigated in the injury classification task. Gender groups could be differentiated with 84.7%, shod/barefoot running with 98.3%, and PFPS with 100% classification rate. For the latter group, one single variable could be identified that alone allowed discrimination.

On Identifying Clusters Within the C-type Asteroids of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poole, Renae; Ziffer, J.; Harvell, T.

2012-10-01

We applied AutoClass, a data mining technique based upon Bayesian Classification, to C-group asteroid colors in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Previous taxonomic studies relied mostly on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to differentiate asteroids within the C-group (e.g. B, G, F, Ch, Cg and Cb). AutoClass's advantage is that it calculates the most probable classification for us, removing the human factor from this part of the analysis. In our results, AutoClass divided the C-groups into two large classes and six smaller classes. The two large classes (n=4974 and 2033, respectively) display distinct regions with some overlap in color-vs-color plots. Each cluster's average spectrum is compared to 'typical' spectra of the C-group subtypes as defined by Tholen (1989) and each cluster's members are evaluated for consistency with previous taxonomies. Of the 117 asteroids classified as B-type in previous taxonomies, only 12 were found with SDSS colors that matched our criteria of having less than 0.1 magnitude error in u and 0.05 magnitude error in g, r, i, and z colors. Although this is a relatively small group, 11 of the 12 B-types were placed by AutoClass in the same cluster. By determining the C-group sub-classifications in the large SDSS database, this research furthers our understanding of the stratigraphy and composition of the main-belt.

Sociometric-Status-Group Classification of Mainstreamed Children Who Have Moderate Learning Difficulties: An Investigation of Personal and Environmental Factors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frederickson, Norah L.; Furnham, Adrian F.

1998-01-01

Study examines the classes of variables identified in D. L. MacMillan and G. M. Morrison's (1984) multicomponent model for research on sociometric status in special education. Results are discussed with reference to social-exchange theory, as an integrative basis for research on children's sociometric status. Implications for mainstreaming…

Analysis of Nature of Science Included in Recent Popular Writing Using Text Mining Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Feng; McComas, William F.

2014-01-01

This study examined the inclusion of nature of science (NOS) in popular science writing to determine whether it could serve supplementary resource for teaching NOS and to evaluate the accuracy of text mining and classification as a viable research tool in science education research. Four groups of documents published from 2001 to 2010 were…

A new diagnosis grouping system for child emergency department visits.

PubMed

Alessandrini, Evaline A; Alpern, Elizabeth R; Chamberlain, James M; Shea, Judy A; Gorelick, Marc H

2010-02-01

A clinically sensible system of grouping diseases is needed for describing pediatric emergency diagnoses for research and reporting. This project aimed to create an International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-based diagnosis grouping system (DGS) for child emergency department (ED) visits that is 1) clinically sensible with regard to how diagnoses are grouped and 2) comprehensive in accounting for nearly all diagnoses (>95%). The second objective was to assess the construct validity of the DGS by examining variation in the frequency of targeted groups of diagnoses within the concepts of season, age, sex, and hospital type. A panel of general and pediatric emergency physicians used the nominal group technique and Delphi surveys to create the DGS. The primary data source used to develop the DGS was the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) Core Data Project (PCDP). A total of 3,041 ICD-9 codes, accounting for 98.9% of all diagnoses in the PCDP, served as the basis for creation of the DGS. The expert panel developed a DGS framework representing a clinical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric emergency patients. The resulting DGS has 21 major groups and 77 subgroups and accounts for 96.5% to 99% of diagnoses when applied to three external data sets. Variations in the frequency of targeted groups of diagnoses related to seasonality, age, sex, and site of care confirm construct validity. The DGS offers a clinically sensible method for describing pediatric ED visits by grouping ICD-9 codes in a consensus-derived classification scheme. This system may be used for research, reporting, needs assessment, and resource planning. (c) 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Toward extending terrestrial laser scanning applications in forestry: a case study of broad- and needle-leaf tree classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yi; Jiang, Miao

2017-01-01

Tree species information is essential for forest research and management purposes, which in turn require approaches for accurate and precise classification of tree species. One such remote sensing technology, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), has proved to be capable of characterizing detailed tree structures, such as tree stem geometry. Can TLS further differentiate between broad- and needle-leaves? If the answer is positive, TLS data can be used for classification of taxonomic tree groups by directly examining their differences in leaf morphology. An analysis was proposed to assess TLS-represented broad- and needle-leaf structures, followed by a Bayes classifier to perform the classification. Tests indicated that the proposed method can basically implement the task, with an overall accuracy of 77.78%. This study indicates a way of implementing the classification of the two major broad- and needle-leaf taxonomies measured by TLS in accordance to their literal definitions, and manifests the potential of extending TLS applications in forestry.

Lung texture classification using bag of visual words

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asherov, Marina; Diamant, Idit; Greenspan, Hayit

2014-03-01

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) refer to a group of more than 150 parenchymal lung disorders. High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) is the most essential imaging modality of ILD diagnosis. Nonetheless, classification of various lung tissue patterns caused by ILD is still regarded as a challenging task. The current study focuses on the classification of five most common categories of lung tissues of ILD in HRCT images: normal, emphysema, ground glass, fibrosis and micronodules. The objective of the research is to classify an expert-given annotated region of interest (AROI) using a bag of visual words (BoVW) framework. The images are divided into small patches and a collection of representative patches are defined as visual words. This procedure, termed dictionary construction, is performed for each individual lung texture category. The assumption is that different lung textures are represented by a different visual word distribution. The classification is performed using an SVM classifier with histogram intersection kernel. In the experiments, we use a dataset of 1018 AROIs from 95 patients. Classification using a leave-one-patient-out cross validation (LOPO CV) is used. Current classification accuracy obtained is close to 80%.

42 CFR 412.517 - Revision of LTC-DRG group classifications and weighting factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Revision of LTC-DRG group classifications and... classifications and weighting factors. (a) CMS adjusts the classifications and weighting factors annually to... the LTC-DRG classifications and recalibration of the weighting factors described in paragraph (a) of...

42 CFR 412.517 - Revision of LTC-DRG group classifications and weighting factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Revision of LTC-DRG group classifications and... classifications and weighting factors. (a) CMS adjusts the classifications and weighting factors annually to... the LTC-DRG classifications and recalibration of the weighting factors described in paragraph (a) of...

[A magnetoencephalographic study of generalised developmental disorders. A new proposal for their classification].

PubMed

Muñoz Yunta, J A; Palau Baduell, M; Salvado Salvado, B; Amo, C; Fernandez Lucas, A; Maestu, F; Ortiz, T

2004-02-01

Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) is a term that is not included in DSM IV or in ICD 10, which are the diagnostic tools most commonly used by clinical professionals but can offer problems in research when it comes to finding homogenous groups. From a neuropaediatric point of view, there is a need for a classification of the generalised disorders affecting development and for this purpose we used Wing's triad, which defines the continuum of the autistic spectrum, and the information provided by magnetoencephalography (MEG) as grouping elements. Specific generalised developmental disorders were taken as being those syndromes that partially expressed some autistic trait, but with their own personality so that they could be considered to be a specific disorder. ASD were classified as being primary, cryptogenic or secondary. The primary disorders, in turn, express a continuum that ranges from Savant syndrome to Asperger's syndrome and the different degrees of early infantile autism. MEG is a functional neuroimaging technique that has enabled us to back up this classification.

A systematic review and development of a classification framework for factors associated with missing patient-reported outcome data.

PubMed

Palmer, Michael J; Mercieca-Bebber, Rebecca; King, Madeleine; Calvert, Melanie; Richardson, Harriet; Brundage, Michael

2018-02-01

Missing patient-reported outcome data can lead to biased results, to loss of power to detect between-treatment differences, and to research waste. Awareness of factors may help researchers reduce missing patient-reported outcome data through study design and trial processes. The aim was to construct a Classification Framework of factors associated with missing patient-reported outcome data in the context of comparative studies. The first step in this process was informed by a systematic review. Two databases (MEDLINE and CINAHL) were searched from inception to March 2015 for English articles. Inclusion criteria were (a) relevant to patient-reported outcomes, (b) discussed missing data or compliance in prospective medical studies, and (c) examined predictors or causes of missing data, including reasons identified in actual trial datasets and reported on cover sheets. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts. Discrepancies were discussed with the research team prior to finalizing the list of eligible papers. In completing the systematic review, four particular challenges to synthesizing the extracted information were identified. To address these challenges, operational principles were established by consensus to guide the development of the Classification Framework. A total of 6027 records were screened. In all, 100 papers were eligible and included in the review. Of these, 57% focused on cancer, 23% did not specify disease, and 20% reported for patients with a variety of non-cancer conditions. In total, 40% of the papers offered a descriptive analysis of possible factors associated with missing data, but some papers used other methods. In total, 663 excerpts of text (units), each describing a factor associated with missing patient-reported outcome data, were extracted verbatim. Redundant units were identified and sequestered. Similar units were grouped, and an iterative process of consensus among the investigators was used to reduce these units to a list of factors that met the guiding principles. The list was organized on a framework, using an iterative consensus-based process. The resultant Classification Framework is a summary of the factors associated with missing patient-reported outcome data described in the literature. It consists of 5 components (instrument, participant, centre, staff, and study) and 46 categories, each with one or more sub-categories or examples. A systematic review of the literature revealed 46 unique categories of factors associated with missing patient-reported outcome data, organized into 5 main component groups. The Classification Framework may assist researchers to improve the design of new randomized clinical trials and to implement procedures to reduce missing patient-reported outcome data. Further research using the Classification Framework to inform quantitative analyses of missing patient-reported outcome data in existing clinical trials and to inform qualitative inquiry of research staff is planned.

Serum C-reactive protein level in COPD patients stratified according to GOLD 2011 grading classification

PubMed Central

Lin, Yi-Hua; Wang, Wan-Yu; Hu, Su-Xian; Shi, Yong-Hong

2016-01-01

Background and Objective: The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2011 grading classification has been used to evaluate the severity of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, little is known about the relationship between the systemic inflammation and this classification. We aimed to study the relationship between serum CRP and the components of the GOLD 2011 grading classification. Methods: C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured in 391 clinically stable COPD patients and in 50 controls from June 2, 2015 to October 31, 2015 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University. The association between CRP levels and the components of the GOLD 2011 grading classification were assessed. Results: Correlation was found with the following variables: GOLD 2011 group (0.240), age (0.227), pack year (0.136), forced expiratory volume in one second % predicted (FEV1%; -0.267), forced vital capacity % predicted (-0.210), number of acute exacerbations in the past year (0.265), number of hospitalized exacerbations in the past year (0.165), British medical Research Council dyspnoea scale (0.121), COPD assessment test score (CAT, 0.233). Using multivariate analysis, FEV1% and CAT score manifested the strongest negative association with CRP levels. Conclusions: CRP levels differ in COPD patients among groups A-D based on GOLD 2011 grading classification. CRP levels are associated with several important clinical variables, of which FEV1% and CAT score manifested the strongest negative correlation. PMID:28083044

The revised WHO dengue case classification: does the system need to be modified?

PubMed

Hadinegoro, Sri Rezeki S

2012-05-01

There has been considerable debate regarding the value of both the 1997 and 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) dengue case classification criteria for its diagnosis and management. Differentiation between classic dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) or severe dengue is a key aspect of dengue case classification. The geographic expansion of dengue and its increased incidence in older age groups have contributed to the limited applicability of the 1997 case definitions. Clinical experience of dengue suggests that the illness presents as a spectrum of disease instead of distinct phases. However, despite the rigid grouping of dengue into DF, DHF and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), overlap between the different manifestations has often been observed, which has affected clinical management and triage of patients. The findings of the DENCO study evaluating the 1997 case definitions formed the basis of the revised 2009 WHO case definitions, which classified the illness into dengue with and without warning signs and severe dengue. Although the revised scheme is more sensitive to the diagnosis of severe dengue, and beneficial to triage and case management, there remain issues with its applicability. It is considered by many to be too broad, requiring more specific definition of warning signs. Quantitative research into the predictive value of these warning signs on patient outcomes and the cost-effectiveness of the new classification system is required to ascertain whether the new classification system requires further modification, or whether elements of both classification systems can be combined.

The new higher level classification of eukaryotes with emphasis on the taxonomy of protists.

PubMed

Adl, Sina M; Simpson, Alastair G B; Farmer, Mark A; Andersen, Robert A; Anderson, O Roger; Barta, John R; Bowser, Samuel S; Brugerolle, Guy; Fensome, Robert A; Fredericq, Suzanne; James, Timothy Y; Karpov, Sergei; Kugrens, Paul; Krug, John; Lane, Christopher E; Lewis, Louise A; Lodge, Jean; Lynn, Denis H; Mann, David G; McCourt, Richard M; Mendoza, Leonel; Moestrup, Ojvind; Mozley-Standridge, Sharon E; Nerad, Thomas A; Shearer, Carol A; Smirnov, Alexey V; Spiegel, Frederick W; Taylor, Max F J R

2005-01-01

This revision of the classification of unicellular eukaryotes updates that of Levine et al. (1980) for the protozoa and expands it to include other protists. Whereas the previous revision was primarily to incorporate the results of ultrastructural studies, this revision incorporates results from both ultrastructural research since 1980 and molecular phylogenetic studies. We propose a scheme that is based on nameless ranked systematics. The vocabulary of the taxonomy is updated, particularly to clarify the naming of groups that have been repositioned. We recognize six clusters of eukaryotes that may represent the basic groupings similar to traditional "kingdoms." The multicellular lineages emerged from within monophyletic protist lineages: animals and fungi from Opisthokonta, plants from Archaeplastida, and brown algae from Stramenopiles.

Multidrug-resistant bacteria infection and nursing quality management application in the department of physical examination.

PubMed

Xu, Li; Luo, Qiang; Chen, Liangzhen; Jiao, Lingmei

2017-09-01

The main problem of clinical prevention and control of multi drug resistant bacteria infection is to strengthen the monitoring of pathogenic bacteria spectrum, this study research on the multi drug-resistant bacteria infection and nursing quality management application in the department of physical examination. The results of this study showed that the number of patients with multiple drug resistant infections showed an increasing trend. Therefore, once the patients with multiple drug-resistant bacteria infection are found, the prevention and control of the patients with multiple drug-resistant bacteria should be strictly followed, and the patient's medication care should be highly valued. Also, the nurses need to be classified based on the knowledge and skill characteristics of the nurses in the department of physical examination, and compare the nursing effect before and after classification and grouping. The physicians and individuals receiving physical examinations in the department of physical examination had a higher degree of satisfaction for nursing effect after classification compared with those before classification. Classification and grouping management helps improve the nursing quality and overall quality of the nurses in the department of physical examination.

ILAE Classification of the Epilepsies Position Paper of the ILAE Commission for Classification and Terminology

PubMed Central

Scheffer, Ingrid E; Berkovic, Samuel; Capovilla, Giuseppe; Connolly, Mary B; French, Jacqueline; Guilhoto, Laura; Hirsch, Edouard; Jain, Satish; Mathern, Gary W.; Moshé, Solomon L; Nordli, Douglas R; Perucca, Emilio; Tomson, Torbjörn; Wiebe, Samuel; Zhang, Yue-Hua; Zuberi, Sameer M

2017-01-01

Summary The ILAE Classification of the Epilepsies has been updated to reflect our gain in understanding of the epilepsies and their underlying mechanisms following the major scientific advances which have taken place since the last ratified classification in 1989. As a critical tool for the practising clinician, epilepsy classification must be relevant and dynamic to changes in thinking, yet robust and translatable to all areas of the globe. Its primary purpose is for diagnosis of patients, but it is also critical for epilepsy research, development of antiepileptic therapies and communication around the world. The new classification originates from a draft document submitted for public comments in 2013 which was revised to incorporate extensive feedback from the international epilepsy community over several rounds of consultation. It presents three levels, starting with seizure type where it assumes that the patient is having epileptic seizures as defined by the new 2017 ILAE Seizure Classification. After diagnosis of the seizure type, the next step is diagnosis of epilepsy type, including focal epilepsy, generalized epilepsy, combined generalized and focal epilepsy, and also an unknown epilepsy group. The third level is that of epilepsy syndrome where a specific syndromic diagnosis can be made. The new classification incorporates etiology along each stage, emphasizing the need to consider etiology at each step of diagnosis as it often carries significant treatment implications. Etiology is broken into six subgroups, selected because of their potential therapeutic consequences. New terminology is introduced such as developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. The term benign is replaced by the terms self-limited and pharmacoresponsive, to be used where appropriate. It is hoped that this new framework will assist in improving epilepsy care and research in the 21st century. PMID:28276062

International consensus for neuroblastoma molecular diagnostics: report from the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) Biology Committee

PubMed Central

Ambros, P F; Ambros, I M; Brodeur, G M; Haber, M; Khan, J; Nakagawara, A; Schleiermacher, G; Speleman, F; Spitz, R; London, W B; Cohn, S L; Pearson, A D J; Maris, J M

2009-01-01

Neuroblastoma serves as a paradigm for utilising tumour genomic data for determining patient prognosis and treatment allocation. However, before the establishment of the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) Task Force in 2004, international consensus on markers, methodology, and data interpretation did not exist, compromising the reliability of decisive genetic markers and inhibiting translational research efforts. The objectives of the INRG Biology Committee were to identify highly prognostic genetic aberrations to be included in the new INRG risk classification schema and to develop precise definitions, decisive biomarkers, and technique standardisation. The review of the INRG database (n=8800 patients) by the INRG Task Force finally enabled the identification of the most significant neuroblastoma biomarkers. In addition, the Biology Committee compared the standard operating procedures of different cooperative groups to arrive at international consensus for methodology, nomenclature, and future directions. Consensus was reached to include MYCN status, 11q23 allelic status, and ploidy in the INRG classification system on the basis of an evidence-based review of the INRG database. Standardised operating procedures for analysing these genetic factors were adopted, and criteria for proper nomenclature were developed. Neuroblastoma treatment planning is highly dependant on tumour cell genomic features, and it is likely that a comprehensive panel of DNA-based biomarkers will be used in future risk assignment algorithms applying genome-wide techniques. Consensus on methodology and interpretation is essential for uniform INRG classification and will greatly facilitate international and cooperative clinical and translational research studies. PMID:19401703

Behavior genetics of personality disorders: informing classification and conceptualization in DSM-5.

PubMed

South, Susan C; DeYoung, Nathaniel J

2013-07-01

Personality pathology is currently captured in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual through 10 categorical personality disorder (PD) diagnoses grouped into three descriptive clusters. This classification system has been criticized by many for using discrete categories and arbitrary thresholds when making clinical decisions. To address these critiques, the DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group has put forth a proposal that significantly alters the structure and content of the DSM-IV PD section. If this DSM-5 Work Group has conducted its own systematic review of the empirical literature, this review has not been released or made widely available. As such, it is up to the psychology community at large to determine how well the suggested changes align with findings from extant PD research. The current article joins this effort by addressing the contribution of behavior genetic findings to the revision process for classification of PDs in DSM-5. First, we provide a brief review of the history of PD classification in the DSM. Next, we present an overview and rationale for each of the five major suggested changes to PD diagnoses. For each suggested change, we outline the available evidence from behavior genetics and interpretations of these findings. Finally, we offer a summary of considerations for PD classification as the DSM-5 moves forward. Review of the behavior genetics literature suggests that several features of the DSM-5 proposal, including the elimination of 4 PDs, merging clinical disorders and PDs on a single axis, and the implementation of a trait rating system, require significantly greater explication before a product is finalized.

Prioritizing industries for occupational injury and illness prevention and research, Washington State Workers' compensation claims, 1999-2003.

PubMed

Bonauto, David; Silverstein, Barbara; Adams, Darrin; Foley, Michael

2006-08-01

The objective of this study was to identify high-risk industry groups for effective allocation of occupational safety and health prevention and research resources. We used all compensable Washington state workers' compensation claims to rank North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry groups by a "prevention index" (PI). The PI is the average of the rank orders of each industry group's claim count and claim incidence rate. Of the 274 industry groups ranked by PI for all compensable workers' compensation claims, the following industry groups ranked the highest: NAICS 2381 Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors, NAICS 4841 General Freight Trucking, and NAICS 2361 Residential Building Construction. Industry group PI rankings are reported for the seven most common costly occupational injury types. Use of a PI can focus prevention and research resources where they can be of most benefit.

Nursing's next advance: an internal classification for nursing practice.

PubMed

Clark, J; Lang, N

1992-01-01

An International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP) is needed to support the processes of nursing practice and advance the knowledge necessary for cost-effective delivery of quality nursing care. Below, the authors present their case for developing such a system that will provide nursing with a nomenclature, a language and a classification that can be used to describe and organize nursing data. It is their belief that this landmark project is achievable and that ICN should lead the work in collaboration with its member associations, the World Health Organization and key national, international, governmental and nongovernmental groups. But to ensure that the system will be adaptable across borders, nurses and organizations are being encouraged to share their ideas and research on such a system.

Guanidino Groups Greatly Enhance the Action of Antimicrobial Peptidomimetics Against Bacterial Cytoplasmic Membranes

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-28

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: Antimicrobial peptides or their synthetic mimics are a promising class of potential new antibiotics. Herein we assess the...effect of the type of cationic side chain (i.e., guanidino vs. amino groups) on the membrane perturbing mechanism of antimicrobial ?- peptide ...P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 Antimicrobial peptidomimetics; Peptide –peptoid chimeras; Guanidinium cation; Bacterial

Research in Energetic Compounds.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE(When Data Entered) ,2 ABSTRACT (cont’d.) chloroperbenzoic acid gave 3-nitrooxetane. Fluoronitromalonate esters were...tetrahydropyranyl ethers. Base hydrolysis of the ester groups followed by acid hydrolysis of the tetrahydropyranyl groups gave 2-fluo- ro-2-nitroethanol...of 3-allyloxyoxetane.3 Treatment of allyl alcohol with 0.25 equivalunt of t-butyl h-pochlorite and a catalytic amount of p-toluenesulfonic acid was

Classification for congenital anomalies of the hand: the IFSSH classification and the JSSH modification.

PubMed

De Smet, L

2002-01-01

The purpose of a classification for clinical problems which, except for a few specialized centers, occur only sporadically is to provide a system where these cases can be stored. This should allow all involved investigators to speak the same language; so-doing syndromes can be delinated, frequencies of occurence established and results of--different--treatments compared. A classification system should be simple to use, reliable and uniformly accepted. It should allow space for adaptations and/or extensions. The IFSSH proposed a 7 categories classification based on the proposed classification of Swanson et al. in 1976. This classification, was based on, which was thought in the seventies, etiopathogenic pathways. These 7 groups are: I. Failure of formation; transverse (A), or longitudinal (B) II. Failure of differentiation III. Polydactyly IV. Overgrowth V. Undergrowth VI. Amniotic band syndrome VII. Generalized skeletal syndromes. The extended classification proposed by IFSSH was used to classify 1013 hand differences in 925 hands of 650 patients. We found associated anomalies in 26.7%. The classification was straightforward in 86%, difficult in 6.6% and not possible in 7.8%. Group II was the most numerous group including 513 anomalies. We propose to include in this group the Madelung deformity, the Kirner deformity and congenital trigger fingers and trigger thumbs. In group I the radial and ulnar deficiencies, limited to the hand without forearm deficlencies should be Included. Triphalangeal thumbs are a problem, we suggest it to be listed in group III and consider it as a duplication in length. It is not always possible to evaluate the (transverse) absence of the fingers or hand. Longitudinal deficiencies (group IIB), symbrachydactyly (group V), and amniotic bands (group IV) occasionally develop a phenotype similar to the genuine transverse deficiency (group IA). Recently, the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand (JSSH) (16) proposed an extension/modification of the IFSSH classification. Based on newer knowledge on teratology, symbrachydactyly in all stages were transfered to group I. Two new groups were introduced. A group "failure of finger ray induction" including typical cleft hand (IC), central polydactyly (III) and (bony) syndactyly (II)--was included. Also a group of "unclassifiable" cases was added. This Japanese proposed classification is a real improvement and most clinicians and surgeons tend to use it in the future.

Modeling of Mutual Anion-Cation Neutralization Processes

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

Chemical Kinetics, Plasma Chemistry 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT SAR 18, NUMBER OF PAGES 9 19a. NAME OF...understanding of elementary processes in plasma chemistry , conducted jointly with the research group of Dr. A. A. Viggiano at the AFRL and supported by

78 FR 79423 - Energy Efficiency Program for Industrial Equipment: Petition of CSA Group for Classification as a...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-30

.... Evaluation and Testing CSA Group with the manufacturer's assistance prepares a motor control list...-0053] Energy Efficiency Program for Industrial Equipment: Petition of CSA Group for Classification as a...: This notice announces receipt of a petition from CSA Group (CSA) seeking classification as a nationally...

Balancing Scientific Publication and National Security Concerns: Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-10

because of its potential relevance to biological weapons of mass destruction. Whether the current method of only using classification to limit the...terrorist groups in developing weapons of mass destruction. In 2000, researchers at the Co-operative Research Centre for the Biological Control of Pest...development of chemical, biological , or nuclear weapons is not made accessible to terrorists or countries of proliferation concern. The resolution

Charting the landscape of priority problems in psychiatry, part 1: classification and diagnosis.

PubMed

Stephan, Klaas E; Bach, Dominik R; Fletcher, Paul C; Flint, Jonathan; Frank, Michael J; Friston, Karl J; Heinz, Andreas; Huys, Quentin J M; Owen, Michael J; Binder, Elisabeth B; Dayan, Peter; Johnstone, Eve C; Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas; Montague, P Read; Schnyder, Ulrich; Wang, Xiao-Jing; Breakspear, Michael

2016-01-01

Contemporary psychiatry faces major challenges. Its syndrome-based disease classification is not based on mechanisms and does not guide treatment, which largely depends on trial and error. The development of therapies is hindered by ignorance of potential beneficiary patient subgroups. Neuroscientific and genetics research have yet to affect disease definitions or contribute to clinical decision making. In this challenging setting, what should psychiatric research focus on? In two companion papers, we present a list of problems nominated by clinicians and researchers from different disciplines as candidates for future scientific investigation of mental disorders. These problems are loosely grouped into challenges concerning nosology and diagnosis (this Personal View) and problems related to pathogenesis and aetiology (in the companion Personal View). Motivated by successful examples in other disciplines, particularly the list of Hilbert's problems in mathematics, this subjective and eclectic list of priority problems is intended for psychiatric researchers, helping to re-focus existing research and providing perspectives for future psychiatric science. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advances in Risk Classification and Treatment Strategies for Neuroblastoma.

PubMed

Pinto, Navin R; Applebaum, Mark A; Volchenboum, Samuel L; Matthay, Katherine K; London, Wendy B; Ambros, Peter F; Nakagawara, Akira; Berthold, Frank; Schleiermacher, Gudrun; Park, Julie R; Valteau-Couanet, Dominique; Pearson, Andrew D J; Cohn, Susan L

2015-09-20

Risk-based treatment approaches for neuroblastoma have been ongoing for decades. However, the criteria used to define risk in various institutional and cooperative groups were disparate, limiting the ability to compare clinical trial results. To mitigate this problem and enhance collaborative research, homogenous pretreatment patient cohorts have been defined by the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group classification system. During the past 30 years, increasingly intensive, multimodality approaches have been developed to treat patients who are classified as high risk, whereas patients with low- or intermediate-risk neuroblastoma have received reduced therapy. This treatment approach has resulted in improved outcome, although survival for high-risk patients remains poor, emphasizing the need for more effective treatments. Increased knowledge regarding the biology and genetic basis of neuroblastoma has led to the discovery of druggable targets and promising, new therapeutic approaches. Collaborative efforts of institutions and international cooperative groups have led to advances in our understanding of neuroblastoma biology, refinements in risk classification, and stratified treatment strategies, resulting in improved outcome. International collaboration will be even more critical when evaluating therapies designed to treat small cohorts of patients with rare actionable mutations. © 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Combined EEG-fNIRS decoding of motor attempt and imagery for brain switch control: an offline study in patients with tetraplegia.

PubMed

Blokland, Yvonne; Spyrou, Loukianos; Thijssen, Dick; Eijsvogels, Thijs; Colier, Willy; Floor-Westerdijk, Marianne; Vlek, Rutger; Bruhn, Jorgen; Farquhar, Jason

2014-03-01

Combining electrophysiological and hemodynamic features is a novel approach for improving current performance of brain switches based on sensorimotor rhythms (SMR). This study was conducted with a dual purpose: to test the feasibility of using a combined electroencephalogram/functional near-infrared spectroscopy (EEG-fNIRS) SMR-based brain switch in patients with tetraplegia, and to examine the performance difference between motor imagery and motor attempt for this user group. A general improvement was found when using both EEG and fNIRS features for classification as compared to using the single-modality EEG classifier, with average classification rates of 79% for attempted movement and 70% for imagined movement. For the control group, rates of 87% and 79% were obtained, respectively, where the "attempted movement" condition was replaced with "actual movement." A combined EEG-fNIRS system might be especially beneficial for users who lack sufficient control of current EEG-based brain switches. The average classification performance in the patient group for attempted movement was significantly higher than for imagined movement using the EEG-only as well as the combined classifier, arguing for the case of a paradigm shift in current brain switch research.

Variations in the Intragene Methylation Profiles Hallmark Induced Pluripotency

PubMed Central

Druzhkov, Pavel; Zolotykh, Nikolay; Meyerov, Iosif; Alsaedi, Ahmed; Shutova, Maria; Ivanchenko, Mikhail; Zaikin, Alexey

2015-01-01

We demonstrate the potential of differentiating embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells by the regularized linear and decision tree machine learning classification algorithms, based on a number of intragene methylation measures. The resulting average accuracy of classification has been proven to be above 95%, which overcomes the earlier achievements. We propose a constructive and transparent method of feature selection based on classifier accuracy. Enrichment analysis reveals statistically meaningful presence of stemness group and cancer discriminating genes among the selected best classifying features. These findings stimulate the further research on the functional consequences of these differences in methylation patterns. The presented approach can be broadly used to discriminate the cells of different phenotype or in different state by their methylation profiles, identify groups of genes constituting multifeature classifiers, and assess enrichment of these groups by the sets of genes with a functionality of interest. PMID:26618180

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and the version for children and youth as a tool in child habilitation/early childhood intervention--feasibility and usefulness as a common language and frame of reference for practice.

PubMed

Björck-Åkesson, Eva; Wilder, Jenny; Granlund, Mats; Pless, Mia; Simeonsson, Rune; Adolfsson, Margareta; Almqvist, Lena; Augustine, Lilly; Klang, Nina; Lillvist, Anne

2010-01-01

Early childhood intervention and habilitation services for children with disabilities operate on an interdisciplinary basis. It requires a common language between professionals, and a shared framework for intervention goals and intervention implementation. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the version for children and youth (ICF-CY) may serve as this common framework and language. This overview of studies implemented by our research group is based on three research questions: Do the ICF-CY conceptual model have a valid content and is it logically coherent when investigated empirically? Is the ICF-CY classification useful for documenting child characteristics in services? What difficulties and benefits are related to using ICF-CY model as a basis for intervention when it is implemented in services? A series of studies, undertaken by the CHILD researchers are analysed. The analysis is based on data sets from published studies or master theses. Results and conclusion show that the ICF-CY has a useful content and is logically coherent on model level. Professionals find it useful for documenting children's body functions and activities. Guidelines for separating activity and participation are needed. ICF-CY is a complex classification, implementing it in services is a long-term project.

A Bayesian taxonomic classification method for 16S rRNA gene sequences with improved species-level accuracy.

PubMed

Gao, Xiang; Lin, Huaiying; Revanna, Kashi; Dong, Qunfeng

2017-05-10

Species-level classification for 16S rRNA gene sequences remains a serious challenge for microbiome researchers, because existing taxonomic classification tools for 16S rRNA gene sequences either do not provide species-level classification, or their classification results are unreliable. The unreliable results are due to the limitations in the existing methods which either lack solid probabilistic-based criteria to evaluate the confidence of their taxonomic assignments, or use nucleotide k-mer frequency as the proxy for sequence similarity measurement. We have developed a method that shows significantly improved species-level classification results over existing methods. Our method calculates true sequence similarity between query sequences and database hits using pairwise sequence alignment. Taxonomic classifications are assigned from the species to the phylum levels based on the lowest common ancestors of multiple database hits for each query sequence, and further classification reliabilities are evaluated by bootstrap confidence scores. The novelty of our method is that the contribution of each database hit to the taxonomic assignment of the query sequence is weighted by a Bayesian posterior probability based upon the degree of sequence similarity of the database hit to the query sequence. Our method does not need any training datasets specific for different taxonomic groups. Instead only a reference database is required for aligning to the query sequences, making our method easily applicable for different regions of the 16S rRNA gene or other phylogenetic marker genes. Reliable species-level classification for 16S rRNA or other phylogenetic marker genes is critical for microbiome research. Our software shows significantly higher classification accuracy than the existing tools and we provide probabilistic-based confidence scores to evaluate the reliability of our taxonomic classification assignments based on multiple database matches to query sequences. Despite its higher computational costs, our method is still suitable for analyzing large-scale microbiome datasets for practical purposes. Furthermore, our method can be applied for taxonomic classification of any phylogenetic marker gene sequences. Our software, called BLCA, is freely available at https://github.com/qunfengdong/BLCA .

Diagnosis-related groups for stroke in Europe: patient classification and hospital reimbursement in 11 countries.

PubMed

Peltola, Mikko; Quentin, Wilm

2013-01-01

Diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) are increasingly being used for various purposes in many countries. However, there are no studies comparing different DRG systems in the care of stroke. As part of the EuroDRG project, researchers from 11 countries (i.e. Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Spain) compared how their DRG systems deal with stroke patients. The study aims to assist clinicians and national authorities to optimize their DRG systems. National or regional databases were used to identify hospital cases with a diagnosis of stroke. DRG classification algorithms and indicators of resource consumption were compared for those DRGs that individually represent at least 1% of stroke cases. In addition, standardized case vignettes were defined, and quasi prices according to national DRG-based hospital payment systems were ascertained. European DRG systems vary widely: they classify stroke patients according to different sets of variables (between 1 and 7 classification variables) into diverging numbers of DRGs (between 1 and 10 DRGs). In 6 of the countries more than half of the patients are concentrated within a single DRG. The countries' systems also vary with respect to the evaluation of different kinds of stroke patients. The most complex DRG is considered 3.8 times more resource intensive than an index case in Finland. By contrast, in England, the DRG system does not account for complex cases. Comparisons of quasi prices for the case vignettes show that hypothetical payments for the index case amount to only EUR 907 in Poland but to EUR 7,881 in Ireland. Large variations in the classification of stroke patients raise concerns whether all systems rely on the most appropriate classification variables and whether the DRGs adequately reflect differences in the complexity of treating different groups of patients. Learning from other DRG systems may help in improving the national systems. Clinicians and national DRG authorities should consider how other countries' DRG systems classify stroke patients in order to optimize their DRG system and to ensure fair and appropriate reimbursement. In future, quantitative research is needed to verify whether the most important determinants of cost are considered in different patient classification systems, and whether differences between systems reflect country-specific differences in treatment patterns and, most importantly, what influence they have on patient outcomes. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Classification of samples into two or more ordered populations with application to a cancer trial.

PubMed

Conde, D; Fernández, M A; Rueda, C; Salvador, B

2012-12-10

In many applications, especially in cancer treatment and diagnosis, investigators are interested in classifying patients into various diagnosis groups on the basis of molecular data such as gene expression or proteomic data. Often, some of the diagnosis groups are known to be related to higher or lower values of some of the predictors. The standard methods of classifying patients into various groups do not take into account the underlying order. This could potentially result in high misclassification rates, especially when the number of groups is larger than two. In this article, we develop classification procedures that exploit the underlying order among the mean values of the predictor variables and the diagnostic groups by using ideas from order-restricted inference. We generalize the existing methodology on discrimination under restrictions and provide empirical evidence to demonstrate that the proposed methodology improves over the existing unrestricted methodology. The proposed methodology is applied to a bladder cancer data set where the researchers are interested in classifying patients into various groups. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Performance of the new ACR/EULAR classification criteria for systemic sclerosis in clinical practice.

PubMed

Jordan, Suzana; Maurer, Britta; Toniolo, Martin; Michel, Beat; Distler, Oliver

2015-08-01

The preliminary classification criteria for SSc lack sensitivity for mild/early SSc patients, therefore, the new ACR/EULAR classification criteria for SSc were developed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the new classification criteria for SSc in clinical practice in a cohort of mild/early patients. Consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of SSc, based on expert opinion, were prospectively recruited and assessed according to the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research group (EUSTAR) and very early diagnosis of SSc (VEDOSS) recommendations. In some patients, missing values were retrieved retrospectively from the patient's records. Patients were grouped into established SSc (fulfilling the old ACR criteria) and mild/early SSc (not fulfilling the old ACR criteria). The new ACR/EULAR criteria were applied to all patients. Of the 304 patients available for the final analysis, 162/304 (53.3%) had established SSc and 142/304 (46.7%) had mild/early SSc. All 162 established SSc patients fulfilled the new ACR/EULAR classification criteria. The remaining 142 patients had mild/early SSc. Eighty of these 142 patients (56.3%) fulfilled the new ACR/EULAR classification criteria. Patients with mild/early SSc not fulfilling the new classification criteria were most often suffering from RP, had SSc-characteristic autoantibodies and had an SSc pattern on nailfold capillaroscopy. Taken together, the sensitivity of the new ACR/EULAR classification criteria for the overall cohort was 242/304 (79.6%) compared with 162/304 (53.3%) for the ACR criteria. In this cohort with a focus on mild/early SSc, the new ACR/EULAR classification criteria showed higher sensitivity and classified more patients as definite SSc patients than the ACR criteria. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Evaluation of new and emerging health technologies. Proposal for classification].

PubMed

Prados-Torres, J D; Vidal-España, F; Barnestein-Fonseca, P; Gallo-García, C; Irastorza-Aldasoro, A; Leiva-Fernández, F

2011-01-01

Review and develop a proposal for the classification of health technologies (HT) evaluated by the Health Technology Assessment Agencies (HTAA). Peer review of AETS of the previous proposed classification of HT. Analysis of their input and suggestions for amendments. Construction of a new classification. Pilot study with physicians. Andalusian Public Health System. Spanish HTAA. Experts from HTAA. Tutors of family medicine residents. HT Update classification previously made by the research team. Peer review by Spanish HTAA. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of responses. Construction of a new and pilot study based on 12 evaluation reports of the HTAA. We obtained 11 thematic categories that are classified into 6 major head groups: 1, prevention technology; 2, diagnostic technology; 3, therapeutic technologies; 4, diagnostic and therapeutic technologies; 5, organizational technology, and 6, knowledge management and quality of care. In the pilot there was a good concordance in the classification of 8 of the 12 reports reviewed by physicians. Experts agree on 11 thematic categories of HT. A new classification of HT with double entry (Nature and purpose of HT) is proposed. APPLICABILITY: According to experts, the classification of the work of the HTAA may represent a useful tool to transfer and manage knowledge. Moreover, an adequate classification of the HTAA reports would help clinicians and other potential users to locate them and this can facilitate their dissemination. Copyright © 2010 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Revision of the Asychis species group of Aphelinus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

APHELINUS (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) is a genus of parasitoid wasps that has a long history of use in biological control programs against aphids. Past research shows that the classification of APHELINUS is greatly complicated by lack of comprehensive literature and the existence of cryptic species c...

Teacher Training for Effective Questioning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godbold, John V.

This paper reviews research studies concerning the effectiveness of varying strategies for teaching questioning skills and groups them into the following organizational scheme: (a) study of question classification systems as a strategy for teaching questioning skills, (b) use of laboratory experiences as a strategy for teaching questioning skills,…

Grouped gene selection and multi-classification of acute leukemia via new regularized multinomial regression.

PubMed

Li, Juntao; Wang, Yanyan; Jiang, Tao; Xiao, Huimin; Song, Xuekun

2018-05-09

Diagnosing acute leukemia is the necessary prerequisite to treating it. Multi-classification on the gene expression data of acute leukemia is help for diagnosing it which contains B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BALL), T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (TALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, selecting cancer-causing genes is a challenging problem in performing multi-classification. In this paper, weighted gene co-expression networks are employed to divide the genes into groups. Based on the dividing groups, a new regularized multinomial regression with overlapping group lasso penalty (MROGL) has been presented to simultaneously perform multi-classification and select gene groups. By implementing this method on three-class acute leukemia data, the grouped genes which work synergistically are identified, and the overlapped genes shared by different groups are also highlighted. Moreover, MROGL outperforms other five methods on multi-classification accuracy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An overview of cancer research in South African academic and research institutions, 2013 - 2014.

PubMed

Moodley, Jennifer; Stefan, D Cristina; Sewram, Vikash; Ruff, Paul; Freeman, Melvyn; Asante-Shongwe, Kwanele

2016-05-10

Cancer is emerging as a critical public health problem in South Africa (SA). Recognising the importance of research in addressing the cancer burden, the Ministerial Advisory Committee on the Prevention and Control of Cancer (MACC) research working group undertook a review of the current cancer research landscape in SA and related this to the cancer burden. Academic and research institutions in SA were contacted to provide information on the titles of all current and recently completed (2013/2014) cancer research projects. Three MACC research working group members used the project titles to independently classify the projects by type of research (basic, clinical and public health - projects could be classified in more than one category) and disease site. A more detailed classification of projects addressing the five most common cancers diagnosed in males and females in SA was conducted using an adapted Common Scientific Outline (CSO) categorisation. Information was available on 556 cancer research projects. Overall, 301 projects were classified as clinical, 254 as basic science and 71 as public health research. The most common cancers being researched were cancers of the breast (n=95 projects) and cervix (n=43), leukaemia (n=36), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n=35) and lung cancer (n=23). Classification of the five most common cancers in males and females in SA, using the adapted CSO categories, showed that the majority of projects related to treatment, with relatively few projects on prevention, survivorship and patient perspectives. Our findings established that there is a dearth of public health cancer research in SA.

Toward genetics-based virus taxonomy: comparative analysis of a genetics-based classification and the taxonomy of picornaviruses.

PubMed

Lauber, Chris; Gorbalenya, Alexander E

2012-04-01

Virus taxonomy has received little attention from the research community despite its broad relevance. In an accompanying paper (C. Lauber and A. E. Gorbalenya, J. Virol. 86:3890-3904, 2012), we have introduced a quantitative approach to hierarchically classify viruses of a family using pairwise evolutionary distances (PEDs) as a measure of genetic divergence. When applied to the six most conserved proteins of the Picornaviridae, it clustered 1,234 genome sequences in groups at three hierarchical levels (to which we refer as the "GENETIC classification"). In this study, we compare the GENETIC classification with the expert-based picornavirus taxonomy and outline differences in the underlying frameworks regarding the relation of virus groups and genetic diversity that represent, respectively, the structure and content of a classification. To facilitate the analysis, we introduce two novel diagrams. The first connects the genetic diversity of taxa to both the PED distribution and the phylogeny of picornaviruses. The second depicts a classification and the accommodated genetic diversity in a standardized manner. Generally, we found striking agreement between the two classifications on species and genus taxa. A few disagreements concern the species Human rhinovirus A and Human rhinovirus C and the genus Aphthovirus, which were split in the GENETIC classification. Furthermore, we propose a new supergenus level and universal, level-specific PED thresholds, not reached yet by many taxa. Since the species threshold is approached mostly by taxa with large sampling sizes and those infecting multiple hosts, it may represent an upper limit on divergence, beyond which homologous recombination in the six most conserved genes between two picornaviruses might not give viable progeny.

Faces of poverty: sensitivity and specificity of economic classifications in rural Vietnam.

PubMed

Khe, Nguyen Duy; Eriksson, Bo; Phuong, Do Nguyen; Höjer, Bengt; Diwan, Vinod K

2003-01-01

Poverty concepts and measurements have occupied philosophers for centuries and are subject to debate by researchers. A wide range of possible measures have been developed and used. Most research is country specific and different methods produce different pictures of poverty. This study aimed to compare measures of poverty within an epidemiological field laboratory in Bavi District, northern Vietnam (FilaBavi) and specifically to find out whether the official economic classification made by the local authority matched other measurements of socioeconomic status. Structured questionnaires were used to collect socioeconomic information in 11,547 households. In addition, the official classification for individual households was recorded. Five economic indicators were constructed: income, expenditure, household assets, housing conditions, and local authority's estimation. Official economic classification and housing score were symmetrically distributed, while assets score and particularly income were highly skewed. Design effects were high because of high intra-cluster correlations. No indicator was closely correlated with any other. Sensitivity and positive predictive value for poverty were generally low for all indicators. The authors' findings do not suggest that any of the indicators used is substantially better than the other or better than the Official Economic Classification made by local authority. The results also show that no indicator is particularly useful to predict the values of any other indicator and different poverty indicators may classify different socioeconomic groups as poor.

"A NEW CONCEPTUALIZATION OF ETHNICITY FOR SOCIAL EPIDEMIOLOGIC AND HEALTH EQUITY RESEARCH"

PubMed Central

Harawa, Nina T

2010-01-01

Although social stratification persists in the US, differentially influencing the well-being of ethnically defined groups, ethnicity concepts and their implications for health disparities remain under-examined. Ethnicity is a complex social construct that influences personal identity and group social relations. Ethnic identity, ethnic classification systems, the groupings that compose each system and the implications of assignment to one or another ethnic category are place-, time- and context-specific. In the US, racial stratification uniquely shapes expressions of and understandings about ethnicity. Ethnicity is typically invoked via the term, ‘race/ethnicity’; however, it is unclear whether this heralds a shift away from racialization or merely extends flawed racial taxonomies to populations whose cultural and phenotypic diversity challenge traditional racial classification. We propose that ethnicity be conceptualized as a two-dimensional, context-specific, social construct with an attributional dimension that describes group characteristics (e.g., culture, nativity) and a relational dimension that indexes a group’s location within a social hierarchy (e.g., minority vs. majority status). This new conceptualization extends prior definitions in ways that facilitate research on ethnicization, social stratification and health inequities. While federal ethnic and racial categories are useful for administrative purposes such as monitoring the inclusion of minorities in research, and traditional ethnicity concepts (e.g., culture) are useful for developing culturally appropriate interventions, our relational dimension of ethnicity is useful for studying the relationships between societal factors and health inequities. We offer a new conceptualization of ethnicity and outline next steps for employing socially meaningful measures of ethnicity in empirical research. Ethnicity is both increasingly complex and increasingly central to social life; therefore, improving its conceptualization and measurement is crucial for advancing research on ethnic health inequities. PMID:20488602

Identifying Future Drinkers: Behavioral Analysis of Monkeys Initiating Drinking to Intoxication is Predictive of Future Drinking Classification.

PubMed

Baker, Erich J; Walter, Nicole A R; Salo, Alex; Rivas Perea, Pablo; Moore, Sharon; Gonzales, Steven; Grant, Kathleen A

2017-03-01

The Monkey Alcohol Tissue Research Resource (MATRR) is a repository and analytics platform for detailed data derived from well-documented nonhuman primate (NHP) alcohol self-administration studies. This macaque model has demonstrated categorical drinking norms reflective of human drinking populations, resulting in consumption pattern classifications of very heavy drinking (VHD), heavy drinking (HD), binge drinking (BD), and low drinking (LD) individuals. Here, we expand on previous findings that suggest ethanol drinking patterns during initial drinking to intoxication can reliably predict future drinking category assignment. The classification strategy uses a machine-learning approach to examine an extensive set of daily drinking attributes during 90 sessions of induction across 7 cohorts of 5 to 8 monkeys for a total of 50 animals. A Random Forest classifier is employed to accurately predict categorical drinking after 12 months of self-administration. Predictive outcome accuracy is approximately 78% when classes are aggregated into 2 groups, "LD and BD" and "HD and VHD." A subsequent 2-step classification model distinguishes individual LD and BD categories with 90% accuracy and between HD and VHD categories with 95% accuracy. Average 4-category classification accuracy is 74%, and provides putative distinguishing behavioral characteristics between groupings. We demonstrate that data derived from the induction phase of this ethanol self-administration protocol have significant predictive power for future ethanol consumption patterns. Importantly, numerous predictive factors are longitudinal, measuring the change of drinking patterns through 3 stages of induction. Factors during induction that predict future heavy drinkers include being younger at the time of first intoxication and developing a shorter latency to first ethanol drink. Overall, this analysis identifies predictive characteristics in future very heavy drinkers that optimize intoxication, such as having increasingly fewer bouts with more drinks. This analysis also identifies characteristic avoidance of intoxicating topographies in future low drinkers, such as increasing number of bouts and waiting longer before the first ethanol drink. Copyright © 2017 The Authors Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Research Society on Alcoholism.

Children's Interstitial and Diffuse Lung Disease. Progress and Future Horizons.

PubMed

Deterding, Robin R

2015-10-01

Children's interstitial and diffuse lung disease (chILD) is a term that encompasses a large and diverse group of rare pediatric diseases and disorders. Significant progress has been made over the last 2 decades in classification, clinical care, research, and organizational structure to enhance the care of children with these high-morbidity and -mortality diseases. New diseases have been defined clinically and genetically, classification systems developed and applied, organizations formed such as the chILD Research Network (chILDRN) and chILD Foundation, and basic and translational science expanded to focus on chILD diseases. Multidisciplinary collaborations and efforts to advance understanding and treatment of chILD have been extended worldwide. The future horizon holds great promise to expand scientific discoveries, collaborate more broadly, and bring new treatment to these children. An overview of key historical past developments, major clinical and research updates, and opportunities for the future in chILD is reviewed in this Perspective.

Cloud Classification in Polar and Desert Regions and Smoke Classification from Biomass Burning Using a Hierarchical Neural Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, June; Corwin, Edward; Lloyd, David; Logar, Antonette; Welch, Ronald

1996-01-01

This research focuses on a new neural network scene classification technique. The task is to identify scene elements in Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometry (AVHRR) data from three scene types: polar, desert and smoke from biomass burning in South America (smoke). The ultimate goal of this research is to design and implement a computer system which will identify the clouds present on a whole-Earth satellite view as a means of tracking global climate changes. Previous research has reported results for rule-based systems (Tovinkere et at 1992, 1993) for standard back propagation (Watters et at. 1993) and for a hierarchical approach (Corwin et al 1994) for polar data. This research uses a hierarchical neural network with don't care conditions and applies this technique to complex scenes. A hierarchical neural network consists of a switching network and a collection of leaf networks. The idea of the hierarchical neural network is that it is a simpler task to classify a certain pattern from a subset of patterns than it is to classify a pattern from the entire set. Therefore, the first task is to cluster the classes into groups. The switching, or decision network, performs an initial classification by selecting a leaf network. The leaf networks contain a reduced set of similar classes, and it is in the various leaf networks that the actual classification takes place. The grouping of classes in the various leaf networks is determined by applying an iterative clustering algorithm. Several clustering algorithms were investigated, but due to the size of the data sets, the exhaustive search algorithms were eliminated. A heuristic approach using a confusion matrix from a lightly trained neural network provided the basis for the clustering algorithm. Once the clusters have been identified, the hierarchical network can be trained. The approach of using don't care nodes results from the difficulty in generating extremely complex surfaces in order to separate one class from all of the others. This approach finds pairwise separating surfaces and forms the more complex separating surface from combinations of simpler surfaces. This technique both reduces training time and improves accuracy over the previously reported results. Accuracies of 97.47%, 95.70%, and 99.05% were achieved for the polar, desert and smoke data sets.

Age group estimation in free-ranging African elephants based on acoustic cues of low-frequency rumbles

PubMed Central

Stoeger, Angela S.; Zeppelzauer, Matthias; Baotic, Anton

2015-01-01

Animal vocal signals are increasingly used to monitor wildlife populations and to obtain estimates of species occurrence and abundance. In the future, acoustic monitoring should function not only to detect animals, but also to extract detailed information about populations by discriminating sexes, age groups, social or kin groups, and potentially individuals. Here we show that it is possible to estimate age groups of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) based on acoustic parameters extracted from rumbles recorded under field conditions in a National Park in South Africa. Statistical models reached up to 70 % correct classification to four age groups (infants, calves, juveniles, adults) and 95 % correct classification when categorising into two groups (infants/calves lumped into one group versus adults). The models revealed that parameters representing absolute frequency values have the most discriminative power. Comparable classification results were obtained by fully automated classification of rumbles by high-dimensional features that represent the entire spectral envelope, such as MFCC (75 % correct classification) and GFCC (74 % correct classification). The reported results and methods provide the scientific foundation for a future system that could potentially automatically estimate the demography of an acoustically monitored elephant group or population. PMID:25821348

Development of a template for the classification of traditional medical knowledge in Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Sungha; Kim, Boyoung; Mun, Sujeong; Park, Jeong Hwan; Kim, Min-Kyeoung; Choi, Sunmi; Lee, Sanghun

2016-02-03

Traditional Medical Knowledge (TMK) is a form of Traditional Knowledge associated with medicine that is handed down orally or by written material. There are efforts to document TMK, and make database to conserve Traditional Medicine and facilitate future research to validate traditional use. Despite of these efforts, there is no widely accepted template in data file format that is specific for TMK and, at the same time, helpful for understanding and organizing TMK. We aimed to develop a template to classify TMK. First, we reviewed books, articles, and health-related classification systems, and used focus group discussion to establish the definition, scope, and constituents of TMK. Second, we developed an initial version of the template to classify TMK, and applied it to TMK data. Third, we revised the template, based on the results of the initial template and input from experts, and applied it to the data. We developed the template for classification of TMK. The constituents of the template were summary, properties, tools/ingredients, indication/preparation/application, and international standard classification. We applied International Patent Classification, International Classification of Diseases (Korea version), and Classification of Korean Traditional Knowledge Resources to provide legal protection of TMK and facilitate academic research. The template provides standard terms for ingredients, preparation, administration route, and procedure method to assess safety and efficacy. This is the first template that is specialized for TMK for arranging and classifying TMK. The template would have important roles in preserving TMK, and protecting intellectual property. TMK data classified with the template could be used as the preliminary data to screen potential candidates for new pharmaceuticals. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Personality Subtypes in Adolescents with Eating Disorders: Validation of a Classification Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson-Brenner, Heather; Eddy, Kamryn T.; Satir, Dana A.; Boisseau, Christina L.; Westen, Drew

2008-01-01

Background: Research has identified three personality subtypes in adults with eating disorders (EDs): a high-functioning, an undercontrolled, and an overcontrolled group. The current study investigated whether similar personality prototypes exist in adolescents with EDs, and whether these personality prototypes show relationships to external…

A Multidimensional Model for the Identification of Dual-Exceptional Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Hroub, Anies

2013-01-01

This research takes mathematics as a model for investigating the definitions, identification, classification and characteristics of a group of gifted student related to the notion of "dual-exceptionality". An extensive process using qualitative and quantitative methods was conducted by a multidisciplinary team to develop and implement a…

Effect of Teaching a Conceptual Hierarchy on Concept Classification Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Wayne C.; And Others

1981-01-01

In the research study described, 80 subjects in one control and four treatment groups viewed sets of slides on types of sailboats. Results indicate that making apparent the hierarchical relationships among concepts of a conceptual hierarchy enhances learner performance in classifying unencountered instances of those concepts. Thirty-eight…

78 FR 76278 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

... statistic of interest is the classification of people in poverty and how this measurement has changed over time for various groups. Researchers evaluate ASEC income data not only to determine poverty levels but... policymakers to obtain better estimates of family and household income, and more precisely gauge poverty status...

21 CFR 864.4020 - Analyte specific reagents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... practitioners, e.g., forensic, academic, research, and other nonclinical laboratories. (b) Classification. (1) Class I (general controls). Except as described in paragraphs (b)(2) and (b)(3) of this section, these... blood products (e.g., tests for hepatitis or tests for identifying blood groups). (c) Date of 510(k), or...

Kyoto global consensus report on Helicobacter pylori gastritis.

