Sample records for small area statistics

  1. ISSUES IN THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF SMALL-AREA HEALTH DATA. (R825173)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The availability of geographically indexed health and population data, with advances in computing, geographical information systems and statistical methodology, have opened the way for serious exploration of small area health statistics based on routine data. Such analyses may be...

  2. 76 FR 22122 - Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program-Demonstration Project of Small Area Fair Market Rents in...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-20

    ... rent and the core-based statistical area (CBSA) rent as applied to the 40th percentile FMR for that..., calculated on the basis of the core-based statistical area (CBSA) or the metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA... will be ranked according to each of the statistics specified above, and then a weighted average ranking...

  3. Directions for new developments on statistical design and analysis of small population group trials.

    PubMed

    Hilgers, Ralf-Dieter; Roes, Kit; Stallard, Nigel

    2016-06-14

    Most statistical design and analysis methods for clinical trials have been developed and evaluated where at least several hundreds of patients could be recruited. These methods may not be suitable to evaluate therapies if the sample size is unavoidably small, which is usually termed by small populations. The specific sample size cut off, where the standard methods fail, needs to be investigated. In this paper, the authors present their view on new developments for design and analysis of clinical trials in small population groups, where conventional statistical methods may be inappropriate, e.g., because of lack of power or poor adherence to asymptotic approximations due to sample size restrictions. Following the EMA/CHMP guideline on clinical trials in small populations, we consider directions for new developments in the area of statistical methodology for design and analysis of small population clinical trials. We relate the findings to the research activities of three projects, Asterix, IDeAl, and InSPiRe, which have received funding since 2013 within the FP7-HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1 framework of the EU. As not all aspects of the wide research area of small population clinical trials can be addressed, we focus on areas where we feel advances are needed and feasible. The general framework of the EMA/CHMP guideline on small population clinical trials stimulates a number of research areas. These serve as the basis for the three projects, Asterix, IDeAl, and InSPiRe, which use various approaches to develop new statistical methodology for design and analysis of small population clinical trials. Small population clinical trials refer to trials with a limited number of patients. Small populations may result form rare diseases or specific subtypes of more common diseases. New statistical methodology needs to be tailored to these specific situations. The main results from the three projects will constitute a useful toolbox for improved design and analysis of small population clinical trials. They address various challenges presented by the EMA/CHMP guideline as well as recent discussions about extrapolation. There is a need for involvement of the patients' perspective in the planning and conduct of small population clinical trials for a successful therapy evaluation.

  4. What is too much variation? The null hypothesis in small-area analysis.

    PubMed Central

    Diehr, P; Cain, K; Connell, F; Volinn, E

    1990-01-01

    A small-area analysis (SAA) in health services research often calculates surgery rates for several small areas, compares the largest rate to the smallest, notes that the difference is large, and attempts to explain this discrepancy as a function of service availability, physician practice styles, or other factors. SAAs are often difficult to interpret because there is little theoretical basis for determining how much variation would be expected under the null hypothesis that all of the small areas have similar underlying surgery rates and that the observed variation is due to chance. We developed a computer program to simulate the distribution of several commonly used descriptive statistics under the null hypothesis, and used it to examine the variability in rates among the counties of the state of Washington. The expected variability when the null hypothesis is true is surprisingly large, and becomes worse for procedures with low incidence, for smaller populations, when there is variability among the populations of the counties, and when readmissions are possible. The characteristics of four descriptive statistics were studied and compared. None was uniformly good, but the chi-square statistic had better performance than the others. When we reanalyzed five journal articles that presented sufficient data, the results were usually statistically significant. Since SAA research today is tending to deal with low-incidence events, smaller populations, and measures where readmissions are possible, more research is needed on the distribution of small-area statistics under the null hypothesis. New standards are proposed for the presentation of SAA results. PMID:2312306

  5. What is too much variation? The null hypothesis in small-area analysis.

    PubMed

    Diehr, P; Cain, K; Connell, F; Volinn, E

    1990-02-01

    A small-area analysis (SAA) in health services research often calculates surgery rates for several small areas, compares the largest rate to the smallest, notes that the difference is large, and attempts to explain this discrepancy as a function of service availability, physician practice styles, or other factors. SAAs are often difficult to interpret because there is little theoretical basis for determining how much variation would be expected under the null hypothesis that all of the small areas have similar underlying surgery rates and that the observed variation is due to chance. We developed a computer program to simulate the distribution of several commonly used descriptive statistics under the null hypothesis, and used it to examine the variability in rates among the counties of the state of Washington. The expected variability when the null hypothesis is true is surprisingly large, and becomes worse for procedures with low incidence, for smaller populations, when there is variability among the populations of the counties, and when readmissions are possible. The characteristics of four descriptive statistics were studied and compared. None was uniformly good, but the chi-square statistic had better performance than the others. When we reanalyzed five journal articles that presented sufficient data, the results were usually statistically significant. Since SAA research today is tending to deal with low-incidence events, smaller populations, and measures where readmissions are possible, more research is needed on the distribution of small-area statistics under the null hypothesis. New standards are proposed for the presentation of SAA results.

  6. Model-based Small Area Estimates of Cancer Risk Factors and Screening Behaviors - Small Area Estimates

    Cancer.gov

    These model-based estimates use two surveys, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The two surveys are combined using novel statistical methodology.

  7. An analysis of population and social change in London wards in the 1980s.

    PubMed

    Congdon, P

    1989-01-01

    "This paper discusses the estimation and projection of small area populations in London, [England] and considers trends in intercensal social and demographic indices which can be calculated using these estimates. Information available annually on vital statistics and electorates is combined with detailed data from the Census Small Area Statistics to derive demographic component based population estimates for London's electoral wards over five year periods. The availability of age disaggregated population estimates permits derivation of small area social indicators for intercensal years, for example, of unemployment and mortality. Trends in spatial inequality of such indicators during the 1980s are analysed and point to continuing wide differentials. A typology of population and social indicators gives an indication of the small area distribution of the recent population turnaround in inner London, and of its association with other social processes such as gentrification and ethnic concentration." excerpt

  8. A review of empirical research related to the use of small quantitative samples in clinical outcome scale development.

    PubMed

    Houts, Carrie R; Edwards, Michael C; Wirth, R J; Deal, Linda S

    2016-11-01

    There has been a notable increase in the advocacy of using small-sample designs as an initial quantitative assessment of item and scale performance during the scale development process. This is particularly true in the development of clinical outcome assessments (COAs), where Rasch analysis has been advanced as an appropriate statistical tool for evaluating the developing COAs using a small sample. We review the benefits such methods are purported to offer from both a practical and statistical standpoint and detail several problematic areas, including both practical and statistical theory concerns, with respect to the use of quantitative methods, including Rasch-consistent methods, with small samples. The feasibility of obtaining accurate information and the potential negative impacts of misusing large-sample statistical methods with small samples during COA development are discussed.

  9. Predicting small mammal and flea abundance using landform and soil properties in a plague endemic area in Lushoto District, Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Meliyo, Joel L; Kimaro, Didas N; Msanya, Balthazar M; Mulungu, Loth S; Hieronimo, Proches; Kihupi, Nganga I; Gulinck, Hubert; Deckers, Jozef A

    2014-07-01

    Small mammals particularly rodents, are considered the primary natural hosts of plague. Literature suggests that plague persistence in natural foci has a root cause in soils. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between on the one hand landforms and associated soil properties, and on the other hand small mammals and fleas in West Usambara Mountains in Tanzania, a plague endemic area. Standard field survey methods coupled with Geographical Information System (GIS) technique were used to examine landform and soils characteristics. Soil samples were analysed in the laboratory for physico-chemical properties. Small mammals were trapped on pre-established landform positions and identified to genus/species level. Fleas were removed from the trapped small mammals and counted. Exploration of landform and soil data was done using ArcGIS Toolbox functions and descriptive statistical analysis. The relationships between landforms, soils, small mammals and fleas were established by generalised linear regression model (GLM) operated in R statistics software. Results show that landforms and soils influence the abundance of small mammals and fleas and their spatial distribution. The abundance of small mammals and fleas increased with increase in elevation. Small mammal species richness also increases with elevation. A landform-soil model shows that available phosphorus, slope aspect and elevation were statistically significant predictors explaining richness and abundance of small mammals. Fleas' abundance and spatial distribution were influenced by hill-shade, available phosphorus and base saturation. The study suggests that landforms and soils have a strong influence on the richness and evenness of small mammals and their fleas' abundance hence could be used to explain plague dynamics in the area.

  10. Aerial gamma ray and magnetic survey: Powder River R and D Project, Arminto Detail, Wyoming. Final report

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

    Not Available

    1979-05-01

    The small detail area, 18 miles by 18 miles, lying near the center of the Powder River Basin, is covered entirely by sediments of the Eocene Wasatch Formation. Historically economic uranium deposits have been worked in the southeast corner of the area which includes the northern extremity of the Pumpkin Buttes district. 127 statistical uranium anomalies were generated for the study area, based on area wide statistics.

  11. Economic Impacts of Infrastructure Damages on Industrial Sector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kajitani, Yoshio

    This paper proposes a basic model for evaluating economic impacts on industrial sectors under the conditions that multiple infrastructures are simultaneously damaged during the earthquake disasters. Especially, focusing on the available economic data developed in the smallest spatial scale in Japan (small area statistics), economic loss estimation model based on the small area statistics and its applicability are investigated on. In the detail, a loss estimation framework, utilizing survey results on firms' activities under electricity, water and gas disruptions, and route choice models in Transportation Engineering, are applied to the case of 2004 Mid-Niigata Earthquake.

  12. Statistical determination of whole-body average SARs in a 2 GHz whole-body exposure system for unrestrained pregnant and newborn rats

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jianqing; Wake, Kanako; Kawai, Hiroki; Watanabe, Soichi; Fujiwara, Osamu

    2012-01-01

    A 2 GHz whole-body exposure to rats over a multigeneration has been conducted as part of bio-effect research in Japan. In this study, the rats moved freely in the cage inside the exposure system. From observation of the activity of rats in the cage, we found that the rats do not stay in each position with uniform possibility. In order to determine the specific absorption rate (SAR) during the entire exposure period with high accuracy, we present a new approach to statistically determine the SAR level in an exposure system. First, we divided the rat cage in the exposure system into several small areas, and derived the fraction of time the rats spent in each small area based on the classification of the documentary photos of rat activity. Then, using the fraction of time spent in each small area as a weighting factor, we calculated the statistical characteristics of the whole-body average SAR for pregnant rats and young rats during the entire exposure period. As a result, this approach gave the statistical distribution as well as the corresponding mean value, median value and mode value for the whole-body SAR so that we can reasonably clarify the relationship between the exposure level and possible biological effect.

  13. Imputing historical statistics, soils information, and other land-use data to crop area

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Perry, C. R., Jr.; Willis, R. W.; Lautenschlager, L.

    1982-01-01

    In foreign crop condition monitoring, satellite acquired imagery is routinely used. To facilitate interpretation of this imagery, it is advantageous to have estimates of the crop types and their extent for small area units, i.e., grid cells on a map represent, at 60 deg latitude, an area nominally 25 by 25 nautical miles in size. The feasibility of imputing historical crop statistics, soils information, and other ancillary data to crop area for a province in Argentina is studied.

  14. Cancer Related-Knowledge - Small Area Estimates

    Cancer.gov

    These model-based estimates are produced using statistical models that combine data from the Health Information National Trends Survey, and auxiliary variables obtained from relevant sources and borrow strength from other areas with similar characteristics.

  15. Small Intestine Cancer—Patient Version

    Cancer.gov

    Small intestine cancer usually begins in an area of the intestine called the duodenum. This cancer is rarer than cancers in other parts of the gastrointestinal system, such as the colon and stomach. Explore the links on this page to learn more about small intestine cancer treatment, statistics, research, and clinical t

  16. A Third Moment Adjusted Test Statistic for Small Sample Factor Analysis.

    PubMed

    Lin, Johnny; Bentler, Peter M

    2012-01-01

    Goodness of fit testing in factor analysis is based on the assumption that the test statistic is asymptotically chi-square; but this property may not hold in small samples even when the factors and errors are normally distributed in the population. Robust methods such as Browne's asymptotically distribution-free method and Satorra Bentler's mean scaling statistic were developed under the presumption of non-normality in the factors and errors. This paper finds new application to the case where factors and errors are normally distributed in the population but the skewness of the obtained test statistic is still high due to sampling error in the observed indicators. An extension of Satorra Bentler's statistic is proposed that not only scales the mean but also adjusts the degrees of freedom based on the skewness of the obtained test statistic in order to improve its robustness under small samples. A simple simulation study shows that this third moment adjusted statistic asymptotically performs on par with previously proposed methods, and at a very small sample size offers superior Type I error rates under a properly specified model. Data from Mardia, Kent and Bibby's study of students tested for their ability in five content areas that were either open or closed book were used to illustrate the real-world performance of this statistic.

  17. Polonium-210 in the environment around a radioactive waste disposal area and phosphate ore processing plant.

    PubMed

    Arthur, W J; Markham, O D

    1984-04-01

    Polonium-210 concentrations were determined for soil, vegetation and small mammal tissues collected at a solid radioactive waste disposal area, near a phosphate ore processing plant and at two rural areas in southeastern Idaho. Polonium concentrations in media sampled near the radioactive waste disposal facility were equal to or less than values from rural area samples, indicating that disposal of solid radioactive waste at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Site has not resulted in increased environmental levels of polonium. Concentrations of 210Po in soils, deer mice hide and carcass samples collected near the phosphate processing plant were statistically (P less than or equal to 0.05) greater than the other sampling locations; however, the mean 210Po concentration in soils and small mammal tissues from sampling areas near the phosphate plant were only four and three times greater, respectively, than control values. No statistical (P greater than 0.05) difference was observed for 210Po concentrations in vegetation among any of the sampling locations.

  18. Normal Approximations to the Distributions of the Wilcoxon Statistics: Accurate to What "N"? Graphical Insights

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bellera, Carine A.; Julien, Marilyse; Hanley, James A.

    2010-01-01

    The Wilcoxon statistics are usually taught as nonparametric alternatives for the 1- and 2-sample Student-"t" statistics in situations where the data appear to arise from non-normal distributions, or where sample sizes are so small that we cannot check whether they do. In the past, critical values, based on exact tail areas, were…

  19. Application of Scan Statistics to Detect Suicide Clusters in Australia

    PubMed Central

    Cheung, Yee Tak Derek; Spittal, Matthew J.; Williamson, Michelle Kate; Tung, Sui Jay; Pirkis, Jane

    2013-01-01

    Background Suicide clustering occurs when multiple suicide incidents take place in a small area or/and within a short period of time. In spite of the multi-national research attention and particular efforts in preparing guidelines for tackling suicide clusters, the broader picture of epidemiology of suicide clustering remains unclear. This study aimed to develop techniques in using scan statistics to detect clusters, with the detection of suicide clusters in Australia as example. Methods and Findings Scan statistics was applied to detect clusters among suicides occurring between 2004 and 2008. Manipulation of parameter settings and change of area for scan statistics were performed to remedy shortcomings in existing methods. In total, 243 suicides out of 10,176 (2.4%) were identified as belonging to 15 suicide clusters. These clusters were mainly located in the Northern Territory, the northern part of Western Australia, and the northern part of Queensland. Among the 15 clusters, 4 (26.7%) were detected by both national and state cluster detections, 8 (53.3%) were only detected by the state cluster detection, and 3 (20%) were only detected by the national cluster detection. Conclusions These findings illustrate that the majority of spatial-temporal clusters of suicide were located in the inland northern areas, with socio-economic deprivation and higher proportions of indigenous people. Discrepancies between national and state/territory cluster detection by scan statistics were due to the contrast of the underlying suicide rates across states/territories. Performing both small-area and large-area analyses, and applying multiple parameter settings may yield the maximum benefits for exploring clusters. PMID:23342098

  20. Trends and Characteristics of Rural and Small Town Canada. Working Paper No. 15.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Biggs, Brian; And Others

    This report summarizes demographic, economic, and social statistics on Canada's rural and small towns through 1989. Rural and small towns include areas with populations of less than 10,000 persons or a population density of less than 400 per square kilometer. The first section examines rural-urban differences in population trends and age…

  1. A Third Moment Adjusted Test Statistic for Small Sample Factor Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Johnny; Bentler, Peter M.

    2012-01-01

    Goodness of fit testing in factor analysis is based on the assumption that the test statistic is asymptotically chi-square; but this property may not hold in small samples even when the factors and errors are normally distributed in the population. Robust methods such as Browne’s asymptotically distribution-free method and Satorra Bentler’s mean scaling statistic were developed under the presumption of non-normality in the factors and errors. This paper finds new application to the case where factors and errors are normally distributed in the population but the skewness of the obtained test statistic is still high due to sampling error in the observed indicators. An extension of Satorra Bentler’s statistic is proposed that not only scales the mean but also adjusts the degrees of freedom based on the skewness of the obtained test statistic in order to improve its robustness under small samples. A simple simulation study shows that this third moment adjusted statistic asymptotically performs on par with previously proposed methods, and at a very small sample size offers superior Type I error rates under a properly specified model. Data from Mardia, Kent and Bibby’s study of students tested for their ability in five content areas that were either open or closed book were used to illustrate the real-world performance of this statistic. PMID:23144511

  2. A Methodological Approach to Small Area Estimation for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Fang; Wallace, Robyn C.; Garvin, William; Greenlund, Kurt J.; Bartoli, William; Ford, Derek; Eke, Paul; Town, G. Machell

    2016-01-01

    Public health researchers have used a class of statistical methods to calculate prevalence estimates for small geographic areas with few direct observations. Many researchers have used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data as a basis for their models. The aims of this study were to 1) describe a new BRFSS small area estimation (SAE) method and 2) investigate the internal and external validity of the BRFSS SAEs it produced. The BRFSS SAE method uses 4 data sets (the BRFSS, the American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample, Nielsen Claritas population totals, and the Missouri Census Geographic Equivalency File) to build a single weighted data set. Our findings indicate that internal and external validity tests were successful across many estimates. The BRFSS SAE method is one of several methods that can be used to produce reliable prevalence estimates in small geographic areas. PMID:27418213

  3. Statistical Techniques for Efficient Indexing and Retrieval of Document Images

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bhardwaj, Anurag

    2010-01-01

    We have developed statistical techniques to improve the performance of document image search systems where the intermediate step of OCR based transcription is not used. Previous research in this area has largely focused on challenges pertaining to generation of small lexicons for processing handwritten documents and enhancement of poor quality…

  4. Small-window parametric imaging based on information entropy for ultrasound tissue characterization

    PubMed Central

    Tsui, Po-Hsiang; Chen, Chin-Kuo; Kuo, Wen-Hung; Chang, King-Jen; Fang, Jui; Ma, Hsiang-Yang; Chou, Dean

    2017-01-01

    Constructing ultrasound statistical parametric images by using a sliding window is a widely adopted strategy for characterizing tissues. Deficiency in spatial resolution, the appearance of boundary artifacts, and the prerequisite data distribution limit the practicability of statistical parametric imaging. In this study, small-window entropy parametric imaging was proposed to overcome the above problems. Simulations and measurements of phantoms were executed to acquire backscattered radiofrequency (RF) signals, which were processed to explore the feasibility of small-window entropy imaging in detecting scatterer properties. To validate the ability of entropy imaging in tissue characterization, measurements of benign and malignant breast tumors were conducted (n = 63) to compare performances of conventional statistical parametric (based on Nakagami distribution) and entropy imaging by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The simulation and phantom results revealed that entropy images constructed using a small sliding window (side length = 1 pulse length) adequately describe changes in scatterer properties. The area under the ROC for using small-window entropy imaging to classify tumors was 0.89, which was higher than 0.79 obtained using statistical parametric imaging. In particular, boundary artifacts were largely suppressed in the proposed imaging technique. Entropy enables using a small window for implementing ultrasound parametric imaging. PMID:28106118

  5. Small-window parametric imaging based on information entropy for ultrasound tissue characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsui, Po-Hsiang; Chen, Chin-Kuo; Kuo, Wen-Hung; Chang, King-Jen; Fang, Jui; Ma, Hsiang-Yang; Chou, Dean

    2017-01-01

    Constructing ultrasound statistical parametric images by using a sliding window is a widely adopted strategy for characterizing tissues. Deficiency in spatial resolution, the appearance of boundary artifacts, and the prerequisite data distribution limit the practicability of statistical parametric imaging. In this study, small-window entropy parametric imaging was proposed to overcome the above problems. Simulations and measurements of phantoms were executed to acquire backscattered radiofrequency (RF) signals, which were processed to explore the feasibility of small-window entropy imaging in detecting scatterer properties. To validate the ability of entropy imaging in tissue characterization, measurements of benign and malignant breast tumors were conducted (n = 63) to compare performances of conventional statistical parametric (based on Nakagami distribution) and entropy imaging by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The simulation and phantom results revealed that entropy images constructed using a small sliding window (side length = 1 pulse length) adequately describe changes in scatterer properties. The area under the ROC for using small-window entropy imaging to classify tumors was 0.89, which was higher than 0.79 obtained using statistical parametric imaging. In particular, boundary artifacts were largely suppressed in the proposed imaging technique. Entropy enables using a small window for implementing ultrasound parametric imaging.