PubMed

Sugano, Kentaro; Tack, Jan; Kuipers, Ernst J; Graham, David Y; El-Omar, Emad M; Miura, Soichiro; Haruma, Ken; Asaka, Masahiro; Uemura, Naomi; Malfertheiner, Peter

2015-09-01

To present results of the Kyoto Global Consensus Meeting, which was convened to develop global consensus on (1) classification of chronic gastritis and duodenitis, (2) clinical distinction of dyspepsia caused by Helicobacter pylori from functional dyspepsia, (3) appropriate diagnostic assessment of gastritis and (4) when, whom and how to treat H. pylori gastritis. Twenty-three clinical questions addressing the above-mentioned four domains were drafted for which expert panels were asked to formulate relevant statements. A Delphi method using an anonymous electronic system was adopted to develop the consensus, the level of which was predefined as ≥80%. Final modifications of clinical questions and consensus were achieved at the face-to-face meeting in Kyoto. All 24 statements for 22 clinical questions after extensive modifications and omission of one clinical question were achieved with a consensus level of >80%. To better organise classification of gastritis and duodenitis based on aetiology, a new classification of gastritis and duodenitis is recommended for the 11th international classification. A new category of H. pylori-associated dyspepsia together with a diagnostic algorithm was proposed. The adoption of grading systems for gastric cancer risk stratification, and modern image-enhancing endoscopy for the diagnosis of gastritis, were recommended. Treatment to eradicate H. pylori infection before preneoplastic changes develop, if feasible, was recommended to minimise the risk of more serious complications of the infection. A global consensus for gastritis was developed for the first time, which will be the basis for an international classification system and for further research on the subject. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Proposition of a Classification of Adult Patients with Hemiparesis in Chronic Phase.

PubMed

Chantraine, Frédéric; Filipetti, Paul; Schreiber, Céline; Remacle, Angélique; Kolanowski, Elisabeth; Moissenet, Florent

2016-01-01

Patients who have developed hemiparesis as a result of a central nervous system lesion, often experience reduced walking capacity and worse gait quality. Although clinically, similar gait patterns have been observed, presently, no clinically driven classification has been validated to group these patients' gait abnormalities at the level of the hip, knee and ankle joints. This study has thus intended to put forward a new gait classification for adult patients with hemiparesis in chronic phase, and to validate its discriminatory capacity. Twenty-six patients with hemiparesis were included in this observational study. Following a clinical examination, a clinical gait analysis, complemented by a video analysis, was performed whereby participants were requested to walk spontaneously on a 10m walkway. A patient's classification was established from clinical examination data and video analysis. This classification was made up of three groups, including two sub-groups, defined with key abnormalities observed whilst walking. Statistical analysis was achieved on the basis of 25 parameters resulting from the clinical gait analysis in order to assess the discriminatory characteristic of the classification as displayed by the walking speed and kinematic parameters. Results revealed that the parameters related to the discriminant criteria of the proposed classification were all significantly different between groups and subgroups. More generally, nearly two thirds of the 25 parameters showed significant differences (p<0.05) between the groups and sub-groups. However, prior to being fully validated, this classification must still be tested on a larger number of patients, and the repeatability of inter-operator measures must be assessed. This classification enables patients to be grouped on the basis of key abnormalities observed whilst walking and has the advantage of being able to be used in clinical routines without necessitating complex apparatus. In the midterm, this classification may allow a decision-tree of therapies to be developed on the basis of the group in which the patient has been categorised.

Proposition of a Classification of Adult Patients with Hemiparesis in Chronic Phase

PubMed Central

Filipetti, Paul; Remacle, Angélique; Kolanowski, Elisabeth

2016-01-01

Background Patients who have developed hemiparesis as a result of a central nervous system lesion, often experience reduced walking capacity and worse gait quality. Although clinically, similar gait patterns have been observed, presently, no clinically driven classification has been validated to group these patients’ gait abnormalities at the level of the hip, knee and ankle joints. This study has thus intended to put forward a new gait classification for adult patients with hemiparesis in chronic phase, and to validate its discriminatory capacity. Methods and Findings Twenty-six patients with hemiparesis were included in this observational study. Following a clinical examination, a clinical gait analysis, complemented by a video analysis, was performed whereby participants were requested to walk spontaneously on a 10m walkway. A patient’s classification was established from clinical examination data and video analysis. This classification was made up of three groups, including two sub-groups, defined with key abnormalities observed whilst walking. Statistical analysis was achieved on the basis of 25 parameters resulting from the clinical gait analysis in order to assess the discriminatory characteristic of the classification as displayed by the walking speed and kinematic parameters. Results revealed that the parameters related to the discriminant criteria of the proposed classification were all significantly different between groups and subgroups. More generally, nearly two thirds of the 25 parameters showed significant differences (p<0.05) between the groups and sub-groups. However, prior to being fully validated, this classification must still be tested on a larger number of patients, and the repeatability of inter-operator measures must be assessed. Conclusions This classification enables patients to be grouped on the basis of key abnormalities observed whilst walking and has the advantage of being able to be used in clinical routines without necessitating complex apparatus. In the midterm, this classification may allow a decision-tree of therapies to be developed on the basis of the group in which the patient has been categorised. PMID:27271533

Combining various types of classifiers and features extracted from magnetic resonance imaging data in schizophrenia recognition.

PubMed

Janousova, Eva; Schwarz, Daniel; Kasparek, Tomas

2015-06-30

We investigated a combination of three classification algorithms, namely the modified maximum uncertainty linear discriminant analysis (mMLDA), the centroid method, and the average linkage, with three types of features extracted from three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) brain images, specifically MR intensities, grey matter densities, and local deformations for distinguishing 49 first episode schizophrenia male patients from 49 healthy male subjects. The feature sets were reduced using intersubject principal component analysis before classification. By combining the classifiers, we were able to obtain slightly improved results when compared with single classifiers. The best classification performance (81.6% accuracy, 75.5% sensitivity, and 87.8% specificity) was significantly better than classification by chance. We also showed that classifiers based on features calculated using more computation-intensive image preprocessing perform better; mMLDA with classification boundary calculated as weighted mean discriminative scores of the groups had improved sensitivity but similar accuracy compared to the original MLDA; reducing a number of eigenvectors during data reduction did not always lead to higher classification accuracy, since noise as well as the signal important for classification were removed. Our findings provide important information for schizophrenia research and may improve accuracy of computer-aided diagnostics of neuropsychiatric diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Frequency Optimization for Enhancement of Surface Defect Classification Using the Eddy Current Technique

PubMed Central

Fan, Mengbao; Wang, Qi; Cao, Binghua; Ye, Bo; Sunny, Ali Imam; Tian, Guiyun

2016-01-01

Eddy current testing is quite a popular non-contact and cost-effective method for nondestructive evaluation of product quality and structural integrity. Excitation frequency is one of the key performance factors for defect characterization. In the literature, there are many interesting papers dealing with wide spectral content and optimal frequency in terms of detection sensitivity. However, research activity on frequency optimization with respect to characterization performances is lacking. In this paper, an investigation into optimum excitation frequency has been conducted to enhance surface defect classification performance. The influences of excitation frequency for a group of defects were revealed in terms of detection sensitivity, contrast between defect features, and classification accuracy using kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) and a support vector machine (SVM). It is observed that probe signals are the most sensitive on the whole for a group of defects when excitation frequency is set near the frequency at which maximum probe signals are retrieved for the largest defect. After the use of KPCA, the margins between the defect features are optimum from the perspective of the SVM, which adopts optimal hyperplanes for structure risk minimization. As a result, the best classification accuracy is obtained. The main contribution is that the influences of excitation frequency on defect characterization are interpreted, and experiment-based procedures are proposed to determine the optimal excitation frequency for a group of defects rather than a single defect with respect to optimal characterization performances. PMID:27164112

Frequency Optimization for Enhancement of Surface Defect Classification Using the Eddy Current Technique.

PubMed

Fan, Mengbao; Wang, Qi; Cao, Binghua; Ye, Bo; Sunny, Ali Imam; Tian, Guiyun

2016-05-07

Eddy current testing is quite a popular non-contact and cost-effective method for nondestructive evaluation of product quality and structural integrity. Excitation frequency is one of the key performance factors for defect characterization. In the literature, there are many interesting papers dealing with wide spectral content and optimal frequency in terms of detection sensitivity. However, research activity on frequency optimization with respect to characterization performances is lacking. In this paper, an investigation into optimum excitation frequency has been conducted to enhance surface defect classification performance. The influences of excitation frequency for a group of defects were revealed in terms of detection sensitivity, contrast between defect features, and classification accuracy using kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) and a support vector machine (SVM). It is observed that probe signals are the most sensitive on the whole for a group of defects when excitation frequency is set near the frequency at which maximum probe signals are retrieved for the largest defect. After the use of KPCA, the margins between the defect features are optimum from the perspective of the SVM, which adopts optimal hyperplanes for structure risk minimization. As a result, the best classification accuracy is obtained. The main contribution is that the influences of excitation frequency on defect characterization are interpreted, and experiment-based procedures are proposed to determine the optimal excitation frequency for a group of defects rather than a single defect with respect to optimal characterization performances.

Rule-guided human classification of Volunteered Geographic Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Ahmed Loai; Falomir, Zoe; Schmid, Falko; Freksa, Christian

2017-05-01

During the last decade, web technologies and location sensing devices have evolved generating a form of crowdsourcing known as Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI). VGI acted as a platform of spatial data collection, in particular, when a group of public participants are involved in collaborative mapping activities: they work together to collect, share, and use information about geographic features. VGI exploits participants' local knowledge to produce rich data sources. However, the resulting data inherits problematic data classification. In VGI projects, the challenges of data classification are due to the following: (i) data is likely prone to subjective classification, (ii) remote contributions and flexible contribution mechanisms in most projects, and (iii) the uncertainty of spatial data and non-strict definitions of geographic features. These factors lead to various forms of problematic classification: inconsistent, incomplete, and imprecise data classification. This research addresses classification appropriateness. Whether the classification of an entity is appropriate or inappropriate is related to quantitative and/or qualitative observations. Small differences between observations may be not recognizable particularly for non-expert participants. Hence, in this paper, the problem is tackled by developing a rule-guided classification approach. This approach exploits data mining techniques of Association Classification (AC) to extract descriptive (qualitative) rules of specific geographic features. The rules are extracted based on the investigation of qualitative topological relations between target features and their context. Afterwards, the extracted rules are used to develop a recommendation system able to guide participants to the most appropriate classification. The approach proposes two scenarios to guide participants towards enhancing the quality of data classification. An empirical study is conducted to investigate the classification of grass-related features like forest, garden, park, and meadow. The findings of this study indicate the feasibility of the proposed approach.

Distinguishing body mass and activity level from the lower limb: can entheses diagnose obesity?

PubMed

Godde, Kanya; Taylor, Rebecca Wilson

2013-03-10

The ability to estimate body size from the skeleton has broad applications, but is especially important to the forensic community when identifying unknown skeletal remains. This research investigates the utility of using entheses/muscle skeletal markers of the lower limb to estimate body size and to classify individuals into average, obese, and active categories, while using a biomechanical approach to interpret the results. Eighteen muscle attachment sites of the lower limb, known to be involved in the sit-to-stand transition, were scored for robusticity and stress in 105 white males (aged 31-81 years) from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. Both logistic regression and log linear models were applied to the data to (1) test the utility of entheses as an indicator of body weight and activity level, and (2) to generate classification percentages that speak to the accuracy of the method. Thirteen robusticity scores differed significantly between the groups, but classification percentages were only slightly greater than chance. However, clear differences could be seen between the average and obese and the average and active groups. Stress scores showed no value in discriminating between groups. These results were interpreted in relation to biomechanical forces at the microscopic and macroscopic levels. Even though robusticity alone is not able to classify individuals well, its significance may show greater value when incorporated into a model that has multiple skeletal indicators. Further research needs to evaluate a larger sample and incorporate several lines of evidence to improve classification rates. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduction of Topographic Effect for Curve Number Estimated from Remotely Sensed Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wen-Yan; Lin, Chao-Yuan

2016-04-01

The Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method is commonly used in hydrology to estimate direct runoff volume. The CN is the empirical parameter which corresponding to land use/land cover, hydrologic soil group and antecedent soil moisture condition. In large watersheds with complex topography, satellite remote sensing is the appropriate approach to acquire the land use change information. However, the topographic effect have been usually found in the remotely sensed imageries and resulted in land use classification. This research selected summer and winter scenes of Landsat-5 TM during 2008 to classified land use in Chen-You-Lan Watershed, Taiwan. The b-correction, the empirical topographic correction method, was applied to Landsat-5 TM data. Land use were categorized using K-mean classification into 4 groups i.e. forest, grassland, agriculture and river. Accuracy assessment of image classification was performed with national land use map. The results showed that after topographic correction, the overall accuracy of classification was increased from 68.0% to 74.5%. The average CN estimated from remotely sensed imagery decreased from 48.69 to 45.35 where the average CN estimated from national LULC map was 44.11. Therefore, the topographic correction method was recommended to normalize the topographic effect from the satellite remote sensing data before estimating the CN.

Future Research Directions in Asthma. An NHLBI Working Group Report.

PubMed

Levy, Bruce D; Noel, Patricia J; Freemer, Michelle M; Cloutier, Michelle M; Georas, Steve N; Jarjour, Nizar N; Ober, Carole; Woodruff, Prescott G; Barnes, Kathleen C; Bender, Bruce G; Camargo, Carlos A; Chupp, Geoff L; Denlinger, Loren C; Fahy, John V; Fitzpatrick, Anne M; Fuhlbrigge, Anne; Gaston, Ben M; Hartert, Tina V; Kolls, Jay K; Lynch, Susan V; Moore, Wendy C; Morgan, Wayne J; Nadeau, Kari C; Ownby, Dennis R; Solway, Julian; Szefler, Stanley J; Wenzel, Sally E; Wright, Rosalind J; Smith, Robert A; Erzurum, Serpil C

2015-12-01

Asthma is a common chronic disease without cure. Our understanding of asthma onset, pathobiology, classification, and management has evolved substantially over the past decade; however, significant asthma-related morbidity and excess healthcare use and costs persist. To address this important clinical condition, the NHLBI convened a group of extramural investigators for an Asthma Research Strategic Planning workshop on September 18-19, 2014, to accelerate discoveries and their translation to patients. The workshop focused on (1) in utero and early-life origins of asthma, (2) the use of phenotypes and endotypes to classify disease, (3) defining disease modification, (4) disease management, and (5) implementation research. This report summarizes the workshop and produces recommendations to guide future research in asthma.

Future Research Directions in Asthma. An NHLBI Working Group Report

PubMed Central

Levy, Bruce D.; Freemer, Michelle M.; Cloutier, Michelle M.; Georas, Steve N.; Jarjour, Nizar N.; Ober, Carole; Woodruff, Prescott G.; Barnes, Kathleen C.; Bender, Bruce G.; Camargo, Carlos A.; Chupp, Geoff L.; Denlinger, Loren C.; Fahy, John V.; Fitzpatrick, Anne M.; Fuhlbrigge, Anne; Gaston, Ben M.; Hartert, Tina V.; Kolls, Jay K.; Lynch, Susan V.; Moore, Wendy C.; Morgan, Wayne J.; Nadeau, Kari C.; Ownby, Dennis R.; Solway, Julian; Szefler, Stanley J.; Wenzel, Sally E.; Wright, Rosalind J.; Smith, Robert A.; Erzurum, Serpil C.

2015-01-01

Asthma is a common chronic disease without cure. Our understanding of asthma onset, pathobiology, classification, and management has evolved substantially over the past decade; however, significant asthma-related morbidity and excess healthcare use and costs persist. To address this important clinical condition, the NHLBI convened a group of extramural investigators for an Asthma Research Strategic Planning workshop on September 18–19, 2014, to accelerate discoveries and their translation to patients. The workshop focused on (1) in utero and early-life origins of asthma, (2) the use of phenotypes and endotypes to classify disease, (3) defining disease modification, (4) disease management, and (5) implementation research. This report summarizes the workshop and produces recommendations to guide future research in asthma. PMID:26305520

HPMCD: the database of human microbial communities from metagenomic datasets and microbial reference genomes.

PubMed

Forster, Samuel C; Browne, Hilary P; Kumar, Nitin; Hunt, Martin; Denise, Hubert; Mitchell, Alex; Finn, Robert D; Lawley, Trevor D

2016-01-04

The Human Pan-Microbe Communities (HPMC) database (http://www.hpmcd.org/) provides a manually curated, searchable, metagenomic resource to facilitate investigation of human gastrointestinal microbiota. Over the past decade, the application of metagenome sequencing to elucidate the microbial composition and functional capacity present in the human microbiome has revolutionized many concepts in our basic biology. When sufficient high quality reference genomes are available, whole genome metagenomic sequencing can provide direct biological insights and high-resolution classification. The HPMC database provides species level, standardized phylogenetic classification of over 1800 human gastrointestinal metagenomic samples. This is achieved by combining a manually curated list of bacterial genomes from human faecal samples with over 21000 additional reference genomes representing bacteria, viruses, archaea and fungi with manually curated species classification and enhanced sample metadata annotation. A user-friendly, web-based interface provides the ability to search for (i) microbial groups associated with health or disease state, (ii) health or disease states and community structure associated with a microbial group, (iii) the enrichment of a microbial gene or sequence and (iv) enrichment of a functional annotation. The HPMC database enables detailed analysis of human microbial communities and supports research from basic microbiology and immunology to therapeutic development in human health and disease. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Expanding the Taxonomy of the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD)

PubMed Central

Peck, Christopher C.; Goulet, Jean-Paul; Lobbezoo, Frank; Schiffman, Eric L.; Alstergren, Per; Anderson, Gary C.; de Leeuw, Reny; Jensen, Rigmor; Michelotti, Ambra; Ohrbach, Richard; Petersson, Arne; List, Thomas

2014-01-01

Background There is a need to expand the current temporomandibular disorder (TMD) classification to include less common, but clinically important disorders. The immediate aim was to develop a consensus-based classification system and associated diagnostic criteria that have clinical and research utility for less common TMDs. The long-term aim was to establish a foundation, vis-à-vis this classification system, that will stimulate data collection, validity testing, and further criteria refinement. Methods A working group [members of the International RDC/TMD Consortium Network of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), members of the Orofacial Pain Special Interest Group (SIG) of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), and members from other professional societies] reviewed disorders for inclusion based on clinical significance, the availability of plausible diagnostic criteria, and the ability to operationalize and study the criteria. The disorders were derived from the literature when possible and based on expert opinion as necessary. The expanded TMD taxonomy was presented for feedback at international meetings. Results Of 56 disorders considered, 37 were included in the expanded taxonomy and were placed into the following four categories: temporomandibular joint disorders, masticatory muscle disorders, headache disorders, and disorders affecting associated structures. Those excluded were extremely uncommon, lacking operationalized diagnostic criteria, not clearly related to TMDs, or not sufficiently distinct from disorders already included within the taxonomy. Conclusions The expanded TMD taxonomy offers an integrated approach to clinical diagnosis and provides a framework for further research to operationalize and test the proposed taxonomy and diagnostic criteria. PMID:24443898

Expanding the taxonomy of the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders.

PubMed

Peck, C C; Goulet, J-P; Lobbezoo, F; Schiffman, E L; Alstergren, P; Anderson, G C; de Leeuw, R; Jensen, R; Michelotti, A; Ohrbach, R; Petersson, A; List, T

2014-01-01

There is a need to expand the current temporomandibular disorders' (TMDs) classification to include less common but clinically important disorders. The immediate aim was to develop a consensus-based classification system and associated diagnostic criteria that have clinical and research utility for less common TMDs. The long-term aim was to establish a foundation, vis-à-vis this classification system, that will stimulate data collection, validity testing and further criteria refinement. A working group [members of the International RDC/TMD Consortium Network of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), members of the Orofacial Pain Special Interest Group (SIG) of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), and members from other professional societies] reviewed disorders for inclusion based on clinical significance, the availability of plausible diagnostic criteria and the ability to operationalise and study the criteria. The disorders were derived from the literature when possible and based on expert opinion as necessary. The expanded TMDs taxonomy was presented for feedback at international meetings. Of 56 disorders considered, 37 were included in the expanded taxonomy and were placed into the following four categories: temporomandibular joint disorders, masticatory muscle disorders, headache disorders and disorders affecting associated structures. Those excluded were extremely uncommon, lacking operationalised diagnostic criteria, not clearly related to TMDs, or not sufficiently distinct from disorders already included within the taxonomy. The expanded TMDs taxonomy offers an integrated approach to clinical diagnosis and provides a framework for further research to operationalise and test the proposed taxonomy and diagnostic criteria. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

SU-F-R-22: Malignancy Classification for Small Pulmonary Nodules with Radiomics and Logistic Regression

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, W; Tu, S

Purpose: We conducted a retrospective study of Radiomics research for classifying malignancy of small pulmonary nodules. A machine learning algorithm of logistic regression and open research platform of Radiomics, IBEX (Imaging Biomarker Explorer), were used to evaluate the classification accuracy. Methods: The training set included 100 CT image series from cancer patients with small pulmonary nodules where the average diameter is 1.10 cm. These patients registered at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and received a CT-guided operation of lung cancer lobectomy. The specimens were classified by experienced pathologists with a B (benign) or M (malignant). CT images with slice thickness ofmore » 0.625 mm were acquired from a GE BrightSpeed 16 scanner. The study was formally approved by our institutional internal review board. Nodules were delineated and 374 feature parameters were extracted from IBEX. We first used the t-test and p-value criteria to study which feature can differentiate between group B and M. Then we implemented a logistic regression algorithm to perform nodule malignancy classification. 10-fold cross-validation and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were used to evaluate the classification accuracy. Finally hierarchical clustering analysis, Spearman rank correlation coefficient, and clustering heat map were used to further study correlation characteristics among different features. Results: 238 features were found differentiable between group B and M based on whether their statistical p-values were less than 0.05. A forward search algorithm was used to select an optimal combination of features for the best classification and 9 features were identified. Our study found the best accuracy of classifying malignancy was 0.79±0.01 with the 10-fold cross-validation. The area under the ROC curve was 0.81±0.02. Conclusion: Benign nodules may be treated as a malignant tumor in low-dose CT and patients may undergo unnecessary surgeries or treatments. Our study may help radiologists to differentiate nodule malignancy for low-dose CT.« less

The influence of different classification standards of age groups on prognosis in high-grade hemispheric glioma patients.

PubMed

Chen, Jian-Wu; Zhou, Chang-Fu; Lin, Zhi-Xiong

2015-09-15

Although age is thought to correlate with the prognosis of glioma patients, the most appropriate age-group classification standard to evaluate prognosis had not been fully studied. This study aimed to investigate the influence of age-group classification standards on the prognosis of patients with high-grade hemispheric glioma (HGG). This retrospective study of 125 HGG patients used three different classification standards of age-groups (≤ 50 and >50 years old, ≤ 60 and >60 years old, ≤ 45 and 45-65 and ≥ 65 years old) to evaluate the impact of age on prognosis. The primary end-point was overall survival (OS). The Kaplan-Meier method was applied for univariate analysis and Cox proportional hazards model for multivariate analysis. Univariate analysis showed a significant correlation between OS and all three classification standards of age-groups as well as between OS and pathological grade, gender, location of glioma, and regular chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that the only independent predictors of OS were classification standard of age-groups ≤ 50 and > 50 years old, pathological grade and regular chemotherapy. In summary, the most appropriate classification standard of age-groups as an independent prognostic factor was ≤ 50 and > 50 years old. Pathological grade and chemotherapy were also independent predictors of OS in post-operative HGG patients. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Inter-rater reliability of a modified version of Delitto et al.’s classification-based system for low back pain: a pilot study

PubMed Central

Apeldoorn, Adri T.; van Helvoirt, Hans; Ostelo, Raymond W.; Meihuizen, Hanneke; Kamper, Steven J.; van Tulder, Maurits W.; de Vet, Henrica C. W.

2016-01-01

Study design Observational inter-rater reliability study. Objectives To examine: (1) the inter-rater reliability of a modified version of Delitto et al.’s classification-based algorithm for patients with low back pain; (2) the influence of different levels of familiarity with the system; and (3) the inter-rater reliability of algorithm decisions in patients who clearly fit into a subgroup (clear classifications) and those who do not (unclear classifications). Methods Patients were examined twice on the same day by two of three participating physical therapists with different levels of familiarity with the system. Patients were classified into one of four classification groups. Raters were blind to the others’ classification decision. In order to quantify the inter-rater reliability, percentages of agreement and Cohen’s Kappa were calculated. Results A total of 36 patients were included (clear classification n = 23; unclear classification n = 13). The overall rate of agreement was 53% and the Kappa value was 0·34 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0·11–0·57], which indicated only fair inter-rater reliability. Inter-rater reliability for patients with a clear classification (agreement 52%, Kappa value 0·29) was not higher than for patients with an unclear classification (agreement 54%, Kappa value 0·33). Familiarity with the system (i.e. trained with written instructions and previous research experience with the algorithm) did not improve the inter-rater reliability. Conclusion Our pilot study challenges the inter-rater reliability of the classification procedure in clinical practice. Therefore, more knowledge is needed about factors that affect the inter-rater reliability, in order to improve the clinical applicability of the classification scheme. PMID:27559279

An assessment of the Jenkinson and Collison synoptic classification to a continental mid-latitude location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spellman, Greg

2017-05-01

A weather-type catalogue based on the Jenkinson and Collison method was developed for an area in south-west Russia for the period 1961-2010. Gridded sea level pressure data was obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis. The resulting catalogue was analysed for frequency of individual types and groups of weather types to characterise long-term atmospheric circulation in this region. Overall, the most frequent type is anticyclonic (A) (23.3 %) followed by cyclonic (C) (11.9 %); however, there are some key seasonal patterns with westerly circulation being significantly more common in winter than summer. The utility of this synoptic classification is evaluated by modelling daily rainfall amounts. A low level of error is found using a simple model based on the prevailing weather type. Finally, characteristics of the circulation classification are compared to those for the original JC British Isles catalogue and a much more equal distribution of flow types is seen in the former classification.

Application of machine learning classification for structural brain MRI in mood disorders: Critical review from a clinical perspective.

PubMed

Kim, Yong-Ku; Na, Kyoung-Sae

2018-01-03

Mood disorders are a highly prevalent group of mental disorders causing substantial socioeconomic burden. There are various methodological approaches for identifying the underlying mechanisms of the etiology, symptomatology, and therapeutics of mood disorders; however, neuroimaging studies have provided the most direct evidence for mood disorder neural substrates by visualizing the brains of living individuals. The prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, ventral striatum, and corpus callosum are associated with depression and bipolar disorder. Identifying the distinct and common contributions of these anatomical regions to depression and bipolar disorder have broadened and deepened our understanding of mood disorders. However, the extent to which neuroimaging research findings contribute to clinical practice in the real-world setting is unclear. As traditional or non-machine learning MRI studies have analyzed group-level differences, it is not possible to directly translate findings from research to clinical practice; the knowledge gained pertains to the disorder, but not to individuals. On the other hand, a machine learning approach makes it possible to provide individual-level classifications. For the past two decades, many studies have reported on the classification accuracy of machine learning-based neuroimaging studies from the perspective of diagnosis and treatment response. However, for the application of a machine learning-based brain MRI approach in real world clinical settings, several major issues should be considered. Secondary changes due to illness duration and medication, clinical subtypes and heterogeneity, comorbidities, and cost-effectiveness restrict the generalization of the current machine learning findings. Sophisticated classification of clinical and diagnostic subtypes is needed. Additionally, as the approach is inevitably limited by sample size, multi-site participation and data-sharing are needed in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Science responses to IUCN Red Listing.

PubMed

Jarić, Ivan; Roberts, David L; Gessner, Jörn; Solow, Andrew R; Courchamp, Franck

2017-01-01

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is often advocated as a tool to assist decision-making in conservation investment and research focus. It is frequently suggested that research efforts should prioritize species in higher threat categories and those that are Data Deficient (DD). We assessed the linkage between IUCN listing and research effort in DD and Critically Endangered (CR) species, two groups generally advocated as research priorities. The analysis of the change in the research output following species classification indicated a listing effect in DD species, while such effect was observed in only a minority of CR species groups. DD species, while chronically understudied, seem to be recognized as research priorities, while research effort for endangered species appears to be driven by various factors other than the IUCN listing. Optimized conservation research focus would require international science planning efforts, harmonized through international mechanisms and promoted by financial and other incentives.

Classification of symmetry-protected phases for interacting fermions in two dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Meng; Bi, Zhen; You, Yi-Zhuang; Gu, Zheng-Cheng

2018-05-01

Recently, it has been established that two-dimensional bosonic symmetry-protected topological (SPT) phases with on-site unitary symmetry G can be completely classified by the group cohomology H3( G ,U (1 ) ) . Later, group supercohomology was proposed as a partial classification for SPT phases of interacting fermions. In this work, we revisit this problem based on the algebraic theory of symmetry and defects in two-dimensional topological phases. We reproduce the partial classifications given by group supercohomology, and we also show that with an additional H1(G ,Z2) structure, a complete classification of SPT phases for two-dimensional interacting fermion systems with a total symmetry group G ×Z2f is obtained. We also discuss the classification of interacting fermionic SPT phases protected by time-reversal symmetry.

The Controversy Over Ability Grouping in American Education, 1916-1970.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDermott, John W., Jr.

This study traces the controversy over the classification of children according to their ability from its origins in the development of the mental testing movement after 1916. The campaign to organize the schools largely on the basis of standardized tests of intelligence drew substantial support after 1920 from the development of research bureaus…

76 FR 26363 - Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-06

... previous case-mix classification system. It also includes a discussion of a Non-Therapy Ancillary component... facilities. Finally, it proposes certain changes relating to the payment of group therapy services and... Payment for SNF Non-Therapy Ancillary Costs 1. Previous Research 2. Conceptual Analysis 3. Analytic Sample...

Development of Classification Thinking in Future Teachers: Technologies of Reflective Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cao, Yonghui; Kurbanova, Ajslu T.; Salikhova, Nailia R.

2017-01-01

The main objective of the research is to create and approbate a new way of reflection formation in future teachers, which would increase the level of classifying thinking to the theoretical one. The "Formation of equivalence groups" technique was modified to conduct the experiment. It was carried out both individually and in…

The Matching of Educational and Occupational Structures in Finland and Sweden. Final Report. CEDEFOP Dossier.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahola, Sakari

This report studies the matching of educational and occupational structures in Sweden and Finland by using classifications that include all educational and occupational groups. By using comprehensive databases available in Finland and Sweden, it aims to develop the methodological and theoretical perspectives of the research on education and…

Assessment of Aphasia Across the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Using an iPad-Based Application.

PubMed

Guo, Yiting Emily; Togher, Leanne; Power, Emma; Hutomo, Edwin; Yang, Yi-Fei; Tay, Arthur; Yen, Shih-Cheng; Koh, Gerald Choon-Huat

2017-04-01

Access2Aphasia™ is an iPad™-based aphasia assessment application that enables real-time audiovisual communication between people with aphasia (PWA) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and the use of supported conversation techniques. This study aimed to establish the reliability of aphasia assessment across the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) using Access2Aphasia, and compare it with face-to-face (FTF) assessment. Consumer perspectives of Access2Aphasia were also examined. Thirty PWA were randomized into two conditions: online-led and FTF assessment. Participants in the online-led group were assessed remotely using Access2Aphasia™ in their own homes, while an FTF SLP scored silently simultaneously. Participants in the FTF group were assessed FTF using standard administration materials. Assessment included two subtests of the Psycholinguistic Assessment of Language Processing Activities (PALPA) and the Assessment of Living with Aphasia (ALA) to allow for outcomes to be captured across the ICF domains. Consumer perspectives on Access2Aphasia were obtained from both PWA and research SLPs in the online-led group. Kappa statistics indicated moderate to almost perfect agreement between online and FTF SLPs (k = 0.71-1.00). Intrarater and interrater reliability was excellent (ICC = 0.99-1.00) and equivalent for the online-led and FTF conditions. Both PWA and research SLPs in the online-led group reported being satisfied with the experience overall, with suggestions provided by research SLPs to improve Access2Aphasia. This study supports the provision of iPad-based aphasia assessments across the ICF in the online environment, with comparable reliability to FTF assessments. Future research is warranted to support the development of iPad-based aphasia assessment and treatment as an alternative mode of service delivery to PWA.

40 CFR 152.164 - Classification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Classification procedures. 152.164... PESTICIDE REGISTRATION AND CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURES Classification of Pesticides § 152.164 Classification procedures. (a) Grouping of products for classification purposes. In its discretion, the Agency may identify...

40 CFR 152.164 - Classification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Classification procedures. 152.164... PESTICIDE REGISTRATION AND CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURES Classification of Pesticides § 152.164 Classification procedures. (a) Grouping of products for classification purposes. In its discretion, the Agency may identify...

40 CFR 152.164 - Classification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Classification procedures. 152.164... PESTICIDE REGISTRATION AND CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURES Classification of Pesticides § 152.164 Classification procedures. (a) Grouping of products for classification purposes. In its discretion, the Agency may identify...

40 CFR 152.164 - Classification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Classification procedures. 152.164... PESTICIDE REGISTRATION AND CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURES Classification of Pesticides § 152.164 Classification procedures. (a) Grouping of products for classification purposes. In its discretion, the Agency may identify...

40 CFR 152.164 - Classification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Classification procedures. 152.164... PESTICIDE REGISTRATION AND CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURES Classification of Pesticides § 152.164 Classification procedures. (a) Grouping of products for classification purposes. In its discretion, the Agency may identify...

A Theoretical Analysis of Why Hybrid Ensembles Work.

PubMed

Hsu, Kuo-Wei

2017-01-01

Inspired by the group decision making process, ensembles or combinations of classifiers have been found favorable in a wide variety of application domains. Some researchers propose to use the mixture of two different types of classification algorithms to create a hybrid ensemble. Why does such an ensemble work? The question remains. Following the concept of diversity, which is one of the fundamental elements of the success of ensembles, we conduct a theoretical analysis of why hybrid ensembles work, connecting using different algorithms to accuracy gain. We also conduct experiments on classification performance of hybrid ensembles of classifiers created by decision tree and naïve Bayes classification algorithms, each of which is a top data mining algorithm and often used to create non-hybrid ensembles. Therefore, through this paper, we provide a complement to the theoretical foundation of creating and using hybrid ensembles.

Using Web-Based Key Character and Classification Instruction for Teaching Undergraduate Students Insect Identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golick, Douglas A.; Heng-Moss, Tiffany M.; Steckelberg, Allen L.; Brooks, David. W.; Higley, Leon G.; Fowler, David

2013-08-01

The purpose of the study was to determine whether undergraduate students receiving web-based instruction based on traditional, key character, or classification instruction differed in their performance of insect identification tasks. All groups showed a significant improvement in insect identifications on pre- and post-two-dimensional picture specimen quizzes. The study also determined student performance on insect identification tasks was not as good as for family-level identification as compared to broader insect orders and arthropod classification identification tasks. Finally, students erred significantly more by misidentification than misspelling specimen names on prepared specimen quizzes. Results of this study support that short web-based insect identification exercises can improve insect identification performance. Also included is a discussion of how these results can be used in teaching and future research on biological identification.

Effects of Classification Exposure upon Numerical Achievement of Educable Mentally Retarded Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funk, Kerri L.; Tseng, M. S.

Two groups of 32 educable mentally retarded children (ages 7 to 14 years) were compared as to their arithmetic and classification performances attributable to the presence or absence of a 4 1/2 week exposure to classification tasks. The randomized block pretest-posttest design was used. The experimental group and the control group were matched on…

Combat Stress and Substance Use Intervention

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

Bureau of the Census classification, personnel were divided into four racial/ethnic groups : white, non-Hispanic; African American, non-Hispanic...Bureau of the Census classification, personnel were divided into four racial/ethnic groups : white, non-Hispanic; African American, non-Hispanic...Race/Ethnicity: Following the current U.S. Bureau of the Census classification, personnel were divided into four racial/ethnic groups : white, non

New Sources of Active Duty Military Personnel: The Prior Service Accessions Pool.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-01

Age Group Classification 20...level. -30- Table 15 E.IPLOYMENT STATUS BY AGE AN[) RACE (Iii thotisands) Age Group Classification 20-23 24-29 30-34 35-39 40-49 50-60 Total White...alternative job than for full time workers. Table 17 NUMBER OF VETERANS WORKING LESS THAN 35 HOURS (In thousands) Age Group Classification 20-23

Reliability, Validity, and Classification Accuracy of the DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria for Gambling Disorder and Comparison to DSM-IV.

PubMed

Stinchfield, Randy; McCready, John; Turner, Nigel E; Jimenez-Murcia, Susana; Petry, Nancy M; Grant, Jon; Welte, John; Chapman, Heather; Winters, Ken C

2016-09-01

The DSM-5 was published in 2013 and it included two substantive revisions for gambling disorder (GD). These changes are the reduction in the threshold from five to four criteria and elimination of the illegal activities criterion. The purpose of this study was to twofold. First, to assess the reliability, validity and classification accuracy of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for GD. Second, to compare the DSM-5-DSM-IV on reliability, validity, and classification accuracy, including an examination of the effect of the elimination of the illegal acts criterion on diagnostic accuracy. To compare DSM-5 and DSM-IV, eight datasets from three different countries (Canada, USA, and Spain; total N = 3247) were used. All datasets were based on similar research methods. Participants were recruited from outpatient gambling treatment services to represent the group with a GD and from the community to represent the group without a GD. All participants were administered a standardized measure of diagnostic criteria. The DSM-5 yielded satisfactory reliability, validity and classification accuracy. In comparing the DSM-5 to the DSM-IV, most comparisons of reliability, validity and classification accuracy showed more similarities than differences. There was evidence of modest improvements in classification accuracy for DSM-5 over DSM-IV, particularly in reduction of false negative errors. This reduction in false negative errors was largely a function of lowering the cut score from five to four and this revision is an improvement over DSM-IV. From a statistical standpoint, eliminating the illegal acts criterion did not make a significant impact on diagnostic accuracy. From a clinical standpoint, illegal acts can still be addressed in the context of the DSM-5 criterion of lying to others.

Toward Genetics-Based Virus Taxonomy: Comparative Analysis of a Genetics-Based Classification and the Taxonomy of Picornaviruses

PubMed Central

Lauber, Chris

2012-01-01

Virus taxonomy has received little attention from the research community despite its broad relevance. In an accompanying paper (C. Lauber and A. E. Gorbalenya, J. Virol. 86:3890–3904, 2012), we have introduced a quantitative approach to hierarchically classify viruses of a family using pairwise evolutionary distances (PEDs) as a measure of genetic divergence. When applied to the six most conserved proteins of the Picornaviridae, it clustered 1,234 genome sequences in groups at three hierarchical levels (to which we refer as the “GENETIC classification”). In this study, we compare the GENETIC classification with the expert-based picornavirus taxonomy and outline differences in the underlying frameworks regarding the relation of virus groups and genetic diversity that represent, respectively, the structure and content of a classification. To facilitate the analysis, we introduce two novel diagrams. The first connects the genetic diversity of taxa to both the PED distribution and the phylogeny of picornaviruses. The second depicts a classification and the accommodated genetic diversity in a standardized manner. Generally, we found striking agreement between the two classifications on species and genus taxa. A few disagreements concern the species Human rhinovirus A and Human rhinovirus C and the genus Aphthovirus, which were split in the GENETIC classification. Furthermore, we propose a new supergenus level and universal, level-specific PED thresholds, not reached yet by many taxa. Since the species threshold is approached mostly by taxa with large sampling sizes and those infecting multiple hosts, it may represent an upper limit on divergence, beyond which homologous recombination in the six most conserved genes between two picornaviruses might not give viable progeny. PMID:22278238

15 CFR 921.3 - National Estuarine Research Reserve System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. 921.3 Section 921.3 Commerce and... biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. (a) National Estuarine Research Reserves are... classification scheme based on regional variations in the nation's coastal zone has been developed. The...

15 CFR 921.3 - National Estuarine Research Reserve System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. 921.3 Section 921.3 Commerce and... biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. (a) National Estuarine Research Reserves are... classification scheme based on regional variations in the nation's coastal zone has been developed. The...

15 CFR 921.3 - National Estuarine Research Reserve System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. 921.3 Section 921.3 Commerce and... biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. (a) National Estuarine Research Reserves are... classification scheme based on regional variations in the nation's coastal zone has been developed. The...

15 CFR 921.3 - National Estuarine Research Reserve System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. 921.3 Section 921.3 Commerce and... biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. (a) National Estuarine Research Reserves are... classification scheme based on regional variations in the nation's coastal zone has been developed. The...

15 CFR 921.3 - National Estuarine Research Reserve System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... System biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. 921.3 Section 921.3 Commerce and... biogeographic classification scheme and estuarine typologies. (a) National Estuarine Research Reserves are... classification scheme based on regional variations in the nation's coastal zone has been developed. The...

Classification of older adults with/without a fall history using machine learning methods.

PubMed

Lin Zhang; Ou Ma; Fabre, Jennifer M; Wood, Robert H; Garcia, Stephanie U; Ivey, Kayla M; McCann, Evan D

2015-01-01

Falling is a serious problem in an aged society such that assessment of the risk of falls for individuals is imperative for the research and practice of falls prevention. This paper introduces an application of several machine learning methods for training a classifier which is capable of classifying individual older adults into a high risk group and a low risk group (distinguished by whether or not the members of the group have a recent history of falls). Using a 3D motion capture system, significant gait features related to falls risk are extracted. By training these features, classification hypotheses are obtained based on machine learning techniques (K Nearest-neighbour, Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, Neural Network, and Support Vector Machine). Training and test accuracies with sensitivity and specificity of each of these techniques are assessed. The feature adjustment and tuning of the machine learning algorithms are discussed. The outcome of the study will benefit the prediction and prevention of falls.

Land-cover classification in a moist tropical region of Brazil with Landsat TM imagery.

PubMed

Li, Guiying; Lu, Dengsheng; Moran, Emilio; Hetrick, Scott

2011-01-01

This research aims to improve land-cover classification accuracy in a moist tropical region in Brazil by examining the use of different remote sensing-derived variables and classification algorithms. Different scenarios based on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) spectral data and derived vegetation indices and textural images, and different classification algorithms - maximum likelihood classification (MLC), artificial neural network (ANN), classification tree analysis (CTA), and object-based classification (OBC), were explored. The results indicated that a combination of vegetation indices as extra bands into Landsat TM multispectral bands did not improve the overall classification performance, but the combination of textural images was valuable for improving vegetation classification accuracy. In particular, the combination of both vegetation indices and textural images into TM multispectral bands improved overall classification accuracy by 5.6% and kappa coefficient by 6.25%. Comparison of the different classification algorithms indicated that CTA and ANN have poor classification performance in this research, but OBC improved primary forest and pasture classification accuracies. This research indicates that use of textural images or use of OBC are especially valuable for improving the vegetation classes such as upland and liana forest classes having complex stand structures and having relatively large patch sizes.

Land-cover classification in a moist tropical region of Brazil with Landsat TM imagery

PubMed Central

LI, GUIYING; LU, DENGSHENG; MORAN, EMILIO; HETRICK, SCOTT

2011-01-01

This research aims to improve land-cover classification accuracy in a moist tropical region in Brazil by examining the use of different remote sensing-derived variables and classification algorithms. Different scenarios based on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) spectral data and derived vegetation indices and textural images, and different classification algorithms – maximum likelihood classification (MLC), artificial neural network (ANN), classification tree analysis (CTA), and object-based classification (OBC), were explored. The results indicated that a combination of vegetation indices as extra bands into Landsat TM multispectral bands did not improve the overall classification performance, but the combination of textural images was valuable for improving vegetation classification accuracy. In particular, the combination of both vegetation indices and textural images into TM multispectral bands improved overall classification accuracy by 5.6% and kappa coefficient by 6.25%. Comparison of the different classification algorithms indicated that CTA and ANN have poor classification performance in this research, but OBC improved primary forest and pasture classification accuracies. This research indicates that use of textural images or use of OBC are especially valuable for improving the vegetation classes such as upland and liana forest classes having complex stand structures and having relatively large patch sizes. PMID:22368311

Advances in Classification Research. Volume 10. Proceedings of the ASIS SIG/CR Classification Research Workshop (10th, Washington, DC, November 1-5, 1999). ASIST Monograph Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albrechtsen, Hanne, Ed.; Mai, Jens-Erik, Ed.

This volume is a compilation of the papers presented at the 10th ASIS (American Society for Information Science) workshop on classification research. Major themes include the social and cultural informatics of classification and coding systems, subject access and indexing theory, genre analysis and the agency of documents in the ordering of…

Effects of two classification strategies on a Benthic Community Index for streams in the Northern Lakes and Forests Ecoregion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butcher, Jason T.; Stewart, Paul M.; Simon, Thomas P.

2003-01-01

Ninety-four sites were used to analyze the effects of two different classification strategies on the Benthic Community Index (BCI). The first, a priori classification, reflected the wetland status of the streams; the second, a posteriori classification, used a bio-environmental analysis to select classification variables. Both classifications were examined by measuring classification strength and testing differences in metric values with respect to group membership. The a priori (wetland) classification strength (83.3%) was greater than the a posteriori (bio-environmental) classification strength (76.8%). Both classifications found one metric that had significant differences between groups. The original index was modified to reflect the wetland classification by re-calibrating the scoring criteria for percent Crustacea and Mollusca. A proposed refinement to the original Benthic Community Index is suggested. This study shows the importance of using hypothesis-driven classifications, as well as exploratory statistical analysis, to evaluate alternative ways to reveal environmental variability in biological assessment tools.

Identifying the "vulnerables" in biomedical research: the vox populis from the Tuskegee Legacy Project.

PubMed

Chiu, Christopher T; Katz, Ralph V

2011-01-01

This report presents, for the first time, findings on the vox populis as to who constitutes the "vulnerables in biomedical research" The 3-City Tuskegee Legacy Project (TLP) study used the TLP questionnaire as administered via random-digit-dial telephone interviews to 1162 adult Black people, non-Hispanic White people, and two Puerto Rican (PR) Hispanic groups: Mainland United States and San Juan (SJ) in three cities. The classification schema was based upon respondents' answers to an open-ended question asking which groups of people were the most vulnerable when participating in biomedical research. Subjects provided 749 valid open-ended responses, which were grouped into 29 direct response categories, leading to a four-tier classification schema for vulnerability traits. Tier 1, the summary tier, had five vulnerability categories: (1) Race/ ethnicity; (2) Age; (3) SES; (4) Health; and, (5) Gender. Black people and Mainland United States PR Hispanics most frequently identified Race/Ethnicity as a vulnerability trait (42.1 percent of Black people and 42.6 percent of Mainland United States. PR Hispanics versus 15.4 percent of White people and 16.7 percent of SJ R Hispanics) (P < 0.007), while White people and SJ PR Hispanics most frequently identified Age (48.3 percent and 29.2 percent) as a vulnerability trait. The response patterns on "who was vulnerable" were similar for the two minority groups (Black people and Mainland US PR Hispanics), and notably different from the response patterns of the two majority groups (White people and SJ PR Hispanics). Further, the vox populis definition of vulnerables differed from the current official definitions as used by the U.S. federal government.

Does the Use of a Classification for Nursing Diagnoses Affect Nursing Students’ Choice of Nursing Interventions?

PubMed Central

Falk, Joakim; Björvell, Catrin

2012-01-01

The Swedish health care system stands before an implementation of standardized language. The first classification of nursing diagnoses translated into Swedish, The NANDA, was released in January 2011. The aim of the present study was to examine whether the usage of the NANDA classification affected nursing students’ choice of nursing interventions. Thirty-three nursing students in a clinical setting were divided into two groups. The intervention group had access to the NANDA classification text book, while the comparison group did not. In total 78 nursing assessments were performed and 218 nursing interventions initiated. The principle findings show that there were no statistical significant differences between the groups regarding the amount, quality or category of nursing interventions when using the NANDA classification compared to free text format nursing diagnoses. PMID:24199065

Infantile hydrocephalus: a review of epidemiology, classification and causes

PubMed Central

Tully, Hannah M; Dobyns, William B

2015-01-01

Hydrocephalus is a common but complex condition caused by physical or functional obstruction of CSF flow that leads to progressive ventricular dilatation. Though hydrocephalus was recently estimated to affect 1.1 in 1,000 infants, there have been few systematic assessments of the causes of hydrocephalus in this age group, which makes it a challenging condition to approach as a scientist or as a clinician. Here, we review contemporary literature on the epidemiology, classification and pathogenesis of infantile hydrocephalus. We describe the major environmental and genetic causes of hydrocephalus, with the goal of providing a framework to assess infants with hydrocephalus and guide future research. PMID:24932902

Effect of e-learning program on risk assessment and pressure ulcer classification - A randomized study.

PubMed

Bredesen, Ida Marie; Bjøro, Karen; Gunningberg, Lena; Hofoss, Dag

2016-05-01

Pressure ulcers (PUs) are a problem in health care. Staff competency is paramount to PU prevention. Education is essential to increase skills in pressure ulcer classification and risk assessment. Currently, no pressure ulcer learning programs are available in Norwegian. Develop and test an e-learning program for assessment of pressure ulcer risk and pressure ulcer classification. Forty-four nurses working in acute care hospital wards or nursing homes participated and were assigned randomly into two groups: an e-learning program group (intervention) and a traditional classroom lecture group (control). Data was collected immediately before and after training, and again after three months. The study was conducted at one nursing home and two hospitals between May and December 2012. Accuracy of risk assessment (five patient cases) and pressure ulcer classification (40 photos [normal skin, pressure ulcer categories I-IV] split in two sets) were measured by comparing nurse evaluations in each of the two groups to a pre-established standard based on ratings by experts in pressure ulcer classification and risk assessment. Inter-rater reliability was measured by exact percent agreement and multi-rater Fleiss kappa. A Mann-Whitney U test was used for continuous sum score variables. An e-learning program did not improve Braden subscale scoring. For pressure ulcer classification, however, the intervention group scored significantly higher than the control group on several of the categories in post-test immediately after training. However, after three months there were no significant differences in classification skills between the groups. An e-learning program appears to have a greater effect on the accuracy of pressure ulcer classification than classroom teaching in the short term. For proficiency in Braden scoring, no significant effect of educational methods on learning results was detected. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrimination of different sub-basins on Tajo River based on water influence factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bermudez, R.; Gascó, J. M.; Tarquis, A. M.; Saa-Requejo, A.

2009-04-01

Numeric taxonomy has been applied to classify Tajo basin water (Spain) till Portugal border. Several stations, a total of 52, that estimate 15 water variables have been used in this study. The different groups have been obtained applying a Euclidean distance among stations (distance classification) and a Euclidean distance between each station and the centroid estimated among them (centroid classification), varying the number of parameters and with or without variable typification. In order to compare the classification a log-log relation has been established, between number of groups created and distances, to select the best one. It has been observed that centroid classification is more appropriate following in a more logic way the natural constrictions than the minimum distance among stations. Variable typification doesn't improve the classification except when the centroid method is applied. Taking in consideration the ions and the sum of them as variables, the classification improved. Stations are grouped based on electric conductivity (CE), total anions (TA), total cations (TC) and ions ratio (Na/Ca and Mg/Ca). For a given classification and comparing the different groups created a certain variation in ions concentration and ions ratio are observed. However, the variation in each ion among groups is different depending on the case. For the last group, regardless the classification, the increase in all ions is general. Comparing the dendrograms, and groups that originated, Tajo river basin can be sub dived in five sub-basins differentiated by the main influence on water: 1. With a higher ombrogenic influence (rain fed). 2. With ombrogenic and pedogenic influence (rain and groundwater fed). 3. With pedogenic influence. 4. With lithogenic influence (geological bedrock). 5. With a higher ombrogenic and lithogenic influence added.

[Changes of 2015 WHO Histological Classification of Lung Cancer 
and the Clinical Significance].

PubMed

Yang, Xin; Lin, Dongmei

2016-06-20

Due in part to remarkable advances over the past decade in our understanding of lung cancer, particularly in area of medical oncology, molecular biology, and radiology, there is a pressing need for a revised classification, based not on pathology alone, but rather on an integrated multidisciplinary approach to classification of lung cancer. The 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors of the Lung, Pleura, Thymus and Heart has just been published with numerous important changes from the 2004 WHO classification. The revised classification has been greatly improved in helping advance the field, increasing the impact of research, improving patient care and assisting in predicting outcome. The most significant changes will be summarized in this paper as follows: (1) main changes of lung adenocarcinoma as proposed by the 2011 International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (IASLC/ATS/ERS) classification, (2) reclassifying squamous cell carcinomas into keratinizing, nonkeratinizing, and basaloid subtypes with the nonkeratinizing tumors requiring immunohistochemistry proof of squamous differentiation, (3) restricting the diagnosis of large cell carcinoma only to resected tumors that lack any clear morphologic or immunohistochemical differentiation with reclassification of the remaining former large cell carcinoma subtypes into different categories, (4) grouping of neuroendocrine tumors together in one category, (5) and the current viewpoint of histologic grading of lung cancer.

Childhood Obesity Policy Research and Practice Evidence for Policy and Environmental Strategies

PubMed Central

Brennan, Laura K.; Brownson, Ross C.; Orleans, C. Tracy

2016-01-01

Investigators developed a review system to evaluate the growing literature on policy and environmental strategies to prevent childhood obesity. Over 2000 documents published between January 2000 and May 2009 in the scientific and grey literature were identified (2008–2009) and systematically analyzed (2009–2012). These focused on policy or environmental strategies to reduce obesity/overweight, increase physical activity, and/or improve nutrition/diet among youth (aged 3–18 years). Guided by the RE-AIM framework, investigators abstracted studies of 24 intervention strategies and assessed evidence for their effectiveness (i.e., study design, intervention duration, and outcomes) and population impact (i.e., effectiveness and reach – participation or exposure, and representativeness) in 142 evaluation study groupings and 254 associational study groupings (n=396 groupings of 600 peer-reviewed studies). The 24 strategies yielded 25 classifications (school wellness policies yielded nutrition and physical activity classifications): 1st-tier effective (n=5); 2nd-tier effective (n=6); “promising” (n=5); or “emerging” (n=9). Evidence for intervention effectiveness was reported in 56% of the evaluation, and 77% of the associational, study groupings. Among the evaluation study groupings, only 49% reported sufficient data for population impact ratings, and only 22% qualified for a rating of high population impact. Effectiveness and impact ratings were summarized in graphic evidence maps, displaying effects/associations with behavioral and obesity/overweight outcomes. This paper describes the results and products of the review, with recommendations for policy research and practice. PMID:24355679

Mapping Vegetation Community Types in a Highly-Disturbed Landscape: Integrating Hiearchical Object-Based Image Analysis with Digital Surface Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snavely, Rachel A.

Focusing on the semi-arid and highly disturbed landscape of San Clemente Island, California, this research tests the effectiveness of incorporating a hierarchal object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach with high-spatial resolution imagery and light detection and range (LiDAR) derived canopy height surfaces for mapping vegetation communities. The study is part of a large-scale research effort conducted by researchers at San Diego State University's (SDSU) Center for Earth Systems Analysis Research (CESAR) and Soil Ecology and Restoration Group (SERG), to develop an updated vegetation community map which will support both conservation and management decisions on Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) San Clemente Island. Trimble's eCognition Developer software was used to develop and generate vegetation community maps for two study sites, with and without vegetation height data as input. Overall and class-specific accuracies were calculated and compared across the two classifications. The highest overall accuracy (approximately 80%) was observed with the classification integrating airborne visible and near infrared imagery having very high spatial resolution with a LiDAR derived canopy height model. Accuracies for individual vegetation classes differed between both classification methods, but were highest when incorporating the LiDAR digital surface data. The addition of a canopy height model, however, yielded little difference in classification accuracies for areas of very dense shrub cover. Overall, the results show the utility of the OBIA approach for mapping vegetation with high spatial resolution imagery, and emphasizes the advantage of both multi-scale analysis and digital surface data for accuracy characterizing highly disturbed landscapes. The integrated imagery and digital canopy height model approach presented both advantages and limitations, which have to be considered prior to its operational use in mapping vegetation communities.

Geometric classification of scalp hair for valid drug testing, 6 more reliable than 8 hair curl groups.