  6. [Individual social factors and their association with environmental socioeconomic factors--a descriptive small-area analysis in the city of Dortmund].

    PubMed

    Neuner, B; Berger, K

    2010-11-01

    Apart from individual resources and individual risk factors, environmental socioeconomic factors are determinants of individual health and illness. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the association of small-area environmental socioeconomic parameters (proportion of 14-year-old and younger population, proportion of married citizens, proportion of unemployed, and the number of private cars per inhabitant) with individual socioeconomic parameters (education, income, unemployment, social class and the country of origin) in Dortmund, a major city in Germany. After splitting the small-area environmental socioeconomic parameters of 62 statistical administration units into quintiles, differences in the distribution of individual social parameters were evaluated using adjusted tests for trend. Overall, 1,312 study participants (mean age 53.6 years, 52.9% women) were included. Independently of age and gender, individual social parameters were unequally distributed across areas with different small-area environmental socioeconomic parameters. A place of birth abroad and social class were significantly associated with all small-area environmental socioeconomic parameters. If the impact of environmental socioeconomic parameters on individual health or illness is determined, the unequal small-area distribution of individual social parameters should be considered. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  7. Timber in Missouri, 1972.

    Treesearch

    John S. Jr. Spencer; Burton L. Essex

    1976-01-01

    The third inventory of Missouri's timber resource shows a small gain in growing-stock volume and a somewhat larger gain in sawtimber volume since 1959. Area of commercial forest declined sharply between surveys. Presented are text and statistics on forest area and timber volume, growth, mortality, ownership, stocking, future timber supply, and forest management...

  8. The Role of Context in Developing Informal Statistical Inferential Reasoning: A Classroom Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pfannkuch, Maxine

    2011-01-01

    Context is identified as an important factor when considering the learning of informal statistical inferential reasoning, but research in this area is very limited. This small exploratory study in one grade 10 (14 year olds) classroom seeks to learn more about the role context plays in learners' inferential reasoning, where both teacher and…

  9. Empirical best linear unbiased prediction method for small areas with restricted maximum likelihood and bootstrap procedure to estimate the average of household expenditure per capita in Banjar Regency

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aminah, Agustin Siti; Pawitan, Gandhi; Tantular, Bertho

    2017-03-01

    So far, most of the data published by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) as data providers for national statistics are still limited to the district level. Less sufficient sample size for smaller area levels to make the measurement of poverty indicators with direct estimation produced high standard error. Therefore, the analysis based on it is unreliable. To solve this problem, the estimation method which can provide a better accuracy by combining survey data and other auxiliary data is required. One method often used for the estimation is the Small Area Estimation (SAE). There are many methods used in SAE, one of them is Empirical Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (EBLUP). EBLUP method of maximum likelihood (ML) procedures does not consider the loss of degrees of freedom due to estimating β with β ^. This drawback motivates the use of the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedure. This paper proposed EBLUP with REML procedure for estimating poverty indicators by modeling the average of household expenditures per capita and implemented bootstrap procedure to calculate MSE (Mean Square Error) to compare the accuracy EBLUP method with the direct estimation method. Results show that EBLUP method reduced MSE in small area estimation.

  10. Characterization Methods for Small Estuarine Systems in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States

    EPA Science Inventory

    Various statistical methods were applied to spatially discrete data from 14 intensively sampled small estuarine systems in the mid-Atlantic U.S. The number of sites per system ranged from 6 to 37. The surface area of the systems ranged from 1.9 to 193.4 km2. Parameters examined ...

  11. An evaluation of the accuracy of small-area demographic estimates of population at risk and its effect on prevalence statistics

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Demographic estimates of population at risk often underpin epidemiologic research and public health surveillance efforts. In spite of their central importance to epidemiology and public-health practice, little previous attention has been paid to evaluating the magnitude of errors associated with such estimates or the sensitivity of epidemiologic statistics to these effects. In spite of the well-known observation that accuracy in demographic estimates declines as the size of the population to be estimated decreases, demographers continue to face pressure to produce estimates for increasingly fine-grained population characteristics at ever-smaller geographic scales. Unfortunately, little guidance on the magnitude of errors that can be expected in such estimates is currently available in the literature and available for consideration in small-area epidemiology. This paper attempts to fill this current gap by producing a Vintage 2010 set of single-year-of-age estimates for census tracts, then evaluating their accuracy and precision in light of the results of the 2010 Census. These estimates are produced and evaluated for 499 census tracts in New Mexico for single-years of age from 0 to 21 and for each sex individually. The error distributions associated with these estimates are characterized statistically using non-parametric statistics including the median and 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles. The impact of these errors are considered through simulations in which observed and estimated 2010 population counts are used as alternative denominators and simulated event counts are used to compute a realistic range fo prevalence values. The implications of the results of this study for small-area epidemiologic research in cancer and environmental health are considered. PMID:24359344

  12. The growing timber resource of Michigan, 1966.

    Treesearch

    Clarence D. Chase; Ray E. Pfeifer; John S. Spencer

    1969-01-01

    The third (1966) Forest Survey of Michigan shows sizable gains in growing-stock and sawtimber volumes since 1955, despite a small decline in the commercial forest area. Presented are statistics on forest area and timber volume, growth, mortality, ownership, stocking, and use. Also presented is a projection of timber growth, removals, and inventory to 1996.

  13. Wisconsin's 1968 timber resource--a perspective.

    Treesearch

    John S. Jr. Spencer; Harry W. Thorne

    1972-01-01

    The third inventory of Wisconsin's timber resource shows substantial gains in growing-stock and sawtimber volumes since 1956, in spite of a small decline in area of commercial forest land. Presented are text and statistics on forest area and timber volume, growth, mortality, ownership, stocking, and use in 1968. Two 30-year projections of timber growth, removals...

  14. Detection and Estimation of an Optical Image by Photon-Counting Techniques. Ph.D. Thesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Lily Lee

    1973-01-01

    Statistical description of a photoelectric detector is given. The photosensitive surface of the detector is divided into many small areas, and the moment generating function of the photo-counting statistic is derived for large time-bandwidth product. The detection of a specified optical image in the presence of the background light by using the hypothesis test is discussed. The ideal detector based on the likelihood ratio from a set of numbers of photoelectrons ejected from many small areas of the photosensitive surface is studied and compared with the threshold detector and a simple detector which is based on the likelihood ratio by counting the total number of photoelectrons from a finite area of the surface. The intensity of the image is assumed to be Gaussian distributed spatially against the uniformly distributed background light. The numerical approximation by the method of steepest descent is used, and the calculations of the reliabilities for the detectors are carried out by a digital computer.

  15. County business patterns, 1996 : Kansas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1997 : Texas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1997 : Connecticut

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1997 : Georgia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1997 : Ohio

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1997 : Indiana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1997 : Nevada

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1997 : Louisiana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1997 : Michigan

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1997 : Iowa

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1997 : Florida

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1997 : Arizona

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1997 : New York

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1997 : Illinois

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1997 : Virginia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1997 : North Carolina

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1997 : Pennsylvania

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1997 : Minnesota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1997 : Alabama

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1997 : Delaware

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. County business patterns, 1997 : Hawaii

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1997 : Vermont

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1996 : Indiana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1997 : Oregon

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1997 : New Mexico

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1996 : Texas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1996 : Arizona

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1997 : Kentucky

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1996 : North Carolina

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1997 : Tennessee

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1996 : New York

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1996 : California

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1997 : Puerto Rico

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1997 : Mississippi

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1996 : Vermont

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1996 : Oklahoma

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1997 : Colorado

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1996 : Maryland

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1996 : Wyoming

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1996 : Missouri

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. County business patterns, 1996 : Nevada

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1997 : Missouri

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1996 : Rhode Island

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1996 : Michigan

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1996 : New Jersey

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1996 : Arkansas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1996 : Nebraska

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1997 : Utah

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1997 : Wyoming

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1997 : Rhode Island

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1996 : Massachusetts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1996 : Iowa

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1996 : Alabama

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1997 : West Virginia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1997 : Washington

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1996 : South Dakota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1996 : Pennsylvania

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1996 : Maine

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1996 : Delaware

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1997 : Maine

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. County business patterns, 1997 : Oklahoma

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1997 : Wisconsin

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1997 : Kansas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1996 : Hawaii

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1996 : Alaska

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1996 : Louisiana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1996 : Ohio

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1996 : Montana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1996 : North Dakota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1996 : Georgia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1996 : New Mexico

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1996 : Mississippi

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1997 : Montana

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1997 : South Dakota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1997 : New Jersey

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1996 : Wisconsin

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1997 : Nebraska

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1996 : Florida

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1996 : Utah

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1996 : Virginia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. County business patterns, 1996 : Connecticut

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1996 : Puerto Rico

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. County business patterns, 1997 : South Carolina

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  18. County business patterns, 1996 : Idaho

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  19. County business patterns, 1996 : New Hampshire

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  20. County business patterns, 1996 : West Virginia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  1. County business patterns, 1997 : New Hampshire

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  2. County business patterns, 1996 : Tennessee

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  3. County business patterns, 1997 : Maryland

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1997 : Massachusetts

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1997 : Idaho

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1996 : Colorado

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. County business patterns, 1997 : Arkansas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  8. County business patterns, 1996 : Kentucky

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  9. County business patterns, 1996 : Illinois

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  10. County business patterns, 1996 : Oregon

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  11. County business patterns, 1996 : South Carolina

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  12. County business patterns, 1996 : Minnesota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  13. County business patterns, 1997 : Alaska

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  14. County business patterns, 1997 : North Dakota

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  15. Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Homeless Children and Families in Small-Town America.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vissing, Yvonne M.

    Homelessness in small towns and rural areas is on the rise, and a substantial portion of the rural homeless consists of families with children. This book draws on interviews and case studies of over 300 homeless children and their families, primarily in New Hampshire, and on supporting statistics to provide individual and sociological perspectives…

  16. Examining geographic patterns of mortality: the atlas of mortality in small areas in Spain (1987-1995).

    PubMed

    Benach, Joan; Yasui, Yutaka; Borrell, Carme; Rosa, Elisabeth; Pasarín, M Isabel; Benach, Núria; Español, Esther; Martínez, José Miguel; Daponte, Antonio

    2003-06-01

    Small-area mortality atlases have been demonstrated to be a useful tool for both showing general geographical patterns in mortality data and identifying specific high-risk locations. In Spain no study has so far systematically examined geographic patterns of small-area mortality for the main causes of death. This paper presents the main features, contents and potential uses of the Spanish Atlas of Mortality in small areas (1987-1995). Population data for 2,218 small areas were drawn from the 1991 Census. Aggregated mortality data for 14 specific causes of death for the period 1987-1995 were obtained for each small area. Empirical Bayes-model-based estimates of age-adjusted relative risk were displayed in small-area maps for each cause/gender/age group (0-64 or 65 and over) combination using the same range of values (i.e. septiles) and colour schemes. The 'Spanish Atlas of Mortality' includes multiple choropleth (area-shaded) small-area maps and graphs to answer different questions about the data. The atlas is divided into three main sections. Section 1 includes the methods and comments on the main maps. Section 2 presents a two-page layout for each leading cause of death by gender including 1) a large map with relative risk estimates, 2) a map that indicates high- and low-risk small areas, 3) a graph with median and interquartile range of relative risk estimates for 17 large regions of Spain, and 4) relative-risk maps for two age groups. Section 3 provides specific information on the geographical units of analysis, statistical methods and other supplemental maps. The 'Spanish Atlas of Mortality' is a useful tool for examining geographical patterns of mortality risk and identifying specific high-risk areas. Mortality patterns displayed in the atlas may have important implications for research and social/health policy planning purposes.

  17. 43 CFR 34.8 - Affirmative action plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... project can be reasonably expected to draw labor only from a small area. If such a showing is made then statistics from such smaller area shall be employed in setting goals for that part of the project. (2) Goals... and FBE's; (D) The extent to which new firms can be organized and the capability of existing firms...

  18. 43 CFR 34.8 - Affirmative action plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... project can be reasonably expected to draw labor only from a small area. If such a showing is made then statistics from such smaller area shall be employed in setting goals for that part of the project. (2) Goals... and FBE's; (D) The extent to which new firms can be organized and the capability of existing firms...

  19. Space-Time Smoothing of Complex Survey Data: Small Area Estimation for Child Mortality.

    PubMed

    Mercer, Laina D; Wakefield, Jon; Pantazis, Athena; Lutambi, Angelina M; Masanja, Honorati; Clark, Samuel

    2015-12-01

    Many people living in low and middle-income countries are not covered by civil registration and vital statistics systems. Consequently, a wide variety of other types of data including many household sample surveys are used to estimate health and population indicators. In this paper we combine data from sample surveys and demographic surveillance systems to produce small area estimates of child mortality through time. Small area estimates are necessary to understand geographical heterogeneity in health indicators when full-coverage vital statistics are not available. For this endeavor spatio-temporal smoothing is beneficial to alleviate problems of data sparsity. The use of conventional hierarchical models requires careful thought since the survey weights may need to be considered to alleviate bias due to non-random sampling and non-response. The application that motivated this work is estimation of child mortality rates in five-year time intervals in regions of Tanzania. Data come from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted over the period 1991-2010 and two demographic surveillance system sites. We derive a variance estimator of under five years child mortality that accounts for the complex survey weighting. For our application, the hierarchical models we consider include random effects for area, time and survey and we compare models using a variety of measures including the conditional predictive ordinate (CPO). The method we propose is implemented via the fast and accurate integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA).

  20. Martian cratering 11. Utilizing decameter scale crater populations to study Martian history

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartmann, W. K.; Daubar, I. J.

    2017-03-01

    New information has been obtained in recent years regarding formation rates and the production size-frequency distribution (PSFD) of decameter-scale primary Martian craters formed during recent orbiter missions. Here we compare the PSFD of the currently forming small primaries (P) with new data on the PSFD of the total small crater population that includes primaries and field secondaries (P + fS), which represents an average over longer time periods. The two data sets, if used in a combined manner, have extraordinary potential for clarifying not only the evolutionary history and resurfacing episodes of small Martian geological formations (as small as one or few km2) but also possible episodes of recent climatic change. In response to recent discussions of statistical methodologies, we point out that crater counts do not produce idealized statistics, and that inherent uncertainties limit improvements that can be made by more sophisticated statistical analyses. We propose three mutually supportive procedures for interpreting crater counts of small craters in this context. Applications of these procedures support suggestions that topographic features in upper meters of mid-latitude ice-rich areas date only from the last few periods of extreme Martian obliquity, and associated predicted climate excursions.

  1. Robust small area estimation of poverty indicators using M-quantile approach (Case study: Sub-district level in Bogor district)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Girinoto, Sadik, Kusman; Indahwati

    2017-03-01

    The National Socio-Economic Survey samples are designed to produce estimates of parameters of planned domains (provinces and districts). The estimation of unplanned domains (sub-districts and villages) has its limitation to obtain reliable direct estimates. One of the possible solutions to overcome this problem is employing small area estimation techniques. The popular choice of small area estimation is based on linear mixed models. However, such models need strong distributional assumptions and do not easy allow for outlier-robust estimation. As an alternative approach for this purpose, M-quantile regression approach to small area estimation based on modeling specific M-quantile coefficients of conditional distribution of study variable given auxiliary covariates. It obtained outlier-robust estimation from influence function of M-estimator type and also no need strong distributional assumptions. In this paper, the aim of study is to estimate the poverty indicator at sub-district level in Bogor District-West Java using M-quantile models for small area estimation. Using data taken from National Socioeconomic Survey and Villages Potential Statistics, the results provide a detailed description of pattern of incidence and intensity of poverty within Bogor district. We also compare the results with direct estimates. The results showed the framework may be preferable when direct estimate having no incidence of poverty at all in the small area.

  2. Automated thematic mapping and change detection of ERTS-A images. [digital interpretation of Arizona imagery

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gramenopoulos, N. (Principal Investigator)

    1973-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. For the recognition of terrain types, spatial signatures are developed from the diffraction patterns of small areas of ERTS-1 images. This knowledge is exploited for the measurements of a small number of meaningful spatial features from the digital Fourier transforms of ERTS-1 image cells containing 32 x 32 picture elements. Using these spatial features and a heuristic algorithm, the terrain types in the vicinity of Phoenix, Arizona were recognized by the computer with a high accuracy. Then, the spatial features were combined with spectral features and using the maximum likelihood criterion the recognition accuracy of terrain types increased substantially. It was determined that the recognition accuracy with the maximum likelihood criterion depends on the statistics of the feature vectors. Nonlinear transformations of the feature vectors are required so that the terrain class statistics become approximately Gaussian. It was also determined that for a given geographic area the statistics of the classes remain invariable for a period of a month but vary substantially between seasons.

  3. County business patterns, 1997 : U.S. summary

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  4. County business patterns, 1997 : District of Columbia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  5. County business patterns, 1996 : District of Columbia

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  6. County business patterns, 1996 : U.S. summary

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  7. Spatial heterogeneity in statistical power to detect changes in lake area in Alaskan National Wildlife Refuges

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nicol, Samuel; Roach, Jennifer K.; Griffith, Brad

    2013-01-01

    Over the past 50 years, the number and size of high-latitude lakes have decreased throughout many regions; however, individual lake trends have been variable in direction and magnitude. This spatial heterogeneity in lake change makes statistical detection of temporal trends challenging, particularly in small analysis areas where weak trends are difficult to separate from inter- and intra-annual variability. Factors affecting trend detection include inherent variability, trend magnitude, and sample size. In this paper, we investigated how the statistical power to detect average linear trends in lake size of 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 %/year was affected by the size of the analysis area and the number of years of monitoring in National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska. We estimated power for large (930–4,560 sq km) study areas within refuges and for 2.6, 12.9, and 25.9 sq km cells nested within study areas over temporal extents of 4–50 years. We found that: (1) trends in study areas could be detected within 5–15 years, (2) trends smaller than 2.0 %/year would take >50 years to detect in cells within study areas, and (3) there was substantial spatial variation in the time required to detect change among cells. Power was particularly low in the smallest cells which typically had the fewest lakes. Because small but ecologically meaningful trends may take decades to detect, early establishment of long-term monitoring will enhance power to detect change. Our results have broad applicability and our method is useful for any study involving change detection among variable spatial and temporal extents.