PubMed

Mkentane, K; Van Wyk, J C; Sishi, N; Gumedze, F; Ngoepe, M; Davids, L M; Khumalo, N P

2017-01-01

Curly hair is reported to contain higher lipid content than straight hair, which may influence incorporation of lipid soluble drugs. The use of race to describe hair curl variation (Asian, Caucasian and African) is unscientific yet common in medical literature (including reports of drug levels in hair). This study investigated the reliability of a geometric classification of hair (based on 3 measurements: the curve diameter, curl index and number of waves). After ethical approval and informed consent, proximal virgin (6cm) hair sampled from the vertex of scalp in 48 healthy volunteers were evaluated. Three raters each scored hairs from 48 volunteers at two occasions each for the 8 and 6-group classifications. One rater applied the 6-group classification to 80 additional volunteers in order to further confirm the reliability of this system. The Kappa statistic was used to assess intra and inter rater agreement. Each rater classified 480 hairs on each occasion. No rater classified any volunteer's 10 hairs into the same group; the most frequently occurring group was used for analysis. The inter-rater agreement was poor for the 8-groups (k = 0.418) but improved for the 6-groups (k = 0.671). The intra-rater agreement also improved (k = 0.444 to 0.648 versus 0.599 to 0.836) for 6-groups; that for the one evaluator for all volunteers was good (k = 0.754). Although small, this is the first study to test the reliability of a geometric classification. The 6-group method is more reliable. However, a digital classification system is likely to reduce operator error. A reliable objective classification of human hair curl is long overdue, particularly with the increasing use of hair as a testing substrate for treatment compliance in Medicine.

The Future of Classification in Wheelchair Sports; Can Data Science and Technological Advancement Offer an Alternative Point of View?

PubMed

van der Slikke, Rienk M A; Bregman, Daan J J; Berger, Monique A M; de Witte, Annemarie M H; Veeger, Dirk-Jan H E J

2017-11-01

Classification is a defining factor for competition in wheelchair sports, but it is a delicate and time-consuming process with often questionable validity. 1 New inertial sensor based measurement methods applied in match play and field tests, allow for more precise and objective estimates of the impairment effect on wheelchair mobility performance. It was evaluated if these measures could offer an alternative point of view for classification. Six standard wheelchair mobility performance outcomes of different classification groups were measured in match play (n=29), as well as best possible performance in a field test (n=47). In match-results a clear relationship between classification and performance level is shown, with increased performance outcomes in each adjacent higher classification group. Three outcomes differed significantly between the low and mid-class groups, and one between the mid and high-class groups. In best performance (field test), a split between the low and mid-class groups shows (5 out of 6 outcomes differed significantly) but hardly any difference between the mid and high-class groups. This observed split was confirmed by cluster analysis, revealing the existence of only two performance based clusters. The use of inertial sensor technology to get objective measures of wheelchair mobility performance, combined with a standardized field-test, brought alternative views for evidence based classification. The results of this approach provided arguments for a reduced number of classes in wheelchair basketball. Future use of inertial sensors in match play and in field testing could enhance evaluation of classification guidelines as well as individual athlete performance.

European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer and International Society for Cutaneous Lymphoma consensus recommendations for the management of cutaneous B-cell lymphomas.

PubMed

Senff, Nancy J; Noordijk, Evert M; Kim, Youn H; Bagot, Martine; Berti, Emilio; Cerroni, Lorenzo; Dummer, Reinhard; Duvic, Madeleine; Hoppe, Richard T; Pimpinelli, Nicola; Rosen, Steven T; Vermeer, Maarten H; Whittaker, Sean; Willemze, Rein

2008-09-01

Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL) represent approximately 20% to 25% of all primary cutaneous lymphomas. With the advent of the World Health Organization-European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Consensus Classification for Cutaneous Lymphomas in 2005, uniform terminology and classification for this rare group of neoplasms were introduced. However, staging procedures and treatment strategies still vary between different cutaneous lymphoma centers, which may be because consensus recommendations for the management of CBCL have never been published. Based on an extensive literature search and discussions within the EORTC Cutaneous Lymphoma Group and the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphomas, the present report aims to provide uniform recommendations for the management of the 3 main groups of CBCL. Because no systematic reviews or (randomized) controlled trials were available, these recommendations are mainly based on retrospective studies and small cohort studies. Despite these limitations, there was consensus among the members of the multidisciplinary expert panel that these recommendations reflect the state-of-the-art management as currently practiced in major cutaneous lymphoma centers. They may therefore contribute to uniform staging and treatment and form the basis for future clinical trials in patients with a CBCL.

Programmable Logic Controllers for Research on the Cyber Security of Industrial Power Plants

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-12

group . 15. SUBJECT TERMS Industrial control systems, cyber security 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF a. REPORT b. ABSTRACT c. THIS...currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (00-MM-YYYY) ,2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED...From- To) 12/02/2017 Final 15 August 2015 - 12 February 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Sa. CONTRACT NUMBER Programmable Logic Controllers for Research

A Reaction Time Experiment on Adult Attachment: The Development of a Measure for Neurophysiological Settings

PubMed Central

Wichmann, Theresia; Buchheim, Anna; Menning, Hans; Schenk, Ingmar; George, Carol; Pokorny, Dan

2016-01-01

In the last few decades, there has been an increase of experimental research on automatic unconscious processes concerning the evaluation of the self and others. Previous research investigated implicit aspects of romantic attachment using self-report measures as explicit instruments for assessing attachment style. There is a lack of experimental procedures feasible for neurobiological settings. We developed a reaction time (RT) experiment using a narrative attachment measure with an implicit nature and were interested to capture automatic processes, when the individuals’ attachment system is activated. We aimed to combine attachment methodology with knowledge from implicit measures by using a decision RT paradigm. This should serve as a means to capture implicit aspects of attachment. This experiment evaluated participants’ response to prototypic attachment sentences in association with their own attachment classification, measured with the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). First the AAP was administered as the standardized interview procedure to 30 healthy participants, which were classified into a secure or insecure group. In the following experimental session, both experimenter and participants were blind with respect to classifications. One hundred twenty eight prototypically secure or insecure sentences related to the eight pictures of the AAP were presented to the participants. Their response and RTs were recorded. Based on the response (accept, reject) a continuous security scale was defined. Both the AAP classification and security scale were related to the RTs. Differentiated study hypotheses were confirmed for insecure sentences, which were accepted faster by participants from the insecure attachment group (or with lower security scale), and rejected faster by participants from secure attachment group (or with higher security scale). The elaborating unconscious processes were more activated by insecure sentences with potential attachment conflicts. The introduced paradigm is able to contribute to an experimental approach in attachment research. The RT analysis with the narrative procedure might be of interest for a broader variety of questions in experimental and neurophysiological settings to capture unconscious processes in association with internal working models of attachment. An electrophysiological model based on preliminary research is proposed for assessing the preconscious neuronal network related to secure or insecure attachment representations. PMID:27853426

Cholecystectomy and Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs): patient classification and hospital reimbursement in 11 European countries.

PubMed

Paat-Ahi, Gerli; Aaviksoo, Ain; Swiderek, Maria

2014-12-01

As part of the EuroDRG project, researchers from eleven countries (i.e. Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Spain) compared how their Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG) systems deal with cholecystectomy patients. The study aims to assist surgeons and national authorities to optimize their DRG systems. National or regional databases were used to identify hospital cases with a procedure of cholecystectomy. DRG classification algorithms and indicators of resource consumption were compared for those DRGs that individually contained at least 1% of cases. Six standardised case vignettes were defined, and quasi prices according to national DRG-based hospital payment systems were ascertained and compared to an index case. European DRG systems vary widely: they classify cholecystectomy patients according to different sets of variables into diverging numbers of DRGs (between two DRGs in Austria and Poland to nine DRGs in England). The most complex DRG is valued at four times more resource intensive than the index case in Ireland but only 1.3 times more resource intensive than the index case in Austria. Large variations in the classification of cholecystectomy patients raise concerns whether all systems rely on the most appropriate classification variables. Surgeons, hospital managers and national DRG authorities should consider how other countries' DRG systems classify cholecystectomy patients in order to optimize their DRG systems and to ensure fair and appropriate reimbursement.

An Efficient Optimization Method for Solving Unsupervised Data Classification Problems.

PubMed

Shabanzadeh, Parvaneh; Yusof, Rubiyah

2015-01-01

Unsupervised data classification (or clustering) analysis is one of the most useful tools and a descriptive task in data mining that seeks to classify homogeneous groups of objects based on similarity and is used in many medical disciplines and various applications. In general, there is no single algorithm that is suitable for all types of data, conditions, and applications. Each algorithm has its own advantages, limitations, and deficiencies. Hence, research for novel and effective approaches for unsupervised data classification is still active. In this paper a heuristic algorithm, Biogeography-Based Optimization (BBO) algorithm, was adapted for data clustering problems by modifying the main operators of BBO algorithm, which is inspired from the natural biogeography distribution of different species. Similar to other population-based algorithms, BBO algorithm starts with an initial population of candidate solutions to an optimization problem and an objective function that is calculated for them. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm assessment was carried on six medical and real life datasets and was compared with eight well known and recent unsupervised data classification algorithms. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed evolutionary optimization algorithm is efficient for unsupervised data classification.

Ionic Liquids as a Basis Context for Developing High school Chemistry Teaching Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernani; Mudzakir, A.; Sumarna, O.

2017-02-01

This research aims to produce a map of connectedness highschool chemical content with the context of the modern chemical materials applications based on ionic liquids. The research method is content analysis of journal articles related to the ionic liquid materials and the textbooks of high school chemistry and textbooks of general chemistry at the university. The instrument used is the development format of basic text that connect and combine content and context. The results showed the connectedness between: (1) the context lubricants ionic liquid with the content of ionic bonding, covalent bonding, metal bonding, interaction between the particles of matter, the elements of main group, the elements of transition group, and the classification of macromolecules; (2) the context of fuel cell electrolite with the content of ionic bonding, covalent bonding, metal bonding, interaction between the particles of matter, Volta cell, and electrolysis cell; (3) the contect of nanocellulose with the content of ionic bonding, covalent bonding, metal bonding, interaction between the particles of matter, colloid, carbon compound, and the classification of macromolecules; and (4) the context of artificial muscle system with the content of ionic bond, covalent bond, metal bonding, interaction between the particles of matter, hydrocarbons, electrolytes and non-electrolytes, and the classification of macromolecules. Based on the result of this content analysis, the context of ionic liquid is predicted can be utilized for the enrichment of high school chemistry and has the potential to become teaching material’s context of high school chemistry in the future.

Required Collaborative Work in Online Courses: A Predictive Modeling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Marlene A.; Kellogg, Deborah L.

2015-01-01

This article describes a predictive model that assesses whether a student will have greater perceived learning in group assignments or in individual work. The model produces correct classifications 87.5% of the time. The research is notable in that it is the first in the education literature to adopt a predictive modeling methodology using data…

Additive Relations Word Problems in the South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Standard at Foundation Phase

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Nicky

2016-01-01

Drawing on a literature review of classifications developed by each of Riley, Verschaffel and Carpenter and their respective research groups, a refined typology of additive relations word problems is proposed and then used as analytical tool to classify the additive relations word problems in South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Standard…

Appendectomy and diagnosis-related groups (DRGs): patient classification and hospital reimbursement in 11 European countries.

PubMed

Quentin, Wilm; Scheller-Kreinsen, David; Geissler, Alexander; Busse, Reinhard

2012-02-01

As part of the EuroDRG project, researchers from 11 countries (i.e., Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Spain) compared how their diagnosis-related groups (DRG) systems deal with appendectomy patients. The study aims to assist surgeons and national authorities to optimize their DRG systems. National or regional databases were used to identify hospital cases with a diagnosis of appendicitis treated with a procedure of appendectomy. DRG classification algorithms and indicators of resource consumption were compared for those DRGs that together comprised at least 97% of cases. Six standardized case vignettes were defined, and quasi prices according to national DRG-based hospital payment systems were ascertained. European DRG systems vary widely: they classify appendectomy patients according to different sets of variables (between two and six classification variables) into diverging numbers of DRGs (between two and 11 DRGs). The most complex DRG is valued 5.1 times more resource intensive than an index case in France but only 1.1 times more resource intensive than an index case in Finland. Comparisons of quasi prices for the case vignettes show that hypothetical payments for the most complex case vignette amount to only 1,005 in Poland but to 12,304 in France. Large variations in the classification of appendectomy patients raise concerns whether all systems rely on the most appropriate classification variables. Surgeons and national DRG authorities should consider how other countries' DRG systems classify appendectomy patients in order to optimize their DRG system and to ensure fair and appropriate reimbursement.

A Response to an Article Published in "Educational Research"'s Special Issue on Assessment (June 2009). What Can Be Inferred about Classification Accuracy from Classification Consistency?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bramley, Tom

2010-01-01

Background: A recent article published in "Educational Research" on the reliability of results in National Curriculum testing in England (Newton, "The reliability of results from national curriculum testing in England," "Educational Research" 51, no. 2: 181-212, 2009) suggested that: (1) classification accuracy can be…

Statistical analysis on the concordance of the radiological evaluation of fractures of the distal radius subjected to traction☆

PubMed Central

Machado, Daniel Gonçalves; da Cruz Cerqueira, Sergio Auto; de Lima, Alexandre Fernandes; de Mathias, Marcelo Bezerra; Aramburu, José Paulo Gabbi; Rodarte, Rodrigo Ribeiro Pinho

2016-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the current classifications for fractures of the distal extremity of the radius, since the classifications made using traditional radiographs in anteroposterior and lateral views have been questioned regarding their reproducibility. In the literature, it has been suggested that other options are needed, such as use of preoperative radiographs on fractures of the distal radius subjected to traction, with stratification by the evaluators. The aim was to demonstrate which classification systems present better statistical reliability. Results In the Universal classification, the results from the third-year resident group (R3) and from the group of more experienced evaluators (Staff) presented excellent correlation, with a statistically significant p-value (p < 0.05). Neither of the groups presented a statistically significant result through the Frykman classification. In the AO classification, there were high correlations in the R3 and Staff groups (respectively 0.950 and 0.800), with p-values lower than 0.05 (respectively <0.001 and 0.003). Conclusion It can be concluded that radiographs performed under traction showed good concordance in the Staff group and in the R3 group, and that this is a good tactic for radiographic evaluations of fractures of the distal extremity of the radius. PMID:26962498

The use of video clips in teleconsultation for preschool children with movement disorders.

PubMed

Gorter, Hetty; Lucas, Cees; Groothuis-Oudshoorn, Karin; Maathuis, Carel; van Wijlen-Hempel, Rietje; Elvers, Hans

2013-01-01

To investigate the reliability and validity of video clips in assessing movement disorders in preschool children. The study group included 27 children with neuromotor concerns. The explorative validity group included children with motor problems (n = 21) or with typical development (n = 9). Hempel screening was used for live observation of the child, full recording, and short video clips. The explorative study tested the validity of the clinical classifications "typical" or "suspect." Agreement between live observation and the full recording was almost perfect; Agreement for the clinical classification "typical" or "suspect" was substantial. Agreement between the full recording and short video clips was substantial to moderate. The explorative validity study, based on short video clips and the presence of a neuromotor developmental disorder, showed substantial agreement. Hempel screening enables reliable and valid observation of video clips, but further research is necessary to demonstrate the predictive value.

Grouping patients for masseter muscle genotype-phenotype studies.

PubMed

Moawad, Hadwah Abdelmatloub; Sinanan, Andrea C M; Lewis, Mark P; Hunt, Nigel P

2012-03-01

To use various facial classifications, including either/both vertical and horizontal facial criteria, to assess their effects on the interpretation of masseter muscle (MM) gene expression. Fresh MM biopsies were obtained from 29 patients (age, 16-36 years) with various facial phenotypes. Based on clinical and cephalometric analysis, patients were grouped using three different classifications: (1) basic vertical, (2) basic horizontal, and (3) combined vertical and horizontal. Gene expression levels of the myosin heavy chain genes MYH1, MYH2, MYH3, MYH6, MYH7, and MYH8 were recorded using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and were related to the various classifications. The significance level for statistical analysis was set at P ≤ .05. Using classification 1, none of the MYH genes were found to be significantly different between long face (LF) patients and the average vertical group. Using classification 2, MYH3, MYH6, and MYH7 genes were found to be significantly upregulated in retrognathic patients compared with prognathic and average horizontal groups. Using classification 3, only the MYH7 gene was found to be significantly upregulated in retrognathic LF compared with prognathic LF, prognathic average vertical faces, and average vertical and horizontal groups. The use of basic vertical or basic horizontal facial classifications may not be sufficient for genetics-based studies of facial phenotypes. Prognathic and retrognathic facial phenotypes have different MM gene expressions; therefore, it is not recommended to combine them into one single group, even though they may have a similar vertical facial phenotype.

Explaining resource consumption among non-normal neonates

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Rachel M.; Michelman, Thomas; Pezzullo, John; Phibbs, Ciaran S.

1991-01-01

The adoption by Medicare in 1983 of prospective payment using diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) has stimulated research to develop case-mix grouping schemes that more accurately predict resource consumption by patients. In this article, the authors explore a new method designed to improve case-mix classification for newborns through the use of birth weight in combination with DRGs to adjust the unexplained case-mix severity. Although the findings are developmental in nature, they reveal that the model significantly improves our ability to explain resource use. PMID:10122360

A Theoretical Analysis of Why Hybrid Ensembles Work

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Inspired by the group decision making process, ensembles or combinations of classifiers have been found favorable in a wide variety of application domains. Some researchers propose to use the mixture of two different types of classification algorithms to create a hybrid ensemble. Why does such an ensemble work? The question remains. Following the concept of diversity, which is one of the fundamental elements of the success of ensembles, we conduct a theoretical analysis of why hybrid ensembles work, connecting using different algorithms to accuracy gain. We also conduct experiments on classification performance of hybrid ensembles of classifiers created by decision tree and naïve Bayes classification algorithms, each of which is a top data mining algorithm and often used to create non-hybrid ensembles. Therefore, through this paper, we provide a complement to the theoretical foundation of creating and using hybrid ensembles. PMID:28255296

Petilla terminology: nomenclature of features of GABAergic interneurons of the cerebral cortex

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Neuroscience produces a vast amount of data from an enormous diversity of neurons. A neuronal classification system is essential to organize such data and the knowledge that is derived from them. Classification depends on the unequivocal identification of the features that distinguish one type of neuron from another. The problems inherent in this are particularly acute when studying cortical interneurons. To tackle this, we convened a representative group of researchers to agree on a set of terms to describe the anatomical, physiological and molecular features of GABAergic interneurons of the cerebral cortex. The resulting terminology might provide a stepping stone towards a future classification of these complex and heterogeneous cells. Consistent adoption will be important for the success of such an initiative, and we also encourage the active involvement of the broader scientific community in the dynamic evolution of this project. PMID:18568015

A Sieving ANN for Emotion-Based Movie Clip Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanapa, Saowaluk C.; Thipakorn, Bundit; Charoenkitkarn, Nipon

Effective classification and analysis of semantic contents are very important for the content-based indexing and retrieval of video database. Our research attempts to classify movie clips into three groups of commonly elicited emotions, namely excitement, joy and sadness, based on a set of abstract-level semantic features extracted from the film sequence. In particular, these features consist of six visual and audio measures grounded on the artistic film theories. A unique sieving-structured neural network is proposed to be the classifying model due to its robustness. The performance of the proposed model is tested with 101 movie clips excerpted from 24 award-winning and well-known Hollywood feature films. The experimental result of 97.8% correct classification rate, measured against the collected human-judges, indicates the great potential of using abstract-level semantic features as an engineered tool for the application of video-content retrieval/indexing.

Cell-based therapy technology classifications and translational challenges

PubMed Central

Mount, Natalie M.; Ward, Stephen J.; Kefalas, Panos; Hyllner, Johan

2015-01-01

Cell therapies offer the promise of treating and altering the course of diseases which cannot be addressed adequately by existing pharmaceuticals. Cell therapies are a diverse group across cell types and therapeutic indications and have been an active area of research for many years but are now strongly emerging through translation and towards successful commercial development and patient access. In this article, we present a description of a classification of cell therapies on the basis of their underlying technologies rather than the more commonly used classification by cell type because the regulatory path and manufacturing solutions are often similar within a technology area due to the nature of the methods used. We analyse the progress of new cell therapies towards clinical translation, examine how they are addressing the clinical, regulatory, manufacturing and reimbursement requirements, describe some of the remaining challenges and provide perspectives on how the field may progress for the future. PMID:26416686

[Gastroenterology in the G-DRG-System 2004].

PubMed

Bunzemeier, H; Frühmorgen, P; Caspary, W F; Roeder, N

2003-11-01

After a year of preliminary voluntarily introduction of casemix funding in hospitals in 2003 nearly every German hospital will be confronted with lump sump payments on the basis of the G-DRG system for their inpatient care starting from January 2004. To analyse weaknesses referring to gastroenterology services within the G-DRG version 1.0 the German Association for Disorders of the Digestive System and Metabolism (DGVS) and the DRG-Research-Group from the University of Muenster conducted a DRG evaluation project. In the analysis patient data from 16 hospitals were included. As a result of the project recommendations for G-DRG adjustments were generated. Those recommendations were implemented in the advancement to G-DRG version 2004. Also the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) was modified to ICD-10 German Modification. The classification of procedures OPS-301 was revised. The main adjustments to the G-DRG system and both classifications will be presented in this paper.

Aeronautic instruments. Section I : general classification of instruments and problems including bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hersey, Mayo D

1923-01-01

This report is intended as a technical introduction to the series of reports on aeronautic instruments. It presents a discussion of those subjects which are common to all instruments. First, a general classification is given, embracing all types of instruments used in aeronautics. Finally, a classification is given of the various problems confronted by the instrument expert and investigator. In this way the following groups of problems are brought up for consideration: problems of mechanical design, human factor, manufacturing problems, supply and selection of instruments, problems concerning the technique of testing, problems of installation, problems concerning the use of instruments, problems of maintenance, and physical research problems. This enumeration of problems which are common to instruments in general serves to indicate the different points of view which should be kept in mind in approaching the study of any particular instrument.

A systematic review of the Robson classification for caesarean section: what works, doesn't work and how to improve it.

PubMed

Betrán, Ana Pilar; Vindevoghel, Nadia; Souza, Joao Paulo; Gülmezoglu, A Metin; Torloni, Maria Regina

2014-01-01

Caesarean sections (CS) rates continue to increase worldwide without a clear understanding of the main drivers and consequences. The lack of a standardized internationally-accepted classification system to monitor and compare CS rates is one of the barriers to a better understanding of this trend. The Robson's 10-group classification is based on simple obstetrical parameters (parity, previous CS, gestational age, onset of labour, fetal presentation and number of fetuses) and does not involve the indication for CS. This classification has become very popular over the last years in many countries. We conducted a systematic review to synthesize the experience of users on the implementation of this classification and proposed adaptations. Four electronic databases were searched. A three-step thematic synthesis approach and a qualitative metasummary method were used. 232 unique reports were identified, 97 were selected for full-text evaluation and 73 were included. These publications reported on the use of Robson's classification in over 33 million women from 31 countries. According to users, the main strengths of the classification are its simplicity, robustness, reliability and flexibility. However, missing data, misclassification of women and lack of definition or consensus on core variables of the classification are challenges. To improve the classification for local use and to decrease heterogeneity within groups, several subdivisions in each of the 10 groups have been proposed. Group 5 (women with previous CS) received the largest number of suggestions. The use of the Robson classification is increasing rapidly and spontaneously worldwide. Despite some limitations, this classification is easy to implement and interpret. Several suggested modifications could be useful to help facilities and countries as they work towards its implementation.

A Systematic Review of the Robson Classification for Caesarean Section: What Works, Doesn't Work and How to Improve It

PubMed Central

Betrán, Ana Pilar; Vindevoghel, Nadia; Souza, Joao Paulo; Gülmezoglu, A. Metin; Torloni, Maria Regina

2014-01-01

Background Caesarean sections (CS) rates continue to increase worldwide without a clear understanding of the main drivers and consequences. The lack of a standardized internationally-accepted classification system to monitor and compare CS rates is one of the barriers to a better understanding of this trend. The Robson's 10-group classification is based on simple obstetrical parameters (parity, previous CS, gestational age, onset of labour, fetal presentation and number of fetuses) and does not involve the indication for CS. This classification has become very popular over the last years in many countries. We conducted a systematic review to synthesize the experience of users on the implementation of this classification and proposed adaptations. Methods Four electronic databases were searched. A three-step thematic synthesis approach and a qualitative metasummary method were used. Results 232 unique reports were identified, 97 were selected for full-text evaluation and 73 were included. These publications reported on the use of Robson's classification in over 33 million women from 31 countries. According to users, the main strengths of the classification are its simplicity, robustness, reliability and flexibility. However, missing data, misclassification of women and lack of definition or consensus on core variables of the classification are challenges. To improve the classification for local use and to decrease heterogeneity within groups, several subdivisions in each of the 10 groups have been proposed. Group 5 (women with previous CS) received the largest number of suggestions. Conclusions The use of the Robson classification is increasing rapidly and spontaneously worldwide. Despite some limitations, this classification is easy to implement and interpret. Several suggested modifications could be useful to help facilities and countries as they work towards its implementation. PMID:24892928

Uncertainties and Solutions Related to Use of WRB (2007) in the Boreo-nemoral zone, Case of Latvia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasparinskis, Raimonds; Nikodemus, Olgerts; Rolavs, Nauris

2014-05-01

Relatively high diversity of soils groups according to the WRB (2007) classification is observed in forest ecosystems in the boreo-nemoral zone in Latvia. This is due to the geological genesis of area and environmental conditions (Kasparinskis, Nikodemus, 2012), as well as historical land use and management (Nikodemus et al., 2013). Due to the relatively young soils, Albic, Spodic and Cambic horizons are relatively weakly expressed in many cases. Relatively well developed Albic horizons occur in sandy forest soils, but unusually well expressed Spodic features are observed. In some cases there is a Cambic horizon, however location of Cambisols in the WRB (2007) soil classification sequence does not provide an opportunity to classify these soils as Cambisols, but they are classified as Arenosols. This sequence does not reflect the logical sheme of soil development, and therefore raises the question about location of Podzols, Arenosols and Cambisols in the sequence of WRB (2007) soil classification. Soils with two parent materials (abrupt textural change) are relatively common in Latvia, where conceptually on the small scale mapping results in classification as the soil group Planosols, but in many cases there is occurrence of Fluvic materials, as parent material in the upper part of the soil profile is formed by Baltic Ice lake sandy sediments - this leads to question about the location of Fluvisols and Planosols in the sequence of the WRB (2007) soil classification. Soil research has found cases, where a relatively well developed Spodic horizon was established as the result of ground water table depth in areas of abrupt textural change. In this case the profile corresponds to the soil group of Podzols, however in some cases - Gleysols not Planosols due to a high ground water table. Therefore there is a need for discussion also about the location of Podzols and Planosols in the sequence of the WRB (2007) soil classification. The above mentioned questions raise problems related to unambiguous determination of soil groups. Soil classification must be very precise by reflecting relationships of soil forming processes. In the development of international soil classification it is advisable to pay more attention on ecological processes. This study was supported by the European Social Fund No. 2013/0020/1DP/1.1.1.2.0/13/APIA/VIAA/066. References: IUSS Working Group, 2007. World Reference Base for Soil Resources 2006, first update 2007. World Soil Resources Reports 103. FAO, Rome. 103-116. Kasparinskis R., Nikodemus O. 2012. Influence of environmental factors on the spatial distribution and diversity of forest soil in Latvia. Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences. 61(1): 48-64. Nikodemus O., Kasparinskis R., Kukuls I. 2013. Influence of Afforestation on Soil Genesis, Morphology and Properties in Glacial Till Deposits. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science. 59(3): 449-465.

Biobank classification in an Australian setting.

PubMed

Rush, Amanda; Christiansen, Jeffrey H; Farrell, Jake P; Goode, Susan M; Scott, Rodney J; Spring, Kevin J; Byrne, Jennifer A

2015-06-01

In 2011, Watson and Barnes proposed a schema for classifying biobanks into 3 groups (mono-, oligo-, and poly-user), primarily based upon biospecimen access policies. We used results from a recent comprehensive survey of cancer biobanks in New South Wales, Australia to assess the applicability of this biobank classification schema in an Australian setting. Cancer biobanks were identified using publically available data, and by consulting with research managers. A comprehensive survey was developed and administered through a face-to-face setting. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel™ 2010 and IBM SPSS Statistics™ version 21.0. The cancer biobank cohort (n=23) represented 5 mono-user biobanks, 7 oligo-user biobanks, and 11 poly-user biobanks, and was analyzed as two groups (mono-/oligo- versus poly-user biobanks). Poly-user biobanks employed significantly more full-time equivalent staff, and were significantly more likely to have a website, share staff between biobanks, access governance support, utilize quality control measures, be aware of biobanking best practice documents, and offer staff training. Mono-/oligo-user biobanks were significantly more likely to seek advice from other biobanks. Our results further delineate a biobank classification system that is primarily based on access policy, and demonstrate its relevance in an Australian setting.

Classification Based on Hierarchical Linear Models: The Need for Incorporation of Social Contexts in Classification Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughn, Brandon K.; Wang, Qui

2009-01-01

Many areas in educational and psychological research involve the use of classification statistical analysis. For example, school districts might be interested in attaining variables that provide optimal prediction of school dropouts. In psychology, a researcher might be interested in the classification of a subject into a particular psychological…

Inter-observer reliability of radiographic classifications and measurements in the assessment of Perthes' disease.

PubMed

Wiig, Ola; Terjesen, Terje; Svenningsen, Svein

2002-10-01

We evaluated the inter-observer agreement of radiographic methods when evaluating patients with Perthes' disease. The radiographs were assessed at the time of diagnosis and at the 1-year follow-up by local orthopaedic surgeons (O) and 2 experienced pediatric orthopedic surgeons (TT and SS). The Catterall, Salter-Thompson, and Herring lateral pillar classifications were compared, and the femoral head coverage (FHC), center-edge angle (CE-angle), and articulo-trochanteric distance (ATD) were measured in the affected and normal hips. On the primary evaluation, the lateral pillar and Salter-Thompson classifications had a higher level of agreement among the observers than the Catterall classification, but none of the classifications showed good agreement (weighted kappa values between O and SS 0.56, 0.54, 0.49, respectively). Combining Catterall groups 1 and 2 into one group, and groups 3 and 4 into another resulted in better agreement (kappa 0.55) than with the original 4-group system. The agreement was also better (kappa 0.62-0.70) between experienced than between less experienced examiners for all classifications. The femoral head coverage was a more reliable and accurate measure than the CE-angle for quantifying the acetabular covering of the femoral head, as indicated by higher intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and smaller inter-observer differences. The ATD showed good agreement in all comparisons and had low interobserver differences. We conclude that all classifications of femoral head involvement are adequate in clinical work if the radiographic assessment is done by experienced examiners. When they are less experienced examiners, a 2-group classification or the lateral pillar classification is more reliable. For evaluation of containment of the femoral head, FHC is more appropriate than the CE-angle.

A System to Automatically Classify and Name Any Individual Genome-Sequenced Organism Independently of Current Biological Classification and Nomenclature

PubMed Central

Song, Yuhyun; Leman, Scotland; Monteil, Caroline L.; Heath, Lenwood S.; Vinatzer, Boris A.

2014-01-01

A broadly accepted and stable biological classification system is a prerequisite for biological sciences. It provides the means to describe and communicate about life without ambiguity. Current biological classification and nomenclature use the species as the basic unit and require lengthy and laborious species descriptions before newly discovered organisms can be assigned to a species and be named. The current system is thus inadequate to classify and name the immense genetic diversity within species that is now being revealed by genome sequencing on a daily basis. To address this lack of a general intra-species classification and naming system adequate for today’s speed of discovery of new diversity, we propose a classification and naming system that is exclusively based on genome similarity and that is suitable for automatic assignment of codes to any genome-sequenced organism without requiring any phenotypic or phylogenetic analysis. We provide examples demonstrating that genome similarity-based codes largely align with current taxonomic groups at many different levels in bacteria, animals, humans, plants, and viruses. Importantly, the proposed approach is only slightly affected by the order of code assignment and can thus provide codes that reflect similarity between organisms and that do not need to be revised upon discovery of new diversity. We envision genome similarity-based codes to complement current biological nomenclature and to provide a universal means to communicate unambiguously about any genome-sequenced organism in fields as diverse as biodiversity research, infectious disease control, human and microbial forensics, animal breed and plant cultivar certification, and human ancestry research. PMID:24586551

Spontaneous Classification of Foods by Children at Varying Cognitive Developmental Levels.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Contento, Isobel R.; Michela, John L.

A study examined children's conceptions about nutrients and the dimensions underlying their classifications of foods into groups. Children (5 to 11 years old) classified 71 foods into groups by whatever criteria they wished. These classifications were recorded, as were the children's answers to questions about nutrients and their responses in…

5 CFR 9901.211 - Career groups.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Career groups. 9901.211 Section 9901.211... (NSPS) Classification Classification Structure § 9901.211 Career groups. For the purpose of classifying positions, the Secretary may establish career groups based on factors such as mission or function; nature of...

The history of female genital tract malformation classifications and proposal of an updated system.

PubMed

Acién, Pedro; Acién, Maribel I

2011-01-01

A correct classification of malformations of the female genital tract is essential to prevent unnecessary and inadequate surgical operations and to compare reproductive results. An ideal classification system should be based on aetiopathogenesis and should suggest the appropriate therapeutic strategy. We conducted a systematic review of relevant articles found in PubMed, Scopus, Scirus and ISI webknowledge, and analysis of historical collections of 'female genital malformations' and 'classifications'. Of 124 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, 64 were included because they contained original general, partial or modified classifications. All the existing classifications were analysed and grouped. The unification of terms and concepts was also analysed. Traditionally, malformations of the female genital tract have been catalogued and classified as Müllerian malformations due to agenesis, lack of fusion, the absence of resorption and lack of posterior development of the Müllerian ducts. The American Fertility Society classification of the late 1980s included seven basic groups of malformations also considering the Müllerian development and the relationship of the malformations to fertility. Other classifications are based on different aspects: functional, defects in vertical fusion, embryological or anatomical (Vagina, Cervix, Uterus, Adnex and Associated Malformation: VCUAM classification). However, an embryological-clinical classification system seems to be the most appropriate. Accepting the need for a new classification system of genitourinary malformations that considers the experience gained from the application of the current classification systems, the aetiopathogenesis and that also suggests the appropriate treatment, we proposed an update of our embryological-clinical classification as a new system with six groups of female genitourinary anomalies.

The order Zoantharia Rafinesque, 1815 (Cnidaria, Anthozoa: Hexacorallia): supraspecific classification and nomenclature

PubMed Central

Low, Martyn E. Y.; Sinniger, Frederic; Reimer, James Davis

2016-01-01

Abstract Many supraspecific zoantharian names have long and complicated histories. The present list is provided to advise researchers on the current state of supraspecific nomenclature of the zoantharians, particularly given the recent attention paid to the taxonomy, phylogeny, and biodiversity of this order. At the same time, several taxonomic issues brought to light by recent research are resolved. Details on the taxonomic and nomenclatural history of most groups are provided, along with appendices of invalid supraspecific names. PMID:28138291

The Molecular Classification of Medulloblastoma: Driving the next generation clinical trials

PubMed Central

Leary, Sarah E. S.; Olson, James M.

2012-01-01

Purpose of Review Most children diagnosed with cancer today are expected to be cured. Medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric malignant brain tumor, is an example of a disease that has benefitted from advances in diagnostic imaging, surgical techniques, radiation therapy and combination chemotherapy over the past decades. An incurable disease 50 years ago, approximately 70% of children with medulloblastoma are now cured of their disease. However, the pace of increasing the cure rate has slowed over the past two decades, and we have likely reached the maximal benefit that can be achieved with cytotoxic therapy and clinical risk stratification. Long-term toxicity of therapy also remains significant. To increase cure rates and decrease long-term toxicity, there is great interest in incorporating biologic “targeted” therapy into treatment of medulloblastoma, but this will require a paradigm shift in how we classify and study disease. Recent Findings Using genome-based high-throughput analytic techniques, several groups have independently reported methods of molecular classification of medulloblastoma within the past year. This has resulted in a working consensus to view medulloblastoma as four molecular subtypes including WNT pathway subtype, SHH pathway subtype, and two less well-defined subtypes, Group C and Group D. Summary Novel classification and risk stratification based on biologic subtypes of disease will form the basis of further study in medulloblastoma, and identify specific subtypes which warrant greater research focus. PMID:22189395

Research on Classification of Chinese Text Data Based on SVM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yuan; Yu, Hongzhi; Wan, Fucheng; Xu, Tao

2017-09-01

Data Mining has important application value in today’s industry and academia. Text classification is a very important technology in data mining. At present, there are many mature algorithms for text classification. KNN, NB, AB, SVM, decision tree and other classification methods all show good classification performance. Support Vector Machine’ (SVM) classification method is a good classifier in machine learning research. This paper will study the classification effect based on the SVM method in the Chinese text data, and use the support vector machine method in the chinese text to achieve the classify chinese text, and to able to combination of academia and practical application.

[New International Classification of Chronic Pancreatitis (M-ANNHEIM multifactor classification system, 2007): principles, merits, and demerits].

PubMed

Tsimmerman, Ia S

2008-01-01

The new International Classification of Chronic Pancreatitis (designated as M-ANNHEIM) proposed by a group of German specialists in late 2007 is reviewed. All its sections are subjected to analysis (risk group categories, clinical stages and phases, variants of clinical course, diagnostic criteria for "established" and "suspected" pancreatitis, instrumental methods and functional tests used in the diagnosis, evaluation of the severity of the disease using a scoring system, stages of elimination of pain syndrome). The new classification is compared with the earlier classification proposed by the author. Its merits and demerits are discussed.

Reframing Serial Murder Within Empirical Research.

PubMed

Gurian, Elizabeth A

2017-04-01

Empirical research on serial murder is limited due to the lack of consensus on a definition, the continued use of primarily descriptive statistics, and linkage to popular culture depictions. These limitations also inhibit our understanding of these offenders and affect credibility in the field of research. Therefore, this comprehensive overview of a sample of 508 cases (738 total offenders, including partnered groups of two or more offenders) provides analyses of solo male, solo female, and partnered serial killers to elucidate statistical differences and similarities in offending and adjudication patterns among the three groups. This analysis of serial homicide offenders not only supports previous research on offending patterns present in the serial homicide literature but also reveals that empirically based analyses can enhance our understanding beyond traditional case studies and descriptive statistics. Further research based on these empirical analyses can aid in the development of more accurate classifications and definitions of serial murderers.

Job titles classified into socioeconomic and occupational groups identify subjects with increased risk for respiratory symptoms independent of occupational exposure to vapour, gas, dust, or fumes.

PubMed

Schyllert, Christian; Andersson, Martin; Hedman, Linnea; Ekström, Magnus; Backman, Helena; Lindberg, Anne; Rönmark, Eva

2018-01-01

Objectives : To evaluate the ability of three different job title classification systems to identify subjects at risk for respiratory symptoms and asthma by also taking the effect of exposure to vapours, gas, dust, and fumes (VGDF) into account. Background : Respiratory symptoms and asthma may be caused by occupational factors. There are different ways to classify occupational exposure. In this study, self-reported occupational exposure to vapours, gas, dust and fumes was used as well as job titles classifed into occupational and socioeconomic Groups according to three different systems. Design: This was a large population-based study of adults aged 30-69 years in Northern Sweden ( n  = 9,992, 50% women). Information on job titles, VGDF-exposure, smoking habits, asthma and respiratory symptoms was collected by a postal survey. Job titles were used for classification into socioeconomic and occupational groups based on three classification systems; Socioeconomic classification (SEI), the Nordic Occupations Classification 1983 (NYK), and the Swedish Standard Classification of Occupations 2012 (SSYK). Associations were analysed by multivariable logistic regression. Results : Occupational exposure to VGDF was a risk factor for all respiratory symptoms and asthma (odds ratios (ORs) 1.3-2.4). Productive cough was associated with the socioeconomic groups of manual workers (ORs 1.5-2.1) and non-manual employees (ORs 1.6-1.9). These groups include occupations such as construction and transportation workers, service workers, nurses, teachers and administration clerks which by the SSYK classification were associated with productive cough (ORs 2.4-3.7). Recurrent wheeze was significantly associated with the SEI group manual workers (ORs 1.5-1.7). After adjustment for also VGDF, productive cough remained significantly associated with the SEI groups manual workers in service and non-manual employees, and the SSYK-occupational groups administration, service, and elementary occupations. Conclusions : In this cross-sectional study, two of the three different classification systems, SSYK and SEI gave similar results and identified groups with increased risk for respiratory symptoms while NYK did not give conclusive results. Furthermore, several associations were independent of exposure to VGDF indicating that also other job-related factors than VGDF are of importance.

Some new classification methods for hyperspectral remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Pei-jun; Chen, Yun-hao; Jones, Simon; Ferwerda, Jelle G.; Chen, Zhi-jun; Zhang, Hua-peng; Tan, Kun; Yin, Zuo-xia

2006-10-01

Hyperspectral Remote Sensing (HRS) is one of the most significant recent achievements of Earth Observation Technology. Classification is the most commonly employed processing methodology. In this paper three new hyperspectral RS image classification methods are analyzed. These methods are: Object-oriented FIRS image classification, HRS image classification based on information fusion and HSRS image classification by Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN). OMIS FIRS image is used as the example data. Object-oriented techniques have gained popularity for RS image classification in recent years. In such method, image segmentation is used to extract the regions from the pixel information based on homogeneity criteria at first, and spectral parameters like mean vector, texture, NDVI and spatial/shape parameters like aspect ratio, convexity, solidity, roundness and orientation for each region are calculated, finally classification of the image using the region feature vectors and also using suitable classifiers such as artificial neural network (ANN). It proves that object-oriented methods can improve classification accuracy since they utilize information and features both from the point and the neighborhood, and the processing unit is a polygon (in which all pixels are homogeneous and belong to the class). HRS image classification based on information fusion, divides all bands of the image into different groups initially, and extracts features from every group according to the properties of each group. Three levels of information fusion: data level fusion, feature level fusion and decision level fusion are used to HRS image classification. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) can perform well in RS image classification. In order to promote the advances of ANN used for HIRS image classification, Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN), the most commonly used neural network, is used to HRS image classification.

Image processing and applications based on visualizing navigation service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Chyi-Wen

2015-07-01

When facing the "overabundant" of semantic web information, in this paper, the researcher proposes the hierarchical classification and visualizing RIA (Rich Internet Application) navigation system: Concept Map (CM) + Semantic Structure (SS) + the Knowledge on Demand (KOD) service. The aim of the Multimedia processing and empirical applications testing, was to investigating the utility and usability of this visualizing navigation strategy in web communication design, into whether it enables the user to retrieve and construct their personal knowledge or not. Furthermore, based on the segment markets theory in the Marketing model, to propose a User Interface (UI) classification strategy and formulate a set of hypermedia design principles for further UI strategy and e-learning resources in semantic web communication. These research findings: (1) Irrespective of whether the simple declarative knowledge or the complex declarative knowledge model is used, the "CM + SS + KOD navigation system" has a better cognition effect than the "Non CM + SS + KOD navigation system". However, for the" No web design experience user", the navigation system does not have an obvious cognition effect. (2) The essential of classification in semantic web communication design: Different groups of user have a diversity of preference needs and different cognitive styles in the CM + SS + KOD navigation system.

Describing knowledge encounters in healthcare: a mixed studies systematic review and development of a classification.

PubMed

Hurst, Dominic; Mickan, Sharon

2017-03-14

Implementation science seeks to promote the uptake of research and other evidence-based findings into practice, but for healthcare professionals, this is complex as practice draws on, in addition to scientific principles, rules of thumb and a store of practical wisdom acquired from a range of informational and experiential sources. The aims of this review were to identify sources of information and professional experiences encountered by healthcare workers and from this to build a classification system, for use in future observational studies, that describes influences on how healthcare professionals acquire and use information in their clinical practice. This was a mixed studies systematic review of observational studies. OVID MEDLINE and Embase and Google Scholar were searched using terms around information, knowledge or evidence and sharing, searching and utilisation combined with terms relating to healthcare groups. Studies were eligible if one of the intentions was to identify information or experiential encounters by healthcare workers. Data was extracted by one author after piloting with another. Studies were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The primary outcome extracted was the information source or professional experience encounter. Similar encounters were grouped together as single constructs. Our synthesis involved a mixed approach using the top-down logic of the Bliss Bibliographic Classification System (BC2) to generate classification categories and a bottom-up approach to develop descriptive codes (or "facets") for each category, from the data. The generic terms of BC2 were customised by an iterative process of thematic content analysis. Facets were developed by using available theory and keeping in mind the pragmatic end use of the classification. Eighty studies were included from which 178 discreet knowledge encounters were extracted. Six classification categories were developed: what information or experience was encountered; how was the information or experience encountered; what was the mode of encounter; from whom did the information originate or with whom was the experience; how many participants were there; and where did the encounter take place. For each of these categories, relevant descriptive facets were identified. We have sought to identify and classify all knowledge encounters, and we have developed a faceted description of key categories which will support richer descriptions and interrogations of knowledge encounters in healthcare research.

A new classification of glaucomas

PubMed Central

Bordeianu, Constantin-Dan

2014-01-01

Purpose To suggest a new glaucoma classification that is pathogenic, etiologic, and clinical. Methods After discussing the logical pathway used in criteria selection, the paper presents the new classification and compares it with the classification currently in use, that is, the one issued by the European Glaucoma Society in 2008. Results The paper proves that the new classification is clear (being based on a coherent and consistently followed set of criteria), is comprehensive (framing all forms of glaucoma), and helps in understanding the sickness understanding (in that it uses a logical framing system). The great advantage is that it facilitates therapeutic decision making in that it offers direct therapeutic suggestions and avoids errors leading to disasters. Moreover, the scheme remains open to any new development. Conclusion The suggested classification is a pathogenic, etiologic, and clinical classification that fulfills the conditions of an ideal classification. The suggested classification is the first classification in which the main criterion is consistently used for the first 5 to 7 crossings until its differentiation capabilities are exhausted. Then, secondary criteria (etiologic and clinical) pick up the relay until each form finds its logical place in the scheme. In order to avoid unclear aspects, the genetic criterion is no longer used, being replaced by age, one of the clinical criteria. The suggested classification brings only benefits to all categories of ophthalmologists: the beginners will have a tool to better understand the sickness and to ease their decision making, whereas the experienced doctors will have their practice simplified. For all doctors, errors leading to therapeutic disasters will be less likely to happen. Finally, researchers will have the object of their work gathered in the group of glaucoma with unknown or uncertain pathogenesis, whereas the results of their work will easily find a logical place in the scheme, as the suggested classification remains open to any new development. PMID:25246759

An objective and parsimonious approach for classifying natural flow regimes at a continental scale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Archfield, Stacey A.; Kennen, Jonathan G.; Carlisle, Daren M.; Wolock, David M.

2014-01-01

Hydro-ecological stream classification-the process of grouping streams by similar hydrologic responses and, by extension, similar aquatic habitat-has been widely accepted and is considered by some to be one of the first steps towards developing ecological flow targets. A new classification of 1543 streamgauges in the contiguous USA is presented by use of a novel and parsimonious approach to understand similarity in ecological streamflow response. This novel classification approach uses seven fundamental daily streamflow statistics (FDSS) rather than winnowing down an uncorrelated subset from 200 or more ecologically relevant streamflow statistics (ERSS) commonly used in hydro-ecological classification studies. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the distributions of 33 tested ERSS are consistently different among the classification groups derived from the seven FDSS. It is further shown that classification based solely on the 33 ERSS generally does a poorer job in grouping similar streamgauges than the classification based on the seven FDSS. This new classification approach has the additional advantages of overcoming some of the subjectivity associated with the selection of the classification variables and provides a set of robust continental-scale classes of US streamgauges. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Spinal Cord Injury Impairs Cardiovascular Capacity in Elite Wheelchair Rugby Athletes.

PubMed

Gee, Cameron M; Currie, Katharine D; Phillips, Aaron A; Squair, Jordan W; Krassioukov, Andrei V

2017-12-19

To examine differences in heart rate (HR) responses during international wheelchair rugby competition between athletes with and without a cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and across standardized sport classifications. Observational study. The 2015 Parapan American Games wheelchair rugby competition. Forty-three male athletes (31 ± 8 years) with a cervical SCI (n = 32) or tetraequivalent impairment (non-SCI, n = 11). Average and peak HR (HRavg and HRpeak, respectively). To characterize HR responses in accordance with an athletes' International Wheelchair Rugby Federation (IWRF) classification, we separated athletes into 3 groups: group I (IWRF classification 0.5-1.5, n = 15); group II (IWRF classification 2.0, n = 15); and group III (IWRF classification 2.5-3.5, n = 13). Athletes with SCI had lower HRavg (111 ± 14 bpm vs 155 ± 13 bpm) and HRpeak (133 ± 12 bpm vs 178 ± 13 bpm) compared with non-SCI (both P < 0.001). Average HR was higher in group III than in I (136 ± 25 bpm vs 115 ± 20 bpm, P = 0.045); however, SCI athletes showed no difference in HRavg or HRpeak between groups. Within group III, SCI athletes had lower HRavg (115 ± 6 bpm vs 160 ± 8 bpm) and HRpeak (135 ± 11 bpm vs 183 ± 11 bpm) than non-SCI athletes (both P < 0.001). This study is the first to demonstrate attenuated HR responses during competition in SCI compared with non-SCI athletes, likely due to injury to spinal autonomic pathways. Among athletes with SCI, IWRF classification was not related to differences in HR. Specific assessment of autonomic function after SCI may be able to predict HR during competition and consideration of autonomic impairments may improve the classification process.

Impact of the revised International Prognostic Scoring System, cytogenetics and monosomal karyotype on outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation for myelodysplastic syndromes and secondary acute myeloid leukemia evolving from myelodysplastic syndromes: a retrospective multicenter study of the European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

PubMed Central

Koenecke, Christian; Göhring, Gudrun; de Wreede, Liesbeth C.; van Biezen, Anja; Scheid, Christof; Volin, Liisa; Maertens, Johan; Finke, Jürgen; Schaap, Nicolaas; Robin, Marie; Passweg, Jakob; Cornelissen, Jan; Beelen, Dietrich; Heuser, Michael; de Witte, Theo; Kröger, Nicolaus

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the revised 5-group International Prognostic Scoring System cytogenetic classification on outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or secondary acute myeloid leukemia who were reported to the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation database. A total of 903 patients had sufficient cytogenetic information available at stem cell transplantation to be classified according to the 5-group classification. Poor and very poor risk according to this classification was an independent predictor of shorter relapse-free survival (hazard ratio 1.40 and 2.14), overall survival (hazard ratio 1.38 and 2.14), and significantly higher cumulative incidence of relapse (hazard ratio 1.64 and 2.76), compared to patients with very good, good or intermediate risk. When comparing the predictive performance of a series of Cox models both for relapse-free survival and for overall survival, a model with simplified 5-group cytogenetics (merging very good, good and intermediate cytogenetics) performed best. Furthermore, monosomal karyotype is an additional negative predictor for outcome within patients of the poor, but not the very poor risk group of the 5-group classification. The revised International Prognostic Scoring System cytogenetic classification allows patients with myelodysplastic syndromes to be separated into three groups with clearly different outcomes after stem cell transplantation. Poor and very poor risk cytogenetics were strong predictors of poor patient outcome. The new cytogenetic classification added value to prediction of patient outcome compared to prediction models using only traditional risk factors or the 3-group International Prognostic Scoring System cytogenetic classification. PMID:25552702

[Evaluation of traditional pathological classification at molecular classification era for gastric cancer].

PubMed

Yu, Yingyan

2014-01-01

Histopathological classification is in a pivotal position in both basic research and clinical diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer. Currently, there are different classification systems in basic science and clinical application. In medical literatures, different classifications are used including Lauren and WHO systems, which have confused many researchers. Lauren classification has been proposed for half a century, but is still used worldwide. It shows many advantages of simple, easy handling with prognostic significance. The WHO classification scheme is better than Lauren classification in that it is continuously being revised according to the progress of gastric cancer, and is always used in the clinical and pathological diagnosis of common scenarios. Along with the progression of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics researches, molecular classification of gastric cancer becomes the current hot topics. The traditional therapeutic approach based on phenotypic characteristics of gastric cancer will most likely be replaced with a gene variation mode. The gene-targeted therapy against the same molecular variation seems more reasonable than traditional chemical treatment based on the same morphological change.

The Effects of Evaluation and Production Blocking on the Performance of Brainstorming Groups

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

NUMBER OF PAGES 701 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 20. LMIITATION OF ABSTRACT OF...special interest group. Once again, the people in the above examples share many things in common such as a sense of civil duty, an employer, a love for a...people respond differently in the presence of others, a phenomenon Zajonc refers to as compresence . In group settings, social facilitation can be

Towards an International Classification for Patient Safety: the conceptual framework.

PubMed

Sherman, Heather; Castro, Gerard; Fletcher, Martin; Hatlie, Martin; Hibbert, Peter; Jakob, Robert; Koss, Richard; Lewalle, Pierre; Loeb, Jerod; Perneger, Thomas; Runciman, William; Thomson, Richard; Van Der Schaaf, Tjerk; Virtanen, Martti

2009-02-01

Global advances in patient safety have been hampered by the lack of a uniform classification of patient safety concepts. This is a significant barrier to developing strategies to reduce risk, performing evidence-based research and evaluating existing healthcare policies relevant to patient safety. Since 2005, the World Health Organization's World Alliance for Patient Safety has undertaken the Project to Develop an International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS) to devise a classification which transforms patient safety information collected from disparate systems into a common format to facilitate aggregation, analysis and learning across disciplines, borders and time. A drafting group, comprised of experts from the fields of patient safety, classification theory, health informatics, consumer/patient advocacy, law and medicine, identified and defined key patient safety concepts and developed an internationally agreed conceptual framework for the ICPS based upon existing patient safety classifications. The conceptual framework was iteratively improved through technical expert meetings and a two-stage web-based modified Delphi survey of over 250 international experts. This work culminated in a conceptual framework consisting of ten high level classes: incident type, patient outcomes, patient characteristics, incident characteristics, contributing factors/hazards, organizational outcomes, detection, mitigating factors, ameliorating actions and actions taken to reduce risk. While the framework for the ICPS is in place, several challenges remain. Concepts need to be defined, guidance for using the classification needs to be provided, and further real-world testing needs to occur to progressively refine the ICPS to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Towards an International Classification for Patient Safety: the conceptual framework

PubMed Central

Sherman, Heather; Castro, Gerard; Fletcher, Martin; Hatlie, Martin; Hibbert, Peter; Jakob, Robert; Koss, Richard; Lewalle, Pierre; Loeb, Jerod; Perneger, Thomas; Runciman, William; Thomson, Richard; Van Der Schaaf, Tjerk; Virtanen, Martti

2009-01-01

Global advances in patient safety have been hampered by the lack of a uniform classification of patient safety concepts. This is a significant barrier to developing strategies to reduce risk, performing evidence-based research and evaluating existing healthcare policies relevant to patient safety. Since 2005, the World Health Organization's World Alliance for Patient Safety has undertaken the Project to Develop an International Classification for Patient Safety (ICPS) to devise a classification which transforms patient safety information collected from disparate systems into a common format to facilitate aggregation, analysis and learning across disciplines, borders and time. A drafting group, comprised of experts from the fields of patient safety, classification theory, health informatics, consumer/patient advocacy, law and medicine, identified and defined key patient safety concepts and developed an internationally agreed conceptual framework for the ICPS based upon existing patient safety classifications. The conceptual framework was iteratively improved through technical expert meetings and a two-stage web-based modified Delphi survey of over 250 international experts. This work culminated in a conceptual framework consisting of ten high level classes: incident type, patient outcomes, patient characteristics, incident characteristics, contributing factors/hazards, organizational outcomes, detection, mitigating factors, ameliorating actions and actions taken to reduce risk. While the framework for the ICPS is in place, several challenges remain. Concepts need to be defined, guidance for using the classification needs to be provided, and further real-world testing needs to occur to progressively refine the ICPS to ensure it is fit for purpose. PMID:19147595

Hydrological Climate Classification: Can We Improve on Köppen-Geiger?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knoben, W.; Woods, R. A.; Freer, J. E.

2017-12-01

Classification is essential in the study of complex natural systems, yet hydrology so far has no formal way to structure the climate forcing which underlies hydrologic response. Various climate classification systems can be borrowed from other disciplines but these are based on different organizing principles than a hydrological classification might use. From gridded global data we calculate a gridded aridity index, an aridity seasonality index and a rain-vs-snow index, which we use to cluster global locations into climate groups. We then define the membership degree of nearly 1100 catchments to each of our climate groups based on each catchment's climate and investigate the extent to which streamflow responses within each climate group are similar. We compare this climate classification approach with the often-used Köppen-Geiger classification, using statistical tests based on streamflow signature values. We find that three climate indices are sufficient to distinguish 18 different climate types world-wide. Climates tend to change gradually in space and catchments can thus belong to multiple climate groups, albeit with different degrees of membership. Streamflow responses within a climate group tend to be similar, regardless of the catchments' geographical proximity. A Wilcoxon two-sample test based on streamflow signature values for each climate group shows that the new classification can distinguish different flow regimes using this classification scheme. The Köppen-Geiger approach uses 29 climate classes but is less able to differentiate streamflow regimes. Climate forcing exerts a strong control on typical hydrologic response and both change gradually in space. This makes arbitrary hard boundaries in any classification scheme difficult to defend. Any hydrological classification should thus acknowledge these gradual changes in forcing. Catchment characteristics (soil or vegetation type, land use, etc) can vary more quickly in space than climate does, which can explain streamflow differences between geographically close locations. Summarizing, this work shows that hydrology needs its own way to structure climate forcing, acknowledging that climates vary gradually on a global scale and explicitly including those climate aspects that drive seasonal changes in hydrologic regimes.

Comparing Linear Discriminant Function with Logistic Regression for the Two-Group Classification Problem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fan, Xitao; Wang, Lin

The Monte Carlo study compared the performance of predictive discriminant analysis (PDA) and that of logistic regression (LR) for the two-group classification problem. Prior probabilities were used for classification, but the cost of misclassification was assumed to be equal. The study used a fully crossed three-factor experimental design (with…

The Classification, Detection and Handling of Imperfect Theory Problems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-20

Explanation-Based Learning: Failure-Driven Schema Refinement." Proceedings of the Third IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence Applications . Orlando...A. Rajamoney. Gerald F. DeJong Artificial Intelligence Research Group " . Coordinated Science Laboratory " University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign...Urbana. IL 61801 . April 1987 ABSTRACT This paper also appears in the Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Artificial Intelligence

Defining Group Membership: The Impact of Multiple versus Single Ethnic/Racial Categories on Testing Practices. Research Notes. RN-13

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wendler, Cathy; Feigenbaum, Miriam; Escandón, Mérida

2001-01-01

The SAT Program undertook two studies aimed at evaluating the impact of allowing students to indicate more than one ethnic/racial category. Results of this study indicated that there is little impact on DIF [differential item functioning] analyses when different definitions of ethnic/racial classifications are used compared to traditionally…

7 CFR 30.31 - Classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Classification of leaf tobacco. 30.31 Section 30.31... REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.31 Classification of leaf tobacco. For the purpose of this classification leaf tobacco shall...

7 CFR 30.31 - Classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Classification of leaf tobacco. 30.31 Section 30.31... REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.31 Classification of leaf tobacco. For the purpose of this classification leaf tobacco shall...

7 CFR 30.31 - Classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Classification of leaf tobacco. 30.31 Section 30.31... REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.31 Classification of leaf tobacco. For the purpose of this classification leaf tobacco shall...

7 CFR 30.31 - Classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Classification of leaf tobacco. 30.31 Section 30.31... REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.31 Classification of leaf tobacco. For the purpose of this classification leaf tobacco shall...

7 CFR 30.31 - Classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Classification of leaf tobacco. 30.31 Section 30.31... REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.31 Classification of leaf tobacco. For the purpose of this classification leaf tobacco shall...

Geometric classification of scalp hair for valid drug testing, 6 more reliable than 8 hair curl groups

PubMed Central

Mkentane, K.; Gumedze, F.; Ngoepe, M.; Davids, L. M.; Khumalo, N. P.

2017-01-01

Introduction Curly hair is reported to contain higher lipid content than straight hair, which may influence incorporation of lipid soluble drugs. The use of race to describe hair curl variation (Asian, Caucasian and African) is unscientific yet common in medical literature (including reports of drug levels in hair). This study investigated the reliability of a geometric classification of hair (based on 3 measurements: the curve diameter, curl index and number of waves). Materials and methods After ethical approval and informed consent, proximal virgin (6cm) hair sampled from the vertex of scalp in 48 healthy volunteers were evaluated. Three raters each scored hairs from 48 volunteers at two occasions each for the 8 and 6-group classifications. One rater applied the 6-group classification to 80 additional volunteers in order to further confirm the reliability of this system. The Kappa statistic was used to assess intra and inter rater agreement. Results Each rater classified 480 hairs on each occasion. No rater classified any volunteer’s 10 hairs into the same group; the most frequently occurring group was used for analysis. The inter-rater agreement was poor for the 8-groups (k = 0.418) but improved for the 6-groups (k = 0.671). The intra-rater agreement also improved (k = 0.444 to 0.648 versus 0.599 to 0.836) for 6-groups; that for the one evaluator for all volunteers was good (k = 0.754). Conclusions Although small, this is the first study to test the reliability of a geometric classification. The 6-group method is more reliable. However, a digital classification system is likely to reduce operator error. A reliable objective classification of human hair curl is long overdue, particularly with the increasing use of hair as a testing substrate for treatment compliance in Medicine. PMID:28570555

Analysis and Recognition of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pulse Based on the Hilbert-Huang Transform and Random Forest in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

PubMed Central

Wang, Yiqin; Yan, Hanxia; Yan, Jianjun; Yuan, Fengyin; Xu, Zhaoxia; Liu, Guoping; Xu, Wenjie

2015-01-01

Objective. This research provides objective and quantitative parameters of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pulse conditions for distinguishing between patients with the coronary heart disease (CHD) and normal people by using the proposed classification approach based on Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) and random forest. Methods. The energy and the sample entropy features were extracted by applying the HHT to TCM pulse by treating these pulse signals as time series. By using the random forest classifier, the extracted two types of features and their combination were, respectively, used as input data to establish classification model. Results. Statistical results showed that there were significant differences in the pulse energy and sample entropy between the CHD group and the normal group. Moreover, the energy features, sample entropy features, and their combination were inputted as pulse feature vectors; the corresponding average recognition rates were 84%, 76.35%, and 90.21%, respectively. Conclusion. The proposed approach could be appropriately used to analyze pulses of patients with CHD, which can lay a foundation for research on objective and quantitative criteria on disease diagnosis or Zheng differentiation. PMID:26180536

Analysis and Recognition of Traditional Chinese Medicine Pulse Based on the Hilbert-Huang Transform and Random Forest in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease.

PubMed

Guo, Rui; Wang, Yiqin; Yan, Hanxia; Yan, Jianjun; Yuan, Fengyin; Xu, Zhaoxia; Liu, Guoping; Xu, Wenjie

2015-01-01

Objective. This research provides objective and quantitative parameters of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pulse conditions for distinguishing between patients with the coronary heart disease (CHD) and normal people by using the proposed classification approach based on Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) and random forest. Methods. The energy and the sample entropy features were extracted by applying the HHT to TCM pulse by treating these pulse signals as time series. By using the random forest classifier, the extracted two types of features and their combination were, respectively, used as input data to establish classification model. Results. Statistical results showed that there were significant differences in the pulse energy and sample entropy between the CHD group and the normal group. Moreover, the energy features, sample entropy features, and their combination were inputted as pulse feature vectors; the corresponding average recognition rates were 84%, 76.35%, and 90.21%, respectively. Conclusion. The proposed approach could be appropriately used to analyze pulses of patients with CHD, which can lay a foundation for research on objective and quantitative criteria on disease diagnosis or Zheng differentiation.

Validity and reliability of the Paprosky acetabular defect classification.

PubMed

Yu, Raymond; Hofstaetter, Jochen G; Sullivan, Thomas; Costi, Kerry; Howie, Donald W; Solomon, Lucian B

2013-07-01

The Paprosky acetabular defect classification is widely used but has not been appropriately validated. Reliability of the Paprosky system has not been evaluated in combination with standardized techniques of measurement and scoring. This study evaluated the reliability, teachability, and validity of the Paprosky acetabular defect classification. Preoperative radiographs from a random sample of 83 patients undergoing 85 acetabular revisions were classified by four observers, and their classifications were compared with quantitative intraoperative measurements. Teachability of the classification scheme was tested by dividing the four observers into two groups. The observers in Group 1 underwent three teaching sessions; those in Group 2 underwent one session and the influence of teaching on the accuracy of their classifications was ascertained. Radiographic evaluation showed statistically significant relationships with intraoperative measurements of anterior, medial, and superior acetabular defect sizes. Interobserver reliability improved substantially after teaching and did not improve without it. The weighted kappa coefficient went from 0.56 at Occasion 1 to 0.79 after three teaching sessions in Group 1 observers, and from 0.49 to 0.65 after one teaching session in Group 2 observers. The Paprosky system is valid and shows good reliability when combined with standardized definitions of radiographic landmarks and a structured analysis. Level II, diagnostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Development of municipal solid waste classification in Korea based on fossil carbon fraction.

PubMed

Lee, Jeongwoo; Kang, Seongmin; Kim, Seungjin; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Jeon, Eui-Chan

2015-10-01

Environmental problems and climate change arising from waste incineration are taken quite seriously in the world. In Korea, the waste disposal methods are largely classified into landfill, incineration, recycling, etc. and the amount of incinerated waste has risen by 24.5% from 2002. In the analysis of CO₂emissions estimations of waste incinerators fossil carbon content are main factor by the IPCC. FCF differs depending on the characteristics of waste in each country, and a wide range of default values are proposed by the IPCC. This study conducted research on the existing classifications of the IPCC and Korean waste classification systems based on FCF for accurate greenhouse gas emissions estimation of waste incineration. The characteristics possible for sorting were classified according to FCF and form. The characteristics sorted according to fossil carbon fraction were paper, textiles, rubber, and leather. Paper was classified into pure paper and processed paper; textiles were classified into cotton and synthetic fibers; and rubber and leather were classified into artificial and natural. The analysis of FCF was implemented by collecting representative samples from each classification group, by applying the 14C method, and using AMS equipment. And the analysis values were compared with the default values proposed by the IPCC. In this study of garden and park waste and plastics, the differences were within the range of the IPCC default values or the differences were negligible. However, coated paper, synthetic textiles, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, artificial leather, and other wastes showed differences of over 10% in FCF content. IPCC is comprised of largely 9 types of qualitative classifications, in emissions estimation a great difference can occur from the combined characteristics according with the existing IPCC classification system by using the minutely classified waste characteristics as in this study. Fossil carbon fraction (FCF) differs depending on the characteristics of waste in each country; and a wide range of default values are proposed by the IPCC. This study conducted research on the existing classifications of the IPCC and Korean waste classification systems based on FCF for accurate greenhouse gas emissions estimation of waste incineration.

Text Classification for Organizational Researchers

PubMed Central

Kobayashi, Vladimer B.; Mol, Stefan T.; Berkers, Hannah A.; Kismihók, Gábor; Den Hartog, Deanne N.

2017-01-01

Organizations are increasingly interested in classifying texts or parts thereof into categories, as this enables more effective use of their information. Manual procedures for text classification work well for up to a few hundred documents. However, when the number of documents is larger, manual procedures become laborious, time-consuming, and potentially unreliable. Techniques from text mining facilitate the automatic assignment of text strings to categories, making classification expedient, fast, and reliable, which creates potential for its application in organizational research. The purpose of this article is to familiarize organizational researchers with text mining techniques from machine learning and statistics. We describe the text classification process in several roughly sequential steps, namely training data preparation, preprocessing, transformation, application of classification techniques, and validation, and provide concrete recommendations at each step. To help researchers develop their own text classifiers, the R code associated with each step is presented in a tutorial. The tutorial draws from our own work on job vacancy mining. We end the article by discussing how researchers can validate a text classification model and the associated output. PMID:29881249

A graduated food addiction classification approach significantly differentiates obesity among people with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Raymond, Karren-Lee; Kannis-Dymand, Lee; Lovell, Geoff P

2016-10-01

This study examined a graduated severity level approach to food addiction classification against associations with World Health Organization obesity classifications (body mass index, kg/m 2 ) among 408 people with type 2 diabetes. A survey including the Yale Food Addiction Scale and several demographic questions demonstrated four distinct Yale Food Addiction Scale symptom severity groups (in line with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) severity indicators): non-food addiction, mild food addiction, moderate food addiction and severe food addiction. Analysis of variance with post hoc tests demonstrated each severity classification group was significantly different in body mass index, with each grouping being associated with increased World Health Organization obesity classifications. These findings have implications for diagnosing food addiction and implementing treatment and prevention methodologies of obesity among people with type 2 diabetes.

Evaluation of results of US corn and soybeans exploratory experiment: Classification procedures verification test. [Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carnes, J. G.; Baird, J. E. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The classification procedure utilized in making crop proportion estimates for corn and soybeans using remotely sensed data was evaluated. The procedure was derived during the transition year of the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment. Analysis of variance techniques were applied to classifications performed by 3 groups of analysts who processed 25 segments selected from 4 agrophysical units (APU's). Group and APU effects were assessed to determine factors which affected the quality of the classifications. The classification results were studied to determine the effectiveness of the procedure in producing corn and soybeans proportion estimates.

A Philosophical Approach to Describing Science Content: An Example From Geologic Classification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finley, Fred N.

1981-01-01

Examines how research of philosophers of science may be useful to science education researchers and curriculum developers in the development of descriptions of science content related to classification schemes. Provides examples of concept analysis of two igneous rock classification schemes. (DS)

The process and utility of classification and regression tree methodology in nursing research

PubMed Central

Kuhn, Lisa; Page, Karen; Ward, John; Worrall-Carter, Linda

2014-01-01

Aim This paper presents a discussion of classification and regression tree analysis and its utility in nursing research. Background Classification and regression tree analysis is an exploratory research method used to illustrate associations between variables not suited to traditional regression analysis. Complex interactions are demonstrated between covariates and variables of interest in inverted tree diagrams. Design Discussion paper. Data sources English language literature was sourced from eBooks, Medline Complete and CINAHL Plus databases, Google and Google Scholar, hard copy research texts and retrieved reference lists for terms including classification and regression tree* and derivatives and recursive partitioning from 1984–2013. Discussion Classification and regression tree analysis is an important method used to identify previously unknown patterns amongst data. Whilst there are several reasons to embrace this method as a means of exploratory quantitative research, issues regarding quality of data as well as the usefulness and validity of the findings should be considered. Implications for Nursing Research Classification and regression tree analysis is a valuable tool to guide nurses to reduce gaps in the application of evidence to practice. With the ever-expanding availability of data, it is important that nurses understand the utility and limitations of the research method. Conclusion Classification and regression tree analysis is an easily interpreted method for modelling interactions between health-related variables that would otherwise remain obscured. Knowledge is presented graphically, providing insightful understanding of complex and hierarchical relationships in an accessible and useful way to nursing and other health professions. PMID:24237048

Cholecystectomy and Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs): patient classification and hospital reimbursement in 11 European countries

PubMed Central

Paat-Ahi, Gerli; Aaviksoo, Ain; Świderek, Maria

2014-01-01

Background: As part of the EuroDRG project, researchers from eleven countries (i.e. Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Spain) compared how their Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG) systems deal with cholecystectomy patients. The study aims to assist surgeons and national authorities to optimize their DRG systems. Methods: National or regional databases were used to identify hospital cases with a procedure of cholecystectomy. DRG classification algorithms and indicators of resource consumption were compared for those DRGs that individually contained at least 1% of cases. Six standardised case vignettes were defined, and quasi prices according to national DRG-based hospital payment systems were ascertained and compared to an index case. Results: European DRG systems vary widely: they classify cholecystectomy patients according to different sets of variables into diverging numbers of DRGs (between two DRGs in Austria and Poland to nine DRGs in England). The most complex DRG is valued at four times more resource intensive than the index case in Ireland but only 1.3 times more resource intensive than the index case in Austria. Conclusion: Large variations in the classification of cholecystectomy patients raise concerns whether all systems rely on the most appropriate classification variables. Surgeons, hospital managers and national DRG authorities should consider how other countries’ DRG systems classify cholecystectomy patients in order to optimize their DRG systems and to ensure fair and appropriate reimbursement. PMID:25489596

TAXONOMY OF MEDICAL DEVICES IN THE LOGIC OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT.

PubMed

Henschke, Cornelia; Panteli, Dimitra; Perleth, Matthias; Busse, Reinhard

2015-01-01

The suitability of general HTA methodology for medical devices is gaining interest as a topic of scientific discourse. Given the broad range of medical devices, there might be differences between groups of devices that impact both the necessity and the methods of their assessment. Our aim is to develop a taxonomy that provides researchers and policy makers with an orientation tool on how to approach the assessment of different types of medical devices. Several classifications for medical devices based on varying rationales for different regulatory and reporting purposes were analyzed in detail to develop a comprehensive taxonomic model. The taxonomy is based on relevant aspects of existing classification schemes incorporating elements of risk and functionality. Its 9 × 6 matrix distinguishes between the diagnostic or therapeutic nature of devices and considers whether the medical device is directly used by patients, constitutes part of a specific procedure, or can be used for a variety of procedures. We considered the relevance of different device categories in regard to HTA to be considerably variable, ranging from high to low. Existing medical device classifications cannot be used for HTA as they are based on different underlying logics. The developed taxonomy combines different device classification schemes used for different purposes. It aims at providing decision makers with a tool enabling them to consider device characteristics in detail across more than one dimension. The placement of device groups in the matrix can provide decision support on the necessity of conducting a full HTA.

SYMPLECTIC INVARIANTS AND FLOWERS' CLASSIFICATION OF SHELL MODEL STATES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmers, K.

1961-01-01

Flowers has given a classification of shell model states in j-j coupling for a fixed number of nucleons in a shell with respect to a symplectic group. The relation between these classifications for the various nucleon numbers is studied and is found to be governed by another symplectic group, the transformations of which in general change the nucleon number. (auth)

Moving research tools into practice: the successes and challenges in promoting uptake of classification tools.

PubMed

Cunningham, Barbara Jane; Hidecker, Mary Jo Cooley; Thomas-Stonell, Nancy; Rosenbaum, Peter

2018-05-01

In this paper, we present our experiences - both successes and challenges - in implementing evidence-based classification tools into clinical practice. We also make recommendations for others wanting to promote the uptake and application of new research-based assessment tools. We first describe classification systems and the benefits of using them in both research and practice. We then present a theoretical framework from Implementation Science to report strategies we have used to implement two research-based classification tools into practice. We also illustrate some of the challenges we have encountered by reporting results from an online survey investigating 58 Speech-language Pathologists' knowledge and use of the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS), a new tool to classify children's functional communication skills. We offer recommendations for researchers wanting to promote the uptake of new tools in clinical practice. Specifically, we identify structural, organizational, innovation, practitioner, and patient-related factors that we recommend researchers address in the design of implementation interventions. Roles and responsibilities of both researchers and clinicians in making implementations science a success are presented. Implications for rehabilitation Promoting uptake of new and evidence-based tools into clinical practice is challenging. Implementation science can help researchers to close the knowledge-to-practice gap. Using concrete examples, we discuss our experiences in implementing evidence-based classification tools into practice within a theoretical framework. Recommendations are provided for researchers wanting to implement new tools in clinical practice. Implications for researchers and clinicians are presented.

SWOT analysis of Banff: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the international Banff consensus process and classification system for renal allograft pathology.

PubMed

Mengel, M; Sis, B; Halloran, P F

2007-10-01

The Banff process defined the diagnostic histologic lesions for renal allograft rejection and created a standardized classification system where none had existed. By correcting this deficit the process had universal impact on clinical practice and clinical and basic research. All trials of new drugs since the early 1990s benefited, because the Banff classification of lesions permitted the end point of biopsy-proven rejection. The Banff process has strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). The strength is its self-organizing group structure to create consensus. Consensus does not mean correctness: defining consensus is essential if a widely held view is to be proved wrong. The weaknesses of the Banff process are the absence of an independent external standard to test the classification; and its almost exclusive reliance on histopathology, which has inherent limitations in intra- and interobserver reproducibility, particularly at the interface between borderline and rejection, is exactly where clinicians demand precision. The opportunity lies in the new technology such as transcriptomics, which can form an external standard and can be incorporated into a new classification combining the elegance of histopathology and the objectivity of transcriptomics. The threat is the degree to which the renal transplant community will participate in and support this process.

ESPEN endorsed recommendations. Definition and classification of intestinal failure in adults.

PubMed

Pironi, Loris; Arends, Jann; Baxter, Janet; Bozzetti, Federico; Peláez, Rosa Burgos; Cuerda, Cristina; Forbes, Alastair; Gabe, Simon; Gillanders, Lyn; Holst, Mette; Jeppesen, Palle Bekker; Joly, Francisca; Kelly, Darlene; Klek, Stanislaw; Irtun, Øivind; Olde Damink, S W; Panisic, Marina; Rasmussen, Henrik Højgaard; Staun, Michael; Szczepanek, Kinga; Van Gossum, André; Wanten, Geert; Schneider, Stéphane Michel; Shaffer, Jon

2015-04-01

Intestinal failure (IF) is not included in the list of PubMed Mesh terms, as failure is the term describing a state of non functioning of other organs, and as such is not well recognized. No scientific society has yet devised a formal definition and classification of IF. The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism guideline committee endorsed its "home artificial nutrition and chronic IF" and "acute IF" special interest groups to write recommendations on these issues. After a Medline Search, in December 2013, for "intestinal failure" and "review"[Publication Type], the project was developed using the Delphi round methodology. The final consensus was reached on March 2014, after 5 Delphi rounds and two live meetings. The recommendations comprise the definition of IF, a functional and a pathophysiological classification for both acute and chronic IF and a clinical classification of chronic IF. IF was defined as "the reduction of gut function below the minimum necessary for the absorption of macronutrients and/or water and electrolytes, such that intravenous supplementation is required to maintain health and/or growth". This formal definition and classification of IF, will facilitate communication and cooperation among professionals in clinical practice, organization and management, and research. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Higher Improvement in Patient-Reported Outcomes Can Be Achieved After Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion for Clinical and Radiographic Degenerative Spondylolisthesis Classification Type D Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis.

PubMed

Chen, Xi; Xu, Liang; Qiu, Yong; Chen, Zhong-Hui; Zhou, Qing-Shuang; Li, Song; Sun, Xu

2018-06-01

Clinical and radiographic degenerative spondylolisthesis (CARDS) classification defines a distinct subset of patients with kyphotic angulation at the involved segment (type D). Research using CARDS classification to investigate motion characteristics at involved segments or patient-related outcomes (PROs) following surgical intervention is sparse. We investigated the relationship between CARDS type D spondylolisthesis and dynamic instability and PROs in type D versus non-type D spondylolisthesis. We reviewed consecutive patients who received transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for L4-5 spondylolisthesis between 2009 and 2015. Patients were assigned into type D and non-type D groups. Translational motion was determined by upright lumbar lateral radiography with supine sagittal magnetic resonance imaging or flexion and extension radiography. Demographics, radiographic parameters, and PROs were evaluated. Type D and non-type D groups comprised 34 and 163 patients, respectively. Compared with non-type D, type D group was characterized by lordotic angulation loss and higher degree of olisthesis on upright radiographs and demonstrated higher translational motion on upright lumbar lateral radiography with supine sagittal magnetic resonance imaging analysis. After surgery, mean reduction rate was significantly higher in type D group; type D had less slippage, but differences in slip angle and disc height were not significant. Preoperative Oswestry Disability Index and visual analog scale for back pain scores were higher in type D group. Type D spondylolisthesis and dynamic instability were associated with achieving minimal clinically important differences in PROs. CARDS type D spondylolisthesis is a distinct subset associated with dynamic instability and worse PROs. Higher improvement in PROs can be achieved in CARDS type D spondylolisthesis after surgery. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health Outcomes in Relation to Physical Activity Status, Overweight/Obesity, and History of Overweight/Obesity: A Review of the WATCH Paradigm.

PubMed

Dankel, Scott J; Loenneke, Jeremy P; Loprinzi, Paul D

2017-06-01

Previous research has shown that physical activity may mitigate the association between overweight/obesity and a number of negative health outcomes; however, less is known on how the duration of overweight/obesity alters this association. Therefore, the purpose of this leading article was to synthesize recent studies from our research group examining how physical activity, overweight/obesity classification, and importantly, overweight/obesity duration impact the association with a variety of different health outcomes. Five studies were analyzed, each of which used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to analyze six mutually exclusive groups and their respective association with cardiovascular disease risk, all-cause mortality, multi-morbidity, health-related quality of life, and mild depressive symptoms. These studies detailed that physical inactivity, overweight/obesity classification, and overweight/obesity duration were each independently associated with cardiovascular disease risk and multi-morbidity. Additionally, physical activity reduced the risk of all-cause mortality across all weight classifications/durations, and also reduced the association with depressive symptoms and poor health-related quality of life among those overweight/obese for longer durations. These results illustrate that, while physical activity may reduce the association with negative health outcomes, overweight/obesity appears to increase this association independent of physical activity level, with this further exacerbated by the duration of overweight/obesity. Therefore, the emerging studies examining the importance of physical activity among overweight/obese individuals should also consider the duration of overweight/obesity as this will likely alter the associations present.

Meeting the criteria of a nursing diagnosis classification: Evaluation of ICNP, ICF, NANDA and ZEFP.

PubMed

Müller-Staub, Maria; Lavin, Mary Ann; Needham, Ian; van Achterberg, Theo

2007-07-01

Few studies described nursing diagnosis classification criteria and how classifications meet these criteria. The purpose was to identify criteria for nursing diagnosis classifications and to assess how these criteria are met by different classifications. First, a literature review was conducted (N=50) to identify criteria for nursing diagnoses classifications and to evaluate how these criteria are met by the International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP), the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the International Nursing Diagnoses Classification (NANDA), and the Nursing Diagnostic System of the Centre for Nursing Development and Research (ZEFP). Using literature review based general and specific criteria, the principal investigator evaluated each classification, applying a matrix. Second, a convenience sample of 20 nursing experts from different Swiss care institutions answered standardized interview forms, querying current national and international classification state and use. The first general criterion is that a diagnosis classification should describe the knowledge base and subject matter for which the nursing profession is responsible. ICNP) and NANDA meet this goal. The second general criterion is that each class fits within a central concept. The ICF and NANDA are the only two classifications built on conceptually driven classes. The third general classification criterion is that each diagnosis possesses a description, diagnostic criteria, and related etiologies. Although ICF and ICNP describe diagnostic terms, only NANDA fulfils this criterion. The analysis indicated that NANDA fulfilled most of the specific classification criteria in the matrix. The nursing experts considered NANDA to be the best-researched and most widely implemented classification in Switzerland and internationally. The international literature and the opinion of Swiss expert nurses indicate that-from the perspective of classifying comprehensive nursing diagnoses-NANDA should be recommended for nursing practice and electronic nursing documentation. Study limitations and future research needs are discussed.

From Classification to Epilepsy Ontology and Informatics

PubMed Central

Zhang, Guo-Qiang; Sahoo, Satya S; Lhatoo, Samden D

2012-01-01

Summary The 2010 International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification and terminology commission report proposed a much needed departure from previous classifications to incorporate advances in molecular biology, neuroimaging, and genetics. It proposed an interim classification and defined two key requirements that need to be satisfied. The first is the ability to classify epilepsy in dimensions according to a variety of purposes including clinical research, patient care, and drug discovery. The second is the ability of the classification system to evolve with new discoveries. Multi-dimensionality and flexibility are crucial to the success of any future classification. In addition, a successful classification system must play a central role in the rapidly growing field of epilepsy informatics. An epilepsy ontology, based on classification, will allow information systems to facilitate data-intensive studies and provide a proven route to meeting the two foregoing key requirements. Epilepsy ontology will be a structured terminology system that accommodates proposed and evolving ILAE classifications, the NIH/NINDS Common Data Elements, the ICD systems and explicitly specifies all known relationships between epilepsy concepts in a proper framework. This will aid evidence based epilepsy diagnosis, investigation, treatment and research for a diverse community of clinicians and researchers. Benefits range from systematization of electronic patient records to multi-modal data repositories for research and training manuals for those involved in epilepsy care. Given the complexity, heterogeneity and pace of research advances in the epilepsy domain, such an ontology must be collaboratively developed by key stakeholders in the epilepsy community and experts in knowledge engineering and computer science. PMID:22765502

The application of artificial intelligence for the identification of the maceral groups and mineral components of coal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mlynarczuk, Mariusz; Skiba, Marta

2017-06-01

The correct and consistent identification of the petrographic properties of coal is an important issue for researchers in the fields of mining and geology. As part of the study described in this paper, investigations concerning the application of artificial intelligence methods for the identification of the aforementioned characteristics were carried out. The methods in question were used to identify the maceral groups of coal, i.e. vitrinite, inertinite, and liptinite. Additionally, an attempt was made to identify some non-organic minerals. The analyses were performed using pattern recognition techniques (NN, kNN), as well as artificial neural network techniques (a multilayer perceptron - MLP). The classification process was carried out using microscopy images of polished sections of coals. A multidimensional feature space was defined, which made it possible to classify the discussed structures automatically, based on the methods of pattern recognition and algorithms of the artificial neural networks. Also, from the study we assessed the impact of the parameters for which the applied methods proved effective upon the final outcome of the classification procedure. The result of the analyses was a high percentage (over 97%) of correct classifications of maceral groups and mineral components. The paper discusses also an attempt to analyze particular macerals of the inertinite group. It was demonstrated that using artificial neural networks to this end makes it possible to classify the macerals properly in over 91% of cases. Thus, it was proved that artificial intelligence methods can be successfully applied for the identification of selected petrographic features of coal.

ICA-Based Imagined Conceptual Words Classification on EEG Signals.

PubMed

Imani, Ehsan; Pourmohammad, Ali; Bagheri, Mahsa; Mobasheri, Vida

2017-01-01

Independent component analysis (ICA) has been used for detecting and removing the eye artifacts conventionally. However, in this research, it was used not only for detecting the eye artifacts, but also for detecting the brain-produced signals of two conceptual danger and information category words. In this cross-sectional research, electroencephalography (EEG) signals were recorded using Micromed and 19-channel helmet devices in unipolar mode, wherein Cz electrode was selected as the reference electrode. In the first part of this research, the statistical community test case included four men and four women, who were 25-30 years old. In the designed task, three groups of traffic signs were considered, in which two groups referred to the concept of danger, and the third one referred to the concept of information. In the second part, the three volunteers, two men and one woman, who had the best results, were chosen from among eight participants. In the second designed task, direction arrows (up, down, left, and right) were used. For the 2/8 volunteers in the rest times, very high-power alpha waves were observed from the back of the head; however, in the thinking times, they were different. According to this result, alpha waves for changing the task from thinking to rest condition took at least 3 s for the two volunteers, and it was at most 5 s until they went to the absolute rest condition. For the 7/8 volunteers, the danger and information signals were well classified; these differences for the 5/8 volunteers were observed in the right hemisphere, and, for the other three volunteers, the differences were observed in the left hemisphere. For the second task, simulations showed that the best classification accuracies resulted when the time window was 2.5 s. In addition, it also showed that the features of the autoregressive (AR)-15 model coefficients were the best choices for extracting the features. For all the states of neural network except hardlim discriminator function, the classification accuracies were almost the same and not very different. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) in comparison with the neural network yielded higher classification accuracies. ICA is a suitable algorithm for recognizing of the word's concept and its place in the brain. Achieved results from this experiment were the same compared with the results from other methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and methods based on the brain signals (EEG) in the vowel imagination and covert speech. Herein, the highest classification accuracy was obtained by extracting the target signal from the output of the ICA and extracting the features of coefficients AR model with time interval of 2.5 s. Finally, LDA resulted in the highest classification accuracy more than 60%.

Machine learning in APOGEE. Unsupervised spectral classification with K-means

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Dias, Rafael; Allende Prieto, Carlos; Sánchez Almeida, Jorge; Ordovás-Pascual, Ignacio

2018-05-01

Context. The volume of data generated by astronomical surveys is growing rapidly. Traditional analysis techniques in spectroscopy either demand intensive human interaction or are computationally expensive. In this scenario, machine learning, and unsupervised clustering algorithms in particular, offer interesting alternatives. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) offers a vast data set of near-infrared stellar spectra, which is perfect for testing such alternatives. Aims: Our research applies an unsupervised classification scheme based on K-means to the massive APOGEE data set. We explore whether the data are amenable to classification into discrete classes. Methods: We apply the K-means algorithm to 153 847 high resolution spectra (R ≈ 22 500). We discuss the main virtues and weaknesses of the algorithm, as well as our choice of parameters. Results: We show that a classification based on normalised spectra captures the variations in stellar atmospheric parameters, chemical abundances, and rotational velocity, among other factors. The algorithm is able to separate the bulge and halo populations, and distinguish dwarfs, sub-giants, RC, and RGB stars. However, a discrete classification in flux space does not result in a neat organisation in the parameters' space. Furthermore, the lack of obvious groups in flux space causes the results to be fairly sensitive to the initialisation, and disrupts the efficiency of commonly-used methods to select the optimal number of clusters. Our classification is publicly available, including extensive online material associated with the APOGEE Data Release 12 (DR12). Conclusions: Our description of the APOGEE database can help greatly with the identification of specific types of targets for various applications. We find a lack of obvious groups in flux space, and identify limitations of the K-means algorithm in dealing with this kind of data. Full Tables B.1-B.4 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/612/A98

14 CFR Section 9 - Functional Classification-Operating Revenues

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Functional Classification-Operating... AIR CARRIERS Profit and Loss Classification Section 9 Functional Classification—Operating Revenues 3900Transport Revenues. This classification is prescribed for all air carrier groups and shall include all...

Peak Detection Method Evaluation for Ion Mobility Spectrometry by Using Machine Learning Approaches

PubMed Central

Hauschild, Anne-Christin; Kopczynski, Dominik; D’Addario, Marianna; Baumbach, Jörg Ingo; Rahmann, Sven; Baumbach, Jan

2013-01-01

Ion mobility spectrometry with pre-separation by multi-capillary columns (MCC/IMS) has become an established inexpensive, non-invasive bioanalytics technology for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with various metabolomics applications in medical research. To pave the way for this technology towards daily usage in medical practice, different steps still have to be taken. With respect to modern biomarker research, one of the most important tasks is the automatic classification of patient-specific data sets into different groups, healthy or not, for instance. Although sophisticated machine learning methods exist, an inevitable preprocessing step is reliable and robust peak detection without manual intervention. In this work we evaluate four state-of-the-art approaches for automated IMS-based peak detection: local maxima search, watershed transformation with IPHEx, region-merging with VisualNow, and peak model estimation (PME). We manually generated a gold standard with the aid of a domain expert (manual) and compare the performance of the four peak calling methods with respect to two distinct criteria. We first utilize established machine learning methods and systematically study their classification performance based on the four peak detectors’ results. Second, we investigate the classification variance and robustness regarding perturbation and overfitting. Our main finding is that the power of the classification accuracy is almost equally good for all methods, the manually created gold standard as well as the four automatic peak finding methods. In addition, we note that all tools, manual and automatic, are similarly robust against perturbations. However, the classification performance is more robust against overfitting when using the PME as peak calling preprocessor. In summary, we conclude that all methods, though small differences exist, are largely reliable and enable a wide spectrum of real-world biomedical applications. PMID:24957992

Peak detection method evaluation for ion mobility spectrometry by using machine learning approaches.

PubMed

Hauschild, Anne-Christin; Kopczynski, Dominik; D'Addario, Marianna; Baumbach, Jörg Ingo; Rahmann, Sven; Baumbach, Jan

2013-04-16

Ion mobility spectrometry with pre-separation by multi-capillary columns (MCC/IMS) has become an established inexpensive, non-invasive bioanalytics technology for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with various metabolomics applications in medical research. To pave the way for this technology towards daily usage in medical practice, different steps still have to be taken. With respect to modern biomarker research, one of the most important tasks is the automatic classification of patient-specific data sets into different groups, healthy or not, for instance. Although sophisticated machine learning methods exist, an inevitable preprocessing step is reliable and robust peak detection without manual intervention. In this work we evaluate four state-of-the-art approaches for automated IMS-based peak detection: local maxima search, watershed transformation with IPHEx, region-merging with VisualNow, and peak model estimation (PME).We manually generated Metabolites 2013, 3 278 a gold standard with the aid of a domain expert (manual) and compare the performance of the four peak calling methods with respect to two distinct criteria. We first utilize established machine learning methods and systematically study their classification performance based on the four peak detectors' results. Second, we investigate the classification variance and robustness regarding perturbation and overfitting. Our main finding is that the power of the classification accuracy is almost equally good for all methods, the manually created gold standard as well as the four automatic peak finding methods. In addition, we note that all tools, manual and automatic, are similarly robust against perturbations. However, the classification performance is more robust against overfitting when using the PME as peak calling preprocessor. In summary, we conclude that all methods, though small differences exist, are largely reliable and enable a wide spectrum of real-world biomedical applications.

A novel approach to falls classification in Parkinson's disease: development of the Fall-Related Activity Classification (FRAC).

PubMed

Ross, Annie; Yarnall, Alison J; Rochester, Lynn; Lord, Sue

2017-12-01

Falls are a major problem for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite years of focused research knowledge of falls aetiology is poor. This may be partly due to classification approaches which conventionally report fall frequency. This nosology is blunt, and does not take into account causality or the circumstances in which the fall occurred. For example, it is likely that people who fall from a postural transition are phenotypically different to those who fall during high level activities. Recent evidence supports the use of a novel falls classification based on fall related activity, however its clinimetric properties have not yet been tested. This study describes further development of the Fall-Related Activity Classification (FRAC) and reports on its inter-rater reliability (IRR). Descriptors of the FRAC were refined through an iterative process with a multidisciplinary team. Three categories based on the activity preceding the fall were identified. PD fallers were categorised as: (1) advanced (2) combined or (3) transitional. Fifty-five fall scenarios were rated by 23 raters using a standardised process. Raters comprised 3 clinical subgroups: (1) physiotherapists, (2) physicians, (3) non-medical researchers. IRR analysis was performed using weighted kappa coefficients and included sub group analysis based on clinical speciality. Excellent agreement was reached for all clinicians, κ=0.807 (95% CI 0.732 to 0.870). Clinical subgroups performed similarly well (range of κ=0.780 to 0.822). The FRAC can be reliably used to classify falls. This may discriminate between phenotypically different fallers and subsequently strengthen falls predictors in future studies. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phylogenetic classification of bony fishes.

PubMed

Betancur-R, Ricardo; Wiley, Edward O; Arratia, Gloria; Acero, Arturo; Bailly, Nicolas; Miya, Masaki; Lecointre, Guillaume; Ortí, Guillermo

2017-07-06

Fish classifications, as those of most other taxonomic groups, are being transformed drastically as new molecular phylogenies provide support for natural groups that were unanticipated by previous studies. A brief review of the main criteria used by ichthyologists to define their classifications during the last 50 years, however, reveals slow progress towards using an explicit phylogenetic framework. Instead, the trend has been to rely, in varying degrees, on deep-rooted anatomical concepts and authority, often mixing taxa with explicit phylogenetic support with arbitrary groupings. Two leading sources in ichthyology frequently used for fish classifications (JS Nelson's volumes of Fishes of the World and W. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes) fail to adopt a global phylogenetic framework despite much recent progress made towards the resolution of the fish Tree of Life. The first explicit phylogenetic classification of bony fishes was published in 2013, based on a comprehensive molecular phylogeny ( www.deepfin.org ). We here update the first version of that classification by incorporating the most recent phylogenetic results. The updated classification presented here is based on phylogenies inferred using molecular and genomic data for nearly 2000 fishes. A total of 72 orders (and 79 suborders) are recognized in this version, compared with 66 orders in version 1. The phylogeny resolves placement of 410 families, or ~80% of the total of 514 families of bony fishes currently recognized. The ordinal status of 30 percomorph families included in this study, however, remains uncertain (incertae sedis in the series Carangaria, Ovalentaria, or Eupercaria). Comments to support taxonomic decisions and comparisons with conflicting taxonomic groups proposed by others are presented. We also highlight cases were morphological support exist for the groups being classified. This version of the phylogenetic classification of bony fishes is substantially improved, providing resolution for more taxa than previous versions, based on more densely sampled phylogenetic trees. The classification presented in this study represents, unlike any other, the most up-to-date hypothesis of the Tree of Life of fishes.

Applicability of the Proposed Japanese Model for the Classification of Gastric Cancer Location: The "PROTRADIST" Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Marano, Luigi; Petrillo, Marianna; Pezzella, Modestino; Patriti, Alberto; Braccio, Bartolomeo; Esposito, Giuseppe; Grassia, Michele; Romano, Angela; Torelli, Francesco; De Luca, Raffaele; Fabozzi, Alessio; Falco, Giuseppe; Di Martino, Natale

2017-06-01

The extension of lymphadenectomy for surgical treatment of gastric cancer remains discordant among European and Japanese surgeons. Kinami et al. (Kinami S, Fujimura T, Ojima E, et al. PTD classification: proposal for a new classification of gastric cancer location based on physiological lymphatic flow. Int. J. Clin. Oncol. 2008;13:320-329) proposed a new experimental classification, the "Proximal zone, Transitional zone, Distal zone" (PTD) classification, based on the physiological lymphatic flow of gastric cancer site. The aim of the present retrospective study is to assess the applicability of PTD Japanese model in gastric cancer patients of our Western surgical department. Two groups of patients with histologically documented adenocarcinoma of the stomach were retrospectively obtained: In the first group were categorized 89 patients with T1a-T1b tumor invasion; and in the second group were 157 patients with T2-T3 category. The data collected were then categorized according to the PTD classification. In the T1a-T1b group there were no lymph node metastases within the r-GA or r-GEA compartments for tumors located in the P portion, and similarly there were no lymphatic metastases within the l-GEA or p-GA compartments for tumors located in the D portion. On the contrary, in the T2-T3 group the lymph node metastases presented a diffused spreading with no statistical significance between the two classification models. Our results show that the PTD classification based on physiological lymphatic flow of the gastric cancer site is a more physiological and clinical version than the Upper, Medium And Lower classification. It represents a valuable and applicable model of cancer location that could be a guide to a tailored surgical approach in Italian patients with neoplasm confined to submucosa. Nevertheless, in order to confirm our findings, larger and prospective studies are needed.

The impact of catchment source group classification on the accuracy of sediment fingerprinting outputs.

PubMed

Pulley, Simon; Foster, Ian; Collins, Adrian L

2017-06-01

The objective classification of sediment source groups is at present an under-investigated aspect of source tracing studies, which has the potential to statistically improve discrimination between sediment sources and reduce uncertainty. This paper investigates this potential using three different source group classification schemes. The first classification scheme was simple surface and subsurface groupings (Scheme 1). The tracer signatures were then used in a two-step cluster analysis to identify the sediment source groupings naturally defined by the tracer signatures (Scheme 2). The cluster source groups were then modified by splitting each one into a surface and subsurface component to suit catchment management goals (Scheme 3). The schemes were tested using artificial mixtures of sediment source samples. Controlled corruptions were made to some of the mixtures to mimic the potential causes of tracer non-conservatism present when using tracers in natural fluvial environments. It was determined how accurately the known proportions of sediment sources in the mixtures were identified after unmixing modelling using the three classification schemes. The cluster analysis derived source groups (2) significantly increased tracer variability ratios (inter-/intra-source group variability) (up to 2122%, median 194%) compared to the surface and subsurface groupings (1). As a result, the composition of the artificial mixtures was identified an average of 9.8% more accurately on the 0-100% contribution scale. It was found that the cluster groups could be reclassified into a surface and subsurface component (3) with no significant increase in composite uncertainty (a 0.1% increase over Scheme 2). The far smaller effects of simulated tracer non-conservatism for the cluster analysis based schemes (2 and 3) was primarily attributed to the increased inter-group variability producing a far larger sediment source signal that the non-conservatism noise (1). Modified cluster analysis based classification methods have the potential to reduce composite uncertainty significantly in future source tracing studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Project implementation : classification of organic soils and classification of marls - training of INDOT personnel.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-09-01

This is an implementation project for the research completed as part of the following projects: SPR3005 Classification of Organic Soils : and SPR3227 Classification of Marl Soils. The methods developed for the classification of both soi...

Comprehension and reproducibility of the Judet and Letournel classification

PubMed Central

Polesello, Giancarlo Cavalli; Nunes, Marcus Aurelius Araujo; Azuaga, Thiago Leonardi; de Queiroz, Marcelo Cavalheiro; Honda, Emerson Kyoshi; Ono, Nelson Keiske

2012-01-01

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of the method of radiographic interpretation of acetabular fractures, according to the classification of Judet and Letournel, used by a group of residents of Orthopedics at a university hospital. Methods We selected ten orthopedic residents, who were divided into two groups; one group received training in a methodology for the classification of acetabular fractures, which involves transposing the radiographic images to a graphic two-dimensional representation. We classified fifty cases of acetabular fracture on two separate occasions, and determined the intraobserver and interobserver agreement. Result The success rate was 16.2% (10-26%) for the trained group and 22.8% (10-36%) for the untrained group. The mean kappa coefficients for interobserver and intraobserver agreement in the trained group were 0.08 and 0.12, respectively, and for the untrained group, 0.14 and 0.29. Conclusion Training in the method of radiographic interpretation of acetabular fractures was not effective for assisting in the classification of acetabular fractures. Level of evidence I, Testing of previously developed diagnostic criteria on consecutive patients (with universally applied reference "gold" standard). PMID:24453583

The Examination of Alignment between National Assessment and English Curriculum Objectives Using Revised Bloom's Taxonomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozikoglu, Ishak

2018-01-01

Bloom's taxonomy for the classification of the objectives in cognitive domain was developed in mid 1950s and this taxonomy was revised by a group with Anderson and Krathwohl by making some changes and revisions. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the objectives of 8th grade English curriculum and TEOG exam questions (national assessment…

Validation of Diagnostic Measures Based on Latent Class Analysis: A Step Forward in Response Bias Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Michael L.; Lanyon, Richard I.; Millsap, Roger E.

2009-01-01

The use of criterion group validation is hindered by the difficulty of classifying individuals on latent constructs. Latent class analysis (LCA) is a method that can be used for determining the validity of scales meant to assess latent constructs without such a priori classifications. The authors used this method to examine the ability of the L…

History of pronghorn population monitoring, research, and management in Yellowstone National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keating, Kim A.

2002-01-01

over time. Despite these deficiencies, considerable information was reviewed, earlier summaries of population classification and count data were updated, and previously uncited sources of information were identified that challenge important aspects of previous interpretations of the history of pronghorns and pronghorn management in YNP. Information is grouped into 4 major subject areas: distribution and habitat use, demographics and management, genetics, and disease.

Classification of patients with low back-related leg pain: a systematic review.

PubMed

Stynes, Siobhán; Konstantinou, Kika; Dunn, Kate M

2016-05-23

The identification of clinically relevant subgroups of low back pain (LBP) is considered the number one LBP research priority in primary care. One subgroup of LBP patients are those with back related leg pain. Leg pain frequently accompanies LBP and is associated with increased levels of disability and higher health costs than simple low back pain. Distinguishing between different types of low back-related leg pain (LBLP) is important for clinical management and research applications, but there is currently no clear agreement on how to define and identify LBLP due to nerve root involvement. The aim of this systematic review was to identify, describe and appraise papers that classify or subgroup populations with LBLP, and summarise how leg pain due to nerve root involvement is described and diagnosed in the various systems. The search strategy involved nine electronic databases including Medline and Embase, reference lists of eligible studies and relevant reviews. Selected papers were appraised independently by two reviewers using a standardised scoring tool. Of 13,358 initial potential eligible citations, 50 relevant papers were identified that reported on 22 classification systems. Papers were grouped according to purpose and criteria of the classification systems. Five themes emerged: (i) clinical features (ii) pathoanatomy (iii) treatment-based approach (iv) screening tools and prediction rules and (v) pain mechanisms. Three of the twenty two systems focused specifically on LBLP populations. Systems that scored highest following quality appraisal were ones where authors generally included statistical methods to develop their classifications, and supporting work had been published on the systems' validity, reliability and generalisability. There was lack of consistency in how LBLP due to nerve root involvement was described and diagnosed within the systems. Numerous classification systems exist that include patients with leg pain, a minority of them focus specifically on distinguishing between different presentations of leg pain. Further work is needed to identify clinically meaningful subgroups of LBLP patients, ideally based on large primary care cohort populations and using recommended methods for classification system development.

Minimalist approach to the classification of symmetry protected topological phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Zhaoxi

A number of proposals with differing predictions (e.g. group cohomology, cobordisms, group supercohomology, spin cobordisms, etc.) have been made for the classification of symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases. Here we treat various proposals on equal footing and present rigorous, general results that are independent of which proposal is correct. We do so by formulating a minimalist Generalized Cohomology Hypothesis, which is satisfied by existing proposals and captures essential aspects of SPT classification. From this Hypothesis alone, formulas relating classifications in different dimensions and/or protected by different symmetry groups are derived. Our formalism is expected to work for fermionic as well as bosonic phases, Floquet as well as stationary phases, and spatial as well as on-site symmetries.

Di-codon Usage for Gene Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Minh N.; Ma, Jianmin; Fogel, Gary B.; Rajapakse, Jagath C.

Classification of genes into biologically related groups facilitates inference of their functions. Codon usage bias has been described previously as a potential feature for gene classification. In this paper, we demonstrate that di-codon usage can further improve classification of genes. By using both codon and di-codon features, we achieve near perfect accuracies for the classification of HLA molecules into major classes and sub-classes. The method is illustrated on 1,841 HLA sequences which are classified into two major classes, HLA-I and HLA-II. Major classes are further classified into sub-groups. A binary SVM using di-codon usage patterns achieved 99.95% accuracy in the classification of HLA genes into major HLA classes; and multi-class SVM achieved accuracy rates of 99.82% and 99.03% for sub-class classification of HLA-I and HLA-II genes, respectively. Furthermore, by combining codon and di-codon usages, the prediction accuracies reached 100%, 99.82%, and 99.84% for HLA major class classification, and for sub-class classification of HLA-I and HLA-II genes, respectively.

The process and utility of classification and regression tree methodology in nursing research.

PubMed

Kuhn, Lisa; Page, Karen; Ward, John; Worrall-Carter, Linda

2014-06-01

This paper presents a discussion of classification and regression tree analysis and its utility in nursing research. Classification and regression tree analysis is an exploratory research method used to illustrate associations between variables not suited to traditional regression analysis. Complex interactions are demonstrated between covariates and variables of interest in inverted tree diagrams. Discussion paper. English language literature was sourced from eBooks, Medline Complete and CINAHL Plus databases, Google and Google Scholar, hard copy research texts and retrieved reference lists for terms including classification and regression tree* and derivatives and recursive partitioning from 1984-2013. Classification and regression tree analysis is an important method used to identify previously unknown patterns amongst data. Whilst there are several reasons to embrace this method as a means of exploratory quantitative research, issues regarding quality of data as well as the usefulness and validity of the findings should be considered. Classification and regression tree analysis is a valuable tool to guide nurses to reduce gaps in the application of evidence to practice. With the ever-expanding availability of data, it is important that nurses understand the utility and limitations of the research method. Classification and regression tree analysis is an easily interpreted method for modelling interactions between health-related variables that would otherwise remain obscured. Knowledge is presented graphically, providing insightful understanding of complex and hierarchical relationships in an accessible and useful way to nursing and other health professions. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

International classification of reliability for implanted cochlear implant receiver stimulators.

PubMed

Battmer, Rolf-Dieter; Backous, Douglas D; Balkany, Thomas J; Briggs, Robert J S; Gantz, Bruce J; van Hasselt, Andrew; Kim, Chong Sun; Kubo, Takeshi; Lenarz, Thomas; Pillsbury, Harold C; O'Donoghue, Gerard M

2010-10-01

To design an international standard to be used when reporting reliability of the implanted components of cochlear implant systems to appropriate governmental authorities, cochlear implant (CI) centers, and for journal editors in evaluating manuscripts involving cochlear implant reliability. The International Consensus Group for Cochlear Implant Reliability Reporting was assembled to unify ongoing efforts in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia to create a consistent and comprehensive classification system for the implanted components of CI systems across manufacturers. All members of the consensus group are from tertiary referral cochlear implant centers. None. A clinically relevant classification scheme adapted from principles of ISO standard 5841-2:2000 originally designed for reporting reliability of cardiac pacemakers, pulse generators, or leads. Standard definitions for device failure, survival time, clinical benefit, reduced clinical benefit, and specification were generated. Time intervals for reporting back to implant centers for devices tested to be "out of specification," categorization of explanted devices, the method of cumulative survival reporting, and content of reliability reports to be issued by manufacturers was agreed upon by all members. The methodology for calculating Cumulative survival was adapted from ISO standard 5841-2:2000. The International Consensus Group on Cochlear Implant Device Reliability Reporting recommends compliance to this new standard in reporting reliability of implanted CI components by all manufacturers of CIs and the adoption of this standard as a minimal reporting guideline for editors of journals publishing cochlear implant research results.

Simultaneous Co-Clustering and Classification in Customers Insight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anggistia, M.; Saefuddin, A.; Sartono, B.

2017-04-01

Building predictive model based on the heterogeneous dataset may yield many problems, such as less precise in parameter and prediction accuracy. Such problem can be solved by segmenting the data into relatively homogeneous groups and then build a predictive model for each cluster. The advantage of using this strategy usually gives result in simpler models, more interpretable, and more actionable without any loss in accuracy and reliability. This work concerns on marketing data set which recorded a customer behaviour across products. There are some variables describing customer and product as attributes. The basic idea of this approach is to combine co-clustering and classification simultaneously. The objective of this research is to analyse the customer across product characteristics, so the marketing strategy implemented precisely.

42 CFR 412.60 - DRG classification and weighting factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false DRG classification and weighting factors. 412.60... Determining Prospective Payment Federal Rates for Inpatient Operating Costs § 412.60 DRG classification and weighting factors. (a) Diagnosis-related groups. CMS establishs a classification of inpatient hospital...

42 CFR 412.60 - DRG classification and weighting factors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false DRG classification and weighting factors. 412.60... Determining Prospective Payment Federal Rates for Inpatient Operating Costs § 412.60 DRG classification and weighting factors. (a) Diagnosis-related groups. CMS establishs a classification of inpatient hospital...

Choice of probe tone and classification of trace patterns in tympanometry undertaken in early infancy.

PubMed

Baldwin, Margaret

2006-07-01

Tympanometry using 226 Hz, 678 Hz, and 1000 Hz probe tones was undertaken on two groups of babies, age 2 to 21 weeks. A group of 104 babies with normal ABR thresholds or TEOAEs were compared with a second group of 107 babies who had evidence of temporary conductive hearing loss based on the findings of a test battery, which included air and bone conduction ABR. The tympanograms were classified by Method 1, a simple visual classification system, and Method 2, adapted from a system described by Marchant et al (1986). The majority of tympanograms recorded in both groups using the 226 Hz probe tone were 'normal' Type A, with no significant difference in middle ear pressure or static admittance. However, both classification methods demonstrated significant differences between the two groups using the higher frequency probe tones, with Method 2 being the preferred system of classification. Tympanometry using 226 Hz is invalid below 21 weeks and 1000 Hz is the frequency of choice.

Age group classification and gender detection based on forced expiratory spirometry.

PubMed

Cosgun, Sema; Ozbek, I Yucel

2015-08-01

This paper investigates the utility of forced expiratory spirometry (FES) test with efficient machine learning algorithms for the purpose of gender detection and age group classification. The proposed method has three main stages: feature extraction, training of the models and detection. In the first stage, some features are extracted from volume-time curve and expiratory flow-volume loop obtained from FES test. In the second stage, the probabilistic models for each gender and age group are constructed by training Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) and Support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. In the final stage, the gender (or age group) of test subject is estimated by using the trained GMM (or SVM) model. Experiments have been evaluated on a large database from 4571 subjects. The experimental results show that average correct classification rate performance of both GMM and SVM methods based on the FES test is more than 99.3 % and 96.8 % for gender and age group classification, respectively.

Classification of the maxillary sinus according to area of the medial antral wall: a comparison of two ethnic groups.