  8. Statistical parameters of random heterogeneity estimated by analysing coda waves based on finite difference method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Emoto, K.; Saito, T.; Shiomi, K.

    2017-12-01

    Short-period (<1 s) seismograms are strongly affected by small-scale (<10 km) heterogeneities in the lithosphere. In general, short-period seismograms are analysed based on the statistical method by considering the interaction between seismic waves and randomly distributed small-scale heterogeneities. Statistical properties of the random heterogeneities have been estimated by analysing short-period seismograms. However, generally, the small-scale random heterogeneity is not taken into account for the modelling of long-period (>2 s) seismograms. We found that the energy of the coda of long-period seismograms shows a spatially flat distribution. This phenomenon is well known in short-period seismograms and results from the scattering by small-scale heterogeneities. We estimate the statistical parameters that characterize the small-scale random heterogeneity by modelling the spatiotemporal energy distribution of long-period seismograms. We analyse three moderate-size earthquakes that occurred in southwest Japan. We calculate the spatial distribution of the energy density recorded by a dense seismograph network in Japan at the period bands of 8-16 s, 4-8 s and 2-4 s and model them by using 3-D finite difference (FD) simulations. Compared to conventional methods based on statistical theories, we can calculate more realistic synthetics by using the FD simulation. It is not necessary to assume a uniform background velocity, body or surface waves and scattering properties considered in general scattering theories. By taking the ratio of the energy of the coda area to that of the entire area, we can separately estimate the scattering and the intrinsic absorption effects. Our result reveals the spectrum of the random inhomogeneity in a wide wavenumber range including the intensity around the corner wavenumber as P(m) = 8πε2a3/(1 + a2m2)2, where ε = 0.05 and a = 3.1 km, even though past studies analysing higher-frequency records could not detect the corner. Finally, we estimate the intrinsic attenuation by modelling the decay rate of the energy. The method proposed in this study is suitable for quantifying the statistical properties of long-wavelength subsurface random inhomogeneity, which leads the way to characterizing a wider wavenumber range of spectra, including the corner wavenumber.

  9. Assessment of spatial variation of risks in small populations.

    PubMed Central

    Riggan, W B; Manton, K G; Creason, J P; Woodbury, M A; Stallard, E

    1991-01-01

    Often environmental hazards are assessed by examining the spatial variation of disease-specific mortality or morbidity rates. These rates, when estimated for small local populations, can have a high degree of random variation or uncertainty associated with them. If those rate estimates are used to prioritize environmental clean-up actions or to allocate resources, then those decisions may be influenced by this high degree of uncertainty. Unfortunately, the effect of this uncertainty is not to add "random noise" into the decision-making process, but to systematically bias action toward the smallest populations where uncertainty is greatest and where extreme high and low rate deviations are most likely to be manifest by chance. We present a statistical procedure for adjusting rate estimates for differences in variability due to differentials in local area population sizes. Such adjustments produce rate estimates for areas that have better properties than the unadjusted rates for use in making statistically based decisions about the entire set of areas. Examples are provided for county variation in bladder, stomach, and lung cancer mortality rates for U.S. white males for the period 1970 to 1979. PMID:1820268

  10. Surface temperature statistics over Los Angeles - The influence of land use

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dousset, Benedicte

    1991-01-01

    Surface temperature statistics from 84 NOAA AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) satellite images of the Los Angeles basin are interpreted as functions of the corresponding urban land-cover classified from a multispectral SPOT image. Urban heat islands observed in the temperature statistics correlate well with the distribution of industrial and fully built areas. Small cool islands coincide with highly watered parks and golf courses. There is a significant negative correlation between the afternoon surface temperature and a vegetation index computed from the SPOT image.

  11. Whole-body concentrations of elements in three fish species from offshore oil platforms and natural areas in the Southern California Bight, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Love, Milton S.; Saiki, Michael K.; May, Thomas W.; Yee, Julie L.

    2013-01-01

    elements. Forty-two elements were excluded from statistical comparisons as they (1) consisted of major cations that were unlikely to accumulate to potentially toxic concentrations; (2) were not detected by the analytical procedures; or (3) were detected at concentrations too low to yield reliable quantitative measurements. The remaining 21 elements consisted of aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, iron, lead, lithium, manganese, mercury, nickel, rubidium, selenium, strontium, tin, titanium, vanadium, and zinc. Statistical comparisons of these elements indicated that none consistently exhibited higher concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas. However, the concentrations of copper, selenium, titanium, and vanadium in Pacific sanddab were unusual because small individuals exhibited either no differences between oil platforms and natural areas or significantly lower concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas, whereas large individuals exhibited significantly higher concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas.

  12. Space-Time Smoothing of Complex Survey Data: Small Area Estimation for Child Mortality

    PubMed Central

    Mercer, Laina D; Wakefield, Jon; Pantazis, Athena; Lutambi, Angelina M; Masanja, Honorati; Clark, Samuel

    2016-01-01

    Many people living in low and middle-income countries are not covered by civil registration and vital statistics systems. Consequently, a wide variety of other types of data including many household sample surveys are used to estimate health and population indicators. In this paper we combine data from sample surveys and demographic surveillance systems to produce small area estimates of child mortality through time. Small area estimates are necessary to understand geographical heterogeneity in health indicators when full-coverage vital statistics are not available. For this endeavor spatio-temporal smoothing is beneficial to alleviate problems of data sparsity. The use of conventional hierarchical models requires careful thought since the survey weights may need to be considered to alleviate bias due to non-random sampling and non-response. The application that motivated this work is estimation of child mortality rates in five-year time intervals in regions of Tanzania. Data come from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted over the period 1991–2010 and two demographic surveillance system sites. We derive a variance estimator of under five years child mortality that accounts for the complex survey weighting. For our application, the hierarchical models we consider include random effects for area, time and survey and we compare models using a variety of measures including the conditional predictive ordinate (CPO). The method we propose is implemented via the fast and accurate integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA). PMID:27468328

  13. Analysing malaria incidence at the small area level for developing a spatial decision support system: A case study in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India.

    PubMed

    Shekhar, S; Yoo, E-H; Ahmed, S A; Haining, R; Kadannolly, S

    2017-02-01

    Spatial decision support systems have already proved their value in helping to reduce infectious diseases but to be effective they need to be designed to reflect local circumstances and local data availability. We report the first stage of a project to develop a spatial decision support system for infectious diseases for Karnataka State in India. The focus of this paper is on malaria incidence and we draw on small area data on new cases of malaria analysed in two-monthly time intervals over the period February 2012 to January 2016 for Kalaburagi taluk, a small area in Karnataka. We report the results of data mapping and cluster detection (identifying areas of excess risk) including evaluating the temporal persistence of excess risk and the local conditions with which high counts are statistically associated. We comment on how this work might feed into a practical spatial decision support system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Localised estimates and spatial mapping of poverty incidence in the state of Bihar in India—An application of small area estimation techniques

    PubMed Central

    Aditya, Kaustav; Sud, U. C.

    2018-01-01

    Poverty affects many people, but the ramifications and impacts affect all aspects of society. Information about the incidence of poverty is therefore an important parameter of the population for policy analysis and decision making. In order to provide specific, targeted solutions when addressing poverty disadvantage small area statistics are needed. Surveys are typically designed and planned to produce reliable estimates of population characteristics of interest mainly at higher geographic area such as national and state level. Sample sizes are usually not large enough to provide reliable estimates for disaggregated analysis. In many instances estimates are required for areas of the population for which the survey providing the data was unplanned. Then, for areas with small sample sizes, direct survey estimation of population characteristics based only on the data available from the particular area tends to be unreliable. This paper describes an application of small area estimation (SAE) approach to improve the precision of estimates of poverty incidence at district level in the State of Bihar in India by linking data from the Household Consumer Expenditure Survey 2011–12 of NSSO and the Population Census 2011. The results show that the district level estimates generated by SAE method are more precise and representative. In contrast, the direct survey estimates based on survey data alone are less stable. PMID:29879202

  15. Localised estimates and spatial mapping of poverty incidence in the state of Bihar in India-An application of small area estimation techniques.

    PubMed

    Chandra, Hukum; Aditya, Kaustav; Sud, U C

    2018-01-01

    Poverty affects many people, but the ramifications and impacts affect all aspects of society. Information about the incidence of poverty is therefore an important parameter of the population for policy analysis and decision making. In order to provide specific, targeted solutions when addressing poverty disadvantage small area statistics are needed. Surveys are typically designed and planned to produce reliable estimates of population characteristics of interest mainly at higher geographic area such as national and state level. Sample sizes are usually not large enough to provide reliable estimates for disaggregated analysis. In many instances estimates are required for areas of the population for which the survey providing the data was unplanned. Then, for areas with small sample sizes, direct survey estimation of population characteristics based only on the data available from the particular area tends to be unreliable. This paper describes an application of small area estimation (SAE) approach to improve the precision of estimates of poverty incidence at district level in the State of Bihar in India by linking data from the Household Consumer Expenditure Survey 2011-12 of NSSO and the Population Census 2011. The results show that the district level estimates generated by SAE method are more precise and representative. In contrast, the direct survey estimates based on survey data alone are less stable.

  16. Investigations using data from LANDSAT-2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hossain, A. (Principal Investigator)

    1977-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. LANDSAT imageries of Mirpur area of Dacca district were used in connection with surveys for black plastic clay. The imageries showed the broad pattern of small valleys cutting into Madhupur clay. Land use maps of Haor areas of Sylhet and Mymensingh districts were prepared. As a test case, two thana areas, namely Nickley and Astogram, were classified in different categories such as crop, settlement, and water. It does not show much agreement with the Agriculture Dept.'s statistics.

  17. County Business Patterns: United States, 2002.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Commerce, 2004

    2004-01-01

    In this report, subnational economic data by industry, including Educational Services, is provided. County Business Patterns is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark for statistical series, surveys, and databases between economic censuses. The number of establishments,…

  18. GIS and statistical analysis for landslide susceptibility mapping in the Daunia area, Italy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mancini, F.; Ceppi, C.; Ritrovato, G.

    2010-09-01

    This study focuses on landslide susceptibility mapping in the Daunia area (Apulian Apennines, Italy) and achieves this by using a multivariate statistical method and data processing in a Geographical Information System (GIS). The Logistic Regression (hereafter LR) method was chosen to produce a susceptibility map over an area of 130 000 ha where small settlements are historically threatened by landslide phenomena. By means of LR analysis, the tendency to landslide occurrences was, therefore, assessed by relating a landslide inventory (dependent variable) to a series of causal factors (independent variables) which were managed in the GIS, while the statistical analyses were performed by means of the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software. The LR analysis produced a reliable susceptibility map of the investigated area and the probability level of landslide occurrence was ranked in four classes. The overall performance achieved by the LR analysis was assessed by local comparison between the expected susceptibility and an independent dataset extrapolated from the landslide inventory. Of the samples classified as susceptible to landslide occurrences, 85% correspond to areas where landslide phenomena have actually occurred. In addition, the consideration of the regression coefficients provided by the analysis demonstrated that a major role is played by the "land cover" and "lithology" causal factors in determining the occurrence and distribution of landslide phenomena in the Apulian Apennines.

  19. Accuracy assessment in the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Houston, A. G.; Pitts, D. E.; Feiveson, A. H.; Badhwar, G.; Ferguson, M.; Hsu, E.; Potter, J.; Chhikara, R.; Rader, M.; Ahlers, C.

    1979-01-01

    The Accuracy Assessment System (AAS) of the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE) was responsible for determining the accuracy and reliability of LACIE estimates of wheat production, area, and yield, made at regular intervals throughout the crop season, and for investigating the various LACIE error sources, quantifying these errors, and relating them to their causes. Some results of using the AAS during the three years of LACIE are reviewed. As the program culminated, AAS was able not only to meet the goal of obtaining accurate statistical estimates of sampling and classification accuracy, but also the goal of evaluating component labeling errors. Furthermore, the ground-truth data processing matured from collecting data for one crop (small grains) to collecting, quality-checking, and archiving data for all crops in a LACIE small segment.

  20. Aerial gamma ray and magnetic survey: Powder River R and D Project. Portions of the: Forsyth, Hardin, Montana Quadrangles; Sheridan, Arminto, Wyoming Quadrangles. Final report

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

    Not Available

    1979-05-01

    Thick Phaneorozoic sediments (greater than 17,000 feet) fill the northwest-trending Powder River Basin, which is the dominant tectonic structure in the study area. Lower Tertiary sediments comprise over 90% of the exposed units at the surface of the Basin. Small portions of the Bighorn Uplift, Casper Arch, and Porcupine Dome occupy the western edge of the study area. Numerous small claims and prospects are found in the Pumpkin Buttes - Turnercrest District at the south end of the study area (northeastern Arminto quadrangle). No economic deposits of uranium are known to exist in the area, according to available literature. Interpretationmore » of the radiometric data resulted in 62 statistical uranium anomalies listed for this area. Most anomalies are found in the southern half of the study area within the Tertiary Fort Union and Wasatch Formations. Some are found in Cretaceous sediments in the adjoining uplifts to the west of the Basin.« less

  1. Misclassification bias in areal estimates

    Treesearch

    Raymond L. Czaplewski

    1992-01-01

    In addition to thematic maps, remote sensing provides estimates of area in different thematic categories. Areal estimates are frequently used for resource inventories, management planning, and assessment analyses. Misclassification causes bias in these statistical areal estimates. For example, if a small percentage of a common cover type is misclassified as a rare...

  2. Implementation of a new algorithm for Density Equalizing Map Projections (DEMP)

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

    Close, E.R.; Merrill, D.W.; Holmes, H.H.

    The purpose of the PAREP (Populations at Risk to Environmental Pollution) Project at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), an ongoing Department of Energy (DOE) project since 1978, is to develop resources (data, computing techniques, and biostatistical methodology) applicable to DOE`s needs. Specifically, the PAREP project has developed techniques for statistically analyzing disease distributions in the vicinity of supposed environmental hazards. Such techniques can be applied to assess the health risks in populations residing near DOE installations, provided adequate small-area health data are available. The FY 1994 task descriptions for the PAREP project were determined in discussions at LBNL on 11/2/93.more » The FY94 PAREP Work Authorization specified three major tasks: a prototype small area study, a feasibility study for obtaining small-area data, and preservation of the PAREP data archive. The complete FY94 work plan, and the subtasks accomplished to date, were included in the Cumulative FY94 progress report.« less

  3. Masked areas in shear peak statistics. A forward modeling approach

    DOE PAGES

    Bard, D.; Kratochvil, J. M.; Dawson, W.

    2016-03-09

    The statistics of shear peaks have been shown to provide valuable cosmological information beyond the power spectrum, and will be an important constraint of models of cosmology in forthcoming astronomical surveys. Surveys include masked areas due to bright stars, bad pixels etc., which must be accounted for in producing constraints on cosmology from shear maps. We advocate a forward-modeling approach, where the impacts of masking and other survey artifacts are accounted for in the theoretical prediction of cosmological parameters, rather than correcting survey data to remove them. We use masks based on the Deep Lens Survey, and explore the impactmore » of up to 37% of the survey area being masked on LSST and DES-scale surveys. By reconstructing maps of aperture mass the masking effect is smoothed out, resulting in up to 14% smaller statistical uncertainties compared to simply reducing the survey area by the masked area. We show that, even in the presence of large survey masks, the bias in cosmological parameter estimation produced in the forward-modeling process is ≈1%, dominated by bias caused by limited simulation volume. We also explore how this potential bias scales with survey area and evaluate how much small survey areas are impacted by the differences in cosmological structure in the data and simulated volumes, due to cosmic variance.« less

  4. MASKED AREAS IN SHEAR PEAK STATISTICS: A FORWARD MODELING APPROACH

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

    Bard, D.; Kratochvil, J. M.; Dawson, W., E-mail: djbard@slac.stanford.edu

    2016-03-10

    The statistics of shear peaks have been shown to provide valuable cosmological information beyond the power spectrum, and will be an important constraint of models of cosmology in forthcoming astronomical surveys. Surveys include masked areas due to bright stars, bad pixels etc., which must be accounted for in producing constraints on cosmology from shear maps. We advocate a forward-modeling approach, where the impacts of masking and other survey artifacts are accounted for in the theoretical prediction of cosmological parameters, rather than correcting survey data to remove them. We use masks based on the Deep Lens Survey, and explore the impactmore » of up to 37% of the survey area being masked on LSST and DES-scale surveys. By reconstructing maps of aperture mass the masking effect is smoothed out, resulting in up to 14% smaller statistical uncertainties compared to simply reducing the survey area by the masked area. We show that, even in the presence of large survey masks, the bias in cosmological parameter estimation produced in the forward-modeling process is ≈1%, dominated by bias caused by limited simulation volume. We also explore how this potential bias scales with survey area and evaluate how much small survey areas are impacted by the differences in cosmological structure in the data and simulated volumes, due to cosmic variance.« less

  5. Variability of rainfall over small areas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Runnels, R. C.

    1983-01-01

    A preliminary investigation was made to determine estimates of the number of raingauges needed in order to measure the variability of rainfall in time and space over small areas (approximately 40 sq miles). The literature on rainfall variability was examined and the types of empirical relationships used to relate rainfall variations to meteorological and catchment-area characteristics were considered. Relations between the coefficient of variation and areal-mean rainfall and area have been used by several investigators. These parameters seemed reasonable ones to use in any future study of rainfall variations. From a knowledge of an appropriate coefficient of variation (determined by the above-mentioned relations) the number rain gauges needed for the precise determination of areal-mean rainfall may be calculated by statistical estimation theory. The number gauges needed to measure the coefficient of variation over a 40 sq miles area, with varying degrees of error, was found to range from 264 (10% error, mean precipitation = 0.1 in) to about 2 (100% error, mean precipitation = 0.1 in).

  6. A Study of Graduate Student Ethics in Leadership Preparation Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Kerry; Sampson, Pauline

    2011-01-01

    The ethics and character of a superintendent is important and much research has been done in this area. This study attempted to take the instrument developed by Fenstermaker (1994) and determine if future superintendents have the same ethical response as current superintendents. The small number (n=20) limited statistical comparisons. Three…

  7. Small-area distribution of multiple sclerosis incidence in western France: in search of environmental triggers.

    PubMed

    Hammas, Karima; Yaouanq, Jacqueline; Lannes, Morgane; Edan, Gilles; Viel, Jean-François

    2017-09-21

    Despite intensive research over several decades, the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains poorly understood, although environmental factors are supposedly implicated. Our goal was to identify spatial clusters of MS incident cases at the small-area level to provide clues to local environmental risk factors that might cause or trigger the disease. A population-based and multi-stage study was performed in the French Brittany region to accurately ascertain the clinical onset of disease during the 2000-2004 period. The municipality of residence at the time of clinical onset was geocoded. To test for the presence of MS incidence clusters and to identify their approximate locations, we used a spatial scan statistic. We adjusted for socioeconomic deprivation, known to be strongly associated with increased MS incident rates, and scanned simultaneously for areas with either high or low rates. Sensitivity analyses (focusing on relapsing-remitting forms and/or places of residence available within the year following clinical onset) were performed. A total of 848 incident cases of MS were registered in Brittany, corresponding to a crude annual incidence rate of 5.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. The spatial scan statistic did not find a significant cluster of MS incidence in either the primary analysis (p value ≥ 0.56) or in the sensitivity analyses (p value ≥ 0.16). The findings of this study indicate that MS incidence is not markedly affected across space, suggesting that in the years preceding the first clinical expression of the disease, no environmental trigger is operative at the small-area population level in the French Brittany region.

  8. Estimation of unemployment rates using small area estimation model by combining time series and cross-sectional data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muchlisoh, Siti; Kurnia, Anang; Notodiputro, Khairil Anwar; Mangku, I. Wayan

    2016-02-01

    Labor force surveys conducted over time by the rotating panel design have been carried out in many countries, including Indonesia. Labor force survey in Indonesia is regularly conducted by Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik-BPS) and has been known as the National Labor Force Survey (Sakernas). The main purpose of Sakernas is to obtain information about unemployment rates and its changes over time. Sakernas is a quarterly survey. The quarterly survey is designed only for estimating the parameters at the provincial level. The quarterly unemployment rate published by BPS (official statistics) is calculated based on only cross-sectional methods, despite the fact that the data is collected under rotating panel design. The study purpose to estimate a quarterly unemployment rate at the district level used small area estimation (SAE) model by combining time series and cross-sectional data. The study focused on the application and comparison between the Rao-Yu model and dynamic model in context estimating the unemployment rate based on a rotating panel survey. The goodness of fit of both models was almost similar. Both models produced an almost similar estimation and better than direct estimation, but the dynamic model was more capable than the Rao-Yu model to capture a heterogeneity across area, although it was reduced over time.

  9. Small Systems and Limitations on the Use of Chemical Thermodynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tovbin, Yu. K.

    2018-01-01

    Limitations on using chemical thermodynamics to describe small systems are formulated. These limitations follow from statistical mechanics for equilibrium and nonequilibrium processes and reflect (1) differences between characteristic relaxation times in momentum, energy, and mass transfer in different aggregate states of investigated systems; (2) achievements of statistical mechanics that allow us to determine criteria for the size of smallest region in which thermodynamics can be applied and the scale of the emergence of a new phase, along with criteria for the conditions of violating a local equilibrium. Based on this analysis, the main thermodynamic results are clarified: the phase rule for distorted interfaces, the sense and area of applicability of Gibbs's concept of passive forces, and the artificiality of Kelvin's equation as a result of limitations on the thermodynamic approach to considering small bodies. The wrongness of introducing molecular parameters into thermodynamic derivations, and the activity coefficient for an activated complex into the expression for a reaction rate constant, is demonstrated.

  10. Quantification and Statistical Analysis Methods for Vessel Wall Components from Stained Images with Masson's Trichrome

    PubMed Central

    Hernández-Morera, Pablo; Castaño-González, Irene; Travieso-González, Carlos M.; Mompeó-Corredera, Blanca; Ortega-Santana, Francisco

    2016-01-01

    Purpose To develop a digital image processing method to quantify structural components (smooth muscle fibers and extracellular matrix) in the vessel wall stained with Masson’s trichrome, and a statistical method suitable for small sample sizes to analyze the results previously obtained. Methods The quantification method comprises two stages. The pre-processing stage improves tissue image appearance and the vessel wall area is delimited. In the feature extraction stage, the vessel wall components are segmented by grouping pixels with a similar color. The area of each component is calculated by normalizing the number of pixels of each group by the vessel wall area. Statistical analyses are implemented by permutation tests, based on resampling without replacement from the set of the observed data to obtain a sampling distribution of an estimator. The implementation can be parallelized on a multicore machine to reduce execution time. Results The methods have been tested on 48 vessel wall samples of the internal saphenous vein stained with Masson’s trichrome. The results show that the segmented areas are consistent with the perception of a team of doctors and demonstrate good correlation between the expert judgments and the measured parameters for evaluating vessel wall changes. Conclusion The proposed methodology offers a powerful tool to quantify some components of the vessel wall. It is more objective, sensitive and accurate than the biochemical and qualitative methods traditionally used. The permutation tests are suitable statistical techniques to analyze the numerical measurements obtained when the underlying assumptions of the other statistical techniques are not met. PMID:26761643

  11. Impact of scale of aggregation on associations of cardiovascular hospitalization and socio-economic disadvantage

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Background There are numerous studies that show an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease with increasing levels of socio-economic disadvantage. Exposures that might influence the relationship include elements of the built environment and social systems that shape lifestyle risk behaviors. In Canberra (the Australian capital city) there has been a particular housing policy to create ‘mixed-tenure’ neighborhoods so that small pockets of disadvantage are surrounded by more affluent residences (known as a ‘salt-and-pepper’ pattern). This may contribute to a scatter of higher incidence rates in very small areas in this population that may be obscured if aggregated data are used. This study explored the effect of changing the scale of the spatial units used in small area disease modelling, aiming to understand the impact of this issue and the implications for local public health surveillance. Methods The residence location of hospitalized individuals were aggregated to two differently scaled area units. First, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 (SA2) which is normally used as the basis for deidentification and release of health data. Second, these data were aggregated to a smaller level: the Statistical Area 1 (SA1). Generalized Additive Models with penalized regression splines were used to assess the association of age-sex-standardized rates for cardiovascular disease hospital admissions with disadvantage. Results The relationships observed were different between the two types of spatial units. The SA1 level exposure-response curve for rates against the disadvantage index extended in a linear fashion above the midrange level, while that found at SA2-level suggested a curvilinear form with no evidence that rates increased with higher disadvantage beyond the midrange. Conclusion Our result supports findings of other work that has found disadvantage increases risk of cardiovascular disease. The shape of the curves suggest a difference in associations of cardiovascular disease rates with disadvantage scores between SA1 versus SA2. From these results it can be concluded that scale of analysis does influence the understanding of geographical patterns of socio-economic disadvantage and cardiovascular disease morbidity. Health surveillance and interventions in Canberra should take into account the impact of the scale of aggregation on the association between disadvantage and cardiovascular disease observed. PMID:29182618

  12. Library/Media Centers in U.S. Public Schools: Growth, Staffing, and Resources. Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tuck, Kathy D.; Holmes, Dwight R.

    2016-01-01

    This study analyzes data collected between 2000 and 2013 from the annual National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) Local Education Agency (School District) Universe Survey; the NCES Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS); and the U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Survey (SAIPE). The findings…

  13. Estimating Small-area Populations by Age and Sex Using Spatial Interpolation and Statistical Inference Methods

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

    Qai, Qiang; Rushton, Gerald; Bhaduri, Budhendra L

    The objective of this research is to compute population estimates by age and sex for small areas whose boundaries are different from those for which the population counts were made. In our approach, population surfaces and age-sex proportion surfaces are separately estimated. Age-sex population estimates for small areas and their confidence intervals are then computed using a binomial model with the two surfaces as inputs. The approach was implemented for Iowa using a 90 m resolution population grid (LandScan USA) and U.S. Census 2000 population. Three spatial interpolation methods, the areal weighting (AW) method, the ordinary kriging (OK) method, andmore » a modification of the pycnophylactic method, were used on Census Tract populations to estimate the age-sex proportion surfaces. To verify the model, age-sex population estimates were computed for paired Block Groups that straddled Census Tracts and therefore were spatially misaligned with them. The pycnophylactic method and the OK method were more accurate than the AW method. The approach is general and can be used to estimate subgroup-count types of variables from information in existing administrative areas for custom-defined areas used as the spatial basis of support in other applications.« less

  14. The bacteriological quality of minced beef in the U.K.

    PubMed Central

    Roberts, T. A.; Britton, C. R.; Hudson, W. R.

    1980-01-01

    Minced (ground) beef from three supermarkets, three intermediate-sized chain butchers and three small family butchers in each of three geographical areas was examined three times in warm weather and three times in cool. The total viable count (37 and 20 degrees C), numbers of Enterobacteriaceae (37 and 17 degrees C), and presumptive coliforms did not differ significantly between shop type or season. Statistically significant differences in numbers of faecal Streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens were too small to be of commercial importance, or diagnostic value. PMID:6256434

  15. Mapping irrigated areas of Ghana using fusion of 30 m and 250 m resolution remote-sensing data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gumma, M.K.; Thenkabail, P.S.; Hideto, F.; Nelson, A.; Dheeravath, V.; Busia, D.; Rala, A.

    2011-01-01

    Maps of irrigated areas are essential for Ghana's agricultural development. The goal of this research was to map irrigated agricultural areas and explain methods and protocols using remote sensing. Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) data and time-series Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were used to map irrigated agricultural areas as well as other land use/land cover (LULC) classes, for Ghana. Temporal variations in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) pattern obtained in the LULC class were used to identify irrigated and non-irrigated areas. First, the temporal variations in NDVI pattern were found to be more consistent in long-duration irrigated crops than with short-duration rainfed crops due to more assured water supply for irrigated areas. Second, surface water availability for irrigated areas is dependent on shallow dug-wells (on river banks) and dug-outs (in river bottoms) that affect the timing of crop sowing and growth stages, which was in turn reflected in the seasonal NDVI pattern. A decision tree approach using Landsat 30 m one time data fusion with MODIS 250 m time-series data was adopted to classify, group, and label classes. Finally, classes were tested and verified using ground truth data and national statistics. Fuzzy classification accuracy assessment for the irrigated classes varied between 67 and 93%. An irrigated area derived from remote sensing (32,421 ha) was 20-57% higher than irrigated areas reported by Ghana's Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA). This was because of the uncertainties involved in factors such as: (a) absence of shallow irrigated area statistics in GIDA statistics, (b) non-clarity in the irrigated areas in its use, under-development, and potential for development in GIDA statistics, (c) errors of omissions and commissions in the remote sensing approach, and (d) comparison involving widely varying data types, methods, and approaches used in determining irrigated area statistics using GIDA and remote sensing. Extensive field campaigns to help in better classification and validation of irrigated areas using high (30 m ) to very high (<5 m) resolution remote sensing data that are fused with multi temporal data like MODIS are the way forward. This is especially true in accounting for small yet contiguous patches of irrigated areas from dug-wells and dug-outs. ?? 2011 by the authors.

  16. Modelling multiple hospital outcomes: the impact of small area and primary care practice variation.

    PubMed

    Congdon, Peter

    2006-11-16

    Appropriate management of care--for example, avoiding unnecessary attendances at, or admissions to, hospital emergency units when they could be handled in primary care--is an important part of health strategy. However, some variations in these outcomes could be due to genuine variations in health need. This paper proposes a new method of explaining variations in hospital utilisation across small areas and the general practices (GPs) responsible for patient primary care. By controlling for the influence of true need on such variations, one may identify remaining sources of excess emergency attendances and admissions, both at area and practice level, that may be related to the quality, resourcing or organisation of care. The present paper accordingly develops a methodology that recognises the interplay between population mix factors (health need) and primary care factors (e.g. referral thresholds), that allows for unobserved influences on hospitalisation usage, and that also reflects interdependence between hospital outcomes. A case study considers relativities in attendance and admission rates at a North London hospital involving 149 small areas and 53 GP practices. A fixed effects model shows variations in attendances and admissions are significantly related (positively) to area and practice need, and nursing home patients, and related (negatively) to primary care access and distance of patient homes from the hospital. Modelling the impact of known factors alone is not sufficient to produce a satisfactory fit to the observations, and random effects at area and practice level are needed to improve fit and account for overdispersion. The case study finds variation in attendance and admission rates across areas and practices after controlling for need, and remaining differences between practices may be attributable to referral behaviour unrelated to need, or to staffing, resourcing, and access issues. In managerial terms, the analysis points to the utility of formal statistical analysis of hospitalisation rates as a prelude to non-statistical investigation of primary care resourcing and organisation. For example, there may be implications for the location of staff involved in community management of chronic conditions; health managers may also investigate whether some practices have unusual populations (homeless, asylum seekers, students) that explain different hospital use patterns.

  17. The statistical treatment implemented to obtain the planetary protection bioburdens for the Mars Science Laboratory mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beaudet, Robert A.

    2013-06-01

    NASA Planetary Protection Policy requires that Category IV missions such as those going to the surface of Mars include detailed assessment and documentation of the bioburden on the spacecraft at launch. In the prior missions to Mars, the approaches used to estimate the bioburden could easily be conservative without penalizing the project because spacecraft elements such as the descent and landing stages had relatively small surface areas and volumes. With the advent of a large spacecraft such as Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), it became necessary for a modified—still conservative but more pragmatic—statistical treatment be used to obtain the standard deviations and the bioburden densities at about the 99.9% confidence limits. This article describes both the Gaussian and Poisson statistics that were implemented to analyze the bioburden data from the MSL spacecraft prior to launch. The standard deviations were weighted by the areas sampled with each swab or wipe. Some typical cases are given and discussed.

  18. 14 CFR 298.63 - Reporting of aircraft operating expenses and related statistics by small certificated air carriers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... and related statistics by small certificated air carriers. 298.63 Section 298.63 Aeronautics and Space... aircraft operating expenses and related statistics by small certificated air carriers. (a) Each small... Related Statistics.” This schedule shall be filed quarterly as prescribed in § 298.60. Data reported on...

  19. 14 CFR 298.63 - Reporting of aircraft operating expenses and related statistics by small certificated air carriers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... and related statistics by small certificated air carriers. 298.63 Section 298.63 Aeronautics and Space... aircraft operating expenses and related statistics by small certificated air carriers. (a) Each small... Related Statistics.” This schedule shall be filed quarterly as prescribed in § 298.60. Data reported on...

  20. First molecular survey of Anaplasma bovis in small ruminants from Tunisia.

    PubMed

    Ben Said, Mourad; Belkahia, Hanène; Karaoud, Maroua; Bousrih, Maha; Yahiaoui, Mouna; Daaloul-Jedidi, Monia; Messadi, Lilia

    2015-09-30

    To date, no information is available regarding the presence of Anaplasma bovis in the South Mediterranean area. In this study, prevalence, risk factors, and genetic diversity of A. bovis were assessed in small ruminants. A total of 563 healthy small ruminants (260 sheep and 303 goats), from 25 randomly selected flocks located in 5 localities from two bioclimatic areas in Tunisia, were investigated for the detection of A. bovis in blood by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) assay. The overall infection rates of A. bovis were 42.7 and 23.8% in sheep and goats, respectively. Goats located in a sub-humid area were statistically more infected than those located in a humid area. A. bovis prevalence rate varied significantly according to sheep and goat flocks, and to the sheep breed. Infection with A. bovis was validated by sequencing. Sequence analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that A. bovis from Tunisian goats and sheep clustered with other strain sequences detected from wild and domestic animals and published in GenBank. This study gives the first insight of presence of A. bovis DNA in small ruminants in Tunisia and suggests that these animal species may be playing an important role in the bovine anaplasmosis natural cycle caused by A. bovis in the South Mediterranean ecosystem. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Combination of statistical and physically based methods to assess shallow slide susceptibility at the basin scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oliveira, Sérgio C.; Zêzere, José L.; Lajas, Sara; Melo, Raquel

    2017-07-01

    Approaches used to assess shallow slide susceptibility at the basin scale are conceptually different depending on the use of statistical or physically based methods. The former are based on the assumption that the same causes are more likely to produce the same effects, whereas the latter are based on the comparison between forces which tend to promote movement along the slope and the counteracting forces that are resistant to motion. Within this general framework, this work tests two hypotheses: (i) although conceptually and methodologically distinct, the statistical and deterministic methods generate similar shallow slide susceptibility results regarding the model's predictive capacity and spatial agreement; and (ii) the combination of shallow slide susceptibility maps obtained with statistical and physically based methods, for the same study area, generate a more reliable susceptibility model for shallow slide occurrence. These hypotheses were tested at a small test site (13.9 km2) located north of Lisbon (Portugal), using a statistical method (the information value method, IV) and a physically based method (the infinite slope method, IS). The landslide susceptibility maps produced with the statistical and deterministic methods were combined into a new landslide susceptibility map. The latter was based on a set of integration rules defined by the cross tabulation of the susceptibility classes of both maps and analysis of the corresponding contingency tables. The results demonstrate a higher predictive capacity of the new shallow slide susceptibility map, which combines the independent results obtained with statistical and physically based models. Moreover, the combination of the two models allowed the identification of areas where the results of the information value and the infinite slope methods are contradictory. Thus, these areas were classified as uncertain and deserve additional investigation at a more detailed scale.

  2. Scale Dependence of Statistics of Spatially Averaged Rain Rate Seen in TOGA COARE Comparison with Predictions from a Stochastic Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kundu, Prasun K.; Bell, T. L.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    A characteristic feature of rainfall statistics is that they in general depend on the space and time scales over which rain data are averaged. As a part of an earlier effort to determine the sampling error of satellite rain averages, a space-time model of rainfall statistics was developed to describe the statistics of gridded rain observed in GATE. The model allows one to compute the second moment statistics of space- and time-averaged rain rate which can be fitted to satellite or rain gauge data to determine the four model parameters appearing in the precipitation spectrum - an overall strength parameter, a characteristic length separating the long and short wavelength regimes and a characteristic relaxation time for decay of the autocorrelation of the instantaneous local rain rate and a certain 'fractal' power law exponent. For area-averaged instantaneous rain rate, this exponent governs the power law dependence of these statistics on the averaging length scale $L$ predicted by the model in the limit of small $L$. In particular, the variance of rain rate averaged over an $L \\times L$ area exhibits a power law singularity as $L \\rightarrow 0$. In the present work the model is used to investigate how the statistics of area-averaged rain rate over the tropical Western Pacific measured with ship borne radar during TOGA COARE (Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean Atmospheric Response Experiment) and gridded on a 2 km grid depends on the size of the spatial averaging scale. Good agreement is found between the data and predictions from the model over a wide range of averaging length scales.

  3. Reliability and statistical power analysis of cortical and subcortical FreeSurfer metrics in a large sample of healthy elderly.

    PubMed

    Liem, Franziskus; Mérillat, Susan; Bezzola, Ladina; Hirsiger, Sarah; Philipp, Michel; Madhyastha, Tara; Jäncke, Lutz

    2015-03-01

    FreeSurfer is a tool to quantify cortical and subcortical brain anatomy automatically and noninvasively. Previous studies have reported reliability and statistical power analyses in relatively small samples or only selected one aspect of brain anatomy. Here, we investigated reliability and statistical power of cortical thickness, surface area, volume, and the volume of subcortical structures in a large sample (N=189) of healthy elderly subjects (64+ years). Reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) of cortical and subcortical parameters is generally high (cortical: ICCs>0.87, subcortical: ICCs>0.95). Surface-based smoothing increases reliability of cortical thickness maps, while it decreases reliability of cortical surface area and volume. Nevertheless, statistical power of all measures benefits from smoothing. When aiming to detect a 10% difference between groups, the number of subjects required to test effects with sufficient power over the entire cortex varies between cortical measures (cortical thickness: N=39, surface area: N=21, volume: N=81; 10mm smoothing, power=0.8, α=0.05). For subcortical regions this number is between 16 and 76 subjects, depending on the region. We also demonstrate the advantage of within-subject designs over between-subject designs. Furthermore, we publicly provide a tool that allows researchers to perform a priori power analysis and sensitivity analysis to help evaluate previously published studies and to design future studies with sufficient statistical power. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Light propagation in Swiss-cheese models of random close-packed Szekeres structures: Effects of anisotropy and comparisons with perturbative results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koksbang, S. M.