PubMed

Lee, Fernandes Carmen; Fernandes, C M C; Murrell, H C

2009-06-01

This study is an anatomical study designed to benefit surgeons working in the region of the maxillary sinus. This paper investigates ethnic and gender variations in the shape of the maxillary sinus in dried crania from the Raymond Dart collection of human skeletons. The paper claims that an estimate of the area of the medial antral wall of the maxillary sinus is one of the best ethnic/gender group predictors. Helical, multislice computed tomography was performed using 1mm coronal slices length, depth, width and volume measurements for each sinus were taken. Classification by shape and estimated area of medial wall was attempted. Shape classification was found to be unsuccessful whilst medial wall classification into ethnic/gender groupings gave encouraging results. The area of the medial wall is related to ethnic/gender groups.

Hypochondriasis: considerations for ICD-11.

PubMed

van den Heuvel, Odile A; Veale, David; Stein, Dan J

2014-01-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently revisiting the ICD. In the 10th version of the ICD, approved in 1990, hypochondriacal symptoms are described in the context of both the primary condition hypochondriacal disorder and as secondary symptoms within a range of other mental disorders. Expansion of the research base since 1990 makes a critical evaluation and revision of both the definition and classification of hypochondriacal disorder timely. This article addresses the considerations reviewed by members of the WHO ICD-11 Working Group on the Classification of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in their proposal for the description and classification of hypochondriasis. The proposed revision emphasizes the phenomenological overlap with both anxiety disorders (e.g., fear, hypervigilance to bodily symptoms, and avoidance) and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (e.g., preoccupation and repetitive behaviors) and the distinction from the somatoform disorders (presence of somatic symptom is not a critical characteristic). This revision aims to improve clinical utility by enabling better recognition and treatment of patients with hypochondriasis within the broad range of global health care settings.

Local Kernel for Brains Classification in Schizophrenia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castellani, U.; Rossato, E.; Murino, V.; Bellani, M.; Rambaldelli, G.; Tansella, M.; Brambilla, P.

In this paper a novel framework for brain classification is proposed in the context of mental health research. A learning by example method is introduced by combining local measurements with non linear Support Vector Machine. Instead of considering a voxel-by-voxel comparison between patients and controls, we focus on landmark points which are characterized by local region descriptors, namely Scale Invariance Feature Transform (SIFT). Then, matching is obtained by introducing the local kernel for which the samples are represented by unordered set of features. Moreover, a new weighting approach is proposed to take into account the discriminative relevance of the detected groups of features. Experiments have been performed including a set of 54 patients with schizophrenia and 54 normal controls on which region of interest (ROI) have been manually traced by experts. Preliminary results on Dorso-lateral PreFrontal Cortex (DLPFC) region are promising since up to 75% of successful classification rate has been obtained with this technique and the performance has improved up to 85% when the subjects have been stratified by sex.

DATA-MEAns: an open source tool for the classification and management of neural ensemble recordings.

PubMed

Bonomini, María P; Ferrandez, José M; Bolea, Jose Angel; Fernandez, Eduardo

2005-10-30

The number of laboratories using techniques that allow to acquire simultaneous recordings of as many units as possible is considerably increasing. However, the development of tools used to analyse this multi-neuronal activity is generally lagging behind the development of the tools used to acquire these data. Moreover, the data exchange between research groups using different multielectrode acquisition systems is hindered by commercial constraints such as exclusive file structures, high priced licenses and hard policies on intellectual rights. This paper presents a free open-source software for the classification and management of neural ensemble data. The main goal is to provide a graphical user interface that links the experimental data to a basic set of routines for analysis, visualization and classification in a consistent framework. To facilitate the adaptation and extension as well as the addition of new routines, tools and algorithms for data analysis, the source code and documentation are freely available.

Probabilistic neural networks for diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using conventional and wavelet coherence.

PubMed

Sankari, Ziad; Adeli, Hojjat

2011-04-15

Recently, the authors presented an EEG (electroencephalogram) coherence study of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) and found statistically significant differences between AD and control groups. In this paper a probabilistic neural network (PNN) model is presented for classification of AD and healthy controls using features extracted in coherence and wavelet coherence studies on cortical connectivity in AD. The model is verified using EEGs obtained from 20 AD probable patients and 7 healthy/control subjects based on a standard 10-20 electrode configuration on the scalp. It is shown that extracting features from EEG sub-bands using coherence, as a measure of cortical connectivity, can discriminate AD patients from healthy controls effectively when a mixed band classification model is applied. For the data set used a classification accuracy of 100% is achieved using the conventional coherence and a spread parameter of the Gaussian function in a particular range found in this research. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the SAR derived alert in the detection of oil spills according to the analysis of the EGEMP.

PubMed

Ferraro, Guido; Baschek, Björn; de Montpellier, Geraldine; Njoten, Ove; Perkovic, Marko; Vespe, Michele

2010-01-01

Satellite services that deliver information about possible oil spills at sea currently use different labels of "confidence" to describe the detections based on radar image processing. A common approach is to use a classification differentiating between low, medium and high levels of confidence. There is an ongoing discussion on the suitability of the existing classification systems of possible oil spills detected by radar satellite images with regard to the relevant significance and correspondence to user requirements. This paper contains a basic analysis of user requirements, current technical possibilities of satellite services as well as proposals for a redesign of the classification system as an evolution towards a more structured alert system. This research work offers a first review of implemented methodologies for the categorisation of detected oil spills, together with the proposal of explorative ideas evaluated by the European Group of Experts on satellite Monitoring of sea-based oil Pollution (EGEMP). Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Practical Issues in Estimating Classification Accuracy and Consistency with R Package cacIRT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lathrop, Quinn N.

2015-01-01

There are two main lines of research in estimating classification accuracy (CA) and classification consistency (CC) under Item Response Theory (IRT). The R package cacIRT provides computer implementations of both approaches in an accessible and unified framework. Even with available implementations, there remains decisions a researcher faces when…

Acceptance of standardized ultrasound classification, use of albendazole, and long-term follow-up in clinical management of cystic echinococcosis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Tamarozzi, Francesca; Nicoletti, Giovanni J; Neumayr, Andreas; Brunetti, Enrico

2014-10-01

Cystic echinococcosis is a chronic, complex, and neglected disease. The need for a simple classification of cyst morphology that would provide an accepted framework for scientific and clinical work on cystic echinococcosis has been addressed by two documents issued by the WHO Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis in 2003 (cyst classification) and in 2010 (Expert consensus for the diagnosis and treatment of echinococcosis). Here we evaluate the use of the WHO Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis classification of hepatic cystic echinococcosis, the acceptance by clinicians of recommendations regarding the use of albendazole, and the implementation of the long-term follow-up of patients with hepatic cystic echinococcosis in the scientific literature since the WHO Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis recommendations were issued. Of the publications included in our review, 71.2% did not indicate any classification, whereas 14% used the WHO Informal Working Group on Echinococcosis classification. Seventy-four percent reported the administration of peri-interventional albendazole, although less than half reported its modality, and 51% the length of patient follow-up. A joint effort is needed from the scientific community to encourage the acceptance and implementation of these three key issues in the clinical management of cystic echinococcosis.

Getting the terminology right in sexual health research: the importance of accurately classifying fuck buddies among men who have sex with men.

PubMed

Bellhouse, Clare; Walker, Sandra; Fairley, Christopher K; Chow, Eric Pf; Bilardi, Jade E

2017-03-29

The aim of this report was to raise the issue of the definition and classification of partner terminology in men who have sex with men (MSM) research, particularly in regards to 'fuck buddies'. If definitions in research differ from general consensus in the MSM population, it is possible that public health strategies will be ineffective as the target population may be inaccurate. Thirty semistructured interviews with MSM attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre were conducted, focusing on the willingness to change sexual practices to reduce the risk of pharyngeal gonorrhoea. As part of these interviews, men were also asked their views on the terminology they used to describe their relationships and sexual partners. The degree of emotional attachment often defined the type or classification of relationships. There was a consensus among men that partners they engaged with for 'sex only' were classified as casual partners and partners with whom there was an emotional attachment or formalisation of the relationship were classified as 'regular partners'. However, the classification of 'fuck buddy' as a regular or casual partner was less clear. Further research is needed to ascertain the ways in which men conceptualise sexual relationships and define or classify partner types, particularly 'fuck buddy' relationships. A third category for sexual relationships should be considered to encapsulate fuck buddy relationships. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Combining two open source tools for neural computation (BioPatRec and Netlab) improves movement classification for prosthetic control.

PubMed

Prahm, Cosima; Eckstein, Korbinian; Ortiz-Catalan, Max; Dorffner, Georg; Kaniusas, Eugenijus; Aszmann, Oskar C

2016-08-31

Controlling a myoelectric prosthesis for upper limbs is increasingly challenging for the user as more electrodes and joints become available. Motion classification based on pattern recognition with a multi-electrode array allows multiple joints to be controlled simultaneously. Previous pattern recognition studies are difficult to compare, because individual research groups use their own data sets. To resolve this shortcoming and to facilitate comparisons, open access data sets were analysed using components of BioPatRec and Netlab pattern recognition models. Performances of the artificial neural networks, linear models, and training program components were compared. Evaluation took place within the BioPatRec environment, a Matlab-based open source platform that provides feature extraction, processing and motion classification algorithms for prosthetic control. The algorithms were applied to myoelectric signals for individual and simultaneous classification of movements, with the aim of finding the best performing algorithm and network model. Evaluation criteria included classification accuracy and training time. Results in both the linear and the artificial neural network models demonstrated that Netlab's implementation using scaled conjugate training algorithm reached significantly higher accuracies than BioPatRec. It is concluded that the best movement classification performance would be achieved through integrating Netlab training algorithms in the BioPatRec environment so that future prosthesis training can be shortened and control made more reliable. Netlab was therefore included into the newest release of BioPatRec (v4.0).

Classification of video sequences into chosen generalized use classes of target size and lighting level.

PubMed

Leszczuk, Mikołaj; Dudek, Łukasz; Witkowski, Marcin

The VQiPS (Video Quality in Public Safety) Working Group, supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has been developing a user guide for public safety video applications. According to VQiPS, five parameters have particular importance influencing the ability to achieve a recognition task. They are: usage time-frame, discrimination level, target size, lighting level, and level of motion. These parameters form what are referred to as Generalized Use Classes (GUCs). The aim of our research was to develop algorithms that would automatically assist classification of input sequences into one of the GUCs. Target size and lighting level parameters were approached. The experiment described reveals the experts' ambiguity and hesitation during the manual target size determination process. However, the automatic methods developed for target size classification make it possible to determine GUC parameters with 70 % compliance to the end-users' opinion. Lighting levels of the entire sequence can be classified with an efficiency reaching 93 %. To make the algorithms available for use, a test application has been developed. It is able to process video files and display classification results, the user interface being very simple and requiring only minimal user interaction.

Inequalities in the distribution of pharmacists' wage-and-salary earnings: indicators and their development.

PubMed

Carvajal, Manuel J; Armayor, Graciela M

2013-01-01

Disparities in wages and salaries can be viewed as the dispersion of a statistical distribution that responds to observed and unobserved characteristics, and reflects socioeconomic phenomena such as the interplay of supply and demand, availability of information, and efficiency of markets in their search for equilibrium. The aim of this study was to explore the nature of inequality in the distribution of pharmacists' wage-and-salary earnings and establish the extent to which inequality primarily occurred because of variation between/among groups or within groups of pharmacists in several classifications of human-capital and job-related preference variables. Data were collected through the use of a survey questionnaire mailed to registered pharmacists in South Florida, USA. Five indicators of inequality (the log earnings variance, the coefficient of variation, the lower median share, the 90-10 decile ratio, and the Gini coefficient) were estimated for eight human-capital classifications and eight job-related classifications. A one-way ANOVA model was applied to the groups in each classification to compare variation between/among versus within pharmacy groups. Pharmacists' wage-and-salary earnings were more evenly distributed than most income distributions discussed in the literature. They were more equitably distributed for full-time pharmacists than for all pharmacists in the data set. All five-inequality indicators behaved similarly. Notable differences were observed between/among groups within the gender, age group, marital status, number of children, academic degree, and type of primary pharmacy activity classifications. Inequalities in wages and salaries have been identified both between/among and within pharmacist groups in several classifications using five commonly accepted indicators. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pattern classification and recognition of invertebrate functional groups using self-organizing neural networks.

PubMed

Zhang, WenJun

2007-07-01

Self-organizing neural networks can be used to mimic non-linear systems. The main objective of this study is to make pattern classification and recognition on sampling information using two self-organizing neural network models. Invertebrate functional groups sampled in the irrigated rice field were classified and recognized using one-dimensional self-organizing map and self-organizing competitive learning neural networks. Comparisons between neural network models, distance (similarity) measures, and number of neurons were conducted. The results showed that self-organizing map and self-organizing competitive learning neural network models were effective in pattern classification and recognition of sampling information. Overall the performance of one-dimensional self-organizing map neural network was better than self-organizing competitive learning neural network. The number of neurons could determine the number of classes in the classification. Different neural network models with various distance (similarity) measures yielded similar classifications. Some differences, dependent upon the specific network structure, would be found. The pattern of an unrecognized functional group was recognized with the self-organizing neural network. A relative consistent classification indicated that the following invertebrate functional groups, terrestrial blood sucker; terrestrial flyer; tourist (nonpredatory species with no known functional role other than as prey in ecosystem); gall former; collector (gather, deposit feeder); predator and parasitoid; leaf miner; idiobiont (acarine ectoparasitoid), were classified into the same group, and the following invertebrate functional groups, external plant feeder; terrestrial crawler, walker, jumper or hunter; neustonic (water surface) swimmer (semi-aquatic), were classified into another group. It was concluded that reliable conclusions could be drawn from comparisons of different neural network models that use different distance (similarity) measures. Results with the larger consistency will be more reliable.

DICTIONARY OF OCCUPATIONAL TITLES, 1965. VOLUME II, OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION AND INDUSTRY INDEX.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Employment Security (DOL), Washington, DC.

VOLUME 2 COMPLEMENTS VOLUME 1 (VT 003 654) BY PROVIDING A CLASSIFICATION STRUCTURE WHICH GROUPS JOBS HAVING THE SAME BASIC OCCUPATIONAL, INDUSTRIAL, OR WORKER CHARACTERISTICS. THE SECTIONS ARE (1) THE OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORIES, DIVISIONS, AND GROUPS, (2) AN ALPHABETIC ARRANGEMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL DIVISIONS AND GROUPS, (3) THE OCCUPATIONAL GROUP…

Land Cover Analysis by Using Pixel-Based and Object-Based Image Classification Method in Bogor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amalisana, Birohmatin; Rokhmatullah; Hernina, Revi

2017-12-01

The advantage of image classification is to provide earth’s surface information like landcover and time-series changes. Nowadays, pixel-based image classification technique is commonly performed with variety of algorithm such as minimum distance, parallelepiped, maximum likelihood, mahalanobis distance. On the other hand, landcover classification can also be acquired by using object-based image classification technique. In addition, object-based classification uses image segmentation from parameter such as scale, form, colour, smoothness and compactness. This research is aimed to compare the result of landcover classification and its change detection between parallelepiped pixel-based and object-based classification method. Location of this research is Bogor with 20 years range of observation from 1996 until 2016. This region is famous as urban areas which continuously change due to its rapid development, so that time-series landcover information of this region will be interesting.

Algorithmic framework for group analysis of differential equations and its application to generalized Zakharov-Kuznetsov equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Ding-jiang; Ivanova, Nataliya M.

2016-02-01

In this paper, we explain in more details the modern treatment of the problem of group classification of (systems of) partial differential equations (PDEs) from the algorithmic point of view. More precisely, we revise the classical Lie algorithm of construction of symmetries of differential equations, describe the group classification algorithm and discuss the process of reduction of (systems of) PDEs to (systems of) equations with smaller number of independent variables in order to construct invariant solutions. The group classification algorithm and reduction process are illustrated by the example of the generalized Zakharov-Kuznetsov (GZK) equations of form ut +(F (u)) xxx +(G (u)) xyy +(H (u)) x = 0. As a result, a complete group classification of the GZK equations is performed and a number of new interesting nonlinear invariant models which have non-trivial invariance algebras are obtained. Lie symmetry reductions and exact solutions for two important invariant models, i.e., the classical and modified Zakharov-Kuznetsov equations, are constructed. The algorithmic framework for group analysis of differential equations presented in this paper can also be applied to other nonlinear PDEs.

Decoding of grasping information from neural signals recorded using peripheral intrafascicular interfaces.

PubMed

Micera, Silvestro; Rossini, Paolo M; Rigosa, Jacopo; Citi, Luca; Carpaneto, Jacopo; Raspopovic, Stanisa; Tombini, Mario; Cipriani, Christian; Assenza, Giovanni; Carrozza, Maria C; Hoffmann, Klaus-Peter; Yoshida, Ken; Navarro, Xavier; Dario, Paolo

2011-09-05

The restoration of complex hand functions by creating a novel bidirectional link between the nervous system and a dexterous hand prosthesis is currently pursued by several research groups. This connection must be fast, intuitive, with a high success rate and quite natural to allow an effective bidirectional flow of information between the user's nervous system and the smart artificial device. This goal can be achieved with several approaches and among them, the use of implantable interfaces connected with the peripheral nervous system, namely intrafascicular electrodes, is considered particularly interesting. Thin-film longitudinal intra-fascicular electrodes were implanted in the median and ulnar nerves of an amputee's stump during a four-week trial. The possibility of decoding motor commands suitable to control a dexterous hand prosthesis was investigated for the first time in this research field by implementing a spike sorting and classification algorithm. The results showed that motor information (e.g., grip types and single finger movements) could be extracted with classification accuracy around 85% (for three classes plus rest) and that the user could improve his ability to govern motor commands over time as shown by the improved discrimination ability of our classification algorithm. These results open up new and promising possibilities for the development of a neuro-controlled hand prosthesis.

Identifying the ‘Vulnerables’ in Biomedical Research: the vox populis from the Tuskegee Legacy Project

PubMed Central

Wiley, John

2011-01-01

Objectives This report presents, for the first time, findings on the vox populis as to who constitutes the ‘vulnerables in biomedical research’. Methods The 3-City Tuskegee Legacy Project (TLP) study used the TLP Questionnaire as administered via RDD telephone interviews to 1,162 adult Blacks, non-Hispanic Whites, and two Puerto Rican (PR) Hispanic groups: Mainland U.S. and San Juan (SJ) in 3 cities. The classification schema was based upon respondents’ answers to an open-ended question asking which groups of people were the most vulnerable when participating in biomedical research. Results Subjects provided 749 valid open-ended responses which were grouped into 29 direct response categories, leading to a 4 tier classification schema for vulnerability traits. Tier 1, the summary tier, had five vulnerability categories: 1) Race/ethnicity; 2) Age; 3) SES; 4) Health; and, 5) Gender. Blacks and Mainland U.S. PR Hispanics most frequently identified Race/Ethnicity as a vulnerability trait (42.1% of Blacks and 42.6% of Mainland U.S. PR Hispanics vs. 15.4% of Whites and 16.7% of San Juan R Hispanics) (p<.007), while Whites and SJ PR Hispanics most frequently identified Age (48.3% and 29.2%) as a vulnerability trait. Conclusions The response patterns on ‘who was vulnerable’ were similar for the two minority groups (Blacks and Mainland U.S. PR Hispanics), and notably different from the response patterns of the two majority groups (Whites and SJPR Hispanics). Further, the vox populis definition of vulnerables differed from the current official definitions as used by the U.S. federal government. PMID:21972462

Classifying Values by Categories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gündüz, Mevlüt

2016-01-01

The aim of this study is to make a new classification regarding the fact that the current classifications may change constantly because of values? gaining a different dimension and importance every single day. In this research descriptive research, which was used frequently in qualitative research methods, was preferred. This research was…

Hierarchical Decimal Classification of Information Related to Cancer Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, John H.

The classification may be used (1) to identify cancer research efforts supported by NCI in selected areas of research (at any general or specific level desired), (2) to store information related to cancer research and retrieve this information on request, and (3) to match interests of cancer research scientists against information in published…

Artificial neural network classification using a minimal training set - Comparison to conventional supervised classification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hepner, George F.; Logan, Thomas; Ritter, Niles; Bryant, Nevin

1990-01-01

Recent research has shown an artificial neural network (ANN) to be capable of pattern recognition and the classification of image data. This paper examines the potential for the application of neural network computing to satellite image processing. A second objective is to provide a preliminary comparison and ANN classification. An artificial neural network can be trained to do land-cover classification of satellite imagery using selected sites representative of each class in a manner similar to conventional supervised classification. One of the major problems associated with recognition and classifications of pattern from remotely sensed data is the time and cost of developing a set of training sites. This reseach compares the use of an ANN back propagation classification procedure with a conventional supervised maximum likelihood classification procedure using a minimal training set. When using a minimal training set, the neural network is able to provide a land-cover classification superior to the classification derived from the conventional classification procedure. This research is the foundation for developing application parameters for further prototyping of software and hardware implementations for artificial neural networks in satellite image and geographic information processing.

Comparing the usefulness of the 1997 and 2009 WHO dengue case classification: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Horstick, Olaf; Jaenisch, Thomas; Martinez, Eric; Kroeger, Axel; See, Lucy Lum Chai; Farrar, Jeremy; Ranzinger, Silvia Runge

2014-09-01

The 1997 and 2009 WHO dengue case classifications were compared in a systematic review with 12 eligible studies (4 prospective). Ten expert opinion articles were used for discussion. For the 2009 WHO classification studies show: when determining severe dengue sensitivity ranges between 59-98% (88%/98%: prospective studies), specificity between 41-99% (99%: prospective study) - comparing the 1997 WHO classification: sensitivity 24.8-89.9% (24.8%/74%: prospective studies), specificity: 25%/100% (100%: prospective study). The application of the 2009 WHO classification is easy, however for (non-severe) dengue there may be a risk of monitoring increased case numbers. Warning signs validation studies are needed. For epidemiological/pathogenesis research use of the 2009 WHO classification, opinion papers show that ease of application, increased sensitivity (severe dengue) and international comparability are advantageous; 3 severe dengue criteria (severe plasma leakage, severe bleeding, severe organ manifestation) are useful research endpoints. The 2009 WHO classification has clear advantages for clinical use, use in epidemiology is promising and research use may at least not be a disadvantage. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Binge eating disorder should be included in DSM-IV: a reply to Fairburn et al.'s "the classification of recurrent overeating: the binge eating disorder proposal".

PubMed

Spitzer, R L; Stunkard, A; Yanovski, S; Marcus, M D; Wadden, T; Wing, R; Mitchell, J; Hasin, D

1993-03-01

Extensive recent research supports a proposal that a new eating disorder, binge eating disorder (BED), be included in DSM-IV. BED criteria define a relatively pure group of individuals who are distressed by recurrent binge eating who do not exhibit the compensatory features of bulimia nervosa. This large number of patients currently can only be diagnosed as eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Recognizing this new disorder will help stimulate research and clinical programs for these patients. Fairburn et al.'s critique of BED fails to acknowledge the large body of knowledge that indicates that BED represents a distinct and definable subgroup of eating disordered patients and that the diagnosis provides useful information about psychopathology, prognosis, and outcome (Fairburn, Welch, & Hay [in press]. The classification of recurrent overeating: The "binge eating disorder" proposal. International Journal of Eating Disorders.) Against any reasonable standard for adding a new diagnosis to DSM-IV, BED meets the test.

Field Demonstration of Light Obscuration Particle Counting Technologies to Detect Fuel Contaminates

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

to detect fuel contamiation including particulates and free water 15. SUBJECT TERMS fuel, JP-8, aviation fuel, contamination, free water ...undissolved water , F24 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT none 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 12 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON Joel...technical, interim, memorandum, master’s thesis, progress, quarterly, research , special, group study, etc. 3. DATES COVERED. Indicate the time during

Adhesives: Test Method, Group Assignment, and Categorization Guide for High-Loading-Rate Applications Preparation and Testing of Single Lap Joints (Ver. 2.2, Unlimited)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

Gerard Chaney, and Charles Pergantis Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, ARL Coatings, Corrosion, and Engineered Polymers Branch (CCEPB...SUBJECT TERMS single lap joint, adhesive, sample preparation, testing, database, metadata, material pedigree, ISO 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17...temperature/water immersion conditioning test for lap-joint test specimens using the test tubes and convection oven method

Proposed Core Competencies and Empirical Validation Procedure in Competency Modeling: Confirmation and Classification.

PubMed

Baczyńska, Anna K; Rowiński, Tomasz; Cybis, Natalia

2016-01-01

Competency models provide insight into key skills which are common to many positions in an organization. Moreover, there is a range of competencies that is used by many companies. Researchers have developed core competency terminology to underline their cross-organizational value. The article presents a theoretical model of core competencies consisting of two main higher-order competencies called performance and entrepreneurship. Each of them consists of three elements: the performance competency includes cooperation, organization of work and goal orientation, while entrepreneurship includes innovativeness, calculated risk-taking and pro-activeness. However, there is lack of empirical validation of competency concepts in organizations and this would seem crucial for obtaining reliable results from organizational research. We propose a two-step empirical validation procedure: (1) confirmation factor analysis, and (2) classification of employees. The sample consisted of 636 respondents (M = 44.5; SD = 15.1). Participants were administered a questionnaire developed for the study purpose. The reliability, measured by Cronbach's alpha, ranged from 0.60 to 0.83 for six scales. Next, we tested the model using a confirmatory factor analysis. The two separate, single models of performance and entrepreneurial orientations fit quite well to the data, while a complex model based on the two single concepts needs further research. In the classification of employees based on the two higher order competencies we obtained four main groups of employees. Their profiles relate to those found in the literature, including so-called niche finders and top performers. Some proposal for organizations is discussed.

Rate of caesarean sections according to the Robson classification: Analysis in a French perinatal network - Interest and limitations of the French medico-administrative data (PMSI).

PubMed

Lafitte, A-S; Dolley, P; Le Coutour, X; Benoist, G; Prime, L; Thibon, P; Dreyfus, M

2018-02-01

The objective of our study was to determine, in accordance with WHO recommendations, the rates of Caesarean sections in a French perinatal network according to the Robson classification and determine the benefit of the medico-administrative data (PMSI) to collect this indicator. This study aimed to identify the main groups contributing to local variations in the rates of Caesarean sections. A descriptive multicentric study was conducted in 13 maternity units of a French perinatal network. The rates of Caesarean sections and the contribution of each group of the Robson classification were calculated for all Caesarean sections performed in 2014. The agreement of the classification of Caesarean sections according to Robson using medico-administrative data and data collected in the patient records was measured by the Kappa index. We also analysed a 6 groups simplified Robson classification only using data from PMSI, which do not inform about parity and onset of labour. The rate of Caesarean sections was 19% (14.5-33.2) in 2014 (2924 out of 15413 deliveries). The most important contributors to the total rates were groups 1, 2 and 5, representing respectively 14.3%, 16.7% and 32.1% of the Caesarean sections. The rates were significantly different in level 1, 2b and 3 maternity units in groups 1 to 4, level 2a maternity units in group 5, and level 3 maternity units in groups 6 and 7. The agreement between the simplified Robson classification produced using the medical records and the medico-administrative data was excellent, with a Kappa index of 0.985 (0.980-0.990). To reduce the rates of Caesarean sections, audits should be conducted on groups 1, 2 and 5 and local protocols developed. Simply by collecting the parity data, the excellent metrological quality of the medico-administrative data would allow systematisation of the Robson classification for each hospital. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

COMPARISON OF GEOGRAPHIC CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES FOR MID-ATLANTIC STREAM FISH ASSEMBLAGES

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding the influence of geographic factors in structuring fish assemblages is crucial to developing a comprehensive assessment of stream conditions. We compared the classification strengths (CS) of geographic groups (ecoregions and catchments), stream order, and groups bas...

77 FR 55482 - Public Workshop on Marine Technology and Standards

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-10

... provide a unique opportunity for classification societies, industry groups, standards development... email at [email protected] . You may also contact Lieutenant Commander Ken Hettler, Office of Design and... provides a unique opportunity for classification societies, industry groups, standards development...

Comparison on three classification techniques for sex estimation from the bone length of Asian children below 19 years old: an analysis using different group of ages.

PubMed

Darmawan, M F; Yusuf, Suhaila M; Kadir, M R Abdul; Haron, H

2015-02-01

Sex estimation is used in forensic anthropology to assist the identification of individual remains. However, the estimation techniques tend to be unique and applicable only to a certain population. This paper analyzed sex estimation on living individual child below 19 years old using the length of 19 bones of left hand applied for three classification techniques, which were Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) multilayer perceptron. These techniques were carried out on X-ray images of the left hand taken from an Asian population data set. All the 19 bones of the left hand were measured using Free Image software, and all the techniques were performed using MATLAB. The group of age "16-19" years old and "7-9" years old were the groups that could be used for sex estimation with as their average of accuracy percentage was above 80%. ANN model was the best classification technique with the highest average of accuracy percentage in the two groups of age compared to other classification techniques. The results show that each classification technique has the best accuracy percentage on each different group of age. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 30.1 - Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.1 Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco. For the...

7 CFR 30.1 - Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.1 Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco. For the...

7 CFR 30.1 - Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.1 Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco. For the...

7 CFR 30.1 - Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.1 Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco. For the...

7 CFR 30.1 - Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS TOBACCO STOCKS AND STANDARDS Classification of Leaf Tobacco Covering Classes, Types and Groups of Grades § 30.1 Definitions of terms used in classification of leaf tobacco. For the...

BP network for atorvastatin effect evaluation from ultrasound images features classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Mengjie; Yang, Xin; Liu, Yang; Xu, Hongwei; Liang, Huageng; Wang, Yujie; Ding, Mingyue

2013-10-01

Atherosclerotic lesions at the carotid artery are a major cause of emboli or atheromatous debris, resulting in approximately 88% of ischemic strokes in the USA in 2006. Stroke is becoming the most common cause of death worldwide, although patient management and prevention strategies have reduced stroke rate considerably over the past decades. Many research studies have been carried out on how to quantitatively evaluate local arterial effects for potential carotid disease treatments. As an inexpensive, convenient and fast means of detection, ultrasonic medical testing has been widespread in the world, so it is very practical to use ultrasound technology in the prevention and treatment of carotid atherosclerosis. This paper is dedicated to this field. Currently, many ultrasound image characteristics on carotid plaque have been proposed. After screening a large number of features (including 26 morphological and 85 texture features), we have got six shape characteristics and six texture characteristics in the combination. In order to test the validity and accuracy of these combined features, we have established a Back-Propagation (BP) neural network to classify atherosclerosis plaques between atorvastatin group and placebo group. The leave-one-case-out protocol was utilized on a database of 768 carotid ultrasound images of 12 patients (5 subjects of placebo group and 7 subjects of atorvastatin group) for the evaluation. The classification results showed that the combined features and classification have good recognition ability, with the overall accuracy 83.93%, sensitivity 82.14%, specificity 85.20%, positive predictive value 79.86%, negative predictive value 86.98%, Matthew's correlation coefficient 67.08%, and Youden's index 67.34%. And the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve in our test also performed well.

[The Montreal definition and classification of gastroesophageal reflux disease: a global, evidence-based consensus paper].

PubMed

Vakil, N; van Zanten, S V; Kahrilas, P; Dent, J; Jones, R

2007-11-01

A world-wide recognised and accepted definition and classification of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) would be highly desirable for research and clinical practice. The purpose of this project was to develop such a generally accepted definition and classification that could be used equally by patients, physicians, and supervisory bodies. In order to ensure a consensus among the participating experts a modified delphi process with a step-wise selection modality was employed. For this the working group of five persons formulated a series of statements on the basis of a systematic search of the literature using three databases (Embase, Cochrane-Study register, Medline). Then these statements were developed further for two years, revised and finally passed as consensus. The consensus group consisted of 44 experts from 18 countries. Each key vote was held on the basis of a six-point scale. A "consensus" was considered to have been reached when two-thirds of the participants voted in favour of the respective statement. The level of agreement between the experts increased in the course of the multistep decision process, in the individual voting steps requiring at least two-thirds of the participants, the results were at first 86%, then 88% through to 94% and finally 100% in favour of the chosen statement. In the final voting, 94% of the final 51 statements were accepted by 90% of the consensus group. 90% of all statements were accepted unanimously or with only minor reservations. GERD was defined as a disease that is associated with troublesome symptoms and/or complications on account of reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. The complaints are divided into esophageal and extra-esophageal syndromes. Among the novel aspects of this definition are the patient-orientated approach that is independent of endoscopic findings, the classification of the ailment into independent syndromes as well as the consideration of laryngitis, cough, asthma and dental problems as possible GERD syndromes. Furthermore, a new definition of suspected or demonstrated Barrett's esophagus is proposed. Irrespective of country-specific differences in terminology, language, prevalence and manifestations of this disease, evidence-based, world-wide valid consensus definitions are possible. A global consensus definition of GERD will simplify disease management, make mutual research possible and help in the design of generally valid studies. This will not only help the patient but also the physician and supervisory bodies.

2013 American College of Rheumatology/European League against rheumatism classification criteria for systemic sclerosis outperform the 1980 criteria: data from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group.

PubMed

Alhajeri, Hebah; Hudson, Marie; Fritzler, Marvin; Pope, Janet; Tatibouet, Solène; Markland, Janet; Robinson, David; Jones, Niall; Khalidi, Nader; Docherty, Peter; Kaminska, Elzbieta; Masetto, Ariel; Sutton, Evelyn; Mathieu, Jean-Pierre; Ligier, Sophie; Grodzicky, Tamara; LeClercq, Sharon; Thorne, Carter; Gyger, Geneviève; Smith, Douglas; Fortin, Paul R; Larché, Maggie; Baron, Murray

2015-04-01

The goal of this study was to determine the sensitivity of the new 2013 classification criteria for systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma) in an independent cohort of SSc subjects and to assess the contribution of individual items of the criteria to the overall sensitivity. SSc subjects from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group cohort were assessed. Sensitivity was determined in several subgroups of patients. In patients without the criterion of skin thickening proximal to the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints, we recalculated sensitivity after removing the individual criterion. A total of 724 SSc patients were included. Most were women (86%), mean age was 55.8 years, mean disease duration was 10.9 years, and 59% had limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc). Overall, the sensitivity of the 2013 criteria was 98.3% compared to 88.3% for the 1980 criteria. This pattern was consistent among those with lcSSc (98.8% versus 85.6%), anticentromere antibodies (98.9% versus 79.8%), disease duration ≤3 years (98.7% versus 84.7%), and no skin involvement proximal to the MCP joints (97% versus 60%). In the latter subgroup, removing Raynaud's phenomenon and sclerodactyly from the criteria reduced the sensitivity to 77% and 79%, respectively. Removing both sclerodactyly and puffy fingers reduced the sensitivity to 62%. The 2013 SSc classification criteria classify more SSc patients than the 1980 criteria. The improvement in sensitivity is most striking in those with lcSSc, especially those without skin involvement proximal to the MCP joints. The addition of Raynaud's phenomenon and puffy fingers to the 2013 criteria accounts for important gains in sensitivity. Copyright © 2015 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Novel high/low solubility classification methods for new molecular entities.

PubMed

Dave, Rutwij A; Morris, Marilyn E

2016-09-10

This research describes a rapid solubility classification approach that could be used in the discovery and development of new molecular entities. Compounds (N=635) were divided into two groups based on information available in the literature: high solubility (BDDCS/BCS 1/3) and low solubility (BDDCS/BCS 2/4). We established decision rules for determining solubility classes using measured log solubility in molar units (MLogSM) or measured solubility (MSol) in mg/ml units. ROC curve analysis was applied to determine statistically significant threshold values of MSol and MLogSM. Results indicated that NMEs with MLogSM>-3.05 or MSol>0.30mg/mL will have ≥85% probability of being highly soluble and new molecular entities with MLogSM≤-3.05 or MSol≤0.30mg/mL will have ≥85% probability of being poorly soluble. When comparing solubility classification using the threshold values of MLogSM or MSol with BDDCS, we were able to correctly classify 85% of compounds. We also evaluated solubility classification of an independent set of 108 orally administered drugs using MSol (0.3mg/mL) and our method correctly classified 81% and 95% of compounds into high and low solubility classes, respectively. The high/low solubility classification using MLogSM or MSol is novel and independent of traditionally used dose number criteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How a national vegetation classification can help ecological research and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franklin, Scott; Comer, Patrick; Evens, Julie; Ezcurra, Exequiel; Faber-Langendoen, Don; Franklin, Janet; Jennings, Michael; Josse, Carmen; Lea, Chris; Loucks, Orie; Muldavin, Esteban; Peet, Robert K.; Ponomarenko, Serguei; Roberts, David G.; Solomeshch, Ayzik; Keeler-Wolf, Todd; Van Kley, James; Weakley, Alan; McKerrow, Alexa; Burke, Marianne; Spurrier, Carol

2015-01-01

The elegance of classification lies in its ability to compile and systematize various terminological conventions and masses of information that are unattainable during typical research projects. Imagine a discipline without standards for collection, analysis, and interpretation; unfortunately, that describes much of 20th-century vegetation ecology. With differing methods, how do we assess community dynamics over decades, much less centuries? How do we compare plant communities from different areas? The need for a widely applied vegetation classification has long been clear. Now imagine a multi-decade effort to assimilate hundreds of disparate vegetation classifications into one common classification for the US. In this letter, we introduce the US National Vegetation Classification (USNVC; www.usnvc.org) as a powerful tool for research and conservation, analogous to the argument made by Schimel and Chadwick (2013) for soils. The USNVC provides a national framework to classify and describe vegetation; here we describe the USNVC and offer brief examples of its efficacy.

An objective and parsimonious approach for classifying natural flow regimes at a continental scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archfield, S. A.; Kennen, J.; Carlisle, D.; Wolock, D.

2013-12-01

Hydroecological stream classification--the process of grouping streams by similar hydrologic responses and, thereby, similar aquatic habitat--has been widely accepted and is often one of the first steps towards developing ecological flow targets. Despite its importance, the last national classification of streamgauges was completed about 20 years ago. A new classification of 1,534 streamgauges in the contiguous United States is presented using a novel and parsimonious approach to understand similarity in ecological streamflow response. This new classification approach uses seven fundamental daily streamflow statistics (FDSS) rather than winnowing down an uncorrelated subset from 200 or more ecologically relevant streamflow statistics (ERSS) commonly used in hydroecological classification studies. The results of this investigation demonstrate that the distributions of 33 tested ERSS are consistently different among the classes derived from the seven FDSS. It is further shown that classification based solely on the 33 ERSS generally does a poorer job in grouping similar streamgauges than the classification based on the seven FDSS. This new classification approach has the additional advantages of overcoming some of the subjectivity associated with the selection of the classification variables and provides a set of robust continental-scale classes of US streamgauges.

Group-Based Active Learning of Classification Models.

PubMed

Luo, Zhipeng; Hauskrecht, Milos

2017-05-01

Learning of classification models from real-world data often requires additional human expert effort to annotate the data. However, this process can be rather costly and finding ways of reducing the human annotation effort is critical for this task. The objective of this paper is to develop and study new ways of providing human feedback for efficient learning of classification models by labeling groups of examples. Briefly, unlike traditional active learning methods that seek feedback on individual examples, we develop a new group-based active learning framework that solicits label information on groups of multiple examples. In order to describe groups in a user-friendly way, conjunctive patterns are used to compactly represent groups. Our empirical study on 12 UCI data sets demonstrates the advantages and superiority of our approach over both classic instance-based active learning work, as well as existing group-based active-learning methods.

Standardization of uveitis nomenclature for reporting clinical data. Results of the First International Workshop.

PubMed

Jabs, Douglas A; Nussenblatt, Robert B; Rosenbaum, James T

2005-09-01

To begin a process of standardizing the methods for reporting clinical data in the field of uveitis. Consensus workshop. Members of an international working group were surveyed about diagnostic terminology, inflammation grading schema, and outcome measures, and the results used to develop a series of proposals to better standardize the use of these entities. Small groups employed nominal group techniques to achieve consensus on several of these issues. The group affirmed that an anatomic classification of uveitis should be used as a framework for subsequent work on diagnostic criteria for specific uveitic syndromes, and that the classification of uveitis entities should be on the basis of the location of the inflammation and not on the presence of structural complications. Issues regarding the use of the terms "intermediate uveitis," "pars planitis," "panuveitis," and descriptors of the onset and course of the uveitis were addressed. The following were adopted: standardized grading schema for anterior chamber cells, anterior chamber flare, and for vitreous haze; standardized methods of recording structural complications of uveitis; standardized definitions of outcomes, including "inactive" inflammation, "improvement'; and "worsening" of the inflammation, and "corticosteroid sparing," and standardized guidelines for reporting visual acuity outcomes. A process of standardizing the approach to reporting clinical data in uveitis research has begun, and several terms have been standardized.

[Study on biopharmaceutics classification system for Chinese materia medica of extract of Huanglian].

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Yin, Xiu-Wen; Wang, Zi-Yu; Li, Xue-Lian; Pan, Meng; Li, Yan-Ping; Dong, Ling

2017-11-01

One of the advantages of biopharmaceutics classification system of Chinese materia medica (CMMBCS) is expanding the classification research level from single ingredient to multi-components of Chinese herb, and from multi-components research to holistic research of the Chinese materia medica. In present paper, the alkaloids of extract of huanglian were chosen as the main research object to explore their change rules in solubility and intestinal permeability of single-component and multi-components, and to determine the biopharmaceutical classification of extract of Huanglian from holistic level. The typical shake-flask method and HPLC were used to detect the solubility of single ingredient of alkaloids from extract of huanglian. The quantitative research of alkaloids in intestinal absorption was measured in single-pass intestinal perfusion experiment while permeability coefficient of extract of huanglian was calculated by self-defined weight coefficient method. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Framing of scientific knowledge as a new category of health care research.

PubMed

Salvador-Carulla, Luis; Fernandez, Ana; Madden, Rosamond; Lukersmith, Sue; Colagiuri, Ruth; Torkfar, Ghazal; Sturmberg, Joachim

2014-12-01

The new area of health system research requires a revision of the taxonomy of scientific knowledge that may facilitate a better understanding and representation of complex health phenomena in research discovery, corroboration and implementation. A position paper by an expert group following and iterative approach. 'Scientific evidence' should be differentiated from 'elicited knowledge' of experts and users, and this latter typology should be described beyond the traditional qualitative framework. Within this context 'framing of scientific knowledge' (FSK) is defined as a group of studies of prior expert knowledge specifically aimed at generating formal scientific frames. To be distinguished from other unstructured frames, FSK must be explicit, standardized, based on the available evidence, agreed by a group of experts and subdued to the principles of commensurability, transparency for corroboration and transferability that characterize scientific research. A preliminary typology of scientific framing studies is presented. This typology includes, among others, health declarations, position papers, expert-based clinical guides, conceptual maps, classifications, expert-driven health atlases and expert-driven studies of costs and burden of illness. This grouping of expert-based studies constitutes a different kind of scientific knowledge and should be clearly differentiated from 'evidence' gathered from experimental and observational studies in health system research. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparison of machine learning and semi-quantification algorithms for (I123)FP-CIT classification: the beginning of the end for semi-quantification?

PubMed

Taylor, Jonathan Christopher; Fenner, John Wesley

2017-11-29

Semi-quantification methods are well established in the clinic for assisted reporting of (I123) Ioflupane images. Arguably, these are limited diagnostic tools. Recent research has demonstrated the potential for improved classification performance offered by machine learning algorithms. A direct comparison between methods is required to establish whether a move towards widespread clinical adoption of machine learning algorithms is justified. This study compared three machine learning algorithms with that of a range of semi-quantification methods, using the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) research database and a locally derived clinical database for validation. Machine learning algorithms were based on support vector machine classifiers with three different sets of features: Voxel intensities Principal components of image voxel intensities Striatal binding radios from the putamen and caudate. Semi-quantification methods were based on striatal binding ratios (SBRs) from both putamina, with and without consideration of the caudates. Normal limits for the SBRs were defined through four different methods: Minimum of age-matched controls Mean minus 1/1.5/2 standard deviations from age-matched controls Linear regression of normal patient data against age (minus 1/1.5/2 standard errors) Selection of the optimum operating point on the receiver operator characteristic curve from normal and abnormal training data Each machine learning and semi-quantification technique was evaluated with stratified, nested 10-fold cross-validation, repeated 10 times. The mean accuracy of the semi-quantitative methods for classification of local data into Parkinsonian and non-Parkinsonian groups varied from 0.78 to 0.87, contrasting with 0.89 to 0.95 for classifying PPMI data into healthy controls and Parkinson's disease groups. The machine learning algorithms gave mean accuracies between 0.88 to 0.92 and 0.95 to 0.97 for local and PPMI data respectively. Classification performance was lower for the local database than the research database for both semi-quantitative and machine learning algorithms. However, for both databases, the machine learning methods generated equal or higher mean accuracies (with lower variance) than any of the semi-quantification approaches. The gain in performance from using machine learning algorithms as compared to semi-quantification was relatively small and may be insufficient, when considered in isolation, to offer significant advantages in the clinical context.

Risk factors contributing to a poor prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma: validity of UICC/AJCC TNM classification and stage grouping.

PubMed

Ito, Yasuhiro; Miyauchi, Akira; Jikuzono, Tomoo; Higashiyama, Takuya; Takamura, Yuuki; Miya, Akihiro; Kobayashi, Kaoru; Matsuzuka, Fumio; Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Kuma, Kanji

2007-04-01

In 2002, the UICC/AJCC TNM classification for papillary thyroid carcinoma was revised. In this study, we examined the validity of this classification system by investigating the predictors of disease-free survival (DFS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) in patients. We examined various clinicopathological features, including the component of the TNM classification, for 1,740 patients who underwent initial and curative surgery for papillary carcinoma between 1987 and 1995. Clinical and pathological T4a, clinical N1b in the TNM classification, and patient age were recognized as independent predictors of not only DFS, but also CSS of patients. Tumor size, male gender, and central node metastasis independently affected DFS only. There were 1,005 pathological N1b patients, but pathological N1b did not independently affect either DFS or CSS. Regarding the stage grouping, clinical stage IVA including clinical N1b more clearly affected DFS and CSS than pathological stage IVA including pathological N1b. Clinical stage grouping was more useful than pathological stage grouping for predicting the prognosis of papillary carcinoma patients possibly because pathological stage overestimates the biological characteristics of many pathological N1b tumors.

Loneliness, social isolation and social relationships: what are we measuring? A novel framework for classifying and comparing tools.

PubMed

Valtorta, Nicole K; Kanaan, Mona; Gilbody, Simon; Hanratty, Barbara

2016-04-18

We present a novel way of classifying and comparing measures of social relationships to help readers interpret the growing literature on loneliness and social isolation and to provide researchers with a starting point to guide their choice of measuring tool. Measures of social relationships used in epidemiological studies were identified from two systematic reviews-one review on the association between social relationships and health and social care service use, and a second review on the association between social relationships and health. Questions from each measure were retrieved and tabulated to derive a classification of social relationship measures. We present a classification of measures according to two dimensions: (1) whether instruments cover structural or functional aspects of social relationships and (2) the degree of subjectivity asked of respondents. We explain how this classification can be used to clarify the remit of the many questionnaires used in the literature and to compare them. Different dimensions of social relationships are likely to have different implications for health. Our classification of social relationship measures transcends disciplinary and conceptual boundaries, allowing researchers to compare tools that developed from different theoretical perspectives. Careful choice of measures is essential to further our understanding of the links between social relationships and health, to identify people in need of help and to design appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

The PLATINO study: description of the distribution, stability, and mortality according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease classification from 2007 to 2017.

PubMed

Menezes, Ana M; Wehrmeister, Fernando C; Perez-Padilla, Rogelio; Viana, Karynna P; Soares, Claudia; Müllerova, Hana; Valdivia, Gonzalo; Jardim, José R; Montes de Oca, Maria

2017-01-01

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) report provides a framework for classifying COPD reflecting the impacts of disease on patients and for targeting treatment recommendations. The GOLD 2017 introduced a new classification with 16 subgroups based on a composite of spirometry and symptoms/exacerbations. Data from the population-based PLATINO study, collected at baseline and at follow-up, in three sites in Latin America were analyzed to compare the following: 1) the distribution of COPD patients according to GOLD 2007, 2013, and 2017; 2) the stability of the 2007 and 2013 classifications; and 3) the mortality rate over time stratified by GOLD 2007, 2013, and 2017. Of the 524 COPD patients evaluated, most of them were classified as Grade I or II (GOLD 2007) and Group A or B (GOLD 2013), with ≈70% of those classified as Group A in GOLD 2013 also classified as Grade I in GOLD 2007 and the highest percentage (41%) in Group D (2013) classified as Grade III (2007). According to GOLD 2017, among patients with Grade I airflow limitation, 69% of them were categorized into Group A, whereas Grade IV patients were more evenly distributed among Groups A-D. Most of the patients classified by GOLD 2007 remained in the same airflow limitation group at the follow-up; a greater temporal variability was observed with GOLD 2013 classification. Incidence-mortality rate in patients classified by GOLD 2007 was positively associated with increasing severity of airflow obstruction; for GOLD 2013 and GOLD 2017 (Groups A-D), highest mortality rates were observed in Groups C and D. No clear pattern was observed for mortality across the GOLD 2017 subgroups. The PLATINO study data suggest that GOLD 2007 classification shows more stability over time compared with GOLD 2013. No clear patterns with respect to the distribution of patients or incidence-mortality rates were observed according to GOLD 2013/2017 classification.

A new classification of a preovulatory oocyte maturation stage suitable for the synchronization of ovulation in controlled reproduction of Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis L.

PubMed

Zarski, Daniel; Bokor, Zoltán; Kotrik, László; Urbanyi, Béla; Horváth, Akos; Targońska, Katarzyna; Krejszeff, Sławomir; Palińska, Katarzyna; Kucharczyk, Dariusz

2011-11-01

To improve controlled reproduction of Eurasian perch Perca fluviatilis, the criteria for the evaluation of final oocyte maturation stages were revised. The new classification covers six preovulatory maturational stages (I -VI) from the end of vitellogenesis to germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and was based on macroscopic changes of preovulatory oocytes (position of the germinal vesicle, GVBD, oil droplets coalescence). The observation was performed during out-of-season artificial reproduction with the use of a single hCG injection (500 IU/kg). The classification was subsequently verified with the controlled reproduction of wild female perch with the use of hormonal stimulation (500 IU hCG/kg of body weight at 12°C). The females were at different maturational stages and constituted respective experimental groups (I-VI). During the experiment, ovulation appeared to be considerably synchronized within particular groups. Statistical differences in latency time (time between hormonal treatment and ovulation) were found between experimental groups (mean latency time: 110, 92, 68, 49, 29 and 18 h in groups representing VI, V, IV, III, II and I stage of the proposed classification, respectively). The proposed classification and the results presented in the study allowed for effective synchronisation of ovulation. The use of our new oocyte maturation classification may positively influence the effectiveness of Eurasian perch production.

[Current situation of toxicity classification of Chinese materia medica and its research thoughts].

PubMed

Sun, Wenyan; Hou, Xiujuan; Wang, Bin; Zhu, Yuelan; Zhang, Shuofeng; Chang, Hongsheng; Sun, Jianning

2012-08-01

Toxicity of Chinese materia medica (CMM) is an important part of Chinese herbal nature theory. In clinical application, the dosage, time limitation and compatibility of CMM is mainly determined by toxicity. At present, there is no uniform toxicity classification standard for the evaluation of Chinese herbal toxicity. Therefore, it is significant to research toxicity classification of CMM. The current situation of toxicity classification of CMM is reviewed in this paper, and proposed research thoughts are as follows: the measurement of toxicity parameters, the confirmation of poisoning target organs, the investigation on toxic mechanism by serum pharmacology and toxicokinetics, the comprehensive evaluation on toxicity based on quantitative theory.

Translation of the Department of Defense Disease and Injury Codes to the Eighth Revision International Classification of Diseases for use by the Military Services.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

with, the DDDIC entity. 3. The ICDA-8 contracts groups of diseases or accidents which had been presented in expanded form in the DDDIC. Example: DDDIC...DDDIC. 4. The ICDA-8 expands groups of entities which had been presented in more condensed folin in the DDDIC. Example: DDDIC ICDA-8 Code Ntmuber Code...rapidly find a disease entity and all closely related entities. At the Naval Health Research Center (N11RC) a new code nunber was given to each

Hypothesis-driven classification of materials using nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Espy, Michelle A.; Matlashov, Andrei N.; Schultz, Larry J.

Technologies related to identification of a substance in an optimized manner are provided. A reference group of known materials is identified. Each known material has known values for several classification parameters. The classification parameters comprise at least one of T.sub.1, T.sub.2, T.sub.1.rho., a relative nuclear susceptibility (RNS) of the substance, and an x-ray linear attenuation coefficient (LAC) of the substance. A measurement sequence is optimized based on at least one of a measurement cost of each of the classification parameters and an initial probability of each of the known materials in the reference group.

Is victim identity in genocide a question of science or law? The scientific perspective, with special reference to Darfur.

PubMed

Komar, Debra

2008-09-01

In genocide, victims must represent an ethnic, racial, religious or national group. But is victim identity a question of science or law? Must victims be a socially recognized group or can group identity exist solely in the mind of the perpetrator? This question is relevant to the on-going crisis in Darfur. The "Arab-on-African" violence depicted in the media encompasses identities not shared by Darfurians. This study details an evaluation of victim identity in Darfur, based on field research and literature review. Darfurians are defined by subsistence strategy and economic groups are not protected under genocide law. Whether Darfur is genocide depends on whether victims must conform to scientific group classifications or need only be defined by their relationship to the perpetrators.

CLASSIFICATION FRAMEWORK FOR COASTAL ECOSYSTEM RESPONSES TO AQUATIC STRESSORS

EPA Science Inventory

Many classification schemes have been developed to group ecosystems based on similar characteristics. To date, however, no single scheme has addressed coastal ecosystem responses to multiple stressors. We developed a classification framework for coastal ecosystems to improve the ...

Evaluation of Urinary Tract Dilation Classification System for Grading Postnatal Hydronephrosis.