    2017-03-01

    Light propagation in two Swiss-cheese models based on anisotropic Szekeres structures is studied and compared with light propagation in Swiss-cheese models based on the Szekeres models' underlying Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi models. The study shows that the anisotropy of the Szekeres models has only a small effect on quantities such as redshift-distance relations, projected shear and expansion rate along individual light rays. The average angular diameter distance to the last scattering surface is computed for each model. Contrary to earlier studies, the results obtained here are (mostly) in agreement with perturbative results. In particular, a small negative shift, δ DA≔D/A-DA ,b g DA ,b g , in the angular diameter distance is obtained upon line-of-sight averaging in three of the four models. The results are, however, not statistically significant. In the fourth model, there is a small positive shift which has an especially small statistical significance. The line-of-sight averaged inverse magnification at z =1100 is consistent with 1 to a high level of confidence for all models, indicating that the area of the surface corresponding to z =1100 is close to that of the background.

  5. Disaggregating and mapping crop statistics using hypertemporal remote sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, M. R.; de Bie, C. A. J. M.; van Keulen, H.; Smaling, E. M. A.; Real, R.

    2010-02-01

    Governments compile their agricultural statistics in tabular form by administrative area, which gives no clue to the exact locations where specific crops are actually grown. Such data are poorly suited for early warning and assessment of crop production. 10-Daily satellite image time series of Andalucia, Spain, acquired since 1998 by the SPOT Vegetation Instrument in combination with reported crop area statistics were used to produce the required crop maps. Firstly, the 10-daily (1998-2006) 1-km resolution SPOT-Vegetation NDVI-images were used to stratify the study area in 45 map units through an iterative unsupervised classification process. Each unit represents an NDVI-profile showing changes in vegetation greenness over time which is assumed to relate to the types of land cover and land use present. Secondly, the areas of NDVI-units and the reported cropped areas by municipality were used to disaggregate the crop statistics. Adjusted R-squares were 98.8% for rainfed wheat, 97.5% for rainfed sunflower, and 76.5% for barley. Relating statistical data on areas cropped by municipality with the NDVI-based unit map showed that the selected crops were significantly related to specific NDVI-based map units. Other NDVI-profiles did not relate to the studied crops and represented other types of land use or land cover. The results were validated by using primary field data. These data were collected by the Spanish government from 2001 to 2005 through grid sampling within agricultural areas; each grid (block) contains three 700 m × 700 m segments. The validation showed 68%, 31% and 23% variability explained (adjusted R-squares) between the three produced maps and the thousands of segment data. Mainly variability within the delineated NDVI-units caused relatively low values; the units are internally heterogeneous. Variability between units is properly captured. The maps must accordingly be considered "small scale maps". These maps can be used to monitor crop performance of specific cropped areas because of using hypertemporal images. Early warning thus becomes more location and crop specific because of using hypertemporal remote sensing.

  6. Schizophrenia classification using functional network features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rish, Irina; Cecchi, Guillermo A.; Heuton, Kyle

    2012-03-01

    This paper focuses on discovering statistical biomarkers (features) that are predictive of schizophrenia, with a particular focus on topological properties of fMRI functional networks. We consider several network properties, such as node (voxel) strength, clustering coefficients, local efficiency, as well as just a subset of pairwise correlations. While all types of features demonstrate highly significant statistical differences in several brain areas, and close to 80% classification accuracy, the most remarkable results of 93% accuracy are achieved by using a small subset of only a dozen of most-informative (lowest p-value) correlation features. Our results suggest that voxel-level correlations and functional network features derived from them are highly informative about schizophrenia and can be used as statistical biomarkers for the disease.

  7. Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States. A Detailed Assessment

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

    Gagnon, Pieter; Margolis, Robert; Melius, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    How much energy could be generated if PV modules were installed on all of the suitable roof area in the nation? To answer this question, we first use GIS methods to process a lidar dataset and determine the amount of roof area that is suitable for PV deployment in 128 cities nationwide, containing 23% of U.S. buildings, and provide PV-generation results for a subset of those cities. We then extend the insights from that analysis to the entire continental United States. We develop two statistical models--one for small buildings and one for medium and large buildings--and populate them with geographicmore » variables that correlate with rooftop's suitability for PV. We simulate the productivity of PV installed on the suitable roof area, and present the technical potential of PV on both small buildings and medium/large buildings for every state in the continental US. Within the 128 cities covered by lidar data, 83% of small buildings have a location suitable for a PV installation, but only 26% of the total rooftop area of small buildings is suitable for development. The sheer number of buildings in this class, however, gives small buildings the greatest technical potential. Small building rooftops could accommodate 731 GW of PV capacity and generate 926 TWh/year of PV energy, approximately 65% of rooftop PV's total technical potential. We conclude by summing the PV-generation results for all building sizes and therefore answering our original question, estimating that the total national technical potential of rooftop PV is 1,118 GW of installed capacity and 1,432 TWh of annual energy generation. This equates to 39% of total national electric-sector sales.« less

  8. Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Technical Potential in the United States

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

    Gagnon, Pieter; Margolis, Robert; Melius, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    How much energy could we generate if PV modules were installed on all of the suitable roof area in the nation? To answer this question, we first use GIS methods to process a lidar dataset and determine the amount of roof area that is suitable for PV deployment in 128 cities nationwide, containing 23% of U.S. buildings, and provide PV-generation results for a subset of those cities. We then extend the insights from that analysis to the entire continental United States. We develop two statistical models -- one for small buildings and one for medium and large buildings -- andmore » populate them with geographic variables that correlate with rooftop's suitability for PV. We simulate the productivity of PV installed on the suitable roof area, and present the technical potential of PV on both small buildings and medium/large buildings for every state in the continental US. Within the 128 cities covered by lidar data, 83% of small buildings have a location suitable for a PV installation, but only 26% of the total rooftop area of small buildings is suitable for development. The sheer number of buildings in this class, however, gives small buildings the greatest technical potential. Small building rooftops could accommodate 731 GW of PV capacity and generate 926 TWh/year of PV energy, approximately 65% of rooftop PV's total technical potential. We conclude by summing the PV-generation results for all building sizes and therefore answering our original question, estimating that the total national technical potential of rooftop PV is 1,118 GW of installed capacity and 1,432 TWh of annual energy generation. This equates to 39% of total national electric-sector sales.« less

  9. Evidence of nonextensive statistical physics behavior in the watershed distribution in active tectonic areas: examples from Greece

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vallianatos, Filippos; Kouli, Maria

    2013-08-01

    The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the Crete Island with a resolution of approximately 20 meters was used in order to delineate watersheds by computing the flow direction and using it in the Watershed function. The Watershed function uses a raster of flow direction to determine contributing area. The Geographic Information Systems routine procedure was applied and the watersheds as well as the streams network (using a threshold of 2000 cells, i.e. the minimum number of cells that constitute a stream) were extracted from the hydrologically corrected (free of sinks) DEM. A number of a few thousand watersheds were delineated, and their areal extent was calculated. From these watersheds a number of 300 was finally selected for further analysis as the watersheds of extremely small area were excluded in order to avoid possible artifacts. Our analysis approach is based on the basic principles of Complexity theory and Tsallis Entropy introduces in the frame of non-extensive statistical physics. This concept has been successfully used for the analysis of a variety of complex dynamic systems including natural hazards, where fractality and long-range interactions are important. The analysis indicates that the statistical distribution of watersheds can be successfully described with the theoretical estimations of non-extensive statistical physics implying the complexity that characterizes the occurrences of them.

  10. Influence of socioeconomic deprivation on the relation between air pollution and beta-agonist sales for asthma.

    PubMed

    Laurent, Olivier; Pedrono, Gaëlle; Filleul, Laurent; Segala, Claire; Lefranc, Agnès; Schillinger, Charles; Rivière, Emmanuel; Bard, Denis

    2009-03-01

    Air pollution triggers asthma attacks hours to days after exposure. It remains unclear whether socioeconomic deprivation modulates these effects. Investigation of these interactions requires adequate statistical power, obtainable by using either a sufficient number of observations or very sensitive indicators of asthma attacks. Using a small-area temporal ecologic approach, we studied the short-term relations between ambient air pollution and sales of short-acting beta-agonist (SABA) drugs, a frequent and specific treatment for control of asthma attacks in children and young adults, and then tested the influence of deprivation on these relations. The study took place in Strasbourg, France in 2004. Health insurance funds provided data on 15,121 SABA sales for patients aged 0 to 39 years. Deprivation was estimated by small geographic areas using an index constructed from census data. Daily average ambient concentrations of particulate matter (particles with an aerodynamic diameter < 10 microm [PM(10)]), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), and ozone (O(3)) were modeled on a small-area level. Adjusted case-crossover models were used for statistical analysis. Increased of 10 microg/m(3) in ambient PM(10), NO(2), and O(3) concentrations were associated, respectively, with increases of 7.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 4 to 11.2%), 8.4% (95% CI, 5 to 11.9%), and 1% (95% CI, - 0.3 to 2.2%) in SABA sales. Deprivation had no influence on these relations. The associations observed are consistent with those reported by studies focusing on SABA use. Similar studies in other settings should confirm whether the lack of interaction with deprivation is due to specific local conditions.

  11. Target attribute-based false alarm rejection in small infrared target detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Sungho

    2012-11-01

    Infrared search and track is an important research area in military applications. Although there are a lot of works on small infrared target detection methods, we cannot apply them in real field due to high false alarm rate caused by clutters. This paper presents a novel target attribute extraction and machine learning-based target discrimination method. Eight kinds of target features are extracted and analyzed statistically. Learning-based classifiers such as SVM and Adaboost are developed and compared with conventional classifiers for real infrared images. In addition, the generalization capability is also inspected for various infrared clutters.

  12. Calculating Statistical Orbit Distributions Using GEO Optical Observations with the Michigan Orbital Debris Survey Telescope (MODEST)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Matney, M.; Barker, E.; Seitzer, P.; Abercromby, K. J.; Rodriquez, H. M.

    2006-01-01

    NASA's Orbital Debris measurements program has a goal to characterize the small debris environment in the geosynchronous Earth-orbit (GEO) region using optical telescopes ("small" refers to objects too small to catalog and track with current systems). Traditionally, observations of GEO and near-GEO objects involve following the object with the telescope long enough to obtain an orbit suitable for tracking purposes. Telescopes operating in survey mode, however, randomly observe objects that pass through their field of view. Typically, these short-arc observation are inadequate to obtain detailed orbits, but can be used to estimate approximate circular orbit elements (semimajor axis, inclination, and ascending node). From this information, it should be possible to make statistical inferences about the orbital distributions of the GEO population bright enough to be observed by the system. The Michigan Orbital Debris Survey Telescope (MODEST) has been making such statistical surveys of the GEO region for four years. During that time, the telescope has made enough observations in enough areas of the GEO belt to have had nearly complete coverage. That means that almost all objects in all possible orbits in the GEO and near- GEO region had a non-zero chance of being observed. Some regions (such as those near zero inclination) have had good coverage, while others are poorly covered. Nevertheless, it is possible to remove these statistical biases and reconstruct the orbit populations within the limits of sampling error. In this paper, these statistical techniques and assumptions are described, and the techniques are applied to the current MODEST data set to arrive at our best estimate of the GEO orbit population distribution.

  13. Application of Three - dimensional Wound Analyzer in the Small Wound Area Measurement during the Process of Wound Healing.

    PubMed

    Sheng, Jiajun; Li, Haihang; Jin, Jian; Liu, Tong; Ma, Bing; Liu, Gongcheng; Zhu, Shihui

    2018-02-20

    The objective of this study was to determinate the reliability of 3-dimensional wound analyzer (3-DWMD) in the wound area measurement for animal small area in the process of wound healing. Seven Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish the skin defect model. And the wound area and time consumption were measured on days 0, 5, 10, 15 using 3-DWMD, investigators, and planimetry method. The measurement results using 3-DWMD and investigators were analyzed comparative with that using planimetry method separately. A total 46 wounds, including 32 irregular wounds and regular 14 wounds, were measured. No matter calculating the irregular wounds or the regular wounds, there was no significant difference between 3-DWMD group and planimetry group in measuring wound area (P > 0.05). However, a statistically significant difference was found in time-consuming for measuring wound area between 3-DWMD group and planimetry group (P < 0.001). The same result was found between investigator group and planimetry group (P < 0.001). The 3-DWMD would quickly and accurately obtain the wound area, and its measurement results were consistent with planimetry method. Therefore, such measuring equipment has clinical reference value for measuring precision area of the wound in the process of wound healing.

  14. Selected Streamflow Statistics and Regression Equations for Predicting Statistics at Stream Locations in Monroe County, Pennsylvania

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thompson, Ronald E.; Hoffman, Scott A.

    2006-01-01

    A suite of 28 streamflow statistics, ranging from extreme low to high flows, was computed for 17 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations and predicted for 20 partial-record stations in Monroe County and contiguous counties in north-eastern Pennsylvania. The predicted statistics for the partial-record stations were based on regression analyses relating inter-mittent flow measurements made at the partial-record stations indexed to concurrent daily mean flows at continuous-record stations during base-flow conditions. The same statistics also were predicted for 134 ungaged stream locations in Monroe County on the basis of regression analyses relating the statistics to GIS-determined basin characteristics for the continuous-record station drainage areas. The prediction methodology for developing the regression equations used to estimate statistics was developed for estimating low-flow frequencies. This study and a companion study found that the methodology also has application potential for predicting intermediate- and high-flow statistics. The statistics included mean monthly flows, mean annual flow, 7-day low flows for three recurrence intervals, nine flow durations, mean annual base flow, and annual mean base flows for two recurrence intervals. Low standard errors of prediction and high coefficients of determination (R2) indicated good results in using the regression equations to predict the statistics. Regression equations for the larger flow statistics tended to have lower standard errors of prediction and higher coefficients of determination (R2) than equations for the smaller flow statistics. The report discusses the methodologies used in determining the statistics and the limitations of the statistics and the equations used to predict the statistics. Caution is indicated in using the predicted statistics for small drainage area situations. Study results constitute input needed by water-resource managers in Monroe County for planning purposes and evaluation of water-resources availability.

  15. Investigating the Impact of the Cisco 21st Century Schools Initiative on Forrest County Agricultural High School. Summative Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ba, Harouna; Meade, Terri; Pierson, Elizabeth; Ferguson, Camille; Roy, Amanda; Williams, Hakim

    2009-01-01

    Forrest County Agricultural High School (FCAHS) is located in Brooklyn, a small rural town in southern Mississippi and part of the Hattiesburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. Unlike the other schools that participated in the Cisco 21S initiative, FCAHS is not part of a larger school district. Therefore, the unit of analysis throughout this summary…

  16. Statistically significant relational data mining :

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

    Berry, Jonathan W.; Leung, Vitus Joseph; Phillips, Cynthia Ann

    This report summarizes the work performed under the project (3z(BStatitically significant relational data mining.(3y (BThe goal of the project was to add more statistical rigor to the fairly ad hoc area of data mining on graphs. Our goal was to develop better algorithms and better ways to evaluate algorithm quality. We concetrated on algorithms for community detection, approximate pattern matching, and graph similarity measures. Approximate pattern matching involves finding an instance of a relatively small pattern, expressed with tolerance, in a large graph of data observed with uncertainty. This report gathers the abstracts and references for the eight refereed publicationsmore » that have appeared as part of this work. We then archive three pieces of research that have not yet been published. The first is theoretical and experimental evidence that a popular statistical measure for comparison of community assignments favors over-resolved communities over approximations to a ground truth. The second are statistically motivated methods for measuring the quality of an approximate match of a small pattern in a large graph. The third is a new probabilistic random graph model. Statisticians favor these models for graph analysis. The new local structure graph model overcomes some of the issues with popular models such as exponential random graph models and latent variable models.« less

  17. A Guerilla Guide to Common Problems in ‘Neurostatistics’: Essential Statistical Topics in Neuroscience

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Paul F.

    2017-01-01

    Effective inferential statistical analysis is essential for high quality studies in neuroscience. However, recently, neuroscience has been criticised for the poor use of experimental design and statistical analysis. Many of the statistical issues confronting neuroscience are similar to other areas of biology; however, there are some that occur more regularly in neuroscience studies. This review attempts to provide a succinct overview of some of the major issues that arise commonly in the analyses of neuroscience data. These include: the non-normal distribution of the data; inequality of variance between groups; extensive correlation in data for repeated measurements across time or space; excessive multiple testing; inadequate statistical power due to small sample sizes; pseudo-replication; and an over-emphasis on binary conclusions about statistical significance as opposed to effect sizes. Statistical analysis should be viewed as just another neuroscience tool, which is critical to the final outcome of the study. Therefore, it needs to be done well and it is a good idea to be proactive and seek help early, preferably before the study even begins. PMID:29371855

  18. A Guerilla Guide to Common Problems in 'Neurostatistics': Essential Statistical Topics in Neuroscience.

    PubMed

    Smith, Paul F

    2017-01-01

    Effective inferential statistical analysis is essential for high quality studies in neuroscience. However, recently, neuroscience has been criticised for the poor use of experimental design and statistical analysis. Many of the statistical issues confronting neuroscience are similar to other areas of biology; however, there are some that occur more regularly in neuroscience studies. This review attempts to provide a succinct overview of some of the major issues that arise commonly in the analyses of neuroscience data. These include: the non-normal distribution of the data; inequality of variance between groups; extensive correlation in data for repeated measurements across time or space; excessive multiple testing; inadequate statistical power due to small sample sizes; pseudo-replication; and an over-emphasis on binary conclusions about statistical significance as opposed to effect sizes. Statistical analysis should be viewed as just another neuroscience tool, which is critical to the final outcome of the study. Therefore, it needs to be done well and it is a good idea to be proactive and seek help early, preferably before the study even begins.

  19. The Phenomenology of Small-Scale Turbulence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sreenivasan, K. R.; Antonia, R. A.

    I have sometimes thought that what makes a man's work classic is often just this multiplicity [of interpretations], which invites and at the same time resists our craving for a clear understanding. Wright (1982, p. 34), on Wittgenstein's philosophy Small-scale turbulence has been an area of especially active research in the recent past, and several useful research directions have been pursued. Here, we selectively review this work. The emphasis is on scaling phenomenology and kinematics of small-scale structure. After providing a brief introduction to the classical notions of universality due to Kolmogorov and others, we survey the existing work on intermittency, refined similarity hypotheses, anomalous scaling exponents, derivative statistics, intermittency models, and the structure and kinematics of small-scale structure - the latter aspect coming largely from the direct numerical simulation of homogeneous turbulence in a periodic box.

  20. The mean A beta load in the hippocampus correlates with duration and severity of dementia in subgroups of Alzheimer disease.

    PubMed

    Bartoo, G T; Nochlin, D; Chang, D; Kim, Y; Sumi, S M

    1997-05-01

    Using image analysis techniques to quantify the percentage area covered by the immunopositive marker for amyloid beta-peptide (A beta), we examined subjects with combinations of either early-onset or late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD) and either familial Alzheimer disease (FAD) or sporadic Alzheimer disease (SAD). We measured the mean and maximum A beta loads, in the hippocampus of each subject. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean A beta load between familial and sporadic AD subjects. Although sample sizes were too small for statistical testing, subjects with the epsilon 4/epsilon 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene had higher mean A beta loads than those with the epsilon 3/epsilon 3 or epsilon 3/epsilon 4 alleles. Members of the Volga German families (recently linked to chromosome 1) all had high mean A beta loads, and one of the chromosome 14-linked subjects had the highest mean A beta load while the other had a relatively small load, but the sample was too small for statistical comparisons. The duration of dementia and neuropsychological test scores showed a statistically significant correlation with the mean A beta load in the hippocampus, but not with the maximum A beta load. This difference indicates that the mean A beta load may be a more useful feature than the maximum A beta load as an objective neuropathological measure for cognitive status. This finding may help to improve the established methods for quantitative assessment of the neuropathological changes in AD.

  1. Modelling multiple hospital outcomes: the impact of small area and primary care practice variation

    PubMed Central

    Congdon, Peter

    2006-01-01

    Background: Appropriate management of care – for example, avoiding unnecessary attendances at, or admissions to, hospital emergency units when they could be handled in primary care – is an important part of health strategy. However, some variations in these outcomes could be due to genuine variations in health need. This paper proposes a new method of explaining variations in hospital utilisation across small areas and the general practices (GPs) responsible for patient primary care. By controlling for the influence of true need on such variations, one may identify remaining sources of excess emergency attendances and admissions, both at area and practice level, that may be related to the quality, resourcing or organisation of care. The present paper accordingly develops a methodology that recognises the interplay between population mix factors (health need) and primary care factors (e.g. referral thresholds), that allows for unobserved influences on hospitalisation usage, and that also reflects interdependence between hospital outcomes. A case study considers relativities in attendance and admission rates at a North London hospital involving 149 small areas and 53 GP practices. Results: A fixed effects model shows variations in attendances and admissions are significantly related (positively) to area and practice need, and nursing home patients, and related (negatively) to primary care access and distance of patient homes from the hospital. Modelling the impact of known factors alone is not sufficient to produce a satisfactory fit to the observations, and random effects at area and practice level are needed to improve fit and account for overdispersion. Conclusion: The case study finds variation in attendance and admission rates across areas and practices after controlling for need, and remaining differences between practices may be attributable to referral behaviour unrelated to need, or to staffing, resourcing, and access issues. In managerial terms, the analysis points to the utility of formal statistical analysis of hospitalisation rates as a prelude to non-statistical investigation of primary care resourcing and organisation. For example, there may be implications for the location of staff involved in community management of chronic conditions; health managers may also investigate whether some practices have unusual populations (homeless, asylum seekers, students) that explain different hospital use patterns. PMID:17109747

  2. 'Silent' and 'noisy' areas: acute flaccid paralysis surveillance at subnational level, Australia, 2001-2015.

    PubMed

    Butler, Michelle; Paterson, Beverley J; Martin, Nicolee; Hobday, Linda; Thorley, Bruce; Durrheim, David N

    2017-05-01

    Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance rates are used as an indicator of surveillance sensitivity to detect poliomyelitis with an expected rate of ≥1 case per 100 000 population in children under 15 years of age. The Australian AFP detection rates at sub-national (statistical local area) level were analysed using χ2 goodness of fit tests and exact Poisson probabilities for the combined years 2001-2015 to detect 'silent areas', which may require improved AFP detection efforts, and areas with greater than expected rates, which may indicate unexplained clusters such as those due to enterovirus infection. Eight (n=8/87, 9%) local areas had AFP surveillance detection rates that were less than expected, and eighteen local areas (n=18/87, 21%) had rates that were greater than expected. However, based on available evidence, it is unlikely that these indicated previously unidentified, enterovirus clusters. While Australia has regularly met the national AFP surveillance performance indicators, at the subnational level nine per cent of local areas demonstrated statistically significant lower AFP detection rates. All countries, even those with relatively small populations, should actively identify silent AFP areas to prompt surveillance improvements. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Chlorophyll a and inorganic suspended solids in backwaters of the upper Mississippi River system: Backwater lake effects and their associations with selected environmental predictors

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rogala, James T.; Gray, Brian R.

    2006-01-01

    The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) uses a stratified random sampling design to obtain water quality statistics within selected study reaches of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). LTRMP sampling strata are based on aquatic area types generally found in large rivers (e.g., main channel, side channel, backwater, and impounded areas). For hydrologically well-mixed strata (i.e., main channel), variance associated with spatial scales smaller than the strata scale is a relatively minor issue for many water quality parameters. However, analysis of LTRMP water quality data has shown that within-strata variability at the strata scale is high in off-channel areas (i.e., backwaters). A portion of that variability may be associated with differences among individual backwater lakes (i.e., small and large backwater regions separated by channels) that cumulatively make up the backwater stratum. The objective of the statistical modeling presented here is to determine if differences among backwater lakes account for a large portion of the variance observed in the backwater stratum for selected parameters. If variance associated with backwater lakes is high, then inclusion of backwater lake effects within statistical models is warranted. Further, lakes themselves may represent natural experimental units where associations of interest to management may be estimated.

  4. Lung cancer risk and pollution in an industrial region of Northern Spain: a hospital-based case-control study.

    PubMed

    López-Cima, María Felicitas; García-Pérez, Javier; Pérez-Gómez, Beatriz; Aragonés, Nuria; López-Abente, Gonzalo; Tardón, Adonina; Pollán, Marina

    2011-01-25

    Asturias, an Autonomous Region in Northern Spain with a large industrial area, registers high lung cancer incidence and mortality. While this excess risk of lung cancer might be partially attributable to smoking habit and occupational exposure, the role of industrial and urban pollution also needs to be assessed. The objective was to ascertain the possible effect of air pollution, both urban and industrial, on lung cancer risk in Asturias. This was a hospital-based case-control study covering 626 lung cancer patients and 626 controls recruited in Asturias and matched by ethnicity, hospital, age, and sex. Distances from the respective participants' residential locations to industrial facilities and city centers were computed. Using logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for categories of distance to urban and industrial pollution sources were calculated, with adjustment for sex, age, hospital area, tobacco consumption, family history of cancer, and occupation. Whereas individuals living near industries displayed an excess risk of lung cancer (OR = 1.49; 95%CI = 0.93-2.39), which attained statistical significance for small cell carcinomas (OR = 2.23; 95%CI = 1.01-4.92), residents in urban areas showed a statistically significant increased risk for adenocarcinoma (OR = 1.92; 95%CI = 1.09-3.38). In the Gijon health area, residents in the urban area registered a statistically significant increased risk of lung cancer (OR = 2.17; 95%CI = 1.25-3.76), whereas in the Aviles health area, no differences in risk were found by area of exposure. This study provides further evidence that air pollution is a moderate risk factor for lung cancer.

  5. Lung cancer risk and pollution in an industrial region of Northern Spain: a hospital-based case-control study

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Asturias, an Autonomous Region in Northern Spain with a large industrial area, registers high lung cancer incidence and mortality. While this excess risk of lung cancer might be partially attributable to smoking habit and occupational exposure, the role of industrial and urban pollution also needs to be assessed. The objective was to ascertain the possible effect of air pollution, both urban and industrial, on lung cancer risk in Asturias. Methods This was a hospital-based case-control study covering 626 lung cancer patients and 626 controls recruited in Asturias and matched by ethnicity, hospital, age, and sex. Distances from the respective participants' residential locations to industrial facilities and city centers were computed. Using logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for categories of distance to urban and industrial pollution sources were calculated, with adjustment for sex, age, hospital area, tobacco consumption, family history of cancer, and occupation. Results Whereas individuals living near industries displayed an excess risk of lung cancer (OR = 1.49; 95%CI = 0.93-2.39), which attained statistical significance for small cell carcinomas (OR = 2.23; 95%CI = 1.01-4.92), residents in urban areas showed a statistically significant increased risk for adenocarcinoma (OR = 1.92; 95%CI = 1.09-3.38). In the Gijon health area, residents in the urban area registered a statistically significant increased risk of lung cancer (OR = 2.17; 95%CI = 1.25-3.76), whereas in the Aviles health area, no differences in risk were found by area of exposure. Conclusions This study provides further evidence that air pollution is a moderate risk factor for lung cancer. PMID:21266041

  6. Task 1: Whole-body concentrations of elements in kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus), kelp rockfish (Sebastes atrovirens), and Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus) from offshore oil platforms and natural areas in the Southern California Bight

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Love, Milton S.

    2009-01-01

    Resource managers are concerned that offshore oil platforms in the Southern California Bight may be contributing to environmental contaminants accumulated by marine fishes. To examine this possibility, 18 kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus), 80 kelp rockfish (Sebastes atrovirens), and 98 Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus) were collected from five offshore oil platforms and 10 natural areas during 2005-2006 for whole-body analysis of 63 elements. The natural areas, which served as reference sites, were assumed to be relatively uninfluenced by contaminants originating from platforms. Forty-two elements were excluded from statistical comparisons for one of three reasons: they consisted of major cations that were unlikely to accumulate to potentially toxic concentrations under ambient exposure conditions; they were not detected by the analytical procedures; or they were detected at concentrations too low to yield reliable quantitative measurements. The remaining 21 elements consisted of aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, iron, lead, lithium, manganese, mercury, nickel, rubidium, selenium, strontium, tin, titanium, vanadium, and zinc. Statistical comparisons of these 21 elements indicated that none consistently exhibited higher concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas. Eight comparisons yielded significant interaction effects between total length (TL) of the fish and the two habitat types (oil platforms and natural areas). This indicated that relations between certain elemental concentrations (i.e., copper, rubidium, selenium, tin, titanium, and vanadium) and habitat type varied by TL of affected fish species. To better understand these interactions, we examined elemental concentrations in very small and very large individuals of affected species. Although significant interactions were detected for rubidium, tin, and selenium in kelp rockfish, the concentrations of these elements did not differ significantly between oil platforms and natural areas over the TL range of sampled fish. However, for selenium, titanium, and vanadium in Pacific sanddab, small individuals (average TL, 13.0 cm) exhibited significantly lower concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas, whereas large individuals (average TL, 27.5 cm) exhibited higher concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas. For copper in Pacific sanddab, small individuals did not exhibit differences between oil platforms and natural areas, whereas large individuals exhibited significantly higher concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas. On the other hand, for tin in Pacific sanddab, small individuals did not exhibit differences between oil platforms and natural areas, whereas large individuals exhibited significantly lower concentrations at oil platforms than at natural areas. Although concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and selenium in fishes from some platforms and natural areas equaled or exceeded literature-based toxicity thresholds for fish and fish-eating wildlife, studies are still needed to document evidence of toxicity from these elements. When estimates of elemental concentrations in skinless fillets were compared to risk-based consumption limits for humans, the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and tin in fish from a mix of oil platforms and natural areas were sufficiently elevated to suggest a need for further study of inorganic arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and tributyltin.

  7. Rural-urban differences in end-of-life nursing home care: facility and environmental factors.

    PubMed

    Temkin-Greener, Helena; Zheng, Nan Tracy; Mukamel, Dana B

    2012-06-01

    This study examines urban-rural differences in end-of-life (EOL) quality of care provided to nursing home (NH) residents. We constructed 3 risk-adjusted EOL quality measures (QMs) for long-term decedent residents: in-hospital death, hospice referral before death, and presence of severe pain. We used CY2005-2007 100% Minimum Data Set, Medicare beneficiary file, and inpatient and hospice claims. Logistic regression models were estimated to predict the probability of each outcome conditional on decedents' risk factors. For each facility, QMs were calculated as the difference between the actual and the expected risk-adjusted outcome rates. We fit multivariate linear regression models, with fixed state effects, for each QM to assess the association with urban-rural location. We found urban-rural differences for in-hospital death and hospice QMs, but not for pain. Compared with NHs located in urban areas, facilities in smaller towns and in isolated rural areas have significantly (p < .001) worse EOL quality for in-hospital death and hospice use. Whereas the differences in these QMs are statistically significant between facilities located in large versus small towns, they are not statistically significant between facilities located in small towns and isolated rural areas. This study provides empirical evidence for urban-rural differences in EOL quality of care using a national sample of NHs. Identifying differences is a necessary first step toward improving care for dying NH residents and for bridging the urban-rural gap.

  8. Lead accumulation in woodchucks (Marmota monax) at small arms and skeet ranges.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Mark S; Major, Michael A; Casteel, Stan W

    2004-10-01

    Increasing concern regarding the stewardship of US Army lands requires a proactive program to evaluate sites of potential risk. Small arms and upland skeet ranges are a potentially significant source of lead exposure for burrowing mammals. Woodchucks (Marmota monax) were evaluated for lead exposure in a previously used upland skeet range and a small arms range, respective to animals collected at two nearby reference locations. Soil lead concentrations collected at burrow entrances on the firing ranges were compared with blood, bone, kidney, liver, and fecal concentrations of woodchucks collected from the reference areas. No statistical differences were found in the lead concentrations in tissue between woodchucks in reference and firing ranges; concentrations of lead in liver and kidney were below detection limits. Levels in bone, blood, and feces suggest the bioavailability of lead at these various sites, although other factors (e.g., differences in foraging areas, age structure, habitat preferences, and environmental conditions) were also likely to influence exposure. Blood levels were below that which suggests toxicity. Further analysis of other ranges with higher lead concentrations and of small mammal species with smaller home ranges is recommended to further elucidate trends that could be extrapolated to other sites.

  9. INTERDISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Spiral Wave in Small-World Networks of Hodgkin-Huxley Neurons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Jun; Yang, Li-Jian; Wu, Ying; Zhang, Cai-Rong

    2010-09-01

    The effect of small-world connection and noise on the formation and transition of spiral wave in the networks of Hodgkin-Huxley neurons are investigated in detail. Some interesting results are found in our numerical studies. i) The quiescent neurons are activated to propagate electric signal to others by generating and developing spiral wave from spiral seed in small area. ii) A statistical factor is defined to describe the collective properties and phase transition induced by the topology of networks and noise. iii) Stable rotating spiral wave can be generated and keeps robust when the rewiring probability is below certain threshold, otherwise, spiral wave can not be developed from the spiral seed and spiral wave breakup occurs for a stable rotating spiral wave. iv) Gaussian white noise is introduced on the membrane of neurons to study the noise-induced phase transition on spiral wave in small-world networks of neurons. It is confirmed that Gaussian white noise plays active role in supporting and developing spiral wave in the networks of neurons, and appearance of smaller factor of synchronization indicates high possibility to induce spiral wave.

  10. Algorithms for Adaptation in Aerial Surveillance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-03-01

    In the brain small local structures can involve inhibition whereas more distant functional areas are less likely to have inhibition. This appeals to...and 2. retains a more conventional programming model [than the PDP approach]. The former is achieved by appealing to well understood ideas from...1980s. The statistical techniques used in our implementation of these ideas (GRAVA) are appealing to us for three reasons: 91 5.2. PRIOR WORK 1. GRAVA

  11. Fleet Battle Experiment Juliet Final Reconstruction and Analysis Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-04-01

    8000 tons 145 Selected Vessel Statistics Joint Venture Sea SLICE Ship particulars Wave Piercing Catamaran ( CAT ) Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH...and broadcasting capabilities. NSWC Corona used a built-in function within GCCS-M to broadcast all OTH Gold Contact (CTC) messages to a file. These...example would be the prohibition of e-mail from electronically accessing the e- 309 mail address book; thus denying many self-propagating viruses

  12. Non-Operational Property Evaluation for the Hanford Site River Corridor - 12409

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

    Lowe, John; Aly, Alaa

    2012-07-01

    The Hanford Site River Corridor consists of the former reactor areas of the 100 Areas and the former industrial (fuel processing) area in the 300 Area. Most of the waste sites are located close to the decommissioned reactors or former industrial facilities along the Columbia River. Most of the surface area of the River Corridor consists of land with little or no subsurface infrastructure or indication of past or present releases of hazardous constituents, and is referred to as non-operational property or non-operational area. Multiple lines of evidence have been developed to assess identified fate and transport mechanisms and tomore » evaluate the potential magnitude and significance of waste site-related contaminants in the non-operational area. Predictive modeling was used for determining the likelihood of locating waste sites and evaluating the distribution of radionuclides in soil based on available soil concentration data and aerial radiological surveys. The results of this evaluation indicated: 1) With the exception of stack emissions, transport pathways associated with waste site contaminants are unlikely to result in dispersion of contaminants in soil away from operational areas, 2) Stack emissions that may have been associated with Hanford Site operations generally emitted short-lived and/or gaseous radionuclides, and (3) the likelihood of detecting elevated radionuclide concentrations or other waste sites in non-operational area soils is very small. The overall conclusions from the NPE evaluation of the River Corridor are: - With the exception of stack emissions to the air, transport pathways associated with waste site contaminants are unlikely to result in dispersion of contaminants in soil away from operational areas. While pathways such as windblown dust, overland transport and biointrusion have the potential for dispersing waste site contaminants, the resulting transport is unlikely to result in substantial contamination in non-operational areas. - Stack emissions that may have been associated with Hanford Site operations generally emitted short-lived and/or gaseous radionuclides; these radionuclides either would have decayed and would be undetectable in soil, or likely would not have deposited onto Hanford Site soils. A small fraction of the total historical emissions consisted of long-lived particulate radionuclides, which could have deposited onto the soil. Soil monitoring studies conducted as part of surveillance and monitoring programs do not indicate a build-up of radionuclide concentrations in soil, which might indicate potential deposition impacts from stack emissions. Aerial radiological surveys of the Hanford Site, while effective in detecting gamma-emitting nuclides, also do not indicate deposition patterns in soil from stack emissions. - The surveillance and monitoring programs also have verified that the limited occurrence of biointrusion observed in the River Corridor has not resulted in a spread of contamination into the non-operational areas. - Monitoring of radionuclides in ambient air conducted as part of the surveillance and monitoring programs generally show a low and declining trend of detected concentrations in air. Monitoring of radionuclides in soil and vegetation correspondingly show declining trends in concentrations, particularly for nuclides with short half lives (Cs-137, Co-60 and Sr-90). - Statistical analysis of the geographical distribution of waste sites based on man -made features and topography describes the likely locations of waste sites in the River Corridor. The results from this analysis reinforce the findings from the Orphan Site Evaluation program, which has systematically identified any remaining waste sites within the River Corridor. - Statistical analysis of the distribution of radionuclide concentrations observable from aerial surveys has confirmed that the likelihood of detecting elevated radionuclide concentrations in non-operational area soils is very small; the occurrences and locations where potentially elevated concentrations may be found are discussed below. In addition, statistical analysis showed that there is a relatively high probability (>50%) that concentrations of Cs-137 higher than background (3.9 Bq/kg or 1.05 pCi/g) are located outside of the operational portion of the 100-BC, 100-K, and 100-N Areas. This observation is based on modeled concentrations in soil derived from aerial radiography data. However, the extent is limited to a few meters from the respective facilities fence lines or known operational activities. Evaluation of the extent of contamination is being conducted as part of the RI process for each decision area. No unanticipated waste sites were identified either from the OSE program or statistical analysis of waste site proximity to known features. Based on the evaluation of these multiple lines of evidence, the likelihood of identifying waste sites or contaminant dispersal from Hanford site operations into non-operational areas can be considered very small. (authors)« less

  13. Post-stratification sampling in small area estimation (SAE) model for unemployment rate estimation by Bayes approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanike, Yusrianti; Sadik, Kusman; Kurnia, Anang

    2016-02-01

    This research implemented unemployment rate in Indonesia that based on Poisson distribution. It would be estimated by modified the post-stratification and Small Area Estimation (SAE) model. Post-stratification was one of technique sampling that stratified after collected survey data. It's used when the survey data didn't serve for estimating the interest area. Interest area here was the education of unemployment which separated in seven category. The data was obtained by Labour Employment National survey (Sakernas) that's collected by company survey in Indonesia, BPS, Statistic Indonesia. This company served the national survey that gave too small sample for level district. Model of SAE was one of alternative to solved it. According the problem above, we combined this post-stratification sampling and SAE model. This research gave two main model of post-stratification sampling. Model I defined the category of education was the dummy variable and model II defined the category of education was the area random effect. Two model has problem wasn't complied by Poisson assumption. Using Poisson-Gamma model, model I has over dispersion problem was 1.23 solved to 0.91 chi square/df and model II has under dispersion problem was 0.35 solved to 0.94 chi square/df. Empirical Bayes was applied to estimate the proportion of every category education of unemployment. Using Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC), Model I has smaller mean square error (MSE) than model II.