PubMed

Hodhod, Amr; Capolicchio, John-Paul; Jednak, Roman; El-Sherif, Eid; El-Doray, Abd El-Alim; El-Sherbiny, Mohamed

2016-03-01

We assessed the reliability and validity of the Urinary Tract Dilation classification system as a new grading system for postnatal hydronephrosis. We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients who presented with hydronephrosis from 2008 to 2013. We included patients diagnosed prenatally and those with hydronephrosis discovered incidentally during the first year of life. We excluded cases involving urinary tract infection, neurogenic bladder and chromosomal anomalies, those associated with extraurinary congenital malformations and those with followup of less than 24 months without resolution. Hydronephrosis was graded postnatally using the Society for Fetal Urology system, and then the management protocol was chosen. All units were regraded using the Urinary Tract Dilation classification system and compared to the Society for Fetal Urology system to assess reliability. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the validity of the Urinary Tract Dilation classification system in predicting hydronephrosis resolution and surgical intervention. A total of 490 patients (730 renal units) were eligible to participate. The Urinary Tract Dilation classification system was reliable in the assessment of hydronephrosis (parallel forms 0.92). Hydronephrosis resolved in 357 units (49%), and 86 units (12%) were managed by surgical intervention. The remainder of renal units demonstrated stable or improved hydronephrosis. Multivariate analysis revealed that the likelihood of surgical intervention was predicted independently by Urinary Tract Dilation classification system risk group, while Society for Fetal Urology grades were predictive of likelihood of resolution. The Urinary Tract Dilation classification system is reliable for evaluation of postnatal hydronephrosis and is valid in predicting surgical intervention. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of EEG-Features and Classification Methods for Motor Imagery in Patients with Disorders of Consciousness

PubMed Central

Höller, Yvonne; Bergmann, Jürgen; Thomschewski, Aljoscha; Kronbichler, Martin; Höller, Peter; Crone, Julia S.; Schmid, Elisabeth V.; Butz, Kevin; Nardone, Raffaele; Trinka, Eugen

2013-01-01

Current research aims at identifying voluntary brain activation in patients who are behaviorally diagnosed as being unconscious, but are able to perform commands by modulating their brain activity patterns. This involves machine learning techniques and feature extraction methods such as applied in brain computer interfaces. In this study, we try to answer the question if features/classification methods which show advantages in healthy participants are also accurate when applied to data of patients with disorders of consciousness. A sample of healthy participants (N = 22), patients in a minimally conscious state (MCS; N = 5), and with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS; N = 9) was examined with a motor imagery task which involved imagery of moving both hands and an instruction to hold both hands firm. We extracted a set of 20 features from the electroencephalogram and used linear discriminant analysis, k-nearest neighbor classification, and support vector machines (SVM) as classification methods. In healthy participants, the best classification accuracies were seen with coherences (mean = .79; range = .53−.94) and power spectra (mean = .69; range = .40−.85). The coherence patterns in healthy participants did not match the expectation of central modulated -rhythm. Instead, coherence involved mainly frontal regions. In healthy participants, the best classification tool was SVM. Five patients had at least one feature-classifier outcome with p0.05 (none of which were coherence or power spectra), though none remained significant after false-discovery rate correction for multiple comparisons. The present work suggests the use of coherences in patients with disorders of consciousness because they show high reliability among healthy subjects and patient groups. However, feature extraction and classification is a challenging task in unresponsive patients because there is no ground truth to validate the results. PMID:24282545

EULAR/ACR classification criteria for adult and juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and their major subgroups: a methodology report

PubMed Central

Bottai, Matteo; Tjärnlund, Anna; Santoni, Giola; Werth, Victoria P; Pilkington, Clarissa; de Visser, Marianne; Alfredsson, Lars; Amato, Anthony A; Barohn, Richard J; Liang, Matthew H; Aggarwal, Rohit; Arnardottir, Snjolaug; Chinoy, Hector; Cooper, Robert G; Danko, Katalin; Dimachkie, Mazen M; Feldman, Brian M; García-De La Torre, Ignacio; Gordon, Patrick; Hayashi, Taichi; Katz, James D; Kohsaka, Hitoshi; Lachenbruch, Peter A; Lang, Bianca A; Li, Yuhui; Oddis, Chester V; Olesinka, Marzena; Reed, Ann M; Rutkowska-Sak, Lidia; Sanner, Helga; Selva-O’Callaghan, Albert; Wook Song, Yeong; Ytterberg, Steven R; Miller, Frederick W; Rider, Lisa G; Lundberg, Ingrid E; Amoruso, Maria

2017-01-01

Objective To describe the methodology used to develop new classification criteria for adult and juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) and their major subgroups. Methods An international, multidisciplinary group of myositis experts produced a set of 93 potentially relevant variables to be tested for inclusion in the criteria. Rheumatology, dermatology, neurology and paediatric clinics worldwide collected data on 976 IIM cases (74% adults, 26% children) and 624 non-IIM comparator cases with mimicking conditions (82% adults, 18% children). The participating clinicians classified each case as IIM or non-IIM. Generally, the classification of any given patient was based on few variables, leaving remaining variables unmeasured. We investigated the strength of the association between all variables and between these and the disease status as determined by the physician. We considered three approaches: (1) a probability-score approach, (2) a sum-of-items approach criteria and (3) a classification-tree approach. Results The approaches yielded several candidate models that were scrutinised with respect to statistical performance and clinical relevance. The probability-score approach showed superior statistical performance and clinical practicability and was therefore preferred over the others. We developed a classification tree for subclassification of patients with IIM. A calculator for electronic devices, such as computers and smartphones, facilitates the use of the European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology (EULAR/ACR) classification criteria. Conclusions The new EULAR/ACR classification criteria provide a patient’s probability of having IIM for use in clinical and research settings. The probability is based on a score obtained by summing the weights associated with a set of criteria items. PMID:29177080

Application of the IFSSH(3)-classification for congenital anomalies of the hand; results and problems.

PubMed

De Smet, L; Matton, G; Monstrey, S; Cambier, E; Fabry, G

1997-09-01

The extended classification proposed by the IFSSH was used to classify 1013 hand anomalies in 925 hands of 650 patients. We found associated anomalies in 26.7%. The classification was straightforward in 86%, difficult in 6.6% and not possible in 7.8%. In group I the radial and ulnar deficiencies, limited to the hand and without forearm deficiencies should be included. Group II was the most important group including 513 anomalies. We propose to include in this group the Madelung deformity, the Kirner deformity and congenital trigger fingers and trigger thumbs. Triphalangeal thumbs are a problem, we suggest to list this anomaly in group III and to consider it as a duplication in length. It is not always possible to evaluate the (transverse) absence of the fingers or hand. Longitudinal deficiencies (group IIB), symbrachydactyly group (V) and amniotic bands (group VI) occasionally develop a phenotype similar to the genuine transverse deficiency (group IA).

Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in workers: classification and health surveillance - statements of the Scientific Committee on Musculoskeletal Disorders of the International Commission on Occupational Health.

PubMed

Hagberg, Mats; Violante, Francesco Saverio; Bonfiglioli, Roberta; Descatha, Alexis; Gold, Judith; Evanoff, Brad; Sluiter, Judith K

2012-06-21

The underlying purpose of this commentary and position paper is to achieve evidence-based recommendations on prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Such prevention can take different forms (primary, secondary and tertiary), occur at different levels (i.e. in a clinical setting, at the workplace, at national level) and involve several types of activities. Members of the Scientific Committee (SC) on MSDs of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) and other interested scientists and members of the public recently discussed the scientific and clinical future of prevention of (work-related) MSDs during five round-table sessions at two ICOH conferences (in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2009, and in Angers, France, in 2010). Approximately 50 researchers participated in each of the sessions. More specifically, the sessions aimed to discuss new developments since 1996 in measures and classification systems used both in research and in practice, and agree on future needs in the field. The discussion focused on three questions: At what degree of severity does musculoskeletal ill health, and do health problems related to MSDs, in an individual worker or in a group of workers justify preventive action in occupational health? What reliable and valid instruments do we have in research to distinguish 'normal musculoskeletal symptoms' from 'serious musculoskeletal symptoms' in workers? What measures or classification system of musculoskeletal health will we need in the near future to address musculoskeletal health and related work ability? Four new, agreed-upon statements were extrapolated from the discussions: 1. Musculoskeletal discomfort that is at risk of worsening with work activities, and that affects work ability or quality of life, needs to be identified. 2. We need to know our options of actions before identifying workers at risk (providing evidence-based medicine and applying the principle of best practice). 3. Classification systems and measures must include aspects such as the severity, frequency, and intensity of pain, as well as measures of impairment of functioning, which can help in prevention, treatment and prognosis. 4. We need to be aware of economic and/or socio-cultural consequences of classification systems and measures.

T-Shirt Tangle.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Wilma

1986-01-01

Describes an exercise in which students cut out T-shirt drawings, sort the T-shirts into groups, and "write" a classification essay by pasting the T-shirts on sheet of paper. The T-shirts in each group become the examples used in one body paragraph of the classification essay. (HTH)

46 CFR 188.10-59 - Recognized classification society.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Recognized classification society. 188.10-59 Section 188.10-59 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH... classification society. This term means the American Bureau of Shipping or other classification society...

46 CFR 188.10-59 - Recognized classification society.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Recognized classification society. 188.10-59 Section 188.10-59 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH... classification society. This term means the American Bureau of Shipping or other classification society...

Classification of Forefoot Plantar Pressure Distribution in Persons with Diabetes: A Novel Perspective for the Mechanical Management of Diabetic Foot?

PubMed Central

Deschamps, Kevin; Matricali, Giovanni Arnoldo; Roosen, Philip; Desloovere, Kaat; Bruyninckx, Herman; Spaepen, Pieter; Nobels, Frank; Tits, Jos; Flour, Mieke; Staes, Filip

2013-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to identify groups of subjects with similar patterns of forefoot loading and verify if specific groups of patients with diabetes could be isolated from non-diabetics. Methodology/Principal Findings Ninety-seven patients with diabetes and 33 control participants between 45 and 70 years were prospectively recruited in two Belgian Diabetic Foot Clinics. Barefoot plantar pressure measurements were recorded and subsequently analysed using a semi-automatic total mapping technique. Kmeans cluster analysis was applied on relative regional impulses of six forefoot segments in order to pursue a classification for the control group separately, the diabetic group separately and both groups together. Cluster analysis led to identification of three distinct groups when considering only the control group. For the diabetic group, and the computation considering both groups together, four distinct groups were isolated. Compared to the cluster analysis of the control group an additional forefoot loading pattern was identified. This group comprised diabetic feet only. The relevance of the reported clusters was supported by ANOVA statistics indicating significant differences between different regions of interest and different clusters. Conclusion/s Significance There seems to emerge a new era in diabetic foot medicine which embraces the classification of diabetic patients according to their biomechanical profile. Classification of the plantar pressure distribution has the potential to provide a means to determine mechanical interventions for the prevention and/or treatment of the diabetic foot. PMID:24278219

Automated feature extraction and classification from image sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1995-01-01

The U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and Unisys Corporation have completed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to explore automated feature extraction and classification from image sources. The CRADA helped the USGS define the spectral and spatial resolution characteristics of airborne and satellite imaging sensors necessary to meet base cartographic and land use and land cover feature classification requirements and help develop future automated geographic and cartographic data production capabilities. The USGS is seeking a new commercial partner to continue automated feature extraction and classification research and development.

Flying insect detection and classification with inexpensive sensors.

PubMed

Chen, Yanping; Why, Adena; Batista, Gustavo; Mafra-Neto, Agenor; Keogh, Eamonn

2014-10-15

An inexpensive, noninvasive system that could accurately classify flying insects would have important implications for entomological research, and allow for the development of many useful applications in vector and pest control for both medical and agricultural entomology. Given this, the last sixty years have seen many research efforts devoted to this task. To date, however, none of this research has had a lasting impact. In this work, we show that pseudo-acoustic optical sensors can produce superior data; that additional features, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the insect's flight behavior, can be exploited to improve insect classification; that a Bayesian classification approach allows to efficiently learn classification models that are very robust to over-fitting, and a general classification framework allows to easily incorporate arbitrary number of features. We demonstrate the findings with large-scale experiments that dwarf all previous works combined, as measured by the number of insects and the number of species considered.

Flying Insect Detection and Classification with Inexpensive Sensors

PubMed Central

Chen, Yanping; Why, Adena; Batista, Gustavo; Mafra-Neto, Agenor; Keogh, Eamonn

2014-01-01

An inexpensive, noninvasive system that could accurately classify flying insects would have important implications for entomological research, and allow for the development of many useful applications in vector and pest control for both medical and agricultural entomology. Given this, the last sixty years have seen many research efforts devoted to this task. To date, however, none of this research has had a lasting impact. In this work, we show that pseudo-acoustic optical sensors can produce superior data; that additional features, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the insect’s flight behavior, can be exploited to improve insect classification; that a Bayesian classification approach allows to efficiently learn classification models that are very robust to over-fitting, and a general classification framework allows to easily incorporate arbitrary number of features. We demonstrate the findings with large-scale experiments that dwarf all previous works combined, as measured by the number of insects and the number of species considered. PMID:25350921

Multi-Temporal Land Cover Classification with Long Short-Term Memory Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rußwurm, M.; Körner, M.

2017-05-01

Land cover classification (LCC) is a central and wide field of research in earth observation and has already put forth a variety of classification techniques. Many approaches are based on classification techniques considering observation at certain points in time. However, some land cover classes, such as crops, change their spectral characteristics due to environmental influences and can thus not be monitored effectively with classical mono-temporal approaches. Nevertheless, these temporal observations should be utilized to benefit the classification process. After extensive research has been conducted on modeling temporal dynamics by spectro-temporal profiles using vegetation indices, we propose a deep learning approach to utilize these temporal characteristics for classification tasks. In this work, we show how long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks can be employed for crop identification purposes with SENTINEL 2A observations from large study areas and label information provided by local authorities. We compare these temporal neural network models, i.e., LSTM and recurrent neural network (RNN), with a classical non-temporal convolutional neural network (CNN) model and an additional support vector machine (SVM) baseline. With our rather straightforward LSTM variant, we exceeded state-of-the-art classification performance, thus opening promising potential for further research.

The neuropsychology of male adults with high-functioning autism or asperger syndrome.

PubMed

Wilson, C Ellie; Happé, Francesca; Wheelwright, Sally J; Ecker, Christine; Lombardo, Michael V; Johnston, Patrick; Daly, Eileen; Murphy, Clodagh M; Spain, Debbie; Lai, Meng-Chuan; Chakrabarti, Bhismadev; Sauter, Disa A; Baron-Cohen, Simon; Murphy, Declan G M

2014-10-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is diagnosed on the basis of behavioral symptoms, but cognitive abilities may also be useful in characterizing individuals with ASD. One hundred seventy-eight high-functioning male adults, half with ASD and half without, completed tasks assessing IQ, a broad range of cognitive skills, and autistic and comorbid symptomatology. The aims of the study were, first, to determine whether significant differences existed between cases and controls on cognitive tasks, and whether cognitive profiles, derived using a multivariate classification method with data from multiple cognitive tasks, could distinguish between the two groups. Second, to establish whether cognitive skill level was correlated with degree of autistic symptom severity, and third, whether cognitive skill level was correlated with degree of comorbid psychopathology. Fourth, cognitive characteristics of individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and high-functioning autism (HFA) were compared. After controlling for IQ, ASD and control groups scored significantly differently on tasks of social cognition, motor performance, and executive function (P's < 0.05). To investigate cognitive profiles, 12 variables were entered into a support vector machine (SVM), which achieved good classification accuracy (81%) at a level significantly better than chance (P < 0.0001). After correcting for multiple correlations, there were no significant associations between cognitive performance and severity of either autistic or comorbid symptomatology. There were no significant differences between AS and HFA groups on the cognitive tasks. Cognitive classification models could be a useful aid to the diagnostic process when used in conjunction with other data sources-including clinical history. © 2014 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Acute myocardial infarction and diagnosis-related groups: patient classification and hospital reimbursement in 11 European countries.

PubMed

Quentin, Wilm; Rätto, Hanna; Peltola, Mikko; Busse, Reinhard; Häkkinen, Unto

2013-07-01

As part of the diagnosis related groups in Europe (EuroDRG) project, researchers from 11 countries (i.e. Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden) compared how their DRG systems deal with patients admitted to hospital for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The study aims to assist cardiologists and national authorities to optimize their DRG systems. National or regional databases were used to identify hospital cases with a primary diagnosis of AMI. Diagnosis-related group classification algorithms and indicators of resource consumption were compared for those DRGs that individually contained at least 1% of cases. Six standardized case vignettes were defined, and quasi prices according to national DRG-based hospital payment systems were ascertained. European DRG systems vary widely: they classify AMI patients according to different sets of variables into diverging numbers of DRGs (between 4 DRGs in Estonia and 16 DRGs in France). The most complex DRG is valued 11 times more resource intensive than an index case in Estonia but only 1.38 times more resource intensive than an index case in England. Comparisons of quasi prices for the case vignettes show that hypothetical payments for the index case amount to only €420 in Poland but to €7930 in Ireland. Large variation exists in the classification of AMI patients across Europe. Cardiologists and national DRG authorities should consider how other countries' DRG systems classify AMI patients in order to identify potential scope for improvement and to ensure fair and appropriate reimbursement.

Acute myocardial infarction and diagnosis-related groups: patient classification and hospital reimbursement in 11 European countries

PubMed Central

Quentin, Wilm; Rätto, Hanna; Peltola, Mikko; Busse, Reinhard; Häkkinen, Unto

2013-01-01

Aims As part of the diagnosis related groups in Europe (EuroDRG) project, researchers from 11 countries (i.e. Austria, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden) compared how their DRG systems deal with patients admitted to hospital for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The study aims to assist cardiologists and national authorities to optimize their DRG systems. Methods and results National or regional databases were used to identify hospital cases with a primary diagnosis of AMI. Diagnosis-related group classification algorithms and indicators of resource consumption were compared for those DRGs that individually contained at least 1% of cases. Six standardized case vignettes were defined, and quasi prices according to national DRG-based hospital payment systems were ascertained. European DRG systems vary widely: they classify AMI patients according to different sets of variables into diverging numbers of DRGs (between 4 DRGs in Estonia and 16 DRGs in France). The most complex DRG is valued 11 times more resource intensive than an index case in Estonia but only 1.38 times more resource intensive than an index case in England. Comparisons of quasi prices for the case vignettes show that hypothetical payments for the index case amount to only €420 in Poland but to €7930 in Ireland. Conclusions Large variation exists in the classification of AMI patients across Europe. Cardiologists and national DRG authorities should consider how other countries' DRG systems classify AMI patients in order to identify potential scope for improvement and to ensure fair and appropriate reimbursement. PMID:23364755

A method to assess obstetric outcomes using the 10-Group Classification System: a quantitative descriptive study

PubMed Central

Rossen, Janne; Lucovnik, Miha; Eggebø, Torbjørn Moe; Tul, Natasa; Murphy, Martina; Vistad, Ingvild; Robson, Michael

2017-01-01

Objectives Internationally, the 10-Group Classification System (TGCS) has been used to report caesarean section rates, but analysis of other outcomes is also recommended. We now aim to present the TGCS as a method to assess outcomes of labour and delivery using routine collection of perinatal information. Design This research is a methodological study to describe the use of the TGCS. Setting Stavanger University Hospital (SUH), Norway, National Maternity Hospital Dublin, Ireland and Slovenian National Perinatal Database (SLO), Slovenia. Participants 9848 women from SUH, Norway, 9250 women from National Maternity Hospital Dublin, Ireland and 106 167 women, from SLO, Slovenia. Main outcome measures All women were classified according to the TGCS within which caesarean section, oxytocin augmentation, epidural analgesia, operative vaginal deliveries, episiotomy, sphincter rupture, postpartum haemorrhage, blood transfusion, maternal age >35 years, body mass index >30, Apgar score, umbilical cord pH, hypoxic–ischaemic encephalopathy, antepartum and perinatal deaths were incorporated. Results There were significant differences in the sizes of the groups of women and the incidences of events and outcomes within the TGCS between the three perinatal databases. Conclusions The TGCS is a standardised objective classification system where events and outcomes of labour and delivery can be incorporated. Obstetric core events and outcomes should be agreed and defined to set standards of care. This method provides continuous and available observations from delivery wards, possibly used for further interpretation, questions and international comparisons. The definition of quality may vary in different units and can only be ascertained when all the necessary information is available and considered together. PMID:28706102

The Rise of Concussions in the Adolescent Population.

PubMed

Zhang, Alan L; Sing, David C; Rugg, Caitlin M; Feeley, Brian T; Senter, Carlin

2016-08-01

Concussion injuries have been highlighted to the American public through media and research. While recent studies have shown increased traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) diagnosed in emergency departments across the United States, no studies have evaluated trends in concussion diagnoses across the general US population in various age groups. To evaluate the current incidence and trends in concussions diagnosed across varying age groups and health care settings in a large cross-sectional population. Descriptive epidemiological study. Administrative health records of 8,828,248 members of a large private-payer insurance group in the United States were queried. Patients diagnosed with concussion from years 2007 through 2014 were stratified by year of diagnosis, age group, sex, classification of concussion, and health care setting of diagnosis (eg, emergency department vs physician's office). Chi-square testing was used for statistical analysis. From a cohort of 8,828,248 patients, 43,884 patients were diagnosed with a concussion. Of these patients, 55% were male and over 32% were in the adolescent age group (10-19 years old). The highest incidence of concussion was seen in patients aged 15 to 19 years (16.5/1000 patients), followed by those aged 10 to 14 years (10.5/1000 patients), 20 to 24 years (5.2/1000 patients), and 5 to 9 years (3.5/1000 patients). Overall, there was a 60% increase in concussion incidence from 2007 to 2014. The largest increases were in the 10- to 14-year (143%) and 15- to 19-year (87%) age groups. Based on International Classification of Disease-9th Revision classification, 29% of concussions were associated with some form of loss of consciousness. Finally, 56% of concussions were diagnosed in the emergency department and 29% in a physician's office, with the remainder in urgent care clinics or inpatient settings. The incidence of concussion diagnosed in the general US population is increasing, driven largely by a substantial rise in the adolescent age group. The youth population should be prioritized for ongoing work in concussion education, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The rise of concussions in the adolescent age group across the general population is concerning, and clinical efforts to prevent these injuries are needed.

Two Classification Methods for Grouping Common Environmental Sounds in Terms of Perceived Pleasantness

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

the goals of the present study in mind. Fiedler (2011), in a review describing some common pitfalls in traditional psychological research, points...stimulus similarity and uncertainty in auditory change deafness. Frontiers in Psychology . 2014:5:1125. Dickerson K, Gaston JR, Perelman BS, Mermagen...Perspectives on Psychology . 2011;6(2):163–171. Fletcher NH, Rossing T. The physics of musical instruments. New York (NY): Springer; 1998. Gaver

Differentiated meteorites and the components of chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wasson, J. T.

1984-01-01

Findings are summarized from research conducted to develop a detailed classification of all kinds of meteorites in an effort to determine the conditions in the solar nebula, the processes that produced chemical fractionations in chondrites and formed chondrules, as well as ascertain the processes that occurred in the parent bodies of differentiated meteorites (which preserve a partial record of the chondritic materials from which they formed). Fractionation patterns within iron meteorite groups are analyzed.

Average Likelihood Methods of Classification of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-01

case of cognitive radio applications. Modulation classification is part of a broader problem known as blind or uncooperative demodulation the goal of...Introduction 2 2.1 Modulation Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2.2 Research Objectives...6 3 Modulation Classification Methods 7 3.0.1 Ad Hoc

Distinct types of primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma identified by gene expression profiling.

PubMed

Hoefnagel, Juliette J; Dijkman, Remco; Basso, Katia; Jansen, Patty M; Hallermann, Christian; Willemze, Rein; Tensen, Cornelis P; Vermeer, Maarten H

2005-05-01

In the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) classification 2 types of primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma (PCLBCL) are distinguished: primary cutaneous follicle center cell lymphomas (PCFCCL) and PCLBCL of the leg (PCLBCL-leg). Distinction between both groups is considered important because of differences in prognosis (5-year survival > 95% and 52%, respectively) and the first choice of treatment (radiotherapy or systemic chemotherapy, respectively), but is not generally accepted. To establish a molecular basis for this subdivision in the EORTC classification, we investigated the gene expression profiles of 21 PCLBCLs by oligonucleotide microarray analysis. Hierarchical clustering based on a B-cell signature (7450 genes) classified PCLBCL into 2 distinct subgroups consisting of, respectively, 8 PCFCCLs and 13 PCLBCLsleg. PCLBCLs-leg showed increased expression of genes associated with cell proliferation; the proto-oncogenes Pim-1, Pim-2, and c-Myc; and the transcription factors Mum1/IRF4 and Oct-2. In the group of PCFCCL high expression of SPINK2 was observed. Further analysis suggested that PCFCCLs and PCLBCLs-leg have expression profiles similar to that of germinal center B-cell-like and activated B-cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, respectively. The results of this study suggest that different pathogenetic mechanisms are involved in the development of PCFCCLs and PCLBCLs-leg and provide molecular support for the subdivision used in the EORTC classification.

Inhalation TTC values: A new integrative grouping approach considering structural, toxicological and mechanistic features.

PubMed

Tluczkiewicz, I; Kühne, R; Ebert, R-U; Batke, M; Schüürmann, G; Mangelsdorf, I; Escher, S E

2016-07-01

The present publication describes an integrative grouping concept to derive threshold values for inhalation exposure. The classification scheme starts with differences in toxicological potency and develops criteria to group compounds into two potency classes, namely toxic (T-group) or low toxic (L-group). The TTC concept for inhalation exposure is based on the TTC RepDose data set, consisting of 296 organic compounds with 608 repeated-dose inhalation studies. Initially, 21 structural features (SFs) were identified as being characteristic for compounds of either high or low NOEC values (Schüürmann et al., 2016). In subsequent analyses these SF groups were further refined by taking into account structural homogeneity, type of toxicological effect observed, differences in absorption, metabolism and mechanism of action (MoA), to better define their structural and toxicological boundaries. Differentiation of a local or systemic mode of action did not improve the classification scheme. Finally, 28 groups were discriminated: 19 T-groups and 9 L-groups. Clearly distinct thresholds were derived for the T- and L-toxicity groups, being 2 × 10(-5) ppm (2 μg/person/day) and 0.05 ppm (4260 μg/person/day), respectively. The derived thresholds and the classification are compared to the initial mainly structure driven grouping (Schüürmann et al., 2016) and to the Cramer classification. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An inquiry approach to science and language teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Imelda; Bethel, Lowell J.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an inquiry approach to science and language teaching to further develop classification and oral communication skills of bilingual Mexican American third graders. A random sample consisting of 64 subjects was selected for experimental and control groups from a population of 120 bilingual Mexican American third graders. The Solomon Four-Group experimental design was employed. Pre- and posttesting was performed by use of the Goldstein-Sheerer Object Sorting Test, (GSOST) and the Test of Oral Communication Skills, (TOCS). The experimental group participated in a sequential series of science lessons which required manipulation of objects, exploration, peer interaction, and teacher-pupil interaction. The children made observations and comparisons of familiar objects and then grouped them on the basis of perceived and inferred attributes. Children worked individually and in small groups. Analysis of variance procedures was used on the posttest scores to determine if there was a significant improvement in classification and oral communication skills in the experimental group. The results on the posttest scores indicated a significant improvement at the 0.01 level for the experimental group in both classification and oral communication skills. It was concluded that participation in the science inquiry lessons facilitated the development of classification and oral communication skills of bilingual children.

Vegetation classification and distribution mapping report Mesa Verde National Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Kathryn A.; McTeague, Monica L.; Ogden, Lindsay; Floyd, M. Lisa; Schulz, Keith; Friesen, Beverly A.; Fancher, Tammy; Waltermire, Robert G.; Cully, Anne

2009-01-01

The classification and distribution mapping of the vegetation of Mesa Verde National Park (MEVE) and surrounding environment was achieved through a multi-agency effort between 2004 and 2007. The National Park Service’s Southern Colorado Plateau Network facilitated the team that conducted the work, which comprised the U.S. Geological Survey’s Southwest Biological Science Center, Fort Collins Research Center, and Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center; Northern Arizona University; Prescott College; and NatureServe. The project team described 47 plant communities for MEVE, 34 of which were described from quantitative classification based on f eld-relevé data collected in 1993 and 2004. The team derived 13 additional plant communities from field observations during the photointerpretation phase of the project. The National Vegetation Classification Standard served as a framework for classifying these plant communities to the alliance and association level. Eleven of the 47 plant communities were classified as “park specials;” that is, plant communities with insufficient data to describe them as new alliances or associations. The project team also developed a spatial vegetation map database representing MEVE, with three different map-class schemas: base, group, and management map classes. The base map classes represent the fi nest level of spatial detail. Initial polygons were developed using Definiens Professional (at the time of our use, this software was called eCognition), assisted by interpretation of 1:12,000 true-color digital orthophoto quarter quadrangles (DOQQs). These polygons (base map classes) were labeled using manual photo interpretation of the DOQQs and 1:12,000 true-color aerial photography. Field visits verified interpretation concepts. The vegetation map database includes 46 base map classes, which consist of associations, alliances, and park specials classified with quantitative analysis, additional associations and park specials noted during photointerpretation, and non-vegetated land cover, such as infrastructure, land use, and geological land cover. The base map classes consist of 5,007 polygons in the project area. A field-based accuracy assessment of the base map classes showed overall accuracy to be 43.5%. Seven map classes comprise 89.1% of the park vegetated land cover. The group map classes represent aggregations of the base map classes, approximating the group level of the National Vegetation Classification Standard, version 2 (Federal Geographic Data Committee 2007), and reflecting physiognomy and floristics. Terrestrial ecological systems, as described by NatureServe (Comer et al. 2003), were used as the fi rst approximation of the group level. The project team identified 14 group map classes for this project. The overall accuracy of the group map classes was determined using the same accuracy assessment data as for the base map classes. The overall accuracy of the group representation of vegetation was 80.3%. In consultation with park staff , the team developed management map classes, consisting of park-defined groupings of base map classes intended to represent a balance between maintaining required accuracy and providing a focus on vegetation of particular interest or import to park managers. The 23 management map classes had an overall accuracy of 73.3%. While the main products of this project are the vegetation classification and the vegetation map database, a number of ancillary digital geographic information system and database products were also produced that can be used independently or to augment the main products. These products include shapefiles of the locations of field-collected data and relational databases of field-collected data.

Refined 4-group classification of left ventricular hypertrophy based on ventricular concentricity and volume dilatation outlines distinct noninvasive hemodynamic profiles in a large contemporary echocardiographic population.

PubMed

Barbieri, Andrea; Rossi, Andrea; Gaibazzi, Nicola; Erlicher, Andrea; Mureddu, Gian Francesco; Frattini, Silvia; Faden, Giacomo; Manicardi, Marcella; Beraldi, Monica; Agostini, Francesco; Lazzarini, Valentina; Moreo, Antonella; Temporelli, Pier Luigi; Faggiano, Pompilio

2018-05-23

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) may reflect a wide variety of physiologic and pathologic conditions. Thus, it can be misleading to consider all LVH to be homogenous or similar. Refined 4-group classification of LVH based on ventricular concentricity and dilatation may be identified. To determine whether the 4-group classification of LVH identified distinct phenotypes, we compared their association with various noninvasive markers of cardiac stress. Cohort of unselected adult outpatients referred to a seven tertiary care echocardiographic laboratory for any indication in a 2-week period. We evaluated the LV geometric patterns using validated echocardiographic indexation methods and partition values. Standard echocardiography was performed in 1137 consecutive subjects, and LVH was found in 42%. The newly proposed 4-group classification of LVH was applicable in 88% of patients. The most common pattern resulted in concentric LVH (19%). The worst functional and hemodynamic profile was associated with eccentric LVH and those with mixed LVH had a higher prevalence of reduced EF than those with concentric LVH (P < .001 for all). The new 4-group classification of LVH system showed distinct differences in cardiac function and noninvasive hemodynamics allowing clinicians to distinguish different LV hemodynamic stress adaptations in patients with LVH. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of liver functional reserve by combining D-sorbitol clearance rate and CT measured liver volume

PubMed Central

Li, Yi-Ming; Lv, Fan; Xu, Xin; Ji, Hong; Gao, Wen-Tao; Lei, Tuan-Jie; Ren, Gui-Bing; Bai, Zhi-Lan; Li, Qiang

2003-01-01

AIM: Our research attempted to evaluate the overall functional reserve of cirrhotic liver by combination of hepatic functional blood flow, liver volume, and Child-Pugh’s classification, and to discuss its value of clinical application. METHODS: Ninety two patients with portal hypertension due to hepatic cirrhosis were investigated. All had a history of haematemesis and hematochezia, esophageal and gastric fundus varices, splenomegaly and hypersplenia. A 2-year follow-up was routinely performed and no one was lost. Twenty two healthy volunteers were used as control group. Blood and urine samples were collected 4 times before and after intravenous D-sorbitol infusion. The hepatic clearance (CLH) of D-sorbitol was then calculated according to enzymatic spectrophotometric method while the total blood flow (QTOTAL) and intrahepatic shunt (RINS) were detected by multicolor Doppler ultrasound, and the liver volume was measured by spiral CT. Data were estimated by t-test, variance calculation and chi-squared test. The relationships between all these parameters and different groups were investigated according to Child-Pugh classification and postoperative complications respectively. RESULTS: Steady blood concentration was achieved 120 mins after D-sorbitol intravenous infusion, which was (0.358 ± 0.064) mmol·L-1 in cirrhotic group and (0.189 ± 0.05) mmol·L-1 in control group (P < 0.01). CLH = (812.7 ± 112.4) mL·min-1, QTOTAL = (1280.6 ± 131.4) mL·min-1, and RINS = (36.54 ± 10.65)% in cirrhotic group and CLH = (1248.3 ± 210.5) mL·min-1, QTOTAL = (1362.4 ± 126.9) mL·min-1, and RINS = (8.37 ± 3.32)% in control group (P < 0.01). The liver volume of cirrhotic group was 1057 ± 249 cm3, 851 ± 148 cm3 and 663 ± 77 cm3 in Child A, B and C group respectively with significant difference (P < 0.001). The average volume of cirrhotic liver in Child B, C group was significantly reduced in comparison with that in control group (P < 0.001). The patient, whose liver volume decreased by 40% with the CLH below 600 mL·min-1, would have a higher incidence of postoperative complications. There was no strict correspondent relationship between CLH, liver volume and Child-Pugh’s classification. CONCLUSION: The hepatic clearance of D-sorbitol, CT measured liver volume can be reliably used for the evaluation of hepatic functional blood flow and liver metabolic volume. Combined with the Child-Pugh’s classification, it could be very useful for further understanding the liver functional reserve, therefore help determine reasonable therapeutic plan, choose surgical procedures and operating time. PMID:12970913

The search for structure - Object classification in large data sets. [for astronomers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurtz, Michael J.

1988-01-01

Research concerning object classifications schemes are reviewed, focusing on large data sets. Classification techniques are discussed, including syntactic, decision theoretic methods, fuzzy techniques, and stochastic and fuzzy grammars. Consideration is given to the automation of MK classification (Morgan and Keenan, 1973) and other problems associated with the classification of spectra. In addition, the classification of galaxies is examined, including the problems of systematic errors, blended objects, galaxy types, and galaxy clusters.

Experience with International Neuroblastoma Staging System and Pathology Classification

PubMed Central

Ikeda, H; Iehara, T; Tsuchida, Y; Kaneko, M; Hata, J; Naito, H; Iwafuchi, M; Ohnuma, N; Mugishima, H; Toyoda, Y; Hamazaki, M; Mimaya, J; Kondo, S; Kawa, K; Okada, A; Hiyama, E; Suita, S; Takamatsu, H

2002-01-01

The International Neuroblastoma Staging System and Pathology Classification were proposed in 1988 and in 1999, respectively, but their clinical value has not yet been fully studied in new patients. Six hundred and forty-four patients with neuroblastoma treated between January 1995 and December 1999 were analysed by these classifications. The 4-year overall survival rate of patients <12 months of age with INSS stages 1, 2A, 2B, 3 and 4S disease was 98.5%, which was significantly higher than the 73.1% rate in stage 4 patients <12 months (P<0.0001). When patients were ⩾12 months, the 4-year overall survival rate of patients with neuroblastoma at 1, 2A, 2B and 3 stages was 100% and that of patients at stage 4 was 48.5% (P<0.0001). As to the International Neuroblastoma Pathology Classification histology, the 4-year overall survival rate was 98.8% in patients with favourable histology and 60.7% in those with unfavourable histology in the <12 months group (P<0.0001). In the ⩾12 months group, the 4-year oral survival of patients with favourable histology was 95.3% and that of patients with unfavourable histology was 50.6% (P<0.0001). Among biological factors, MYCN amplification, DNA diploidy and 1p deletions were significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients <12 months, as were MYCN amplification and DNA diploidy in patients ⩾12 months of age. Multivariate analysis showed that the INSS stage (stage 4 vs other stages) and International Neuroblastoma Pathology Classification histology (unfavourable vs favourable) were significantly and independently associated with the survival of patients undergoing treatment, stratified by age, stage and MYCN amplification (P=0.0002 and P=0.0051, respectively). British Journal of Cancer (2002) 86, 1110–1116. DOI: 10.1038/sj/bjc/6600231 www.bjcancer.com © 2002 Cancer Research UK PMID:11953858

Decoding of Ankle Flexion and Extension from Cortical Current Sources Estimated from Non-invasive Brain Activity Recording Methods.

PubMed

Mejia Tobar, Alejandra; Hyoudou, Rikiya; Kita, Kahori; Nakamura, Tatsuhiro; Kambara, Hiroyuki; Ogata, Yousuke; Hanakawa, Takashi; Koike, Yasuharu; Yoshimura, Natsue

2017-01-01

The classification of ankle movements from non-invasive brain recordings can be applied to a brain-computer interface (BCI) to control exoskeletons, prosthesis, and functional electrical stimulators for the benefit of patients with walking impairments. In this research, ankle flexion and extension tasks at two force levels in both legs, were classified from cortical current sources estimated by a hierarchical variational Bayesian method, using electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recordings. The hierarchical prior for the current source estimation from EEG was obtained from activated brain areas and their intensities from an fMRI group (second-level) analysis. The fMRI group analysis was performed on regions of interest defined over the primary motor cortex, the supplementary motor area, and the somatosensory area, which are well-known to contribute to movement control. A sparse logistic regression method was applied for a nine-class classification (eight active tasks and a resting control task) obtaining a mean accuracy of 65.64% for time series of current sources, estimated from the EEG and the fMRI signals using a variational Bayesian method, and a mean accuracy of 22.19% for the classification of the pre-processed of EEG sensor signals, with a chance level of 11.11%. The higher classification accuracy of current sources, when compared to EEG classification accuracy, was attributed to the high number of sources and the different signal patterns obtained in the same vertex for different motor tasks. Since the inverse filter estimation for current sources can be done offline with the present method, the present method is applicable to real-time BCIs. Finally, due to the highly enhanced spatial distribution of current sources over the brain cortex, this method has the potential to identify activation patterns to design BCIs for the control of an affected limb in patients with stroke, or BCIs from motor imagery in patients with spinal cord injury.

Hierarchic Agglomerative Clustering Methods for Automatic Document Classification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Alan; And Others

1984-01-01

Considers classifications produced by application of single linkage, complete linkage, group average, and word clustering methods to Keen and Cranfield document test collections, and studies structure of hierarchies produced, extent to which methods distort input similarity matrices during classification generation, and retrieval effectiveness…

Classification for Estuarine Ecosystems: A Review and Comparison of Selected Classification Schemes

EPA Science Inventory

Estuarine scientists have devoted considerable effort to classifying coastal, estuarine and marine environments and their watersheds, for a variety of purposes. These classifications group systems with similarities – most often in physical and hydrodynamic properties – in order ...

The Classification of Living Things: Nature in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyle, Charles

1982-01-01

Use of a classification system in teaching biology is presented as a concept aiding students' understanding of the diversity of plants and animals. The principles of classification are summarized and six learning strategies are given to show relationships among groups. (CM)

[Proposals for social class classification based on the Spanish National Classification of Occupations 2011 using neo-Weberian and neo-Marxist approaches].

PubMed

Domingo-Salvany, Antònia; Bacigalupe, Amaia; Carrasco, José Miguel; Espelt, Albert; Ferrando, Josep; Borrell, Carme

2013-01-01

In Spain, the new National Classification of Occupations (Clasificación Nacional de Ocupaciones [CNO-2011]) is substantially different to the 1994 edition, and requires adaptation of occupational social classes for use in studies of health inequalities. This article presents two proposals to measure social class: the new classification of occupational social class (CSO-SEE12), based on the CNO-2011 and a neo-Weberian perspective, and a social class classification based on a neo-Marxist approach. The CSO-SEE12 is the result of a detailed review of the CNO-2011 codes. In contrast, the neo-Marxist classification is derived from variables related to capital and organizational and skill assets. The proposed CSO-SEE12 consists of seven classes that can be grouped into a smaller number of categories according to study needs. The neo-Marxist classification consists of 12 categories in which home owners are divided into three categories based on capital goods and employed persons are grouped into nine categories composed of organizational and skill assets. These proposals are complemented by a proposed classification of educational level that integrates the various curricula in Spain and provides correspondences with the International Standard Classification of Education. Copyright © 2012 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Operative treatment and avascular necrosis of the hip development disorder.

PubMed

Gavrankapetanović, Ismet; Hadžimehmedagić, Amel; Papović, Adnan; Baždar, Elvir

2014-07-01

The purpose of this research was (1) to evaluate the consequences of an operative treatment of hip developmental disorder in children, (2) to evaluate the significance of hip vascular supply in children through indirect radiological signs, such as morphological changes on femoral head, and to classify them with standard classification methods, and (3) to analyse the research results and make a recommendation for the following treatment dilemma: when is the optimal time for an operative treatment of a hip development disorder? The research is a retrospective and observational analysis based on the classification of indirect radiological signs of local vascular disorder by the Bucholz-Ogden's scale. Materials used for this research are medical records of treated patients at the Clinic for Orthopaedics and Traumatology of the Sarajevo University Clinical Centre. Using a random selection, two groups of 30 patients with hip development disorder were formed. The first group was comprised of patients aged six to 18 months and the second group of patients aged 18-60 months. The medical records used for this research included all necessary anamnestic details and postoperative state treatments with clinical findings and regular radiological check-up findings that include the presence or absence of the ossification nucleus as well as its position. All patients underwent surgery with the same operative technique. Data analysis points include the state at the beginning of the treatment, the postoperative state, the state at discharge as well as control findings that followed the development of the proximal femoral part up to 72 months on average. The analysis covered data such as age, sex, family anamnestic data, clinical findings and radiological findings regarding the femoral head morphology (appearance, size, shape, position and indirect signs showing lack of vascular supply). In addition, data analysis included the types of any previous conservative or operative treatments, the duration of previous conservative treatments and repeated hospitalization. In group 1, 86.6 % were female patients and 80 % in group 2. Family history was positive in 15.6 % in group 1 and 13.3 % in group 2. A total of 51.6 % of all patients started walking on time, while the rest had problems with verticalization. Of all patients, 47 % did not undergo any kind of prior treatment. Only 62.2 % of group 1 patients had ossification nucleus present, while the entire group 2 had it present. Results showed that 24.32 % of group 1 patients had none or minimal signs of avascular necrosis (AVN) while 39.47 % of group 2 had none or minimal signs of AVN; 60.52 % of group 2 patients had signs of AVN. The results of this study show that the performance of a surgical treatment during the age between 12 and 20 months is burdened by the highest percentage of avascular necrosis. Even though AVN can be noticed in other age groups, according to the results of our research, it seems that vascular supply of the hip is the most vulnerable in the period between 12 and 20 months.

Role of CACNA1C gene polymorphisms and protein expressions in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia: a case-control study in a Chinese population.

PubMed

Zhang, Sheng-Yu; Hu, Qiang; Tang, Tao; Liu, Chao; Li, Cheng-Chong; Yang, Xiao-Guang; Zang, Yin-Yin; Cai, Wei-Xiong

2017-08-01

The study aimed to investigate the correlations of CACNA1C genetic polymorphisms and protein expression with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia in a Chinese population. This research included 139 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (case group) and 141 healthy volunteers (control group). Case and control samples were genotyped using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). Haplotypes of rs10848683, rs2238032, and rs2299661 were analyzed using the Shesis software. A mouse model of schizophrenia was established and assigned to test and blank groups. Western blotting was used to detect CACNA1C protein expression. The genotype and allele distribution of rs2238032 and rs2299661 differed between the case and control groups. TT genotype of rs2238032 and G allele of rs2299661 could potentially reduce the risk of schizophrenia. The distribution of rs2238032 genotype has a close connection with cognitive disturbance and the results of the general psychopathology classification exam. The distribution of rs2299661 genotypes was closely related to sensory and perceptual disorders, negative symptom subscales, and the results of the general psychopathology classification exam. CTC haplotype increased and CTG decreased the risk of schizophrenia in healthy people. In the brain tissues of mice with schizophrenia, the CACNA1C protein expression was higher in the test group than in the blank group. Our study demonstrated that CACNA1C gene polymorphisms and CACNA1C protein expression were associated with schizophrenia and its clinical phenotypes.

A method of assigning socio-economic status classification to British Armed Forces personnel.

PubMed

Yoong, S Y; Miles, D; McKinney, P A; Smith, I J; Spencer, N J

1999-10-01

The objective of this paper was to develop and evaluate a socio-economic status classification method for British Armed Forces personnel. Two study groups comprising of civilian and Armed Forces families were identified from livebirths delivered between 1 January-30 June 1996 within the Northallerton Health district which includes Catterick Garrison and RAF Leeming. The participants were the parents of babies delivered at a District General Hospital, comprising of 436 civilian and 162 Armed Forces families. A new classification method was successfully used to assign Registrar General's social classification to Armed Forces personnel. Comparison of the two study groups showed a significant difference in social class distribution (p = 0.0001). This study has devised a new method for classifying occupations within the Armed Forces to categories of social class thus permitting comparison with Registrar General's classification.

World Endometriosis Society consensus on the classification of endometriosis.

PubMed

Johnson, Neil P; Hummelshoj, Lone; Adamson, G David; Keckstein, Jörg; Taylor, Hugh S; Abrao, Mauricio S; Bush, Deborah; Kiesel, Ludwig; Tamimi, Rulla; Sharpe-Timms, Kathy L; Rombauts, Luk; Giudice, Linda C

2017-02-01

What is the global consensus on the classification of endometriosis that considers the views of women with endometriosis? We have produced an international consensus statement on the classification of endometriosis through systematic appraisal of evidence and a consensus process that included representatives of national and international, medical and non-medical societies, patient organizations, and companies with an interest in endometriosis. Classification systems of endometriosis, developed by several professional organizations, traditionally have been based on lesion appearance, pelvic adhesions, and anatomic location of disease. One system predicts fertility outcome and none predicts pelvic pain, response to medications, disease recurrence, risks for associated disorders, quality of life measures, and other endpoints important to women and health care providers for guiding appropriate therapeutic options and prognosis. A consensus meeting, in conjunction with pre- and post-meeting processes, was undertaken. A consensus meeting was held on 30 April 2014 in conjunction with the World Endometriosis Society's 12th World Congress on Endometriosis. Rigorous pre- and post-meeting processes, involving 55 representatives of 29 national and international, medical and non-medical organizations from a range of disciplines, led to this consensus statement. A total of 28 consensus statements were made. Of all, 10 statements had unanimous consensus, however none of the statements was made without expression of a caveat about the strength of the statement or the statement itself. Two statements did not achieve majority consensus. The statements covered women's priorities, aspects of classification, impact of low resources, as well as all the major classification systems for endometriosis. Until better classification systems are developed, we propose a classification toolbox (that includes the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine and, where appropriate, the Enzian and Endometriosis Fertility Index staging systems), that may be used by all surgeons in each case of surgery undertaken for women with endometriosis. We also propose wider use of the World Endometriosis Research Foundation Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonisation Project surgical and clinical data collection tools for research to improve classification of endometriosis in the future, of particular relevance when surgery is not undertaken. This consensus process differed from that of formal guideline development, although based on the same available evidence. A different group of international experts from those participating in this process may have yielded subtly different consensus statements. This is the first time that a large, global, consortium-representing 29 major stake-holding organizations, from 19 countries - has convened to systematically evaluate the best available evidence on the classification of endometriosis and reach consensus. In addition to 21 international medical organizations and companies, representatives from eight national endometriosis organizations were involved, including lay support groups, thus generating and including input from women who suffer from endometriosis in an endeavour to keep uppermost the goal of optimizing quality of life for women with endometriosis. The World Endometriosis Society convened and hosted the consensus meeting. Financial support for participants to attend the meeting was provided by the organizations that they represented. There was no other specific funding for this consensus process. Mauricio Abrao is an advisor to Bayer Pharma, and a consultant to AbbVie and AstraZeneca; G David Adamson is the Owner of Advanced Reproductive Care Inc and Ziva and a consultant to Bayer Pharma, Ferring, and AbbVie; Deborah Bush has received travel grants from Fisher & Paykel Healthcare and Bayer Pharmaceuticals; Linda Giudice is a consultant to AbbVie, Juniper Pharmaceutical, and NextGen Jane, holds research grant from the NIH, is site PI on a clinical trial sponsored by Bayer, and is a shareholder in Merck and Pfizer; Lone Hummelshoj is an unpaid consultant to AbbVie; Neil Johnson has received conference expenses from Bayer Pharma, Merck-Serono, and MSD, research funding from AbbVie, and is a consultant to Vifor Pharma and Guerbet; Jörg Keckstein has received a travel grant from AbbVie; Ludwig Kiesel is a consultant to Bayer Pharma, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Gedeon Richter, and Shionogi, and holds a research grant from Bayer Pharma; Luk Rombauts is an advisor to MSD, Merck Serono, and Ferring, and a shareholder in Monash IVF. The following have declared that they have nothing to disclose: Kathy Sharpe Timms; Rulla Tamimi; Hugh Taylor. N/A. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Morphological phylogeny of Tradescantia L. (Commelinaceae) sheds light on a new infrageneric classification for the genus and novelties on the systematics of subtribe Tradescantiinae

PubMed Central

Pellegrini, Marco O. O.

2017-01-01

Abstract Throughout the years, three infrageneric classifications were proposed for Tradescantia along with several informal groups and species complexes. The current infrageneric classification accepts 12 sections – with T. sect. Tradescantia being further divided into four series – and assimilates many concepts adopted by previous authors. Recent molecular-based phylogenetic studies indicate that the currently accepted sections might not represent monophyletic groups within Tradescantia. Based on newly gathered morphological data on the group, complemented with available micromorphological, cytological and phytochemical data, I present the first morphology-based evolutionary hypothesis for Tradescantia. Furthermore, I reduce subtribe Thyrsantheminae to a synonym of subtribe Tradescantiinae, and propose a new infrageneric classification for Tradescantia, based on the total evidence of the present morphological phylogeny, in accordance to the previously published molecular data. PMID:29118649

Classification and correlates of eating disorders among Blacks: findings from the National Survey of American Life.

PubMed

Taylor, Jacquelyn Y; Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard; Baser, Raymond E; Matusko, Niki; Faison, Nakesha; Jackson, James S

2013-02-01

To assess classification adjustments and examine correlates of eating disorders among Blacks. The National Survey of American Life (NSAL) was conducted from 2001-2003 and consisted of adults (n=5,191) and adolescents (n=1,170). The World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMH-CIDI-World Health Organization 2004-modified) and DSM-IV-TR eating disorder criteria were used. Sixty-six percent of African American and 59% Caribbean Black adults were overweight or obese, while 30% and 29% of adolescents were overweight or obese. Although lifetime rates of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa were low, binge eating disorder was high for both ethnic groups among adults and adolescents. Eliminating certain classification criteria resulted in higher rates of eating disorders for all groups. Culturally sensitive criteria should be incorporated into future versions of Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) classifications for eating disorders that consider within-group ethnic variations.

Automatic liver volume segmentation and fibrosis classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bal, Evgeny; Klang, Eyal; Amitai, Michal; Greenspan, Hayit

2018-02-01

In this work, we present an automatic method for liver segmentation and fibrosis classification in liver computed-tomography (CT) portal phase scans. The input is a full abdomen CT scan with an unknown number of slices, and the output is a liver volume segmentation mask and a fibrosis grade. A multi-stage analysis scheme is applied to each scan, including: volume segmentation, texture features extraction and SVM based classification. Data contains portal phase CT examinations from 80 patients, taken with different scanners. Each examination has a matching Fibroscan grade. The dataset was subdivided into two groups: first group contains healthy cases and mild fibrosis, second group contains moderate fibrosis, severe fibrosis and cirrhosis. Using our automated algorithm, we achieved an average dice index of 0.93 ± 0.05 for segmentation and a sensitivity of 0.92 and specificity of 0.81for classification. To the best of our knowledge, this is a first end to end automatic framework for liver fibrosis classification; an approach that, once validated, can have a great potential value in the clinic.

Shark Teeth Classification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tom; Creel, Sally; Lee, Velda

2009-01-01

On a recent autumn afternoon at Harmony Leland Elementary in Mableton, Georgia, students in a fifth-grade science class investigated the essential process of classification--the act of putting things into groups according to some common characteristics or attributes. While they may have honed these skills earlier in the week by grouping their own…

Predictive value of hippocampal MR imaging-based high-dimensional mapping in mesial temporal epilepsy: preliminary findings.

PubMed

Hogan, R E; Wang, L; Bertrand, M E; Willmore, L J; Bucholz, R D; Nassif, A S; Csernansky, J G

2006-01-01

We objectively assessed surface structural changes of the hippocampus in mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) and assessed the ability of large-deformation high-dimensional mapping (HDM-LD) to demonstrate hippocampal surface symmetry and predict group classification of MTS in right and left MTS groups compared with control subjects. Using eigenvector field analysis of HDM-LD segmentations of the hippocampus, we compared the symmetry of changes in the right and left MTS groups with a group of 15 matched controls. To assess the ability of HDM-LD to predict group classification, eigenvectors were selected by a logistic regression procedure when comparing the MTS group with control subjects. Multivariate analysis of variance on the coefficients from the first 9 eigenvectors accounted for 75% of the total variance between groups. The first 3 eigenvectors showed the largest differences between the control group and each of the MTS groups, but with eigenvector 2 showing the greatest difference in the MTS groups. Reconstruction of the hippocampal deformation vector fields due solely to eigenvector 2 shows symmetrical patterns in the right and left MTS groups. A "leave-one-out" (jackknife) procedure correctly predicted group classification in 14 of 15 (93.3%) left MTS subjects and all 15 right MTS subjects. Analysis of principal dimensions of hippocampal shape change suggests that MTS, after accounting for normal right-left asymmetries, affects the right and left hippocampal surface structure very symmetrically. Preliminary analysis using HDM-LD shows it can predict group classification of MTS and control hippocampi in this well-defined population of patients with MTS and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE).

On feature augmentation for semantic argument classification of the Quran English translation using support vector machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaira Batubara, Dina; Arif Bijaksana, Moch; Adiwijaya

2018-03-01

Research on the semantic argument classification requires semantically labeled data in large numbers, called corpus. Because building a corpus is costly and time-consuming, recently many studies have used existing corpus as the training data to conduct semantic argument classification research on new domain. But previous studies have proven that there is a significant decrease in performance when classifying semantic arguments on different domain between the training and the testing data. The main problem is when there is a new argument that found in the testing data but it is not found in the training data. This research carries on semantic argument classification on a new domain that is Quran English Translation by utilizing Propbank corpus as the training data. To recognize the new argument in the training data, this research proposes four new features for extending the argument features in the training data. By using SVM Linear, the experiment has proven that augmenting the proposed features to the baseline system with some combinations option improve the performance of semantic argument classification on Quran data using Propbank Corpus as training data.

Classifying environmental pollutants: Part 3. External validation of the classification system.

PubMed

Verhaar, H J; Solbé, J; Speksnijder, J; van Leeuwen, C J; Hermens, J L

2000-04-01

In order to validate a classification system for the prediction of the toxic effect concentrations of organic environmental pollutants to fish, all available fish acute toxicity data were retrieved from the ECETOC database, a database of quality-evaluated aquatic toxicity measurements created and maintained by the European Centre for the Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals. The individual chemicals for which these data were available were classified according to the rulebase under consideration and predictions of effect concentrations or ranges of possible effect concentrations were generated. These predictions were compared to the actual toxicity data retrieved from the database. The results of this comparison show that generally, the classification system provides adequate predictions of either the aquatic toxicity (class 1) or the possible range of toxicity (other classes) of organic compounds. A slight underestimation of effect concentrations occurs for some highly water soluble, reactive chemicals with low log K(ow) values. On the other end of the scale, some compounds that are classified as belonging to a relatively toxic class appear to belong to the so-called baseline toxicity compounds. For some of these, additional classification rules are proposed. Furthermore, some groups of compounds cannot be classified, although they should be amenable to predictions. For these compounds additional research as to class membership and associated prediction rules is proposed.

Acoustic detection of biosonar activity of deep diving odontocetes at Josephine Seamount High Seas Marine Protected Area.

PubMed

Giorli, Giacomo; Au, Whitlow W L; Ou, Hui; Jarvis, Susan; Morrissey, Ronald; Moretti, David

2015-05-01

The temporal occurrence of deep diving cetaceans in the Josephine Seamount High Seas Marine Protected Area (JSHSMPA), south-west Portugal, was monitored using a passive acoustic recorder. The recorder was deployed on 13 May 2010 at a depth of 814 m during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation cruise "Sirena10" and recovered on 6 June 2010. The recorder was programmed to record 40 s of data every 2 min. Acoustic data analysis, for the detection and classification of echolocation clicks, was performed using automatic detector/classification systems: M3R (Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges), a custom matlab program, and an operator-supervised custom matlab program to assess the classification performance of the detector/classification systems. M3R CS-SVM algorithm contains templates to detect beaked whales, sperm whales, blackfish (pilot and false killer whales), and Risso's dolphins. The detections of each group of odontocetes was monitored as a function of time. Blackfish and Risso's dolphins were detected every day, while beaked whales and sperm whales were detected almost every day. The hourly distribution of detections reveals that blackfish and Risso's dolphins were more active at night, while beaked whales and sperm whales were more active during daylight hours.