  14. Region 9 Census Block 2010

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Geography:The TIGER Line Files are feature classes and related database files (.) that are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER Line File is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. Census Blocks are statistical areas bounded on all sides by visible features, such as streets, roads, streams, and railroad tracks, and/or by non visible boundaries such as city, town, township, and county limits, and short line-of-sight extensions of streets and roads. Census blocks are relatively small in area; for example, a block in a city bounded by streets. However, census blocks in remote areas are often large and irregular and may even be many square miles in area. A common misunderstanding is that data users think census blocks are used geographically to build all other census geographic areas, rather all other census geographic areas are updated and then used as the primary constraints, along with roads and water features, to delineate the tabulation blocks. As a result, all 2010 Census blocks nest within every other 2010 Census geographic area, so that Census Bureau statistical data can be tabulated at the block level and aggregated up t

  15. Estimating CHD prevalence by small area: integrating information from health surveys and area mortality.

    PubMed

    Congdon, Peter

    2008-03-01

    The risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) is strongly linked both to deprivation and ethnicity and so prevalence will vary considerably between areas. Variations in prevalence are important in assessing health care needs and how far CHD service provision and surgical intervention rates match need. This paper uses a regression model of prevalence rates by age, sex, region and ethnicity from the 1999 and 2003 Health Surveys for England to estimate CHD prevalence for 354 English local authority areas. To allow for the impact of social factors on prevalence, survey information on the deprivation quintile in the respondents' micro-area of residence is also used. Allowance is also made for area CHD mortality rates (obtained from aggregated vital statistics data) which are positively correlated with, and hence a proxy for, CHD prevalence rates. An application involves assessment of surgical intervention rates in relation to prevalence at the level of 28 Strategic Health Authorities.

  16. Controls of repeating earthquakes' location from a- and b- values imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, K. H.; Kawamura, M.

    2017-12-01

    The locations where creeping and locked fault areas abut have commonly found to be delineated by the foci of small repeating earthquakes (REs). REs not only represent the finer structure of high creep-rate location, they also function as fault slip-rate indicators. Knowledge of the expected location of REs therefore, is crucial for fault deformation monitoring and assessment of earthquake potential. However, a precise description of factors determining REs locations is lacking. To explore where earthquakes tend to recur, we statistically investigated repeating earthquake catalogs and background seismicity from different regions including six fault segments in California and Taiwan. We show that the location of repeating earthquakes can be mapped using the spatial distribution of the seismic a- and b-values obtained from the background seismicity. Molchan's error diagram statistically confirmed that repeating earthquakes occur within areas with high a-values (2.8-3.8) and high b-values (0.9-1.1) on both strike-slip and thrust fault segments. However, no significant association held true for fault segments with more complicated geometry or for wider areas with a complex fault network. The productivity of small earthquakes responsible for high a- and b-values may thus be the most important factor controlling the location of repeating earthquakes. We hypothesize that, given that the deformation conditions within a fault zone are suitable for a planar fault plane, the location of repeating earthquakes can be best described by a-value 3 and b-value 1. This feature of a- and b-values may be useful for foresee the location of REs for measuring creep rate at depth. Further investigation of REs-rich areas may allow testing of this hypothesis.

  17. A Comparison of the effectiveness of Mammographic Film-Screen and Standard Film-Screen in the Detection of Small Bone Fractures

    PubMed Central

    Sani, Karim Ghazikhanlou; Jafari, Mahmoodreza; Rostampoor, Nima

    2011-01-01

    The use of mammography film-screen is limited in general radiography. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of mammographic film-screen and standard film-screen systems in the detection of small bone fractures. Radiographs were taken from patients' extremities and neck areas using mammography film-screen and standard film-screen (n=57 each). Fourteen other radiographs were taken from other views (predominantly oblique views), making a total number of 128 radiographs. Paired radiographs, taken from the same areas, were compared by two radiologists in terms of image visual sharpness, presence of bony fractures, and soft tissue injuries. The surface dose received by patients in the two systems was also compared. The radiographs taken by mammography film-screen had a statistically better visual sharpness compared to those taken by the standard film-screen system. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the diagnostic accuracy of the two systems. Mammography film-screen was able to detect only one out of 57 lesions, whereas standard film-screen system did not detec any lesion. The surface dose received by patients in mammography film-screen was higher than that in standard film-screen system. The findings of the present study suggest that mammography film-screen may be recommended as a diagnostic tool for the detection of small fractures of tinny parts of body such as fingers, hand or foot. They also suggest that mammography film-screen has no advantage over standard film-screen for radiography of thick body parts such as neck and knee. PMID:23115417

  18. [Potentials in the regionalization of health indicators using small-area estimation methods : Exemplary results based on the 2009, 2010 and 2012 GEDA studies].

    PubMed

    Kroll, Lars Eric; Schumann, Maria; Müters, Stephan; Lampert, Thomas

    2017-12-01

    Nationwide health surveys can be used to estimate regional differences in health. Using traditional estimation techniques, the spatial depth for these estimates is limited due to the constrained sample size. So far - without special refreshment samples - results have only been available for larger populated federal states of Germany. An alternative is regression-based small-area estimation techniques. These models can generate smaller-scale data, but are also subject to greater statistical uncertainties because of the model assumptions. In the present article, exemplary regionalized results based on the studies "Gesundheit in Deutschland aktuell" (GEDA studies) 2009, 2010 and 2012, are compared to the self-rated health status of the respondents. The aim of the article is to analyze the range of regional estimates in order to assess the usefulness of the techniques for health reporting more adequately. The results show that the estimated prevalence is relatively stable when using different samples. Important determinants of the variation of the estimates are the achieved sample size on the district level and the type of the district (cities vs. rural regions). Overall, the present study shows that small-area modeling of prevalence is associated with additional uncertainties compared to conventional estimates, which should be taken into account when interpreting the corresponding findings.

  19. What type of rural? Assessing the variations in life expectancy at birth at small area-level for a small population province using classes of locally defined settlement types.

    PubMed

    Terashima, Mikiko; Read Guernsey, Judith; Andreou, Pantelis

    2014-02-13

    Although efforts have been made to articulate rural-urban health inequalities in recent years, results have been inconsistent due to different geographical scales used in these studies. Small-area level investigations of health inequalities will likely show more detailed pictures of health inequalities among diverse rural communities, but they are difficult to conduct, particularly in a small population region. The objectives of this study were: 1) to compare life expectancy at birth for females and males across small-areas classified by locally defined settlement types for a small province in Canada; 2) to assess whether any of the settlement types explains variations in life expectancy over and above the extent of socioeconomic disadvantage and social isolation; and 3) to examine variations in life expectancies within a (larger) area unit used as the basis of health inequality investigations in previous studies. Seven settlement types were determined for the 'community' units based on population per-kilometre-road density and settlement forms. Mean life expectancies at birth for both genders were compared by settlement type, both for the entire province and within the Halifax Regional Municipality--the province's only census designated metropolitan area, but also contains rural settlements. Linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the statistical associations between life expectancy and the settlement types, adjusting for indicators of community-level deprivation. While types of communities considered as 'rural' generally had lower life expectancy for both genders, the effects of living in any settlement type were attenuated once adjusted for socioeconomic deprivation and social isolation. An exception was the village and settlement cluster type, which had additionally negative effects on health for females. There were some variations observed within the Halifax Regional Municipality, suggesting the importance of further investigating a variety of health and disease outcomes at smaller area-levels than those employed in previous studies. This paper highlighted the importance of further articulating the differences in the characteristics of rural at finer area-levels and the differential influence they may have on health. Further efforts are desirable to overcome various data challenges in order to extend the investigation of health inequalities to hard-to-study provinces.

  20. Sampling in health geography: reconciling geographical objectives and probabilistic methods. An example of a health survey in Vientiane (Lao PDR)

    PubMed Central

    Vallée, Julie; Souris, Marc; Fournet, Florence; Bochaton, Audrey; Mobillion, Virginie; Peyronnie, Karine; Salem, Gérard

    2007-01-01

    Background Geographical objectives and probabilistic methods are difficult to reconcile in a unique health survey. Probabilistic methods focus on individuals to provide estimates of a variable's prevalence with a certain precision, while geographical approaches emphasise the selection of specific areas to study interactions between spatial characteristics and health outcomes. A sample selected from a small number of specific areas creates statistical challenges: the observations are not independent at the local level, and this results in poor statistical validity at the global level. Therefore, it is difficult to construct a sample that is appropriate for both geographical and probability methods. Methods We used a two-stage selection procedure with a first non-random stage of selection of clusters. Instead of randomly selecting clusters, we deliberately chose a group of clusters, which as a whole would contain all the variation in health measures in the population. As there was no health information available before the survey, we selected a priori determinants that can influence the spatial homogeneity of the health characteristics. This method yields a distribution of variables in the sample that closely resembles that in the overall population, something that cannot be guaranteed with randomly-selected clusters, especially if the number of selected clusters is small. In this way, we were able to survey specific areas while minimising design effects and maximising statistical precision. Application We applied this strategy in a health survey carried out in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic. We selected well-known health determinants with unequal spatial distribution within the city: nationality and literacy. We deliberately selected a combination of clusters whose distribution of nationality and literacy is similar to the distribution in the general population. Conclusion This paper describes the conceptual reasoning behind the construction of the survey sample and shows that it can be advantageous to choose clusters using reasoned hypotheses, based on both probability and geographical approaches, in contrast to a conventional, random cluster selection strategy. PMID:17543100

  1. Sampling in health geography: reconciling geographical objectives and probabilistic methods. An example of a health survey in Vientiane (Lao PDR).

    PubMed

    Vallée, Julie; Souris, Marc; Fournet, Florence; Bochaton, Audrey; Mobillion, Virginie; Peyronnie, Karine; Salem, Gérard

    2007-06-01

    Geographical objectives and probabilistic methods are difficult to reconcile in a unique health survey. Probabilistic methods focus on individuals to provide estimates of a variable's prevalence with a certain precision, while geographical approaches emphasise the selection of specific areas to study interactions between spatial characteristics and health outcomes. A sample selected from a small number of specific areas creates statistical challenges: the observations are not independent at the local level, and this results in poor statistical validity at the global level. Therefore, it is difficult to construct a sample that is appropriate for both geographical and probability methods. We used a two-stage selection procedure with a first non-random stage of selection of clusters. Instead of randomly selecting clusters, we deliberately chose a group of clusters, which as a whole would contain all the variation in health measures in the population. As there was no health information available before the survey, we selected a priori determinants that can influence the spatial homogeneity of the health characteristics. This method yields a distribution of variables in the sample that closely resembles that in the overall population, something that cannot be guaranteed with randomly-selected clusters, especially if the number of selected clusters is small. In this way, we were able to survey specific areas while minimising design effects and maximising statistical precision. We applied this strategy in a health survey carried out in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic. We selected well-known health determinants with unequal spatial distribution within the city: nationality and literacy. We deliberately selected a combination of clusters whose distribution of nationality and literacy is similar to the distribution in the general population. This paper describes the conceptual reasoning behind the construction of the survey sample and shows that it can be advantageous to choose clusters using reasoned hypotheses, based on both probability and geographical approaches, in contrast to a conventional, random cluster selection strategy.

  2. Survival After HIV Infection Stage 3 (AIDS) Diagnosis, by Population Density Areas, United States, 2005-2010.

    PubMed

    Bosh, Karin A; Shi, Jing; Chen, Mi

    We examined the survival rates after diagnosis of HIV infection stage 3 (AIDS) in the United States by population density area of residence at diagnosis. We used data from the National HIV Surveillance System to calculate survival rates among people aged ≥13 with HIV infection stage 3 (AIDS) diagnosed from 2005 through 2010. We determined survival rates for more than 12, 24, and 36 months after diagnosis; overall and by demographic characteristics; and across 3 population density area categories (large metropolitan statistical areas [MSAs, ≥500 000 people], small-to-medium MSAs [50 000 to 499 999 people], and nonmetropolitan areas [<50 000 people]). The survival rates for more than 12, 24, and 36 months after diagnosis were highest among people residing in large MSAs (90.2%, 87.2%, and 84.9%, respectively) and lowest among people residing in nonmetropolitan areas (87.3%, 84.1%, and 81.4%, respectively). With a few exceptions, survival rates were lower in those residing in nonmetropolitan areas than those residing in large MSAs and small-to-medium MSAs across most subgroups by age at diagnosis, race/ethnicity, sex, transmission category, region of residence, and year of diagnosis. Between 2005 and 2010, significant year-to-year increases occurred in the proportion of people surviving more than 36 months after diagnosis across all 3 population density area categories (estimated annual percentage change: large MSAs [0.88; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.56-1.20]; small-to-medium MSAs [0.94; 95% CI, 0.06-1.83]; and nonmetropolitan areas [1.26; 95% CI, 0.07-2.46]). Although survival rates for those with HIV infection stage 3 (AIDS) improved in all 3 population density area categories, efforts to remove barriers to care and promote treatment adherence in nonmetropolitan areas will be necessary to eliminate survival disparities.

  3. Irrigated areas of India derived using MODIS 500 m time series for the years 2001-2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dheeravath, V.; Thenkabail, P.S.; Chandrakantha, G.; Noojipady, P.; Reddy, G.P.O.; Biradar, C.M.; Gumma, M.K.; Velpuri, M.

    2010-01-01

    The overarching goal of this research was to develop methods and protocols for mapping irrigated areas using a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 500 m time series, to generate irrigated area statistics, and to compare these with ground- and census-based statistics. The primary mega-file data-cube (MFDC), comparable to a hyper-spectral data cube, used in this study consisted of 952 bands of data in a single file that were derived from MODIS 500 m, 7-band reflectance data acquired every 8-days during 2001-2003. The methods consisted of (a) segmenting the 952-band MFDC based not only on elevation-precipitation-temperature zones but on major and minor irrigated command area boundaries obtained from India's Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP), (b) developing a large ideal spectral data bank (ISDB) of irrigated areas for India, (c) adopting quantitative spectral matching techniques (SMTs) such as the spectral correlation similarity (SCS) R2-value, (d) establishing a comprehensive set of protocols for class identification and labeling, and (e) comparing the results with the National Census data of India and field-plot data gathered during this project for determining accuracies, uncertainties and errors. The study produced irrigated area maps and statistics of India at the national and the subnational (e.g., state, district) levels based on MODIS data from 2001-2003. The Total Area Available for Irrigation (TAAI) and Annualized Irrigated Areas (AIAs) were 113 and 147 million hectares (MHa), respectively. The TAAI does not consider the intensity of irrigation, and its nearest equivalent is the net irrigated areas in the Indian National Statistics. The AIA considers intensity of irrigation and is the equivalent of "irrigated potential utilized (IPU)" reported by India's Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR). The field-plot data collected during this project showed that the accuracy of TAAI classes was 88% with a 12% error of omission and 32% of error of commission. Comparisons between the AIA and IPU produced an R2-value of 0.84. However, AIA was consistently higher than IPU. The causes for differences were both in traditional approaches and remote sensing. The causes of uncertainties unique to traditional approaches were (a) inadequate accounting of minor irrigation (groundwater, small reservoirs and tanks), (b) unwillingness to share irrigated area statistics by the individual Indian states because of their stakes, (c) absence of comprehensive statistical analyses of reported data, and (d) subjectivity involved in observation-based data collection process. The causes of uncertainties unique to remote sensing approaches were (a) irrigated area fraction estimate and related sub-pixel area computations and (b) resolution of the imagery. The causes of uncertainties common in both traditional and remote sensing approaches were definitions and methodological issues. ?? 2009 International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Inc. (ISPRS).

  4. A seismic survey of the Manson disturbed area

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sendlein, L. V. A.; Smith, T. A.

    1971-01-01

    The region in north-central Iowa referred to as the Manson disturbed area was investigated with the seismic refraction method and the bedrock configuration mapped. The area is approximately 30 km in diameter and is not detectable from the surface topography; however, water wells that penetrate the bedrock indicate that the bedrock is composed of disturbed Cretaceous sediments with a central region approximately 6 km in diameter composed of Precambrian crystalline rock. Seismic velocity differences between the overlying glacial till and the Cretaceous sediments were so small that a statistical program was developed to analyze the data. The program developed utilizes existing 2 segment regression analyses and extends the method to fit 3 or more regression lines to seismic data.

  5. Fire - Southern Oscillation relations in the southwestern United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Swetnam, T.W.; Betancourt, J.L.

    1990-01-01

    Fire scar and tree growth chronologies (1700 to 1905) and fire statistics (since 1905) from Arizona and New Mexico show that small areas burn after wet springs associated with the low phase of the Southern Oscillation (SO), whereas large areas burn after dry springs associated with the high phase of the SO. Through its synergistic influence on spring weather and fuel conditions, climatic variability in the tropical Pacific significantly influences vegetation dynamics in the southwestern United States. Synchrony of fire-free and severe fire years across diverse southwestern forests implies that climate forces fire regimes on a subcontinental scale; it also underscores the importance of exogenous factors in ecosystem dynamics.

  6. Evaluation of small area crop estimation techniques using LANDSAT- and ground-derived data. [South Dakota

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Amis, M. L.; Martin, M. V.; Mcguire, W. G.; Shen, S. S. (Principal Investigator)

    1982-01-01

    Studies completed in fiscal year 1981 in support of the clustering/classification and preprocessing activities of the Domestic Crops and Land Cover project. The theme throughout the study was the improvement of subanalysis district (usually county level) crop hectarage estimates, as reflected in the following three objectives: (1) to evaluate the current U.S. Department of Agriculture Statistical Reporting Service regression approach to crop area estimation as applied to the problem of obtaining subanalysis district estimates; (2) to develop and test alternative approaches to subanalysis district estimation; and (3) to develop and test preprocessing techniques for use in improving subanalysis district estimates.

  7. Exploring Spatial Variability in the Relationship between Long Term Limiting Illness and Area Level Deprivation at the City Level Using Geographically Weighted Regression

    PubMed Central

    Morrissey, Karyn

    2015-01-01

    Ecological influences on health outcomes are associated with the spatial stratification of health. However, the majority of studies that seek to understand these ecological influences utilise aspatial methods. Geographically weighted regression (GWR) is a spatial statistics tool that expands standard regression by allowing for spatial variance in parameters. This study contributes to the urban health literature, by employing GWR to uncover geographic variation in Limiting Long Term Illness (LLTI) and area level effects at the small area level in a relatively small, urban environment. Using GWR it was found that each of the three contextual covariates, area level deprivation scores, the percentage of the population aged 75 years plus and the percentage of residences of white ethnicity for each LSOA exhibited a non-stationary relationship with LLTI across space. Multicollinearity among the predictor variables was found not to be a problem. Within an international policy context, this research indicates that even at the city level, a “one-size fits all” policy strategy is not the most appropriate approach to address health outcomes. City “wide” health polices need to be spatially adaptive, based on the contextual characteristics of each area. PMID:29546118

  8. The Spatial Distribution of Adult Obesity Prevalence in Denver County, Colorado: An Empirical Bayes Approach to Adjust EHR-Derived Small Area Estimates.