The dynamics of human-induced land cover change in miombo ecosystems of southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaiteh, Malanding Sambou

Understanding human-induced land cover change in the miombo require the consistent, geographically-referenced, data on temporal land cover characteristics as well as biophysical and socioeconomic drivers of land use, the major cause of land cover change. The overall goal of this research to examine the applications of high-resolution satellite remote sensing data in studying the dynamics of human-induced land cover change in the miombo. Specific objectives are to: (1) evaluate the applications of computer-assisted classification of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data for land cover mapping in the miombo and (2) analyze spatial and temporal patterns of landscape change locations in the miombo. Stepwise Thematic Classification, STC (a hybrid supervised-unsupervised classification) procedure for classifying Landsat TM data was developed and tested using Landsat TM data. Classification accuracy results were compared to those from supervised and unsupervised classification. The STC provided the highest classification accuracy i.e., 83.9% correspondence between classified and referenced data compared to 44.2% and 34.5% for unsupervised and supervised classification respectively. Improvements in the classification process can be attributed to thematic stratification of the image data into spectrally homogenous (thematic) groups and step-by-step classification of the groups using supervised or unsupervised classification techniques. Supervised classification failed to classify 18% of the scene evidence that training data used did not adequately represent all of the variability in the data. Application of the procedure in drier miombo produced overall classification accuracy of 63%. This is much lower than that of wetter miombo. The results clearly demonstrate that digital classification of Landsat TM can be successfully implemented in the miombo without intensive fieldwork. Spatial characteristics of land cover change in agricultural and forested landscapes in central Malawi were analyzed for the period 1984 to 1995 spatial pattern analysis methods. Shifting cultivation areas, Agriculture in forested landscape, experienced highest rate of woodland cover fragmentation with mean patch size of closed woodland cover decreasing from 20ha to 7.5ha. Permanent bare (cropland and settlement) in intensive agricultural matrix landscapes increased 52% largely through the conversion of fallow areas. Protected National Park area remained fairly unchanged although closed woodland area increased by 4%, mainly from regeneration of open woodland. This study provided evidence that changes in spatial characteristics in the miombo differ with landscape. Land use change (i.e. conversion to cropland) is the primary driving force behind changes in landscape spatial patterns. Also, results revealed that exclusion of intense human use (i.e. cultivation and woodcutting) through regulations and/or fencing increased both closed woodland area (through regeneration of open woodland) and overall connectivity in the landscape. Spatial characteristics of land cover change were analyzed at locations in Malawi (wetter miombo) and Zimbabwe (drier miombo). Results indicate land cover dynamics differ both between and within case study sites. In communal areas in the Kasungu scene, land cover change is dominated by woodland fragmentation to open vegetation. Change in private commercial lands was dominantly expansion of bare (settlement and cropland) areas primarily at the expense of open vegetation (fallow land).

Classification of anthropogenic soils by new diagnostic criteria involved in the Slovak Soil Classification System (2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobocká, Jaroslava; Balkovič, Juraj; Bedrna, Zoltán

2017-04-01

Anthropogenic soils can be found mostly in SUITMA areas. The issue of adequate and correct description and classification of these soils occurs very often and can result in inconsistent even in contradictory opinions. In the new version of the anthropogenic soil classification system in Slovakia some new diagnostics criteria were involved and applied for better understanding the inherent nature of these soils. The group of the former anthropogenic soils was divided following scheme of soil reference groups in the WRB 2014 (Anthrozem and Technozem). According to the new version of the Slovak anthropogenic soils classification (2014) there have been distinguished 2 groups of anthropogenic soils: 1) cultivated soils group including 2 soil types (in Slovak terminology): Kultizem and Hortizem and 2) technogenic soils group having 2 soil types: Antrozem and Technozem. Cultivated soil group represents soils developing or forming "in-situ" with diagnostic horizons characterized by human deeply influenced cultivated processes. Technogenic soil group are soils developing like "ex-situ" soils. The key features recognizing technogenic soil group are human-transported and altered material (HTAM = ex-situ aspect), and artefacts content. Diagnostic horizons (top and subsoil) were described as various material affected by physical-mechanical excavation, transportation and spread, mixing, and containing artefacts (the new diagnostic feature). Kultizems are differentiated by cultivated horizon(s) and Technozems by anthropogenic horizon(s). Cultivated horizons are mostly well-known described horizon in many scientific references. Anthropogenic horizons for Technozem are developed from the human-induced transported and altered material which origin is from the other ecological locality that adjacent area. Materials (or substrates) can consist of various material (natural, technogenic or their mixing) with thickness ≥ 60 cm. Artefacts are the second diagnostic feature which presence authenticates the "artificial origin" of the soil. Natural material contains ≤ 10 % artefacts; natural-technogenic 10-40 % artefacts; and technogenic ≥ 40 %. In the soil survey anthropogenic transported or altered layer is very simply recognizable in soil profile if it is compared with adjacent natural horizons. The classification problem is to define and distinguish not only artefacts in soil profile but recognize the origin of the material. The completed manual for these issues is missing. In the contribution, there graphically individual basic soil types of Antrozems and Technozems with some subtypes will be illustrated. Also the basic schema of classification units in Slovakia will be depicted.

Australian diagnosis related groups: Drivers of complexity adjustment.

PubMed

Jackson, Terri; Dimitropoulos, Vera; Madden, Richard; Gillett, Steve

2015-11-01

In undertaking a major revision to the Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Group (ARDRG) classification, we set out to contrast Australia's approach to using data on additional (not principal) diagnoses with major international approaches in splitting base or Adjacent Diagnosis Related Groups (ADRGs). Comparative policy analysis/narrative review of peer-reviewed and grey literature on international approaches to use of additional (secondary) diagnoses in the development of Australian and international DRG systems. European and US approaches to characterise complexity of inpatient care are well-documented, providing useful points of comparison with Australia's. Australia, with good data sources, has continued to refine its national DRG classification using increasingly sophisticated approaches. Hospital funders in Australia and in other systems are often under pressure from provider groups to expand classifications to reflect clinical complexity. DRG development in most healthcare systems reviewed here reflects four critical factors: these socio-political factors, the quality and depth of the coded data available to characterise the mix of cases in a healthcare system, the size of the underlying population, and the intended scope and use of the classification. Australia's relatively small national population has constrained the size of its DRG classifications, and development has been concentrated on inpatient care in public hospitals. Development of casemix classifications in health care is driven by both technical and socio-political factors. Use of additional diagnoses to adjust for patient complexity and cost needs to respond to these in each casemix application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of Carbonate Breccia Genetic Classification in West Hill, Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Shuran; Danek, Tomas; Cheng, Xianfeng; Huang, Qianrui

2017-12-01

This thesis proposes genetic classification for carbonate breccia in West Hill, Beijing, summarizes the genesis mechanism and features of 14 types of carbonate breccia there, and raises research questions. Not at all of types were included in this classification, mainly which are not so commonly discussed, such as impact breccia formed by meteorolite. Among other things, it raises the issue of overlapping the concept, which requires further research.

Assessment of functional defecation disorders using anorectal manometry.

PubMed

Seong, Moo-Kyung

2018-06-01

The aim was to evaluate the discriminating accuracy of anorectal manometry (ARM) between nonconstipated (NC) subjects and functionally constipated (FC) subjects, and between FC subjects with and without functional defecation disorder (FDD). Among female patients who visited anorectal physiology unit, those who could be grouped to following categories were included; FC group with FDD (+FDD subgroup), or without FDD (-FDD subgroup) and NC group. ARM was performed and interpreted not only with absolute pressure values, but also pattern classification and quantification of pressure changes in the rectum and anus during attempted defecation. There were 76 subjects in NC group and 75 in FC group. Among FC group, 63 subjects were in -FDD subgroup and 12 in +FDD subgroup. In pattern classification of pressure changes, type 0, as 'normal' response, was only slightly more prevalent in NC group than in FC group. When all 'abnormal' types (types 1-5) were considered together as positive findings, the sensitivity and specificity of pattern classification in diagnosing FC among all subjects were 89.3% and 22.7%. Those values in diagnosing FDD among FC group were 91.7% and 11.1%. Manometric defecation index (MDI) as a quantification parameter was significantly different between -FDD and +FDD subgroups. Other conventional absolute pressures were mostly comparable between the groups. Among all parameters of ARM, MDI was useful to diagnose FDD in FC patients. Other parameters including the pattern classification were questionable in their ability to diagnose FDD.

Assessment of functional defecation disorders using anorectal manometry

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Purpose The aim was to evaluate the discriminating accuracy of anorectal manometry (ARM) between nonconstipated (NC) subjects and functionally constipated (FC) subjects, and between FC subjects with and without functional defecation disorder (FDD). Methods Among female patients who visited anorectal physiology unit, those who could be grouped to following categories were included; FC group with FDD (+FDD subgroup), or without FDD (−FDD subgroup) and NC group. ARM was performed and interpreted not only with absolute pressure values, but also pattern classification and quantification of pressure changes in the rectum and anus during attempted defecation. Results There were 76 subjects in NC group and 75 in FC group. Among FC group, 63 subjects were in −FDD subgroup and 12 in +FDD subgroup. In pattern classification of pressure changes, type 0, as ‘normal’ response, was only slightly more prevalent in NC group than in FC group. When all ‘abnormal’ types (types 1–5) were considered together as positive findings, the sensitivity and specificity of pattern classification in diagnosing FC among all subjects were 89.3% and 22.7%. Those values in diagnosing FDD among FC group were 91.7% and 11.1%. Manometric defecation index (MDI) as a quantification parameter was significantly different between −FDD and +FDD subgroups. Other conventional absolute pressures were mostly comparable between the groups. Conclusion Among all parameters of ARM, MDI was useful to diagnose FDD in FC patients. Other parameters including the pattern classification were questionable in their ability to diagnose FDD. PMID:29854711

The Ecohydrological Context of Drought and Classification of Plant Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, X.; Ackerly, D.; Dawson, T. E.; Manzoni, S.; Skelton, R. P.; Vico, G.; Thompson, S. E.

2017-12-01

Many recent studies on drought-induced vegetation mortality have explored how plant functional traits, and classifications of such traits along axes of, e.g., isohydry - anisohydry, might contribute to predicting drought survival and recovery. As these studies proliferate, concerns are growing about the consistency and predictive value of such classifications. Here, we outline the basis for a systematic classification of drought strategies that accounts for both environmental conditions and functional traits. We (1) identify drawbacks of exiting isohydricity and trait-based metrics, (2) identify major axes of trait and environmental variation that determine drought mortality pathways (hydraulic failure and carbon starvation) using non-dimensional trait groups, and (3) demonstrate that these trait groupings predict physiological drought outcomes using both measured and synthetic data. In doing so we untangle some confounding effects of environment and trait variations that undermine current classification schemes, outline a pathway to progress towards a general classification of drought vulnerability, and advocate for more careful treatment of the environmental conditions within which plant drought responses occur.

Somatoform disorders and recent diagnostic controversies.

PubMed

Kroenke, Kurt

2007-12-01

Classification is not a trivial matter. In Burmese Days, George Orwell writes, "It is devilish to suffer from a pain that is all but nameless. Blessed are they who are stricken only with classifiable diseases! Blessed are the poor, the sick, the crossed in love, for at least other people know what is the matter with them and will listen to their belly-achings with sympathy." Patients who have somatoform disorders are particularly susceptible to this Orwellian lamentation. They are afflicted by symptoms that defy simple explanations. As detailed in this article, there is a spectrum of medical and psychiatric factors that can cause or contribute to somatic symptom burden. Research is continuing to reveal the central mechanisms that may provide a common pathway for physical and psychologic symptoms. The dualism that places some somatic symptom disorders on Axis I and others on Axis III gradually may fade in the coming decades as what the unifying causes are among common symptoms and the multicausal nature of many symptoms are discovered. Meanwhile, the classification systems should continue to operate on pragmatic principles where mechanistic explanations are lacking. This will allow grouping patients into categories that inform research, scientific and patient communication, prognostication, and clinical management. Coupling a heuristic classification system with evidence-based measures for assessing severity and monitoring treatment outcomes are important steps in the optimal care of symptomatic patients.

Positive Feeling, Negative Meaning: Visualizing the Mental Representations of In-Group and Out-Group Smiles

PubMed Central

Dotsch, Ron; Wentura, Dirk

2016-01-01

Even though smiles are seen as universal facial expressions, research shows that there exist various kinds of smiles (i.e., affiliative smiles, dominant smiles). Accordingly, we suggest that there also exist various mental representations of smiles. Which representation is employed in cognition may depend on social factors, such as the smiling person’s group membership: Since in-group members are typically seen as more benevolent than out-group members, in-group smiles should be associated with more benevolent social meaning than those conveyed by out-group members. We visualized in-group and out-group smiles with reverse correlation image classification. These visualizations indicated that mental representations of in-group smiles indeed express more benevolent social meaning than those of out-group smiles. The affective meaning of these visualized smiles was not influenced by group membership. Importantly, the effect occurred even though participants were not instructed to attend to the nature of the smile, pointing to an automatic association between group membership and intention. PMID:26963621

Does semi-automatic bone-fragment segmentation improve the reproducibility of the Letournel acetabular fracture classification?

PubMed

Boudissa, M; Orfeuvre, B; Chabanas, M; Tonetti, J

2017-09-01

The Letournel classification of acetabular fracture shows poor reproducibility in inexperienced observers, despite the introduction of 3D imaging. We therefore developed a method of semi-automatic segmentation based on CT data. The present prospective study aimed to assess: (1) whether semi-automatic bone-fragment segmentation increased the rate of correct classification; (2) if so, in which fracture types; and (3) feasibility using the open-source itksnap 3.0 software package without incurring extra cost for users. Semi-automatic segmentation of acetabular fractures significantly increases the rate of correct classification by orthopedic surgery residents. Twelve orthopedic surgery residents classified 23 acetabular fractures. Six used conventional 3D reconstructions provided by the center's radiology department (conventional group) and 6 others used reconstructions obtained by semi-automatic segmentation using the open-source itksnap 3.0 software package (segmentation group). Bone fragments were identified by specific colors. Correct classification rates were compared between groups on Chi 2 test. Assessment was repeated 2 weeks later, to determine intra-observer reproducibility. Correct classification rates were significantly higher in the "segmentation" group: 114/138 (83%) versus 71/138 (52%); P<0.0001. The difference was greater for simple (36/36 (100%) versus 17/36 (47%); P<0.0001) than complex fractures (79/102 (77%) versus 54/102 (53%); P=0.0004). Mean segmentation time per fracture was 27±3min [range, 21-35min]. The segmentation group showed excellent intra-observer correlation coefficients, overall (ICC=0.88), and for simple (ICC=0.92) and complex fractures (ICC=0.84). Semi-automatic segmentation, identifying the various bone fragments, was effective in increasing the rate of correct acetabular fracture classification on the Letournel system by orthopedic surgery residents. It may be considered for routine use in education and training. III: prospective case-control study of a diagnostic procedure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Personality disorders and the DSM-5: Scientific and extra-scientific factors in the maintenance of the status quo.

PubMed

Gøtzsche-Astrup, Oluf; Moskowitz, Andrew

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to review and discuss the evidence for dimensional classification of personality disorders and the historical and sociological bases of psychiatric nosology and research. Categorical and dimensional conceptualisations of personality disorder are reviewed, with a focus on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-system's categorisation and the Five-Factor Model of personality. This frames the events leading up to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, personality disorder debacle, where the implementation of a hybrid model was blocked in a last-minute intervention by the American Psychiatric Association Board of Trustees. Explanations for these events are discussed, including the existence of invisible colleges of researchers and the fear of risking a 'scientific revolution' in psychiatry. A failure to recognise extra-scientific factors at work in classification of mental illness can have a profound and long-lasting influence on psychiatric nosology. In the end it was not scientific factors that led to the failure of the hybrid model of personality disorders, but opposing forces within the mental health community in general and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Task Force in particular. Substantial evidence has accrued over the past decades in support of a dimensional model of personality disorders. The events surrounding the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group show the difficulties in reconciling two different worldviews with a hybrid model. They also indicate the future of a psychiatric nosology that will be increasingly concerned with dimensional classification of mental illness. As such, the road is paved for more substantial changes to personality disorder classification in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision, in 2017. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Text Extraction from Scene Images by Character Appearance and Structure Modeling

PubMed Central

Yi, Chucai; Tian, Yingli

2012-01-01

In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm to detect text information from natural scene images. Scene text classification and detection are still open research topics. Our proposed algorithm is able to model both character appearance and structure to generate representative and discriminative text descriptors. The contributions of this paper include three aspects: 1) a new character appearance model by a structure correlation algorithm which extracts discriminative appearance features from detected interest points of character samples; 2) a new text descriptor based on structons and correlatons, which model character structure by structure differences among character samples and structure component co-occurrence; and 3) a new text region localization method by combining color decomposition, character contour refinement, and string line alignment to localize character candidates and refine detected text regions. We perform three groups of experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm, including text classification, text detection, and character identification. The evaluation results on benchmark datasets demonstrate that our algorithm achieves the state-of-the-art performance on scene text classification and detection, and significantly outperforms the existing algorithms for character identification. PMID:23316111

Consensus-validation study identifies relevant nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions, and health outcomes for people with traumatic brain injuries.

PubMed

Lunney, Margaret; McGuire, Maria; Endozo, Nancy; McIntosh-Waddy, Dorothy

2010-01-01

A consensus-validation study used action research methods to identify relevant nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions, and patient outcomes for a population of adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in long-term care. In meetings totaling 159 hours to reach 100% consensus through group discussions, the three classifications of NANDA International's (NANDA-I's) approved nursing diagnoses, the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), and the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) were used as the basis for three nurses experienced in working with adults with TBI to select the elements of nursing care. Among almost 200 NANDA-I nursing diagnoses, 29 were identified as relevant for comprehensive nursing care of this population. Each nursing diagnosis was associated with 3-11 of the more than 500 NIC interventions and 1-13 of more than 300 NOC outcomes. The nurses became aware of the complexity and the need for critical thinking. The findings were used to refine the facility's nursing standards of care, which were to be combined with the interdisciplinary plan of care and included in future electronic health records.

Classification and prediction of pilot weather encounters: A discriminant function analysis.

PubMed

O'Hare, David; Hunter, David R; Martinussen, Monica; Wiggins, Mark

2011-05-01

Flight into adverse weather continues to be a significant hazard for General Aviation (GA) pilots. Weather-related crashes have a significantly higher fatality rate than other GA crashes. Previous research has identified lack of situational awareness, risk perception, and risk tolerance as possible explanations for why pilots would continue into adverse weather. However, very little is known about the nature of these encounters or the differences between pilots who avoid adverse weather and those who do not. Visitors to a web site described an experience with adverse weather and completed a range of measures of personal characteristics. The resulting data from 364 pilots were carefully screened and subject to a discriminant function analysis. Two significant functions were found. The first, accounting for 69% of the variance, reflected measures of risk awareness and pilot judgment while the second differentiated pilots in terms of their experience levels. The variables measured in this study enabled us to correctly discriminate between the three groups of pilots considerably better (53% correct classifications) than would have been possible by chance (33% correct classifications). The implications of these findings for targeting safety interventions are discussed.

Impact of geographic area level on measuring socioeconomic disparities in cancer survival in New South Wales, Australia: A period analysis.

PubMed

Stanbury, Julia F; Baade, Peter D; Yu, Yan; Yu, Xue Qin

2016-08-01

Area-based socioeconomic measures are widely used in health research. In theory, the larger the area used the more individual misclassification is introduced, thus biasing the association between such area level measures and health outcomes. In this study, we examined the socioeconomic disparities in cancer survival using two geographic area-based measures to see if the size of the area matters. We used population-based cancer registry data for patients diagnosed with one of 10 major cancers in New South Wales (NSW), Australia during 2004-2008. Patients were assigned index measures of socioeconomic status (SES) based on two area-level units, census Collection District (CD) and Local Government Area (LGA) of their address at diagnosis. Five-year relative survival was estimated using the period approach for patients alive during 2004-2008, for each socioeconomic quintile at each area-level for each cancer. Poisson-regression modelling was used to adjust for socioeconomic quintile, sex, age-group at diagnosis and disease stage at diagnosis. The relative excess risk of death (RER) by socioeconomic quintile derived from this modelling was compared between area-units. We found extensive disagreement in SES classification between CD and LGA levels across all socioeconomic quintiles, particularly for more disadvantaged groups. In general, more disadvantaged patients had significantly lower survival than the least disadvantaged group for both CD and LGA classifications. The socioeconomic survival disparities detected by CD classification were larger than those detected by LGA. Adjusted RER estimates by SES were similar for most cancers when measured at both area levels. We found that classifying patient SES by the widely used Australian geographic unit LGA results in underestimation of survival disparities for several cancers compared to when SES is classified at the geographically smaller CD level. Despite this, our RER of death estimates derived from these survival estimates were generally similar for both CD and LGA level analyses, suggesting that LGAs remain a valuable spatial unit for use in Australian health and social research, though the potential for misclassification must be considered when interpreting research. While data confidentiality concerns increase with the level of geographical precision, the use of smaller area-level health and census data in the future, with appropriate allowance for confidentiality. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Proposed Core Competencies and Empirical Validation Procedure in Competency Modeling: Confirmation and Classification

PubMed Central

Baczyńska, Anna K.; Rowiński, Tomasz; Cybis, Natalia

2016-01-01

Competency models provide insight into key skills which are common to many positions in an organization. Moreover, there is a range of competencies that is used by many companies. Researchers have developed core competency terminology to underline their cross-organizational value. The article presents a theoretical model of core competencies consisting of two main higher-order competencies called performance and entrepreneurship. Each of them consists of three elements: the performance competency includes cooperation, organization of work and goal orientation, while entrepreneurship includes innovativeness, calculated risk-taking and pro-activeness. However, there is lack of empirical validation of competency concepts in organizations and this would seem crucial for obtaining reliable results from organizational research. We propose a two-step empirical validation procedure: (1) confirmation factor analysis, and (2) classification of employees. The sample consisted of 636 respondents (M = 44.5; SD = 15.1). Participants were administered a questionnaire developed for the study purpose. The reliability, measured by Cronbach’s alpha, ranged from 0.60 to 0.83 for six scales. Next, we tested the model using a confirmatory factor analysis. The two separate, single models of performance and entrepreneurial orientations fit quite well to the data, while a complex model based on the two single concepts needs further research. In the classification of employees based on the two higher order competencies we obtained four main groups of employees. Their profiles relate to those found in the literature, including so-called niche finders and top performers. Some proposal for organizations is discussed. PMID:27014111

A project on groundwater research inventory and classification to make groundwater visible

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cseko, Adrienn; Petitta, Marco; van der Keur, Peter; Fernandez, Isabel; Garcia Alibrandi, Clint; Hinsby, Klaus; Hartai, Eva; Garcia Padilla, Mercedes; Szucs, Peter; Mikita, Viktoria; Bisevac, Vanja; Bodo, Balazs

2017-04-01

Hydrogeology related research activities cover a wide spectrum of research areas at EU and national levels. The European knowledge base on this important topic is widespread and fragmented into broader programs generally related to waterresources, environment or ecology. In order to achieve a comprehensive understanding on the groundwater theme, the KINDRA project (Knowledge Inventory for Hydrogeology Research - www.kindraproject.eu) seeks to carry out an accurate assessment of the state of the art in hydrogeology research and to create a critical mass for scientific knowledge exchange of hydrogeology research, to ensure wide accessibility and applicability of research results, including support of innovation and development, and to reduce unnecessary duplication of efforts. The first two years of the project have focused its efforts in developing the concept of a Harmonized Terminology and Methodology for Classification and Reporting Hydrogeology related Research in Europe (HRCSYS) as well as its implementation in the European Inventory of Groundwater Research (EIGR). For developing the common terminology, keywords characterizing research on groundwater have been identified from two main sources: the most important EU directives and policy documents and from groundwater related scientific literature. To assess the importance and pertinence of the keywords, these have been ranked by performing searches via the Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar search engines. The complete merged list of keywords consisting of more than 200 terms has been organized in a tree hierarchy, identifying three main categories: Societal Challenges (SC), Operational Actions (OA) and Research Topics (RT). The relationships among these main categories expressed by a 3D approach, identifying single intersections among 5 main overarching groups for each category. The EIGR itself contains metadata (about 1800 records at the moment) of research efforts and topic related knowledge deliverables (scientific reports, articles, projects, etc.) illustrating and providing links to research efforts carried out through Europe since 2000, indicating where data can be retrieved, and following their classification according to the proposed methodology. Both the HRC-SYS classification approach and the EIGR tool, are fundamental to achieve the main aim of the KINDRA project: to create an overview of the scientific knowledge covering European countries by means of an accurate assessment of hydrogeology research in various geographical and geo-environmental settings, and to allow for a direct comparison and exploit existing synergies. The scope of the project also includes identification of future trends, critical challenges and research gaps, to improve management and policy development for groundwater resources on a EU level coherently with the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Groundwater Directive (GWD). As part of the work to be carried out in 2017, the identified research gaps will be converted into specific recommendations for the further development of EU level policies and research programmes. The project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 642047.

Rational dissection of a high institutional cesarean section rate: an analysis using the Robson Ten Group Classification System.

PubMed

Tan, Jarrod K H; Tan, Eng Loy; Kanagalingan, Devendra; Tan, Lay Kok

2015-04-01

Cesarean section (CS) rates have risen far in excess of the optimal 15% recommended by the World Health Organization. The Robson Ten Group Classification System (TGCS) allows meaningful analysis of a CS rate. The aim of this study is to identify the leading patient categories contributing to our institution's CS rate. Prospective study of all women who delivered at the Singapore General Hospital from January 2008 to December 2011. The following data was recorded: parity, singleton/multiple pregnancy, previous CS, mode of labor onset and gestational age at delivery. CS rates were computed for each group, as well as their relative contribution to the overall CS rate. There were 6074 deliveries, in which 2011 (33.1%) women had CS delivery. Group 5 was the largest contributor to the overall CS rate (25.9%). Of the patients in this group, 18.8% had a successful vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). Group 2 was the second largest contributor to the overall CS rate at 18.0%. Group 10 had a high contribution of 16.1%. The TGCS allows easy identification of the leading contributing patient groups. The surprisingly high contribution of group 10 suggests that our institution, a tertiary multidisciplinary teaching hospital, manages a sizeable group of high-risk patients in its obstetric case mix accounting for the high CS rate. Almost one in five term pregnancies with one previous CS had a successful vaginal delivery, suggesting that the institutional attempted VBAC rate is higher than 20%. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research © 2014 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Gender incongruence of childhood in the ICD-11: controversies, proposal, and rationale.

PubMed

Drescher, Jack; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; Reed, Geoffrey M

2016-03-01

As part of the development of the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), WHO appointed a Working Group on Sexual Disorders and Sexual Health to recommend changes necessary in the classification of mental and behavioural disorders in ICD-10 that are related to sexuality and gender identity. This Personal View focuses on the Working Group's proposals to include the diagnosis gender incongruence of childhood in ICD-11 and to move gender incongruence of childhood out of the mental and behavioural disorders chapter of ICD-11. We outline the history of ICD and DSM child gender diagnoses, expert consensus, knowledge gaps, and controversies related to the diagnosis and treatment of extremely gender-variant children. We argue that retaining the gender incongruence of childhood category is justified as a basis to structure clinical care and to ensure access to appropriate services for this vulnerable population, which provides opportunities for education and informed consent, the development of standards and pathways of care to help guide clinicians and family members, and a basis for future research efforts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE CHOICE OF OPTIMAL STRUCTURE OF ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK CLASSIFIER INTENDED FOR CLASSIFICATION OF WELDING FLAWS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sikora, R.; Chady, T.; Baniukiewicz, P.

2010-02-22

Nondestructive testing and evaluation are under continuous development. Currently researches are concentrated on three main topics: advancement of existing methods, introduction of novel methods and development of artificial intelligent systems for automatic defect recognition (ADR). Automatic defect classification algorithm comprises of two main tasks: creating a defect database and preparing a defect classifier. Here, the database was built using defect features that describe all geometrical and texture properties of the defect. Almost twenty carefully selected features calculated for flaws extracted from real radiograms were used. The radiograms were obtained from shipbuilding industry and they were verified by qualified operator. Twomore » weld defect's classifiers based on artificial neural networks were proposed and compared. First model consisted of one neural network model, where each output neuron corresponded to different defect group. The second model contained five neural networks. Each neural network had one neuron on output and was responsible for detection of defects from one group. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the neural networks classifiers, the mean square errors were calculated for test radiograms and compared.« less

The Choice of Optimal Structure of Artificial Neural Network Classifier Intended for Classification of Welding Flaws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikora, R.; Chady, T.; Baniukiewicz, P.; Caryk, M.; Piekarczyk, B.

2010-02-01

Nondestructive testing and evaluation are under continuous development. Currently researches are concentrated on three main topics: advancement of existing methods, introduction of novel methods and development of artificial intelligent systems for automatic defect recognition (ADR). Automatic defect classification algorithm comprises of two main tasks: creating a defect database and preparing a defect classifier. Here, the database was built using defect features that describe all geometrical and texture properties of the defect. Almost twenty carefully selected features calculated for flaws extracted from real radiograms were used. The radiograms were obtained from shipbuilding industry and they were verified by qualified operator. Two weld defect's classifiers based on artificial neural networks were proposed and compared. First model consisted of one neural network model, where each output neuron corresponded to different defect group. The second model contained five neural networks. Each neural network had one neuron on output and was responsible for detection of defects from one group. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the neural networks classifiers, the mean square errors were calculated for test radiograms and compared.

The use of control groups in artificial grammar learning.

PubMed

Reber, Rolf; Perruchet, Pierre

2003-01-01

Experimenters assume that participants of an experimental group have learned an artificial grammar if they classify test items with significantly higher accuracy than does a control group without training. The validity of such a comparison, however, depends on an additivity assumption: Learning is superimposed on the action of non-specific variables-for example, repetitions of letters, which modulate the performance of the experimental group and the control group to the same extent. In two experiments we were able to show that this additivity assumption does not hold. Grammaticality classifications in control groups without training (Experiments 1 and 2) depended on non-specific features. There were no such biases in the experimental groups. Control groups with training on randomized strings (Experiment 2) showed fewer biases than did control groups without training. Furthermore, we reanalysed published research and demonstrated that earlier experiments using control groups without training had produced similar biases in control group performances, bolstering the finding that using control groups without training is methodologically unsound.

Superiority of artificial neural networks for a genetic classification procedure.

PubMed

Sant'Anna, I C; Tomaz, R S; Silva, G N; Nascimento, M; Bhering, L L; Cruz, C D

2015-08-19

The correct classification of individuals is extremely important for the preservation of genetic variability and for maximization of yield in breeding programs using phenotypic traits and genetic markers. The Fisher and Anderson discriminant functions are commonly used multivariate statistical techniques for these situations, which allow for the allocation of an initially unknown individual to predefined groups. However, for higher levels of similarity, such as those found in backcrossed populations, these methods have proven to be inefficient. Recently, much research has been devoted to developing a new paradigm of computing known as artificial neural networks (ANNs), which can be used to solve many statistical problems, including classification problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of ANNs as an evaluation technique of genetic diversity by comparing their performance with that of traditional methods. The discriminant functions were equally ineffective in discriminating the populations, with error rates of 23-82%, thereby preventing the correct discrimination of individuals between populations. The ANN was effective in classifying populations with low and high differentiation, such as those derived from a genetic design established from backcrosses, even in cases of low differentiation of the data sets. The ANN appears to be a promising technique to solve classification problems, since the number of individuals classified incorrectly by the ANN was always lower than that of the discriminant functions. We envisage the potential relevant application of this improved procedure in the genomic classification of markers to distinguish between breeds and accessions.

Neuropsychological Test Selection for Cognitive Impairment Classification: A Machine Learning Approach

PubMed Central

Williams, Jennifer A.; Schmitter-Edgecombe, Maureen; Cook, Diane J.

2016-01-01

Introduction Reducing the amount of testing required to accurately detect cognitive impairment is clinically relevant. The aim of this research was to determine the fewest number of clinical measures required to accurately classify participants as healthy older adult, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia using a suite of classification techniques. Methods Two variable selection machine learning models (i.e., naive Bayes, decision tree), a logistic regression, and two participant datasets (i.e., clinical diagnosis, clinical dementia rating; CDR) were explored. Participants classified using clinical diagnosis criteria included 52 individuals with dementia, 97 with MCI, and 161 cognitively healthy older adults. Participants classified using CDR included 154 individuals CDR = 0, 93 individuals with CDR = 0.5, and 25 individuals with CDR = 1.0+. Twenty-seven demographic, psychological, and neuropsychological variables were available for variable selection. Results No significant difference was observed between naive Bayes, decision tree, and logistic regression models for classification of both clinical diagnosis and CDR datasets. Participant classification (70.0 – 99.1%), geometric mean (60.9 – 98.1%), sensitivity (44.2 – 100%), and specificity (52.7 – 100%) were generally satisfactory. Unsurprisingly, the MCI/CDR = 0.5 participant group was the most challenging to classify. Through variable selection only 2 – 9 variables were required for classification and varied between datasets in a clinically meaningful way. Conclusions The current study results reveal that machine learning techniques can accurately classifying cognitive impairment and reduce the number of measures required for diagnosis. PMID:26332171

Integrating multisource imagery and GIS analysis for mapping Bermuda`s benthic habitats

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vierros, M.K.

1997-06-01

Bermuda is a group of isolated oceanic situated in the northwest Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by the Sargasso Sea. Bermuda possesses the northernmost coral reefs and mangroves in the Atlantic Ocean, and because of its high population density, both the terrestrial and marine environments are under intense human pressure. Although a long record of scientific research exists, this study is the first attempt to comprehensively map the area`s benthic habitats, despite the need for such a map for resource assessment and management purposes. Multi-source and multi-date imagery were used for producing the habitat map due to lack of a completemore » up-to-date image. Classifications were performed with SPOT data, and the results verified from recent aerial photography and current aerial video, along with extensive ground truthing. Stratification of the image into regions prior to classification reduced the confusing effects of varying water depth. Classification accuracy in shallow areas was increased by derivation of a texture pseudo-channel, while bathymetry was used as a classification tool in deeper areas, where local patterns of zonation were well known. Because of seasonal variation in extent of seagrasses, a classification scheme based on density could not be used. Instead, a set of classes based on the seagrass area`s exposure to the open ocean were developed. The resulting habitat map is currently being assessed for accuracy with promising preliminary results, indicating its usefulness as a basis for future resource assessment studies.« less

Disorders related to sexuality and gender identity in the ICD‐11: revising the ICD‐10 classification based on current scientific evidence, best clinical practices, and human rights considerations

PubMed Central

Reed, Geoffrey M.; Drescher, Jack; Krueger, Richard B.; Atalla, Elham; Cochran, Susan D.; First, Michael B.; Cohen‐Kettenis, Peggy T.; Arango‐de Montis, Iván; Parish, Sharon J.; Cottler, Sara; Briken, Peer; Saxena, Shekhar

2016-01-01

In the World Health Organization's forthcoming eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD‐11), substantial changes have been proposed to the ICD‐10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders related to sexuality and gender identity. These concern the following ICD‐10 disorder groupings: F52 Sexual dysfunctions, not caused by organic disorder or disease; F64 Gender identity disorders; F65 Disorders of sexual preference; and F66 Psychological and behavioural disorders associated with sexual development and orientation. Changes have been proposed based on advances in research and clinical practice, and major shifts in social attitudes and in relevant policies, laws, and human rights standards. This paper describes the main recommended changes, the rationale and evidence considered, and important differences from the DSM‐5. An integrated classification of sexual dysfunctions has been proposed for a new chapter on Conditions Related to Sexual Health, overcoming the mind/body separation that is inherent in ICD‐10. Gender identity disorders in ICD‐10 have been reconceptualized as Gender incongruence, and also proposed to be moved to the new chapter on sexual health. The proposed classification of Paraphilic disorders distinguishes between conditions that are relevant to public health and clinical psychopathology and those that merely reflect private behaviour. ICD‐10 categories related to sexual orientation have been recommended for deletion from the ICD‐11. PMID:27717275

Cross-Classification and Category Representation in Children's Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, Simone P.

2007-01-01

Items commonly belong to many categories. Cross-classification is the classification of a single item into more than one category. This research explored 2- to 6-year-old children's use of 2 different category systems for cross-classification: script (e.g., school-time items, birthday party items) and taxonomic (e.g., animals, clothes). The…

Understanding the use of standardized nursing terminology and classification systems in published research: A case study using the International Classification for Nursing Practice(®).

PubMed

Strudwick, Gillian; Hardiker, Nicholas R

2016-10-01

In the era of evidenced based healthcare, nursing is required to demonstrate that care provided by nurses is associated with optimal patient outcomes, and a high degree of quality and safety. The use of standardized nursing terminologies and classification systems are a way that nursing documentation can be leveraged to generate evidence related to nursing practice. Several widely-reported nursing specific terminologies and classifications systems currently exist including the Clinical Care Classification System, International Classification for Nursing Practice(®), Nursing Intervention Classification, Nursing Outcome Classification, Omaha System, Perioperative Nursing Data Set and NANDA International. However, the influence of these systems on demonstrating the value of nursing and the professions' impact on quality, safety and patient outcomes in published research is relatively unknown. This paper seeks to understand the use of standardized nursing terminology and classification systems in published research, using the International Classification for Nursing Practice(®) as a case study. A systematic review of international published empirical studies on, or using, the International Classification for Nursing Practice(®) were completed using Medline and the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Since 2006, 38 studies have been published on the International Classification for Nursing Practice(®). The main objectives of the published studies have been to validate the appropriateness of the classification system for particular care areas or populations, further develop the classification system, or utilize it to support the generation of new nursing knowledge. To date, most studies have focused on the classification system itself, and a lesser number of studies have used the system to generate information about the outcomes of nursing practice. Based on the published literature that features the International Classification for Nursing Practice, standardized nursing terminology and classification systems appear to be well developed for various populations, settings and to harmonize with other health-related terminology systems. However, the use of the systems to generate new nursing knowledge, and to validate nursing practice is still in its infancy. There is an opportunity now to utilize the well-developed systems in their current state to further what is know about nursing practice, and how best to demonstrate improvements in patient outcomes through nursing care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

New York State Thruway Authority automatic vehicle classification (AVC) : research report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-03-31

In December 2007, the N.Y.S. Thruway Authority (Thruway) concluded a Federal : funded research effort to study technology and develop a design for retrofitting : devices required in implementing a fully automated vehicle classification system i...

Classification of Palmprint Using Principal Line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Munaga V. N. K.; Kumar, M. K. Pramod; Sharma, Kuldeep

In this paper, a new classification scheme for palmprint is proposed. Palmprint is one of the reliable physiological characteristics that can be used to authenticate an individual. Palmprint classification provides an important indexing mechanism in a very large palmprint database. Here, the palmprint database is initially categorized into two groups, right hand group and left hand group. Then, each group is further classified based on the distance traveled by principal line i.e. Heart Line During pre processing, a rectangular Region of Interest (ROI) in which only heart line is present, is extracted. Further, ROI is divided into 6 regions and depending upon the regions in which the heart line traverses the palmprint is classified accordingly. Consequently, our scheme allows 64 categories for each group forming a total number of 128 possible categories. The technique proposed in this paper includes only 15 such categories and it classifies not more than 20.96% of the images into a single category.

Illustration of compositional variations over time of Chinese porcelain glazes combining micro-X-ray Fluorescence spectrometry, multivariate data analysis and Seger formulas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Pevenage, J.; Verhaeven, E.; Vekemans, B.; Lauwers, D.; Herremans, D.; De Clercq, W.; Vincze, L.; Moens, L.; Vandenabeele, P.

2015-01-01

In this research, the transparent glaze layers of Chinese porcelain samples were investigated. Depending on the production period, these samples can be divided into two groups: the samples of group A dating from the Kangxi period (1661-1722), and the samples of group B produced under emperor Qianlong (1735-1795). Due to the specific sample preparation method and the small spot size of the X-ray beam, investigation of the transparent glaze layers is enabled. Despite the many existing research papers about glaze investigations of ceramics and/or porcelain ware, this research reveals new insights into the glaze composition and structure of Chinese porcelain samples. In this paper it is demonstrated, using micro-X-ray Fluorescence (μ-XRF) spectrometry, multivariate data analysis and statistical analysis (Hotelling's T-Square test) that the transparent glaze layers of the samples of groups A and B are significantly different (95% confidence level). Calculation of the Seger formulas, enabled classification of the glazes. Combining all the information, the difference in composition of the Chinese porcelain glazes of the Kangxi period and the Qianlong period can be demonstrated.

A novel risk classification system for 30-day mortality in children undergoing surgery

PubMed Central

Walter, Arianne I.; Jones, Tamekia L.; Huang, Eunice Y.; Davis, Robert L.

2018-01-01

A simple, objective and accurate way of grouping children undergoing surgery into clinically relevant risk groups is needed. The purpose of this study, is to develop and validate a preoperative risk classification system for postsurgical 30-day mortality for children undergoing a wide variety of operations. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Project-Pediatric participant use file data for calendar years 2012–2014 was analyzed to determine preoperative variables most associated with death within 30 days of operation (D30). Risk groups were created using classification tree analysis based on these preoperative variables. The resulting risk groups were validated using 2015 data, and applied to neonates and higher risk CPT codes to determine validity in high-risk subpopulations. A five-level risk classification was found to be most accurate. The preoperative need for ventilation, oxygen support, inotropic support, sepsis, the need for emergent surgery and a do not resuscitate order defined non-overlapping groups with observed rates of D30 that vary from 0.075% (Very Low Risk) to 38.6% (Very High Risk). When CPT codes where death was never observed are eliminated or when the system is applied to neonates, the groupings remained predictive of death in an ordinal manner. PMID:29351327

Gamma knife treatment for refractory epilepsy in seizure focus localized by positron emission tomography/CT★

PubMed Central

Bai, Xia; Wang, Xuemei; Wang, Hongwei; Zhao, Shigang; Han, Xiaodong; Hao, Linjun; Wang, Xiangcheng

2012-01-01

A total of 80 patients with refractory epilepsy were recruited from the Inner Mongolia Medical College Affiliated Hospital. The foci of 60% of the patients could be positioned using a combined positron emission tomography/CT imaging modality. Hyper- and hypometabolism foci were examined as part of this study. Patients who had abnormal metabolism in positron emission tomography/CT imaging were divided into intermittent-phase group and the seizure-phase group. The intermittent-phase group was further divided into a single-focus group and a multiple-foci group according to the number of seizure foci detected by imaging. Following gamma knife treatment, seizure frequency was significantly lower in the intermittent-phase group and the seizure-phase group. Wieser’s classification reached Grade I or II in nearly 40% of patients. Seizure frequency was significantly lower following treatment, but Wieser’s classification score was significantly higher in the seizure-phase group compared with the intermittent-phase group. Seizure frequency was significantly lower following treatment in the single-focus group, but Wieser’s classification score was significantly higher in the single-focus group as compared with the multiple-foci group. PMID:25317147

[Definition and classification of pulmonary arterial hypertension].

PubMed

Nakanishi, Norifumi

2008-11-01

Pulmonary hypertension(PH) is a disorder that may occur either in the setting of a variety of underlying medical conditions or as a disease that uniquely affects the pulmonary vasculature. Because an accurate diagnosis of PH in a patient is essential to establish an effective treatment, a classification of PH has been helpful. The first classification, established at WHO Symposium in 1973, classified PH into groups based on the known cause and defined primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) as a separate entity of unknown cause. In 1998, the second World Symposium on PPH was held in Evian. Evian classification introduced the concept of conditions that directly affected the pulmonary vasculature (i.e., PAH), which included PPH. In 2003, the third World Symposium on PAH convened in Venice. In Venice classification, the term 'PPH' was abandoned in favor of 'idiopathic' within the group of disease known as 'PAH'.

Vietnamese Document Representation and Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Giang-Son; Gao, Xiaoying; Andreae, Peter

Vietnamese is very different from English and little research has been done on Vietnamese document classification, or indeed, on any kind of Vietnamese language processing, and only a few small corpora are available for research. We created a large Vietnamese text corpus with about 18000 documents, and manually classified them based on different criteria such as topics and styles, giving several classification tasks of different difficulty levels. This paper introduces a new syllable-based document representation at the morphological level of the language for efficient classification. We tested the representation on our corpus with different classification tasks using six classification algorithms and two feature selection techniques. Our experiments show that the new representation is effective for Vietnamese categorization, and suggest that best performance can be achieved using syllable-pair document representation, an SVM with a polynomial kernel as the learning algorithm, and using Information gain and an external dictionary for feature selection.

From Pre-Modern to Modern: Ethnic Classification by Language and the Case of the Ngai/Nung of Vietnam.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutton, Christopher

1998-01-01

Discusses problems in the classification of ethnic groups by language, focusing on the case of a marginal Chinese group from northeast Vietnam and the shifting of ethnic identity according to geographic location. Influences of colonialism and nationalist feeling in this dilemma are examined. (MSE)

Laser Raman detection for oral cancer based on an adaptive Gaussian process classification method with posterior probabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Zhanwei; Yang, Yongjian; Bai, Yuan; Wang, Lijun; Su, Le; Chen, Yong; Li, Xianchang; Zhou, Xiaodong; Jia, Jun; Shen, Aiguo; Hu, Jiming

2013-03-01

The existing methods for early and differential diagnosis of oral cancer are limited due to the unapparent early symptoms and the imperfect imaging examination methods. In this paper, the classification models of oral adenocarcinoma, carcinoma tissues and a control group with just four features are established by utilizing the hybrid Gaussian process (HGP) classification algorithm, with the introduction of the mechanisms of noise reduction and posterior probability. HGP shows much better performance in the experimental results. During the experimental process, oral tissues were divided into three groups, adenocarcinoma (n = 87), carcinoma (n = 100) and the control group (n = 134). The spectral data for these groups were collected. The prospective application of the proposed HGP classification method improved the diagnostic sensitivity to 56.35% and the specificity to about 70.00%, and resulted in a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.36. It is proved that the utilization of HGP in LRS detection analysis for the diagnosis of oral cancer gives accurate results. The prospect of application is also satisfactory.

[GST genes expression as prognostic factor in papillary thyroid cancer].

PubMed

Gonçalves, Antonio Jose; Monte, Osmar; Morari, Eliane Cristina; Ward, Laura Sterian; Nakasako, Diana Shimoda; Nieto, Juliana; Nakai, Marianne Yumi

2009-01-01

Analyze the relationship between the AMES classification and molecular factors from Glutation-S-Transferase System, specifically the GSTT1 and GSTM1 in patients with well differentiated thyroid cancer. Samples of thyroid tissue of 66 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were obtained (53 women and 13 men). Patients were divided in two groups (high and low risk) according to the AMES classification. In each group, presence of the null genotype of both GST enzymes system was studied. These results were compared with the AMES classification. Samples were obtained in the operating room immediately after thyroidectomy, placed in cryotubes, immersed in liquid nitrogen and stored in a freezer at -80 masculineC. DNA of this enzymes was extracted by the fenol-cloroformium method. There were 17 high risk patients and 49 low risk patients. The null genotype of the high risk group was 5.8% and in the other group was 6.1%. There was no relationship between absence of genes GSTT1 and GSTM1 and prognosis of the papillary thyroid carcinoma when compared to the AMES classifications.

Automatic migraine classification via feature selection committee and machine learning techniques over imaging and questionnaire data.

PubMed

Garcia-Chimeno, Yolanda; Garcia-Zapirain, Begonya; Gomez-Beldarrain, Marian; Fernandez-Ruanova, Begonya; Garcia-Monco, Juan Carlos

2017-04-13

Feature selection methods are commonly used to identify subsets of relevant features to facilitate the construction of models for classification, yet little is known about how feature selection methods perform in diffusion tensor images (DTIs). In this study, feature selection and machine learning classification methods were tested for the purpose of automating diagnosis of migraines using both DTIs and questionnaire answers related to emotion and cognition - factors that influence of pain perceptions. We select 52 adult subjects for the study divided into three groups: control group (15), subjects with sporadic migraine (19) and subjects with chronic migraine and medication overuse (18). These subjects underwent magnetic resonance with diffusion tensor to see white matter pathway integrity of the regions of interest involved in pain and emotion. The tests also gather data about pathology. The DTI images and test results were then introduced into feature selection algorithms (Gradient Tree Boosting, L1-based, Random Forest and Univariate) to reduce features of the first dataset and classification algorithms (SVM (Support Vector Machine), Boosting (Adaboost) and Naive Bayes) to perform a classification of migraine group. Moreover we implement a committee method to improve the classification accuracy based on feature selection algorithms. When classifying the migraine group, the greatest improvements in accuracy were made using the proposed committee-based feature selection method. Using this approach, the accuracy of classification into three types improved from 67 to 93% when using the Naive Bayes classifier, from 90 to 95% with the support vector machine classifier, 93 to 94% in boosting. The features that were determined to be most useful for classification included are related with the pain, analgesics and left uncinate brain (connected with the pain and emotions). The proposed feature selection committee method improved the performance of migraine diagnosis classifiers compared to individual feature selection methods, producing a robust system that achieved over 90% accuracy in all classifiers. The results suggest that the proposed methods can be used to support specialists in the classification of migraines in patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging.

[Self-determined but with professional leadership? On the effectiveness and definition of self-help groups].

PubMed

Klytta, C; Wilz, G

2007-02-01

Because the effectiveness of self-help groups (SHGs) has not been proven yet and also since multi-focus reviews on SHGs are rare, the present article offers an overview of the current state of research. Possible reasons for the conflicting results in the literature are also investigated. An extensive literature search was done to review studies which used longitudinal design and control groups to measure the effectiveness of SHGs and so-called "support groups". Positive effects in comparison to the control groups were proven in four out of seven of the studies. In the remaining three studies the outcomes between the groups were the same. Considering the naturalistic designs of the studies, these results clearly indicate that SHGs are indeed effective. An insufficient consideration of the heterogeneity of the groups is held responsible for the difficulties associated with previous research on the topic, especially as far as the differentiation between SHGs and professionally led groups is concerned. The definition excludes professional leadership but, in fact, professional involvement in SHGs up to their leadership is the rule. The following suggestions have been derived from this literature analysis: uniform classifications for SHGs and professionally-led support groups should be established in order to make it possible to provide a clear distinction between these types of groups as well as to indicate the extent of professional involvement in them. A plea is made for a generally stronger consideration of organisational differences in the research of SHGs.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: review and new classification criteria for reporting in clinical trials.

PubMed

Humaidan, P; Nelson, S M; Devroey, P; Coddington, C C; Schwartz, L B; Gordon, K; Frattarelli, J L; Tarlatzis, B C; Fatemi, H M; Lutjen, P; Stegmann, B J

2016-09-01

What is an objective approach that employs measurable and reproducible physiologic changes as the basis for the classification of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in order to facilitate more accurate reporting of incidence rates within and across clinical trials? The OHSS flow diagram is an objective approach that will facilitate consistent capture, classification and reporting of OHSS within and across clinical trials. OHSS is a potentially life-threatening iatrogenic complication of the early luteal phase and/or early pregnancy after ovulation induction (OI) or ovarian stimulation (OS). The clinical picture of OHSS (the constellation of symptoms associated with each stage of the disease) is highly variable, hampering its appropriate classification in clinical trials. Although some degree of ovarian hyperstimulation is normal after stimulation, the point at which symptoms transition from those anticipated to those of a disease state is nebulous. An OHSS working group, comprised of subject matter experts and clinical researchers who have significantly contributed to the field of fertility, was convened in April and November 2014. The OHSS working group was tasked with reaching a consensus on the definition and the classification of OHSS for reporting in clinical trials. The group engaged in targeted discussion regarding the scientific background of OHSS, the criteria proposed for the definition and the rationale for universal adoption. An agreement was reached after discussion with all members. One of the following conditions must be met prior to making the diagnosis of OHSS in the context of a clinical trial: (i) the subject has undergone OS (either controlled OS or OI) AND has received a trigger shot for final oocyte maturation (e.g. hCG, GnRH agonist [GnRHa] or kisspeptin) followed by either fresh transfer or segmentation (cryopreservation of embryos) or (ii) the subject has undergone OS or OI AND has a positive pregnancy test. All study patients who develop symptoms of OHSS should undergo a thorough examination. An OHSS flow diagram was designed to be implemented for all subjects with pelvic or abdominal complaints, such as lower abdominal discomfort or distention, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and/or for subjects suspected of having OHSS. The diagnosis of OHSS should be based on the flow diagram. This classification system is primarily intended to address the needs of the clinical investigator undertaking clinical trials in the field of OS and may not be applicable for the use in clinical practice or with OHSS occurring under natural circumstances. The proposed OHSS classification system will enable an accurate estimate of the incidence and severity of OHSS within and across clinical trials performed in women with infertility. Financial support for the advisory group meetings was provided by Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA. P.H. reports unrestricted research grants from MSD, Merck and Ferring, and honoraria for lectures from MSD, Merck and IBSA. S.M.N. reports that he has received fees and grant support from the following companies (in alphabetic order): Beckman Coulter, Besins, EMD Serono, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Finox, MSD and Roche Diagnostics over the previous 5 years. P.D., C.C.C., J.L.F., H.M.F., and P.L. report no relationships that present a potential conflict of interest. B.C.T. grants and honorarium from Merck Serono; unrestricted research grants, travel grants and honorarium, and participation in a company-sponsored speaker's bureau from Merck Sharp & Dohme; grants, travel grants, honoraria and advisory board membership from IBSA; travel grants from Ferring; and advisory board membership from Ovascience. L.B.S. reports current employment with Merck & Co, Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, and owns stock in the company. K.G. and B.J.S. report prior employment with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, and own stock in the company. All reported that competing interests are outside the submitted work. No other relationships or activities exist that could appear to have influenced the submitted work. Not applicable. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

The impact of occupation according to income on depressive symptoms in South Korean individuals: Findings from the Korean Welfare Panel Study.

PubMed

Kim, Woorim; Park, Eun-Cheol; Lee, Tae-Hoon; Ju, Yeong Jun; Shin, Jaeyong; Lee, Sang Gyu

2016-05-01

In South Korea, societal perceptions on occupation are distinct, with people favouring white collar jobs. Hence both occupation type and income can have mental health effects. To examine the relationship between occupational classification and depression, along with the combined effect of occupational classification and household income. Data were from the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS), 2010-2013. A total of 4,694 economically active participants at baseline were followed. Association between occupational classification and depression, measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale 11, was investigated using the linear mixed effects model. Blue collar (β: 0.3871, p = .0109) and sales and service worker groups (β: 0.3418, p = .0307) showed higher depression scores than the white collar group. Compared to the white collar high-income group, white collar low income, blue collar middle income, blue collar middle-low income, blue collar low income, sales and service middle-high income, sales and service middle-low income and sales and service low-income groups had higher depression scores. Occupational classification is associated with increasing depression scores. Excluding the highest income group, blue collar and sales and service worker groups exhibit higher depression scores than their white collar counterparts, implying the importance of addressing these groups. © The Author(s) 2016.

Australian sea-floor survey data, with images and expert annotations.

PubMed

Bewley, Michael; Friedman, Ariell; Ferrari, Renata; Hill, Nicole; Hovey, Renae; Barrett, Neville; Marzinelli, Ezequiel M; Pizarro, Oscar; Figueira, Will; Meyer, Lisa; Babcock, Russ; Bellchambers, Lynda; Byrne, Maria; Williams, Stefan B

2015-01-01

This Australian benthic data set (BENTHOZ-2015) consists of an expert-annotated set of georeferenced benthic images and associated sensor data, captured by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) around Australia. This type of data is of interest to marine scientists studying benthic habitats and organisms. AUVs collect georeferenced images over an area with consistent illumination and altitude, and make it possible to generate broad scale, photo-realistic 3D maps. Marine scientists then typically spend several minutes on each of thousands of images, labeling substratum type and biota at a subset of points. Labels from four Australian research groups were combined using the CATAMI classification scheme, a hierarchical classification scheme based on taxonomy and morphology for scoring marine imagery. This data set consists of 407,968 expert labeled points from around the Australian coast, with associated images, geolocation and other sensor data. The robotic surveys that collected this data form part of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) ongoing benthic monitoring program. There is reuse potential in marine science, robotics, and computer vision research.

Australian sea-floor survey data, with images and expert annotations

PubMed Central

Bewley, Michael; Friedman, Ariell; Ferrari, Renata; Hill, Nicole; Hovey, Renae; Barrett, Neville; Pizarro, Oscar; Figueira, Will; Meyer, Lisa; Babcock, Russ; Bellchambers, Lynda; Byrne, Maria; Williams, Stefan B.

2015-01-01

This Australian benthic data set (BENTHOZ-2015) consists of an expert-annotated set of georeferenced benthic images and associated sensor data, captured by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) around Australia. This type of data is of interest to marine scientists studying benthic habitats and organisms. AUVs collect georeferenced images over an area with consistent illumination and altitude, and make it possible to generate broad scale, photo-realistic 3D maps. Marine scientists then typically spend several minutes on each of thousands of images, labeling substratum type and biota at a subset of points. Labels from four Australian research groups were combined using the CATAMI classification scheme, a hierarchical classification scheme based on taxonomy and morphology for scoring marine imagery. This data set consists of 407,968 expert labeled points from around the Australian coast, with associated images, geolocation and other sensor data. The robotic surveys that collected this data form part of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) ongoing benthic monitoring program. There is reuse potential in marine science, robotics, and computer vision research. PMID:26528396

Australian sea-floor survey data, with images and expert annotations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bewley, Michael; Friedman, Ariell; Ferrari, Renata; Hill, Nicole; Hovey, Renae; Barrett, Neville; Pizarro, Oscar; Figueira, Will; Meyer, Lisa; Babcock, Russ; Bellchambers, Lynda; Byrne, Maria; Williams, Stefan B.

2015-10-01

This Australian benthic data set (BENTHOZ-2015) consists of an expert-annotated set of georeferenced benthic images and associated sensor data, captured by an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) around Australia. This type of data is of interest to marine scientists studying benthic habitats and organisms. AUVs collect georeferenced images over an area with consistent illumination and altitude, and make it possible to generate broad scale, photo-realistic 3D maps. Marine scientists then typically spend several minutes on each of thousands of images, labeling substratum type and biota at a subset of points. Labels from four Australian research groups were combined using the CATAMI classification scheme, a hierarchical classification scheme based on taxonomy and morphology for scoring marine imagery. This data set consists of 407,968 expert labeled points from around the Australian coast, with associated images, geolocation and other sensor data. The robotic surveys that collected this data form part of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) ongoing benthic monitoring program. There is reuse potential in marine science, robotics, and computer vision research.

Automated riverine landscape characterization: GIS-based tools for watershed-scale research, assessment, and management.

PubMed

Williams, Bradley S; D'Amico, Ellen; Kastens, Jude H; Thorp, James H; Flotemersch, Joseph E; Thoms, Martin C

2013-09-01

River systems consist of hydrogeomorphic patches (HPs) that emerge at multiple spatiotemporal scales. Functional process zones (FPZs) are HPs that exist at the river valley scale and are important strata for framing whole-watershed research questions and management plans. Hierarchical classification procedures aid in HP identification by grouping sections of river based on their hydrogeomorphic character; however, collecting data required for such procedures with field-based methods is often impractical. We developed a set of GIS-based tools that facilitate rapid, low cost riverine landscape characterization and FPZ classification. Our tools, termed RESonate, consist of a custom toolbox designed for ESRI ArcGIS®. RESonate automatically extracts 13 hydrogeomorphic variables from readily available geospatial datasets and datasets derived from modeling procedures. An advanced 2D flood model, FLDPLN, designed for MATLAB® is used to determine valley morphology by systematically flooding river networks. When used in conjunction with other modeling procedures, RESonate and FLDPLN can assess the character of large river networks quickly and at very low costs. Here we describe tool and model functions in addition to their benefits, limitations, and applications.

A new audience segmentation tool for African Americans: the black identity classification scale.

PubMed

Davis, Rachel E; Alexander, Gwen; Calvi, Josephine; Wiese, Cheryl; Greene, Sarah; Nowak, Mike; Cross, William E; Resnicow, Ken

2010-07-01

Many health communications target African Americans in an attempt to remediate race-based health disparities. Such materials often assume that African Americans are culturally homogeneous; however, research indicates that African Americans are heterogeneous in their attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs. The Black Identity Classification Scale (BICS) was designed as a telephone-administered tool to segment African American audiences into 16 ethnic identity types. The BICS was pretested using focus groups, telephone pretests, and a pilot study (n = 306). The final scale then was administered to 625 Black adults participating in a dietary intervention study, where it generally demonstrated good internal consistency reliability. The construct validity of the BICS also was explored by comparing participants' responses to culturally associated survey items. The distribution of the 16 BICS identity types in the intervention study is presented, as well as select characteristics for participants with core identity components. Although additional research is warranted, these findings suggest that the BICS has good psychometric properties and may be an effective tool for identifying African American audience segments.

A New Audience Segmentation Tool for African Americans: The Black Identity Classification Scale

PubMed Central

DAVIS, RACHEL E.; ALEXANDER, GWEN; CALVI, JOSEPHINE; WIESE, CHERYL; GREENE, SARAH; NOWAK, MIKE; CROSS, WILLIAM E.; RESNICOW, KEN

2011-01-01

Many health communications target African Americans in an attempt to remediate race-based health disparities. Such materials often assume that African Americans are culturally homogeneous; however, research indicates that African Americans are heterogeneous in their attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs. The Black Identity Classification Scale (BICS) was designed as a telephone-administered tool to segment African American audiences into 16 ethnic identity types. The BICS was pretested using focus groups, telephone pretests, and a pilot study (n=306). The final scale was then administered to 625 Black adults participating in a dietary intervention study, where it generally demonstrated good internal consistency reliability. The construct validity of the BICS was also explored by comparing participants’ responses to culturally associated survey items. The distribution of the 16 BICS identity types in the intervention study is presented, as well as select characteristics for participants with core identity components. Although additional research is warranted, these findings suggest that the BICS has good psychometric properties and may be an effective tool for identifying African American audience segments. PMID:20677057

An Updated Taxonomy and a Graphical Summary Tool for Optimal Classification and Comprehension of Omics Research.

PubMed

Pirih, Nina; Kunej, Tanja

2018-05-01

The volume of publications and the type of research approaches used in omics system sciences are vast and continue to expand rapidly. This increased complexity and heterogeneity of omics data are challenging data extraction, sensemaking, analyses, knowledge translation, and interpretation. An extended and dynamic taxonomy for the classification and summary of omics studies are essential. We present an updated taxonomy for classification of omics research studies based on four criteria: (1) type and number of genomic loci in a research study, (2) number of species and biological samples, (3) the type of omics technology (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics) and omics technology application type (e.g., pharmacogenomics and nutrigenomics), and (4) phenotypes. In addition, we present a graphical summary approach that enables the researchers to define the main characteristics of their study in a single figure, and offers the readers to rapidly grasp the published study and omics data. We searched the PubMed and the Web of Science from 09/2002 to 02/2018, including research and review articles, and identified 90 scientific publications. We propose a call toward omics studies' standardization for reporting in scientific literature. We anticipate the proposed classification scheme will usefully contribute to improved classification of published reports in genomics and other omics fields, and help data extraction from publications for future multiomics data integration.

Semantic and topological classification of images in magnetically guided capsule endoscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mewes, P. W.; Rennert, P.; Juloski, A. L.; Lalande, A.; Angelopoulou, E.; Kuth, R.; Hornegger, J.

2012-03-01

Magnetically-guided capsule endoscopy (MGCE) is a nascent technology with the goal to allow the steering of a capsule endoscope inside a water filled stomach through an external magnetic field. We developed a classification cascade for MGCE images with groups images in semantic and topological categories. Results can be used in a post-procedure review or as a starting point for algorithms classifying pathologies. The first semantic classification step discards over-/under-exposed images as well as images with a large amount of debris. The second topological classification step groups images with respect to their position in the upper gastrointestinal tract (mouth, esophagus, stomach, duodenum). In the third stage two parallel classifications steps distinguish topologically different regions inside the stomach (cardia, fundus, pylorus, antrum, peristaltic view). For image classification, global image features and local texture features were applied and their performance was evaluated. We show that the third classification step can be improved by a bubble and debris segmentation because it limits feature extraction to discriminative areas only. We also investigated the impact of segmenting intestinal folds on the identification of different semantic camera positions. The results of classifications with a support-vector-machine show the significance of color histogram features for the classification of corrupted images (97%). Features extracted from intestinal fold segmentation lead only to a minor improvement (3%) in discriminating different camera positions.

A Case–Control Study of Socio-Economic and Nutritional Characteristics as Determinants of Dental Caries in Different Age Groups, Considered as Public Health Problem: Data from NHANES 2013–2014

PubMed Central

Chávez-Lamas, Nubia M.; Gracia-Cortés, Ma. del Carmen; Moreno-Báez, Arturo; Arceo-Olague, Jose G.; Galván-Tejada, Jorge I.

2018-01-01

One of the principal conditions that affects oral health worldwide is dental caries, occurring in about 90% of the global population. This pathology has been considered a challenge because of its high prevalence, besides being a chronic but preventable disease which can be caused by a series of different demographic, dietary, among others. Based on this problem, in this research a demographic and dietary features analysis is performed for the classification of subjects according to their oral health status based on caries, according to the age group where the population belongs, using as feature selector a technique based on fast backward selection (FBS) approach for the development of three predictive models, one for each age range (group 1: 10–19; group 2: 20–59; group 3: 60 or more years old). As validation, a net reclassification improvement (NRI), AUC, ROC, and OR values are used to evaluate their classification accuracy. We analyzed 189 demographic and dietary features from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2014. Each model obtained statistically significant results for most features and narrow OR confidence intervals. Age group 2 obtained a mean NRI = −0.080 and AUC = 0.933; age group 3 obtained a mean NRI = −0.024 and AUC = 0.787; and age group 4 obtained a mean NRI = −0.129 and AUC = 0.735. Based on these results, it is concluded that these specific demographic and dietary features are significant determinants for estimating the oral health status in patients based on their likelihood of developing caries, and the age group could imply different risk factors for subjects. PMID:29748513

A Case⁻Control Study of Socio-Economic and Nutritional Characteristics as Determinants of Dental Caries in Different Age Groups, Considered as Public Health Problem: Data from NHANES 2013⁻2014.

PubMed

Zanella-Calzada, Laura A; Galván-Tejada, Carlos E; Chávez-Lamas, Nubia M; Gracia-Cortés, Ma Del Carmen; Moreno-Báez, Arturo; Arceo-Olague, Jose G; Celaya-Padilla, Jose M; Galván-Tejada, Jorge I; Gamboa-Rosales, Hamurabi

2018-05-10

One of the principal conditions that affects oral health worldwide is dental caries, occurring in about 90% of the global population. This pathology has been considered a challenge because of its high prevalence, besides being a chronic but preventable disease which can be caused by a series of different demographic, dietary" among others. Based on this problem, in this research a demographic and dietary features analysis is performed for the classification of subjects according to their oral health status based on caries, according to the age group where the population belongs, using as feature selector a technique based on fast backward selection (FBS) approach for the development of three predictive models, one for each age range (group 1: 10⁻19; group 2: 20⁻59; group 3: 60 or more years old). As validation, a net reclassification improvement (NRI), AUC, ROC, and OR values are used to evaluate their classification accuracy. We analyzed 189 demographic and dietary features from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013⁻2014. Each model obtained statistically significant results for most features and narrow OR confidence intervals. Age group 2 obtained a mean NRI = -0.080 and AUC = 0.933; age group 3 obtained a mean NRI = -0.024 and AUC = 0.787; and age group 4 obtained a mean NRI = -0.129 and AUC = 0.735. Based on these results, it is concluded that these specific demographic and dietary features are significant determinants for estimating the oral health status in patients based on their likelihood of developing caries, and the age group could imply different risk factors for subjects.

MUSIC-Expected maximization gaussian mixture methodology for clustering and detection of task-related neuronal firing rates.

PubMed

Ortiz-Rosario, Alexis; Adeli, Hojjat; Buford, John A

2017-01-15

Researchers often rely on simple methods to identify involvement of neurons in a particular motor task. The historical approach has been to inspect large groups of neurons and subjectively separate neurons into groups based on the expertise of the investigator. In cases where neuron populations are small it is reasonable to inspect these neuronal recordings and their firing rates carefully to avoid data omissions. In this paper, a new methodology is presented for automatic objective classification of neurons recorded in association with behavioral tasks into groups. By identifying characteristics of neurons in a particular group, the investigator can then identify functional classes of neurons based on their relationship to the task. The methodology is based on integration of a multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm to extract relevant features from the firing rate and an expectation-maximization Gaussian mixture algorithm (EM-GMM) to cluster the extracted features. The methodology is capable of identifying and clustering similar firing rate profiles automatically based on specific signal features. An empirical wavelet transform (EWT) was used to validate the features found in the MUSIC pseudospectrum and the resulting signal features captured by the methodology. Additionally, this methodology was used to inspect behavioral elements of neurons to physiologically validate the model. This methodology was tested using a set of data collected from awake behaving non-human primates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) Classification System: An INRG Task Force Report

PubMed Central

Cohn, Susan L.; Pearson, Andrew D.J.; London, Wendy B.; Monclair, Tom; Ambros, Peter F.; Brodeur, Garrett M.; Faldum, Andreas; Hero, Barbara; Iehara, Tomoko; Machin, David; Mosseri, Veronique; Simon, Thorsten; Garaventa, Alberto; Castel, Victoria; Matthay, Katherine K.

2009-01-01

Purpose Because current approaches to risk classification and treatment stratification for children with neuroblastoma (NB) vary greatly throughout the world, it is difficult to directly compare risk-based clinical trials. The International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) classification system was developed to establish a consensus approach for pretreatment risk stratification. Patients and Methods The statistical and clinical significance of 13 potential prognostic factors were analyzed in a cohort of 8,800 children diagnosed with NB between 1990 and 2002 from North America and Australia (Children's Oncology Group), Europe (International Society of Pediatric Oncology Europe Neuroblastoma Group and German Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Group), and Japan. Survival tree regression analyses using event-free survival (EFS) as the primary end point were performed to test the prognostic significance of the 13 factors. Results Stage, age, histologic category, grade of tumor differentiation, the status of the MYCN oncogene, chromosome 11q status, and DNA ploidy were the most highly statistically significant and clinically relevant factors. A new staging system (INRG Staging System) based on clinical criteria and tumor imaging was developed for the INRG Classification System. The optimal age cutoff was determined to be between 15 and 19 months, and 18 months was selected for the classification system. Sixteen pretreatment groups were defined on the basis of clinical criteria and statistically significantly different EFS of the cohort stratified by the INRG criteria. Patients with 5-year EFS more than 85%, more than 75% to ≤ 85%, ≥ 50% to ≤ 75%, or less than 50% were classified as very low risk, low risk, intermediate risk, or high risk, respectively. Conclusion By defining homogenous pretreatment patient cohorts, the INRG classification system will greatly facilitate the comparison of risk-based clinical trials conducted in different regions of the world and the development of international collaborative studies. PMID:19047291

Structural brain changes versus self-report: machine-learning classification of chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

PubMed

Sevel, Landrew S; Boissoneault, Jeff; Letzen, Janelle E; Robinson, Michael E; Staud, Roland

2018-05-30

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disorder associated with fatigue, pain, and structural/functional abnormalities seen during magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI). Therefore, we evaluated the performance of structural MRI (sMRI) abnormalities in the classification of CFS patients versus healthy controls and compared it to machine learning (ML) classification based upon self-report (SR). Participants included 18 CFS patients and 15 healthy controls (HC). All subjects underwent T1-weighted sMRI and provided visual analogue-scale ratings of fatigue, pain intensity, anxiety, depression, anger, and sleep quality. sMRI data were segmented using FreeSurfer and 61 regions based on functional and structural abnormalities previously reported in patients with CFS. Classification was performed in RapidMiner using a linear support vector machine and bootstrap optimism correction. We compared ML classifiers based on (1) 61 a priori sMRI regional estimates and (2) SR ratings. The sMRI model achieved 79.58% classification accuracy. The SR (accuracy = 95.95%) outperformed both sMRI models. Estimates from multiple brain areas related to cognition, emotion, and memory contributed strongly to group classification. This is the first ML-based group classification of CFS. Our findings suggest that sMRI abnormalities are useful for discriminating CFS patients from HC, but SR ratings remain most effective in classification tasks.

Cross-cutting issues and future directions for the OCD spectrum.

PubMed

Hollander, Eric; Kim, Suah; Braun, Ashley; Simeon, Daphne; Zohar, Joseph

2009-11-30

The research planning agenda for DSM-V examined possible similarities in phenomenology, comorbidity, familial and genetic features, brain circuitry, and treatment response between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and several related disorders that are characterized by repetitive thoughts or behaviors. Such data support a re-examination of the DSM-IV-TR classification of OCD and the anxiety disorders, with possible inclusion of a group of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs) in DSM-V. Various disorders were systematically examined for inclusion in such a grouping, and later a smaller number were determined to meet threshold criteria for inclusion in the OCSDs. The disorders that were originally examined included OCD, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), Tourette's syndrome (TS) and other tic disorders, Sydenham's chorea, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS), trichotillomania (TTM), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), autism, eating disorders, Huntington's and Parkinson's disease, impulse control disorders, as well as substance and behavioral addictions. Certain disorders such as BDD, OCPD, TS, and TTM share many commonalities with OCD in phenomenology, comorbidity, familial and genetic features, brain circuitry, and treatment response. Other disorders, such as the impulse control disorders (ICDs) share some common features with OCD, but also differ in many ways as well. The articles presented in this issue of Psychiatry Research are a result of this international collaboration, which examined diagnostic and classification issues of OCSDs for DSM-V in a conference titled "The Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis: Refining the Research Agenda: Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior Spectrum" held in June 2006 at the American Psychiatric Association's headquarters in Arlington, VA.

Gauging Spatial Symmetries and the Classification of Topological Crystalline Phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorngren, Ryan; Else, Dominic V.

2018-01-01

We put the theory of interacting topological crystalline phases on a systematic footing. These are topological phases protected by space-group symmetries. Our central tool is an elucidation of what it means to "gauge" such symmetries. We introduce the notion of a crystalline topological liquid and argue that most (and perhaps all) phases of interest are likely to satisfy this criterion. We prove a crystalline equivalence principle, which states that in Euclidean space, crystalline topological liquids with symmetry group G are in one-to-one correspondence with topological phases protected by the same symmetry G , but acting internally, where if an element of G is orientation reversing, it is realized as an antiunitary symmetry in the internal symmetry group. As an example, we explicitly compute, using group cohomology, a partial classification of bosonic symmetry-protected topological phases protected by crystalline symmetries in (3 +1 ) dimensions for 227 of the 230 space groups. For the 65 space groups not containing orientation-reversing elements (Sohncke groups), there are no cobordism invariants that may contribute phases beyond group cohomology, so we conjecture that our classification is complete.

Revealing Significant Relations between Chemical/Biological Features and Activity: Associative Classification Mining for Drug Discovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Pulan

2012-01-01

Classification, clustering and association mining are major tasks of data mining and have been widely used for knowledge discovery. Associative classification mining, the combination of both association rule mining and classification, has emerged as an indispensable way to support decision making and scientific research. In particular, it offers a…

Comparing the Utility of the 2000 and 2005 Carnegie Classification Systems in Research on Students' College Experiences and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormick, Alexander C.; Pike, Gary R.; Kuh, George D.; Chen, Pu-Shih Daniel

2009-01-01

This study compares the explanatory power of the 2000 edition of Carnegie Classification, the 2005 revision of the classification, and selected variables underlying Carnegie's expanded 2005 classification system using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement's spring 2004 administration. Results indicate that the 2000 and 2005…

A review of the automated detection and classification of acute leukaemia: Coherent taxonomy, datasets, validation and performance measurements, motivation, open challenges and recommendations.

PubMed

Alsalem, M A; Zaidan, A A; Zaidan, B B; Hashim, M; Madhloom, H T; Azeez, N D; Alsyisuf, S

2018-05-01

Acute leukaemia diagnosis is a field requiring automated solutions, tools and methods and the ability to facilitate early detection and even prediction. Many studies have focused on the automatic detection and classification of acute leukaemia and their subtypes to promote enable highly accurate diagnosis. This study aimed to review and analyse literature related to the detection and classification of acute leukaemia. The factors that were considered to improve understanding on the field's various contextual aspects in published studies and characteristics were motivation, open challenges that confronted researchers and recommendations presented to researchers to enhance this vital research area. We systematically searched all articles about the classification and detection of acute leukaemia, as well as their evaluation and benchmarking, in three main databases: ScienceDirect, Web of Science and IEEE Xplore from 2007 to 2017. These indices were considered to be sufficiently extensive to encompass our field of literature. Based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria, 89 articles were selected. Most studies (58/89) focused on the methods or algorithms of acute leukaemia classification, a number of papers (22/89) covered the developed systems for the detection or diagnosis of acute leukaemia and few papers (5/89) presented evaluation and comparative studies. The smallest portion (4/89) of articles comprised reviews and surveys. Acute leukaemia diagnosis, which is a field requiring automated solutions, tools and methods, entails the ability to facilitate early detection or even prediction. Many studies have been performed on the automatic detection and classification of acute leukaemia and their subtypes to promote accurate diagnosis. Research areas on medical-image classification vary, but they are all equally vital. We expect this systematic review to help emphasise current research opportunities and thus extend and create additional research fields. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Minding the body: situating gender identity diagnoses in the ICD-11.

PubMed

Drescher, Jack; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy; Winter, Sam

2012-12-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) is in the process of revising the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) and ICD-11 has an anticipated publication date of 2015. The Working Group on the Classification of Sexual Disorders and Sexual Health (WGSDSH) is charged with evaluating clinical and research data to inform the revision of diagnostic categories related to sexuality and gender identity that are currently included in the mental and behavioural disorders chapter of ICD-10, and making initial recommendations regarding whether and how these categories should be represented in the ICD-11. The diagnostic classification of disorders related to (trans)gender identity is an area long characterized by lack of knowledge, misconceptions and controversy. The placement of these categories has shifted over time within both the ICD and the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), reflecting developing views about what to call these diagnoses, what they mean and where to place them. This article reviews several controversies generated by gender identity diagnoses in recent years. In both the ICD-11 and DSM-5 development processes, one challenge has been to find a balance between concerns related to the stigmatization of mental disorders and the need for diagnostic categories that facilitate access to healthcare. In this connection, this article discusses several human rights issues related to gender identity diagnoses, and explores the question of whether affected populations are best served by placement of these categories within the mental disorders section of the classification. The combined stigmatization of being transgender and of having a mental disorder diagnosis creates a doubly burdensome situation for this group, which may contribute adversely to health status and to the attainment and enjoyment of human rights. The ICD-11 Working Group on the Classification of Sexual Disorders and Sexual Health believes it is now appropriate to abandon a psychopathological model of transgender people based on 1940s conceptualizations of sexual deviance and to move towards a model that is (1) more reflective of current scientific evidence and best practices; (2) more responsive to the needs, experience, and human rights of this vulnerable population; and (3) more supportive of the provision of accessible and high-quality healthcare services.

An Automated Algorithm to Screen Massive Training Samples for a Global Impervious Surface Classification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tan, Bin; Brown de Colstoun, Eric; Wolfe, Robert E.; Tilton, James C.; Huang, Chengquan; Smith, Sarah E.

2012-01-01

An algorithm is developed to automatically screen the outliers from massive training samples for Global Land Survey - Imperviousness Mapping Project (GLS-IMP). GLS-IMP is to produce a global 30 m spatial resolution impervious cover data set for years 2000 and 2010 based on the Landsat Global Land Survey (GLS) data set. This unprecedented high resolution impervious cover data set is not only significant to the urbanization studies but also desired by the global carbon, hydrology, and energy balance researches. A supervised classification method, regression tree, is applied in this project. A set of accurate training samples is the key to the supervised classifications. Here we developed the global scale training samples from 1 m or so resolution fine resolution satellite data (Quickbird and Worldview2), and then aggregate the fine resolution impervious cover map to 30 m resolution. In order to improve the classification accuracy, the training samples should be screened before used to train the regression tree. It is impossible to manually screen 30 m resolution training samples collected globally. For example, in Europe only, there are 174 training sites. The size of the sites ranges from 4.5 km by 4.5 km to 8.1 km by 3.6 km. The amount training samples are over six millions. Therefore, we develop this automated statistic based algorithm to screen the training samples in two levels: site and scene level. At the site level, all the training samples are divided to 10 groups according to the percentage of the impervious surface within a sample pixel. The samples following in each 10% forms one group. For each group, both univariate and multivariate outliers are detected and removed. Then the screen process escalates to the scene level. A similar screen process but with a looser threshold is applied on the scene level considering the possible variance due to the site difference. We do not perform the screen process across the scenes because the scenes might vary due to the phenology, solar-view geometry, and atmospheric condition etc. factors but not actual landcover difference. Finally, we will compare the classification results from screened and unscreened training samples to assess the improvement achieved by cleaning up the training samples. Keywords:

Comparison of diagnostic classification systems for delirium with new research criteria that incorporate the three core domains.

PubMed

Trzepacz, Paula T; Meagher, David J; Franco, José G

2016-05-01

Diagnostic classification systems do not incorporate phenomenological research findings about the three core symptom domains of delirium (Attentional/Cognitive, Circadian, Higher Level Thinking). We evaluated classification performances of novel Trzepacz, Meagher, and Franco research diagnostic criteria (TMF) that incorporate those domains and ICD-10, DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5. Primary data analysis of 641 patients with mixed neuropsychiatric profiles. Delirium (n=429) and nondelirium (n=212) reference standard groups were identified using cluster analysis of symptoms assessed using the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV), and likelihood ratios (LR+, LR-) are reported. TMF criteria had high sensitivity and specificity (87.4% and 89.2%), more balanced than DSM-III-R (100% and 31.6%), DSM-IV (97.7% and 74.1%), DSM-5 (97.7% and 72.6%), and ICD-10 (66.2% and 100%). PPV of DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5 were <90.0%, while PPV for ICD-10 and TMF were >90%. ICD-10 had the lowest NPV (59.4%). TMF had the highest LR+ (8.06) and DSM-III-R the lowest LR- (0.0). Overall, values for DSM-IV and DSM-5 were similar, whereas for ICD-10 and DSM-III-R were inverse of each other. In the pre-existing cognitive impairment/dementia subsample (n=128), TMF retained its highest LR+ though specificity (58.3%) became less well balanced with sensitivity (87.9%), which still exceeded that of DSM. TMF research diagnostic criteria performed well, with more balanced sensitivity and specificity and the highest likelihood ratio for delirium identification. Reflecting the three core domains of delirium, TMF criteria may have advantages in biological research where delineation of this syndrome is important. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Building a common pipeline for rule-based document classification.

PubMed

Patterson, Olga V; Ginter, Thomas; DuVall, Scott L

2013-01-01

Instance-based classification of clinical text is a widely used natural language processing task employed as a step for patient classification, document retrieval, or information extraction. Rule-based approaches rely on concept identification and context analysis in order to determine the appropriate class. We propose a five-step process that enables even small research teams to develop simple but powerful rule-based NLP systems by taking advantage of a common UIMA AS based pipeline for classification. Our proposed methodology coupled with the general-purpose solution provides researchers with access to the data locked in clinical text in cases of limited human resources and compact timelines.

Dietary Differences in Male Workers among Smaller Occupational Groups within Large Occupational Categories: Findings from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

PubMed

Tanaka, Rie; Tsuji, Mayumi; Senju, Ayako; Kusuhara, Koichi; Kawamoto, Toshihiro

2018-05-11

Studies examining workers' diet according to smaller occupational groups within "large occupational categories" are sparse. The aim of this study was to examine the potential differences in workers' diets based on the classification of workers into smaller occupational groups that comprise "large occupational categories". The subjects of this study were working fathers who had participated in the Japan Environment and Children's Study (N = 38,656). Energy and nutrient intake were calculated based on data collected from the Food Frequency Questionnaire. Occupations were classified according to the Japanese Standard Occupational Classification. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the adherence to current dietary recommendations within smaller occupational groups. In particular, significant differences were observed among the categorical groups of "professional and engineering workers", "service workers", and "agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers". In "professional and engineering workers", teachers showed higher odds of adherence to calcium intake recommendations compared with nurses (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 2.02⁻3.14; p < 0.001). In "agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers", agriculture workers showed higher odds of adherence to calcium (OR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.46⁻3.15; p < 0.001) and vitamin C (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.31⁻2.74, p = 0.001) intake recommendations compared with forestry and fishery workers. These findings may be beneficial from a research perspective as well as in the development of more effective techniques to improve workers' diet and health.

Cost-effectiveness of a classification-based system for sub-acute and chronic low back pain.

PubMed

Apeldoorn, Adri T; Bosmans, Judith E; Ostelo, Raymond W; de Vet, Henrica C W; van Tulder, Maurits W

2012-07-01

Identifying relevant subgroups in patients with low back pain (LBP) is considered important to guide physical therapy practice and to improve outcomes. The aim of the present study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of a modified version of Delitto's classification-based treatment approach compared with usual physical therapy care in patients with sub-acute and chronic LBP with 1 year follow-up. All patients were classified using the modified version of Delitto's classification-based system and then randomly assigned to receive either classification-based treatment or usual physical therapy care. The main clinical outcomes measured were; global perceived effect, intensity of pain, functional disability and quality of life. Costs were measured from a societal perspective. Multiple imputations were used for missing data. Uncertainty surrounding cost differences and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios was estimated using bootstrapping. Cost-effectiveness planes and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves were estimated. In total, 156 patients were included. The outcome analyses showed a significantly better outcome on global perceived effect favoring the classification-based approach, and no differences between the groups on pain, disability and quality-adjusted life-years. Mean total societal costs for the classification-based group were 2,287, and for the usual physical therapy care group 2,020. The difference was 266 (95% CI -720 to 1,612) and not statistically significant. Cost-effectiveness analyses showed that the classification-based approach was not cost-effective in comparison with usual physical therapy care for any clinical outcome measure. The classification-based treatment approach as used in this study was not cost-effective in comparison with usual physical therapy care in a population of patients with sub-acute and chronic LBP.

Testing random forest classification for identifying lava flows and mapping age groups on a single Landsat 8 image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Long; Solana, Carmen; Canters, Frank; Kervyn, Matthieu

2017-10-01

Mapping lava flows using satellite images is an important application of remote sensing in volcanology. Several volcanoes have been mapped through remote sensing using a wide range of data, from optical to thermal infrared and radar images, using techniques such as manual mapping, supervised/unsupervised classification, and elevation subtraction. So far, spectral-based mapping applications mainly focus on the use of traditional pixel-based classifiers, without much investigation into the added value of object-based approaches and into advantages of using machine learning algorithms. In this study, Nyamuragira, characterized by a series of > 20 overlapping lava flows erupted over the last century, was used as a case study. The random forest classifier was tested to map lava flows based on pixels and objects. Image classification was conducted for the 20 individual flows and for 8 groups of flows of similar age using a Landsat 8 image and a DEM of the volcano, both at 30-meter spatial resolution. Results show that object-based classification produces maps with continuous and homogeneous lava surfaces, in agreement with the physical characteristics of lava flows, while lava flows mapped through the pixel-based classification are heterogeneous and fragmented including much "salt and pepper noise". In terms of accuracy, both pixel-based and object-based classification performs well but the former results in higher accuracies than the latter except for mapping lava flow age groups without using topographic features. It is concluded that despite spectral similarity, lava flows of contrasting age can be well discriminated and mapped by means of image classification. The classification approach demonstrated in this study only requires easily accessible image data and can be applied to other volcanoes as well if there is sufficient information to calibrate the mapping.

The First AO Classification System for Fractures of the Craniomaxillofacial Skeleton: Rationale, Methodological Background, Developmental Process, and Objectives

PubMed Central

Audigé, Laurent; Cornelius, Carl-Peter; Ieva, Antonio Di; Prein, Joachim

2014-01-01

Validated trauma classification systems are the sole means to provide the basis for reliable documentation and evaluation of patient care, which will open the gateway to evidence-based procedures and healthcare in the coming years. With the support of AO Investigation and Documentation, a classification group was established to develop and evaluate a comprehensive classification system for craniomaxillofacial (CMF) fractures. Blueprints for fracture classification in the major constituents of the human skull were drafted and then evaluated by a multispecialty group of experienced CMF surgeons and a radiologist in a structured process during iterative agreement sessions. At each session, surgeons independently classified the radiological imaging of up to 150 consecutive cases with CMF fractures. During subsequent review meetings, all discrepancies in the classification outcome were critically appraised for clarification and improvement until consensus was reached. The resulting CMF classification system is structured in a hierarchical fashion with three levels of increasing complexity. The most elementary level 1 simply distinguishes four fracture locations within the skull: mandible (code 91), midface (code 92), skull base (code 93), and cranial vault (code 94). Levels 2 and 3 focus on further defining the fracture locations and for fracture morphology, achieving an almost individual mapping of the fracture pattern. This introductory article describes the rationale for the comprehensive AO CMF classification system, discusses the methodological framework, and provides insight into the experiences and interactions during the evaluation process within the core groups. The details of this system in terms of anatomy and levels are presented in a series of focused tutorials illustrated with case examples in this special issue of the Journal. PMID:25489387

The First AO Classification System for Fractures of the Craniomaxillofacial Skeleton: Rationale, Methodological Background, Developmental Process, and Objectives.

PubMed

Audigé, Laurent; Cornelius, Carl-Peter; Di Ieva, Antonio; Prein, Joachim

2014-12-01

Validated trauma classification systems are the sole means to provide the basis for reliable documentation and evaluation of patient care, which will open the gateway to evidence-based procedures and healthcare in the coming years. With the support of AO Investigation and Documentation, a classification group was established to develop and evaluate a comprehensive classification system for craniomaxillofacial (CMF) fractures. Blueprints for fracture classification in the major constituents of the human skull were drafted and then evaluated by a multispecialty group of experienced CMF surgeons and a radiologist in a structured process during iterative agreement sessions. At each session, surgeons independently classified the radiological imaging of up to 150 consecutive cases with CMF fractures. During subsequent review meetings, all discrepancies in the classification outcome were critically appraised for clarification and improvement until consensus was reached. The resulting CMF classification system is structured in a hierarchical fashion with three levels of increasing complexity. The most elementary level 1 simply distinguishes four fracture locations within the skull: mandible (code 91), midface (code 92), skull base (code 93), and cranial vault (code 94). Levels 2 and 3 focus on further defining the fracture locations and for fracture morphology, achieving an almost individual mapping of the fracture pattern. This introductory article describes the rationale for the comprehensive AO CMF classification system, discusses the methodological framework, and provides insight into the experiences and interactions during the evaluation process within the core groups. The details of this system in terms of anatomy and levels are presented in a series of focused tutorials illustrated with case examples in this special issue of the Journal.

Relationship between solitary pulmonary nodule lung cancer and CT image features based on gradual clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Weipeng

2017-06-01

The relationship between the medical characteristics of lung cancers and computer tomography (CT) images are explored so as to improve the early diagnosis rate of lung cancers. This research collected CT images of patients with solitary pulmonary nodule lung cancer, and used gradual clustering methodology to classify them. Preliminary classifications were made, followed by continuous modification and iteration to determine the optimal condensation point, until iteration stability was achieved. Reasonable classification results were obtained. the clustering results fell into 3 categories. The first type of patients was mostly female, with ages between 50 and 65 years. CT images of solitary pulmonary nodule lung cancer for this group contain complete lobulation and burr, with pleural indentation; The second type of patients was mostly male with ages between 50 and 80 years. CT images of solitary pulmonary nodule lung cancer for this group contain complete lobulation and burr, but with no pleural indentation; The third type of patients was also mostly male with ages between 50 and 80 years. CT images for this group showed no abnormalities. the application of gradual clustering methodology can scientifically classify CT image features of patients with lung cancer in the initial lesion stage. These findings provide the basis for early detection and treatment of malignant lesions in patients with lung cancer.

A method to assess obstetric outcomes using the 10-Group Classification System: a quantitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Rossen, Janne; Lucovnik, Miha; Eggebø, Torbjørn Moe; Tul, Natasa; Murphy, Martina; Vistad, Ingvild; Robson, Michael

2017-07-12

Internationally, the 10-Group Classification System (TGCS) has been used to report caesarean section rates, but analysis of other outcomes is also recommended. We now aim to present the TGCS as a method to assess outcomes of labour and delivery using routine collection of perinatal information. This research is a methodological study to describe the use of the TGCS. Stavanger University Hospital (SUH), Norway, National Maternity Hospital Dublin, Ireland and Slovenian National Perinatal Database (SLO), Slovenia. 9848 women from SUH, Norway, 9250 women from National Maternity Hospital Dublin, Ireland and 106 167 women, from SLO, Slovenia. All women were classified according to the TGCS within which caesarean section, oxytocin augmentation, epidural analgesia, operative vaginal deliveries, episiotomy, sphincter rupture, postpartum haemorrhage, blood transfusion, maternal age >35 years, body mass index >30, Apgar score, umbilical cord pH, hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, antepartum and perinatal deaths were incorporated. There were significant differences in the sizes of the groups of women and the incidences of events and outcomes within the TGCS between the three perinatal databases. The TGCS is a standardised objective classification system where events and outcomes of labour and delivery can be incorporated. Obstetric core events and outcomes should be agreed and defined to set standards of care. This method provides continuous and available observations from delivery wards, possibly used for further interpretation, questions and international comparisons. The definition of quality may vary in different units and can only be ascertained when all the necessary information is available and considered together. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The Neuropsychology of Male Adults With High-Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome†

PubMed Central

Wilson, C Ellie; Happé, Francesca; Wheelwright, Sally J; Ecker, Christine; Lombardo, Michael V; Johnston, Patrick; Daly, Eileen; Murphy, Clodagh M; Spain, Debbie; Lai, Meng-Chuan; Chakrabarti, Bhismadev; Sauter, Disa A; Baron-Cohen, Simon; Murphy, Declan G M

2014-01-01

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is diagnosed on the basis of behavioral symptoms, but cognitive abilities may also be useful in characterizing individuals with ASD. One hundred seventy-eight high-functioning male adults, half with ASD and half without, completed tasks assessing IQ, a broad range of cognitive skills, and autistic and comorbid symptomatology. The aims of the study were, first, to determine whether significant differences existed between cases and controls on cognitive tasks, and whether cognitive profiles, derived using a multivariate classification method with data from multiple cognitive tasks, could distinguish between the two groups. Second, to establish whether cognitive skill level was correlated with degree of autistic symptom severity, and third, whether cognitive skill level was correlated with degree of comorbid psychopathology. Fourth, cognitive characteristics of individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and high-functioning autism (HFA) were compared. After controlling for IQ, ASD and control groups scored significantly differently on tasks of social cognition, motor performance, and executive function (P's < 0.05). To investigate cognitive profiles, 12 variables were entered into a support vector machine (SVM), which achieved good classification accuracy (81%) at a level significantly better than chance (P < 0.0001). After correcting for multiple correlations, there were no significant associations between cognitive performance and severity of either autistic or comorbid symptomatology. There were no significant differences between AS and HFA groups on the cognitive tasks. Cognitive classification models could be a useful aid to the diagnostic process when used in conjunction with other data sources—including clinical history. Autism Res 2014, 7: 568–581. © 2014 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:24903974

[Spatial-temporal analysis and clinical findings of gait: comparison of two modalities of treatment in children with cerebral palsy-spastic hemiplegia. Preliminary report].

PubMed

Arellano-Martínez, Irma Tamara; Rodríguez-Reyes, Gerardo; Quiñones-Uriostegui, Ivet; Arellano-Saldaña, María Elena

2013-01-01

Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of disability among children. Parent's main concerns are the acquisition and improvement of gait. The aim of this study was to compare long term results of the effect of two modalities of gait training. Quantitative measurement of gait and clinical assessment of the gross motor function classification system and Modified Ashworth Scale were perfomed in 14 patients with Cerebral palsy -spastic hemiplegia and randomizedly assigned into two groups of treatment: the first one using a driven gait orthosis (Lokomat(®)) and the second a gait training a long a rail inside a hydrotherapy tank. Measurements and assessments, above described, were performed immediately and one year after the treatment concluded. Significant change was observed in the gross motor function classification system from II to I among children (p=0.042) and a positive correlation between the shape functional of the march and the gross motor function classification system (r = 0.54, p = 0.042). Patients on the Lokomat(®) training improved on gait symmetry over patients on the conventional therapy (p = 0.05). A year after, this intervention showed tendency to kept the gait patterns only on patients treated with the Lokomat(®) Benefit obtained with either modality was evident for both groups. However, residual effects observed on the Lokomat group, either in clinical assessment or gait parameters, were more promising than in the conventional therapy. Due to the size of the sample used in this study the results are not conclusive and more research must be done on this subject in long term time horizon.

Prevalence of physical activity, screen time, and obesity among US children by the service type of special health care needs.

PubMed

Kim, Juhee; Greaney, Mary L

2014-07-01

Children with special health care needs (SHCN) may be at greater risk of obesity than children without SHCN. A new classification system categorizes SHCN among children by service type using the following categories: No-SHCN, medication use only, services use only, medication + service use, and functional limitations. Research is needed to examine obesity and obesity-related behaviors among children using the new classification system. To determine the prevalence of inadequate vigorous physical activity (VPA), high screen time and obesity by SHCN category using the new classification system. Multivariate regression models were fitted for inadequate VPA, high screen time, and obesity to determine if there were differences in these outcomes by SHCN category, adjusting for multistage-sampling and survey-design effects using a nationally representative sample of children in the National Survey of Children's Health 2007. 22.9% of the sample was classified as having SHCN: 9% medication use only, 5% medication + service use, 4% service use only, and 5% functional limitations. Children in the medication use only and medication + service use groups were not at increased risk for inadequate VPA, high screen time, or obesity. Children in the service use only and functional limitation groups had increased odds of high screen time and obesity, which disappeared after controlling for confounders. However, the higher odds of inadequate VPA remained significant in the service use only [OR (95% CI) = 2.00 (1.34-3.00)] and the functional limitations groups with 2.21 (1.55-3.15). Physical activity promotion programs are needed for children with SHCN, especially children with functional limitations and those who require service use only and do not use prescribed medication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Suicidal Ideation and Behavior: Report of the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology Consensus Meeting.

PubMed

Chappell, Phillip B; Stewart, Michelle; Alphs, Larry; DiCesare, Franco; DuBrava, Sarah; Harkavy-Friedman, Jill; Lim, Pilar; Ratcliffe, Sian; Silverman, Morton M; Targum, Steven D; Marder, Stephen R

2017-06-01

To develop consensus recommendations for assessment of suicidal ideation/suicidal behavior (SI/SB) in clinical trials. Stakeholders from academia, industry, regulatory agencies, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Mental Health, and patient advocacy organizations participated in a consensus meeting that was sponsored by the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology and held November 17-18, 2015. Prior to the meeting, teams of experts identified key areas of consensus and dissent related to SI/SB. The most critical issues were presented and discussed in the consensus meeting. Literature reviews and a pre-meeting survey were conducted. Findings were discussed in pre-meeting working group sessions and at the consensus meeting. Five pre-meeting working groups reviewed (1) nomenclature and classification schemes for SI/SB, (2) detection and assessment of SI/SB, (3) analysis of SI/SB data, (4) design of clinical trials for new treatments of SI/SB, and (5) public health approaches to SI/SB. A modification of the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method was used to combine review of scientific evidence with the collective views of experts and stakeholders to reach the final consensus statements. After discussion, all attendees voted using an electronic interactive audience response system. Areas of agreement and areas of continuing dissent were recorded. All 5 working groups agreed that a major barrier to advancement of the field of SI/SB research and the development of new treatments for SI/SB remains the lack of a universally accepted standardized nomenclature and classification system. Achieving alignment on definitions and classification of suicide-related phenomena is critical to improving the detection and assessment of SI/SB, the design of clinical trials for new treatments, and effective public health interventions. © Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Objective research of auscultation signals in Traditional Chinese Medicine based on wavelet packet energy and support vector machine.

PubMed

Yan, Jianjun; Shen, Xiaojing; Wang, Yiqin; Li, Fufeng; Xia, Chunming; Guo, Rui; Chen, Chunfeng; Shen, Qingwei

2010-01-01

This study aims at utilising Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm to make objective analysis and quantitative research for the auscultation in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis. First, Wavelet Packet Decomposition (WPD) at level 6 was employed to split more elaborate frequency bands of the auscultation signals. Then statistic analysis was made based on the extracted Wavelet Packet Energy (WPE) features from WPD coefficients. Furthermore, the pattern recognition was used to distinguish mixed subjects' statistical feature values of sample groups through SVM. Finally, the experimental results showed that the classification accuracies were at a high level.

Laser spectroscopy applied to environmental, ecological, food safety, and biomedical research.

PubMed

Svanberg, Sune; Zhao, Guangyu; Zhang, Hao; Huang, Jing; Lian, Ming; Li, Tianqi; Zhu, Shiming; Li, Yiyun; Duan, Zheng; Lin, Huiying; Svanberg, Katarina

2016-03-21

Laser spectroscopy provides many possibilities for multi-disciplinary applications in environmental monitoring, in the ecological field, for food safety investigations, and in biomedicine. The paper gives several examples of the power of multi-disciplinary applications of laser spectroscopy as pursued in our research group. The studies utilize mostly similar and widely applicable spectroscopic approaches. Air pollution and vegetation monitoring by lidar techniques, as well as agricultural pest insect monitoring and classification by elastic scattering and fluorescence spectroscopy are described. Biomedical aspects include food safety applications and medical diagnostics of sinusitis and otitis, with strong connection to the abatement of antibiotics resistance development.

Quality assurance: The 10-Group Classification System (Robson classification), induction of labor, and cesarean delivery.

PubMed

Robson, Michael; Murphy, Martina; Byrne, Fionnuala

2015-10-01

Quality assurance in labor and delivery is needed. The method must be simple and consistent, and be of universal value. It needs to be clinically relevant, robust, and prospective, and must incorporate epidemiological variables. The 10-Group Classification System (TGCS) is a simple method providing a common starting point for further detailed analysis within which all perinatal events and outcomes can be measured and compared. The system is demonstrated in the present paper using data for 2013 from the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Interpretation of the classification can be easily taught. The standard table can provide much insight into the philosophy of care in the population of women studied and also provide information on data quality. With standardization of audit of events and outcomes, any differences in either sizes of groups, events or outcomes can be explained only by poor data collection, significant epidemiological variables, or differences in practice. In April 2015, WHO proposed that the TGCS (also known as the Robson classification) is used as a global standard for assessing, monitoring, and comparing cesarean delivery rates within and between healthcare facilities. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Spatial patterns of brain atrophy in MCI patients, identified via high-dimensional pattern classification, predict subsequent cognitive decline

PubMed Central

Fan, Yong; Batmanghelich, Nematollah; Clark, Chris M.; Davatzikos, Christos

2010-01-01

Spatial patterns of brain atrophy in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were measured via methods of computational neuroanatomy. These patterns were spatially complex and involved many brain regions. In addition to the hippocampus and the medial temporal lobe gray matter, a number of other regions displayed significant atrophy, including orbitofrontal and medial-prefrontal grey matter, cingulate (mainly posterior), insula, uncus, and temporal lobe white matter. Approximately 2/3 of the MCI group presented patterns of atrophy that overlapped with AD, whereas the remaining 1/3 overlapped with cognitively normal individuals, thereby indicating that some, but not all, MCI patients have significant and extensive brain atrophy in this cohort of MCI patients. Importantly, the group with AD-like patterns presented much higher rate of MMSE decline in follow-up visits; conversely, pattern classification provided relatively high classification accuracy (87%) of the individuals that presented relatively higher MMSE decline within a year from baseline. High-dimensional pattern classification, a nonlinear multivariate analysis, provided measures of structural abnormality that can potentially be useful for individual patient classification, as well as for predicting progression and examining multivariate relationships in group analyses. PMID:18053747

Free classification of regional dialects of American English.

PubMed

Clopper, Cynthia G; Pisoni, David B

2007-07-01

Recent studies have found that naïve listeners perform poorly in forced-choice dialect categorization tasks. However, the listeners' error patterns in these tasks reveal systematic confusions between phonologically similar dialects. In the present study, a free classification procedure was used to measure the perceptual similarity structure of regional dialect variation in the United States. In two experiments, participants listened to a set of short English sentences produced by male talkers only (Experiment 1) and by male and female talkers (Experiment 2). The listeners were instructed to group the talkers by regional dialect into as many groups as they wanted with as many talkers in each group as they wished. Multidimensional scaling analyses of the data revealed three primary dimensions of perceptual similarity (linguistic markedness, geography, and gender). In addition, a comparison of the results obtained from the free classification task to previous results using the same stimulus materials in six-alternative forced-choice categorization tasks revealed that response biases in the six-alternative task were reduced or eliminated in the free classification task. Thus, the results obtained with the free classification task in the current study provided further evidence that the underlying structure of perceptual dialect category representations reflects important linguistic and sociolinguistic factors.

Evaluating Support for the Current Classification of Eukaryotic Diversity

PubMed Central

Parfrey, Laura Wegener; Barbero, Erika; Lasser, Elyse; Dunthorn, Micah; Bhattacharya, Debashish; Patterson, David J; Katz, Laura A

2006-01-01

Perspectives on the classification of eukaryotic diversity have changed rapidly in recent years, as the four eukaryotic groups within the five-kingdom classification—plants, animals, fungi, and protists—have been transformed through numerous permutations into the current system of six “supergroups.” The intent of the supergroup classification system is to unite microbial and macroscopic eukaryotes based on phylogenetic inference. This supergroup approach is increasing in popularity in the literature and is appearing in introductory biology textbooks. We evaluate the stability and support for the current six-supergroup classification of eukaryotes based on molecular genealogies. We assess three aspects of each supergroup: (1) the stability of its taxonomy, (2) the support for monophyly (single evolutionary origin) in molecular analyses targeting a supergroup, and (3) the support for monophyly when a supergroup is included as an out-group in phylogenetic studies targeting other taxa. Our analysis demonstrates that supergroup taxonomies are unstable and that support for groups varies tremendously, indicating that the current classification scheme of eukaryotes is likely premature. We highlight several trends contributing to the instability and discuss the requirements for establishing robust clades within the eukaryotic tree of life. PMID:17194223

Aerobic, Anaerobic, and Skill Performance with Regard to Classification in Wheelchair Rugby Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgulec-Adamowicz, Natalia; Kosmol, Andrzej; Molik, Bartosz; Yilla, Abu B.; Laskin, James J.

2011-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine the sport-specific performance of wheelchair rugby players with regard to their classification. A group of 30 male athletes from the Polish Wheelchair Rugby League participated in the study. The seven International Wheelchair Rugby Federation classes were collapsed into four groups. Standardized measures of…

Perspectives on Next Steps in Classification of Orofacial Pain – Part 2: Role of psychosocial factors

PubMed Central

Durham, Justin; Raphael, Karen G.; Benoliel, Rafael; Ceusters, Werner; Michelotti, Ambra; Ohrbach, Richard

2015-01-01

This paper was initiated by a symposium, in which the present authors contributed, organised by the International RDC/TMD Consortium Network in March 2013. The purpose of the paper is to review the status of biobehavioural research – both quantitative and qualitative – related to orofacial pain with respect to the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of orofacial pain conditions, and how this information can optimally be used for developing a structured orofacial pain classification system for research. In particular, we address: representation of psychosocial entities in classification systems, use of qualitative research to identify and understand the full scope of psychosocial entities and their interaction, and the usage of classification system for guiding treatment. We then provide recommendations for addressing these problems, including how ontological principles can inform this process. PMID:26257252

Recent development of feature extraction and classification multispectral/hyperspectral images: a systematic literature review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiyoko, A.; Dharma, I. G. W. S.; Haryanto, T.

2017-01-01

Multispectral data and hyperspectral data acquired from satellite sensor have the ability in detecting various objects on the earth ranging from low scale to high scale modeling. These data are increasingly being used to produce geospatial information for rapid analysis by running feature extraction or classification process. Applying the most suited model for this data mining is still challenging because there are issues regarding accuracy and computational cost. This research aim is to develop a better understanding regarding object feature extraction and classification applied for satellite image by systematically reviewing related recent research projects. A method used in this research is based on PRISMA statement. After deriving important points from trusted sources, pixel based and texture-based feature extraction techniques are promising technique to be analyzed more in recent development of feature extraction and classification.

[Medulloblastoma. Pathology].

PubMed

Siegfried, A; Delisle, M-B

2018-04-24

Medulloblastomas, embryonal neuroepithelial tumors developed in the cerebellum or brain stem, are mainly observed in childhood. The treatment of WHO-Grade IV tumors depends on stratifications that are usually based on postoperative data, histopathological subtype, tumor extension and presence of MYC or NMYC amplifications. Recently, molecular biology studies, based on new technologies (i.e. sequencing, transcriptomic, methylomic) have introduced genetic subtypes integrated into the latest WHO-2016 neuropathological classification. According to this classification, the three genetic groups WNT, SHH, with or without mutated TP53 gene, and non-WNT/non-SHH, comprising subgroups 3 and 4, are recalled in this review. The contribution of immunohistochemistry to define these groups is specified. The four histopathological groups are detailed in comparison to the WHO-2007 classification and the molecular data: classic medulloblastoma, desmoplastic/nodular medulloblastoma, medulloblastoma with extensive nodularity, and large cell/anaplastic medulloblastoma. The groups defined on genetic and histopathological grounds are not strictly concordant. Depending on the age of the patients, their correlations are different, as well as their role in the management and prognosis of these tumors. Other embryonal tumors, for which new classifications are in progress and gliomas may be confused with a medulloblastoma and the elements of the differential diagnosis of these entities are discussed. This evolution in classification fully justifies ongoing structuring procedures such as histopathological review (RENOCLIP) and the organization of molecular biology platforms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A Handbook for Derivative Classifiers at Los Alamos National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sinkula, Barbara Jean

The Los Alamos Classification Office (within the SAFE-IP group) prepared this handbook as a resource for the Laboratory’s derivative classifiers (DCs). It contains information about United States Government (USG) classification policy, principles, and authorities as they relate to the LANL Classification Program in general, and to the LANL DC program specifically. At a working level, DCs review Laboratory documents and material that are subject to classification review requirements, while the Classification Office provides the training and resources for DCs to perform that vital function.

A subgeneric classification of Selaginella (Selaginellaceae).

PubMed

Weststrand, Stina; Korall, Petra

2016-12-01

The lycophyte family Selaginellaceae includes approximately 750 herbaceous species worldwide, with the main species richness in the tropics and subtropics. We recently presented a phylogenetic analysis of Selaginellaceae based on DNA sequence data and, with the phylogeny as a framework, the study discussed the character evolution of the group focusing on gross morphology. Here we translate these findings into a new classification. To present a robust and useful classification, we identified well-supported monophyletic groups from our previous phylogenetic analysis of 223 species, which together represent the diversity of the family with respect to morphology, taxonomy, and geographical distribution. Care was taken to choose groups with supporting morphology. In this classification, we recognize a single genus Selaginella and seven subgenera: Selaginella, Rupestrae, Lepidophyllae, Gymnogynum, Exaltatae, Ericetorum, and Stachygynandrum. The subgenera are all well supported based on analysis of DNA sequence data and morphology. A key to the subgenera is presented. Our new classification is based on a well-founded hypothesis of the evolutionary relationships of Selaginella, and each subgenus can be identified by a suite of morphological features, most of them possible to study in the field. Our intention is that the classification will be useful not only to experts in the field, but also to a broader audience. © 2016 Weststrand and Korall. Published by the Botanical Society of America. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0).

On the classification of weakly integral modular categories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruillard, Paul; Galindo, César; Ng, Siu-Hung

In this paper we classify all modular categories of dimension 4m, where m is an odd square-free integer, and all rank 6 and rank 7 weakly integral modular categories. This completes the classification of weakly integral modular categories through rank 7. In particular, our results imply that all integral modular categories of rank at most 7 are pointed (that is, every simple object has dimension 1). All the non-integral (but weakly integral) modular categories of ranks 6 and 7 have dimension 4m, with m an odd square free integer, so their classification is an application of our main result. Themore » classification of rank 7 integral modular categories is facilitated by an analysis of the two group actions on modular categories: the Galois group of the field generated by the entries of the S-matrix and the group of invertible isomorphism classes of objects. We derive some valuable arithmetic consequences from these actions.« less

Sur la classification des adverbes en -ment (On the Classification of -ment Adverbs)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mordrup, Ole

1976-01-01

Presents a classification of French "-ment" adverbs based on syntactical criteria. The major divisions, consisting of "sentence adverbs" and "adverbs of manner," are further sub-divided into functional sub-groups. (Text is in French.) Available from: Akademisk Forlag, St. Kannikestraede 6-8, DK-1169 Copenhague K Danemark. (AM)