    PubMed

    Tabano, David C; Bol, Kirk; Newcomer, Sophia R; Barrow, Jennifer C; Daley, Matthew F

    2017-12-06

    Measuring obesity prevalence across geographic areas should account for environmental and socioeconomic factors that contribute to spatial autocorrelation, the dependency of values in estimates across neighboring areas, to mitigate the bias in measures and risk of type I errors in hypothesis testing. Dependency among observations across geographic areas violates statistical independence assumptions and may result in biased estimates. Empirical Bayes (EB) estimators reduce the variability of estimates with spatial autocorrelation, which limits the overall mean square-error and controls for sample bias. Using the Colorado Body Mass Index (BMI) Monitoring System, we modeled the spatial autocorrelation of adult (≥ 18 years old) obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg m 2 ) measurements using patient-level electronic health record data from encounters between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2011. Obesity prevalence was estimated among census tracts with >=10 observations in Denver County census tracts during the study period. We calculated the Moran's I statistic to test for spatial autocorrelation across census tracts, and mapped crude and EB obesity prevalence across geographic areas. In Denver County, there were 143 census tracts with 10 or more observations, representing a total of 97,710 adults with a valid BMI. The crude obesity prevalence for adults in Denver County was 29.8 percent (95% CI 28.4-31.1%) and ranged from 12.8 to 45.2 percent across individual census tracts. EB obesity prevalence was 30.2 percent (95% CI 28.9-31.5%) and ranged from 15.3 to 44.3 percent across census tracts. Statistical tests using the Moran's I statistic suggest adult obesity prevalence in Denver County was distributed in a non-random pattern. Clusters of EB obesity estimates were highly significant (alpha=0.05) in neighboring census tracts. Concentrations of obesity estimates were primarily in the west and north in Denver County. Statistical tests reveal adult obesity prevalence exhibit spatial autocorrelation in Denver County at the census tract level. EB estimates for obesity prevalence can be used to control for spatial autocorrelation between neighboring census tracts and may produce less biased estimates of obesity prevalence.

  9. Differentiation between Shallow and Deep Charge Trap States on Single Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Chains through Fluorescence Photon Statistics.

    PubMed

    Grußmayer, Kristin S; Steiner, Florian; Lupton, John M; Herten, Dirk-Peter; Vogelsang, Jan

    2015-12-01

    Blinking of the photoluminescence (PL) emitted from individual conjugated polymer chains is one of the central observations made by single-molecule spectroscopy (SMS). Important information, for example regarding excitation energy transfer, can be extracted by evaluating dynamic quenching. However, the nature of trap states, which are responsible for PL quenching, often remains obscured. We present a detailed investigation of the photon statistics of single poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) chains obtained by SMS. The photon statistics provide a measure of the number and brightness of independently emitting areas on a single chain. These observables can be followed during blinking. A decrease in PL intensity is shown to be correlated with either 1) a decrease in the average brightness of the emitting sites; or 2) a decrease in the number of emitting regions. We attribute these phenomena to the formation of 1) shallow charge traps, which can weakly affect all emitting areas of a single chain at once; and 2) deep traps, which have a strong effect on small regions within the single chains. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Short-term monitoring of benzene air concentration in an urban area: a preliminary study of application of Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test to assess pollutant impact on global environment and indoor.

    PubMed

    Mura, Maria Chiara; De Felice, Marco; Morlino, Roberta; Fuselli, Sergio

    2010-01-01

    In step with the need to develop statistical procedures to manage small-size environmental samples, in this work we have used concentration values of benzene (C6H6), concurrently detected by seven outdoor and indoor monitoring stations over 12 000 minutes, in order to assess the representativeness of collected data and the impact of the pollutant on indoor environment. Clearly, the former issue is strictly connected to sampling-site geometry, which proves critical to correctly retrieving information from analysis of pollutants of sanitary interest. Therefore, according to current criteria for network-planning, single stations have been interpreted as nodes of a set of adjoining triangles; then, a) node pairs have been taken into account in order to estimate pollutant stationarity on triangle sides, as well as b) node triplets, to statistically associate data from air-monitoring with the corresponding territory area, and c) node sextuplets, to assess the impact probability of the outdoor pollutant on indoor environment for each area. Distributions from the various node combinations are all non-Gaussian, in the consequently, Kruskal-Wallis (KW) non-parametric statistics has been exploited to test variability on continuous density function from each pair, triplet and sextuplet. Results from the above-mentioned statistical analysis have shown randomness of site selection, which has not allowed a reliable generalization of monitoring data to the entire selected territory, except for a single "forced" case (70%); most important, they suggest a possible procedure to optimize network design.

  11. Does size matter? Statistical limits of paleomagnetic field reconstruction from small rock specimens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berndt, Thomas; Muxworthy, Adrian R.; Fabian, Karl

    2016-01-01

    As samples of ever decreasing sizes are being studied paleomagnetically, care has to be taken that the underlying assumptions of statistical thermodynamics (Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics) are being met. Here we determine how many grains and how large a magnetic moment a sample needs to have to be able to accurately record an ambient field. It is found that for samples with a thermoremanent magnetic moment larger than 10-11Am2 the assumption of a sufficiently large number of grains is usually given. Standard 25 mm diameter paleomagnetic samples usually contain enough magnetic grains such that statistical errors are negligible, but "single silicate crystal" works on, for example, zircon, plagioclase, and olivine crystals are approaching the limits of what is physically possible, leading to statistic errors in both the angular deviation and paleointensity that are comparable to other sources of error. The reliability of nanopaleomagnetic imaging techniques capable of resolving individual grains (used, for example, to study the cloudy zone in meteorites), however, is questionable due to the limited area of the material covered.

  12. Statistical and Spatial Analysis of Bathymetric Data for the St. Clair River, 1971-2007

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bennion, David

    2009-01-01

    To address questions concerning ongoing geomorphic processes in the St. Clair River, selected bathymetric datasets spanning 36 years were analyzed. Comparisons of recent high-resolution datasets covering the upper river indicate a highly variable, active environment. Although statistical and spatial comparisons of the datasets show that some changes to the channel size and shape have taken place during the study period, uncertainty associated with various survey methods and interpolation processes limit the statistically certain results. The methods used to spatially compare the datasets are sensitive to small variations in position and depth that are within the range of uncertainty associated with the datasets. Characteristics of the data, such as the density of measured points and the range of values surveyed, can also influence the results of spatial comparison. With due consideration of these limitations, apparently active and ongoing areas of elevation change in the river are mapped and discussed.

  13. TIGER/Line Shapefile, 2010, 2010 Census Block State-based

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The TIGER/Line Files are shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) that are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line File is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. Census Blocks are statistical areas bounded on all sides by visible features, such as streets, roads, streams, and railroad tracks, and/or by nonvisible boundaries such as city, town, township, and county limits, and short line-of-sight extensions of streets and roads. Census blocks are relatively small in area; for example, a block in a city bounded by streets. However, census blocks in remote areas are often large and irregular and may even be many square miles in area. A common misunderstanding is that data users think census blocks are used geographically to build all other census geographic areas, rather all other census geographic areas are updated and then used as the primary constraints, along with roads and water features, to delineate the tabulation blocks. As a result, all 2010 Census blocks nest within every other 2010 Census geographic area, so that Census Bureau statistical data can be tabulated at the block level and aggregated up to the appropr

  14. Potential Mediators in Parenting and Family Intervention: Quality of Mediation Analyses

    PubMed Central

    Patel, Chandni C.; Fairchild, Amanda J.; Prinz, Ronald J.

    2017-01-01

    Parenting and family interventions have repeatedly shown effectiveness in preventing and treating a range of youth outcomes. Accordingly, investigators in this area have conducted a number of studies using statistical mediation to examine some of the potential mechanisms of action by which these interventions work. This review examined from a methodological perspective in what ways and how well the family-based intervention studies tested statistical mediation. A systematic search identified 73 published outcome studies that tested mediation for family-based interventions across a wide range of child and adolescent outcomes (i.e., externalizing, internalizing, and substance-abuse problems; high-risk sexual activity; and academic achievement), for putative mediators pertaining to positive and negative parenting, family functioning, youth beliefs and coping skills, and peer relationships. Taken as a whole, the studies used designs that adequately addressed temporal precedence. The majority of studies used the product of coefficients approach to mediation, which is preferred, and less limiting than the causal steps approach. Statistical significance testing did not always make use of the most recently developed approaches, which would better accommodate small sample sizes and more complex functions. Specific recommendations are offered for future mediation studies in this area with respect to full longitudinal design, mediation approach, significance testing method, documentation and reporting of statistics, testing of multiple mediators, and control for Type I error. PMID:28028654

  15. Sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes of men buying sex in Finland.

    PubMed

    Regushevskaya, Elena; Haavio-Mannila, Elina; Hemminki, Elina

    2013-11-01

    To study the sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes associated with buying sex among Finnish men residing in different areas of Finland. A population-based questionnaire survey among 18-74-year-old Finns in 1999 with a response rate among men of 38%. The data on 575 men were analysed with descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The overall proportion of men ever having bought sex was 14%. Men who at the time of the survey were in the age group 30-39, aged 50 or over, with 13-15 years of educational study, entrepreneurs, and with high income, were more likely to have ever bought sex. Being married and living with a partner at the time of the study lowered the odds of ever having bought sex. The differences between the groups were mostly the same in all residential areas, though the strength and statistical significance varied. The exception was the association with education, which occurred only in small towns. The effect of attitudes to buying sex was strong and did not differ by area of residence. Many men with different sociodemographic characteristics reported having bought sex. There was no noticeable variation in the sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes of men having bought sex by the area of residence. More current research is needed on the motives and health consciousness of men buying sex.

  16. Tibiofemoral contact mechanics following a horizontal cleavage lesion in the posterior horn of the medial meniscus.

    PubMed

    Arno, Sally; Bell, Christopher P; Uquillas, Carlos; Borukhov, Ilya; Walker, Peter S

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if a horizontal cleavage lesion (HCL) of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus would result in changes to tibiofemoral contact mechanics, as measured by peak contact pressure and contact area, which can lead to cartilage degeneration. To study this, 10 cadaveric knees were tested in a rig where forces were applied (500 N Compression, 100 N shear, 2.5 Nm Torque) and the knee dynamically flexed from -5° to 135°, as peak contact pressure and contact area were recorded. After testing of the intact knee, a horizontal cleavage lesion was created arthroscopically and testing repeated. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to determine if there were differences in peak contact pressure and contact area between the intact knee and that with the HCL. A statistically significant increase in peak contact pressure of 13%, on average, and a decrease in contact area of 6%, on average, was noted following the HCL. This suggests that a horizontal cleavage lesion will result in small but statistically significant changes in tibiofemoral contact mechanics which may lead to cartilage degeneration. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Identifying areas at risk of low birth weight using spatial epidemiology: A small area surveillance study.

    PubMed

    Insaf, Tabassum Z; Talbot, Thomas

    2016-07-01

    To assess the geographic distribution of Low Birth Weight (LBW) in New York State among singleton births using a spatial regression approach in order to identify priority areas for public health actions. LBW was defined as birth weight less than 2500g. Geocoded data from 562,586 birth certificates in New York State (years 2008-2012) were merged with 2010 census data at the tract level. To provide stable estimates and maintain confidentiality, data were aggregated to yield 1268 areas of analysis. LBW prevalence among singleton births was related with area-level behavioral, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics using a Poisson mixed effects spatial error regression model. Observed low birth weight showed statistically significant auto-correlation in our study area (Moran's I 0.16 p value 0.0005). After over-dispersion correction and accounting for fixed effects for selected social determinants, spatial autocorrelation was fully accounted for (Moran's I-0.007 p value 0.241). The proportion of LBW was higher in areas with larger Hispanic or Black populations and high smoking prevalence. Smoothed maps with predicted prevalence were developed to identify areas at high risk of LBW. Spatial patterns of residual variation were analyzed to identify unique risk factors. Neighborhood racial composition contributes to disparities in LBW prevalence beyond differences in behavioral and socioeconomic factors. Small-area analyses of LBW can identify areas for targeted interventions and display unique local patterns that should be accounted for in prevention strategies. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Estimation of flood-frequency characteristics of small urban streams in North Carolina

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robbins, J.C.; Pope, B.F.

    1996-01-01

    A statewide study was conducted to develop methods for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods of small urban streams in North Carolina. This type of information is critical in the design of bridges, culverts and water-control structures, establishment of flood-insurance rates and flood-plain regulation, and for other uses by urban planners and engineers. Concurrent records of rainfall and runoff data collected in small urban basins were used to calibrate rainfall-runoff models. Historic rain- fall records were used with the calibrated models to synthesize a long- term record of annual peak discharges. The synthesized record of annual peak discharges were used in a statistical analysis to determine flood- frequency distributions. These frequency distributions were used with distributions from previous investigations to develop a database for 32 small urban basins in the Blue Ridge-Piedmont, Sand Hills, and Coastal Plain hydrologic areas. The study basins ranged in size from 0.04 to 41.0 square miles. Data describing the size and shape of the basin, level of urban development, and climate and rural flood charac- teristics also were included in the database. Estimation equations were developed by relating flood-frequency char- acteristics to basin characteristics in a generalized least-squares regression analysis. The most significant basin characteristics are drainage area, impervious area, and rural flood discharge. The model error and prediction errors for the estimating equations were less than those for the national flood-frequency equations previously reported. Resulting equations, which have prediction errors generally less than 40 percent, can be used to estimate flood-peak discharges for 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year recurrence intervals for small urban basins across the State assuming negligible, sustainable, in- channel detention or basin storage.

  19. Residue frequencies and pairing preferences at protein-protein interfaces.

    PubMed

    Glaser, F; Steinberg, D M; Vakser, I A; Ben-Tal, N

    2001-05-01

    We used a nonredundant set of 621 protein-protein interfaces of known high-resolution structure to derive residue composition and residue-residue contact preferences. The residue composition at the interfaces, in entire proteins and in whole genomes correlates well, indicating the statistical strength of the data set. Differences between amino acid distributions were observed for interfaces with buried surface area of less than 1,000 A(2) versus interfaces with area of more than 5,000 A(2). Hydrophobic residues were abundant in large interfaces while polar residues were more abundant in small interfaces. The largest residue-residue preferences at the interface were recorded for interactions between pairs of large hydrophobic residues, such as Trp and Leu, and the smallest preferences for pairs of small residues, such as Gly and Ala. On average, contacts between pairs of hydrophobic and polar residues were unfavorable, and the charged residues tended to pair subject to charge complementarity, in agreement with previous reports. A bootstrap procedure, lacking from previous studies, was used for error estimation. It showed that the statistical errors in the set of pairing preferences are generally small; the average standard error is approximately 0.2, i.e., about 8% of the average value of the pairwise index (2.9). However, for a few pairs (e.g., Ser-Ser and Glu-Asp) the standard error is larger in magnitude than the pairing index, which makes it impossible to tell whether contact formation is favorable or unfavorable. The results are interpreted using physicochemical factors and their implications for the energetics of complex formation and for protein docking are discussed. Proteins 2001;43:89-102. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  20. The Small Area Health Statistics Unit: a national facility for investigating health around point sources of environmental pollution in the United Kingdom.

    PubMed Central

    Elliott, P; Westlake, A J; Hills, M; Kleinschmidt, I; Rodrigues, L; McGale, P; Marshall, K; Rose, G

    1992-01-01

    STUDY OBJECTIVE--The Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU) was established at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in response to a recommendation of the enquiry into the increased incidence of childhood leukaemia near Sellafield, the nuclear reprocessing plant in West Cumbria. The aim of this paper was to describe the Unit's methods for the investigation of health around point sources of environmental pollution in the United Kingdom. DESIGN--Routine data currently including deaths and cancer registrations are held in a large national database which uses a post code based retrieval system to locate cases geographically and link them to the underlying census enumeration districts, and hence to their populations at risk. Main outcome measures were comparison of observed/expected ratios (based on national rates) within bands delineated by concentric circles around point sources of environmental pollution located anywhere in Britain. MAIN RESULTS--The system is illustrated by a study of mortality from mesothelioma and asbestosis near the Plymouth naval dockyards during 1981-87. Within a 3 km radius of the docks the mortality rate for mesothelioma was higher than the national rate by a factor of 8.4, and that for asbestosis was higher by a factor of 13.6. CONCLUSIONS--SAHSU is a new national facility which is rapidly able to provide rates of mortality and cancer incidence for arbitrary circles drawn around any point in Britain. The example around Plymouth of mesothelioma and asbestosis demonstrates the ability of the system to detect an unusual excess of disease in a small locality, although in this case the findings are likely to be related to occupational rather than environmental exposure. PMID:1431704

  1. Statistical Analysis Techniques for Small Sample Sizes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Navard, S. E.

    1984-01-01

    The small sample sizes problem which is encountered when dealing with analysis of space-flight data is examined. Because of such a amount of data available, careful analyses are essential to extract the maximum amount of information with acceptable accuracy. Statistical analysis of small samples is described. The background material necessary for understanding statistical hypothesis testing is outlined and the various tests which can be done on small samples are explained. Emphasis is on the underlying assumptions of each test and on considerations needed to choose the most appropriate test for a given type of analysis.

  2. Ionospheric acoustic and gravity waves associated with midlatitude thunderstorms

    DOE PAGES

    Lay, Erin H.; Shao, Xuan -Min; Kendrick, Alexander K.; ...

    2015-07-30

    Acoustic waves with periods of 2 - 4 minutes and gravity waves with periods of 6 - 16 minutes have been detected at ionospheric heights (250-350 km) using GPS Total Electron Content (TEC) measurements. The area disturbed by these waves and the wave amplitudes have been associated with underlying thunderstorm activity. A statistical study comparing NEXRAD radar thunderstorm measurements with ionospheric acoustic and gravity waves in the mid-latitude U.S. Great Plains region was performed for the time period of May - July 2005. An increase of ionospheric acoustic wave disturbed area and amplitude is primarily associated with large thunderstorms (mesoscalemore » convective systems). Ionospheric gravity wave disturbed area and amplitude scale with thunderstorm activity, with even small storms (i.e. individual storm cells) producing an increase of gravity waves.« less

  3. An ecological study of the relationship between socioeconomic isolation and mental health in the most deprived areas in Auckland, New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Pearson, Amber L; Griffin, Edward; Davies, Anna; Kingham, Simon

    2013-01-01

    International debate posits that when groups feel deprived relative to reference groups in society, there may be psychosocial impacts. Deprivation varies geographically and deprived areas may be proximal to advantaged areas. In theory, this leads to chronic stress and poor mental health. This research explored whether socioeconomically isolated deprived areas experience increased levels of anxiety/mental disorder treatment, compared to other deprived areas. We developed a spatial isolation measure to characterise deprived areas surrounded by advantaged areas in Auckland, New Zealand. We found that isolated areas were characterised by fewer Māori and Pacific people, high density and shorter travel time to General Practitioners. We found significantly higher rates of anxiety/mood disorder treatment in highly isolated versus non-isolated areas and a statistically significant relationship with anxiety/mood disorders for each isolation level, both before and after confounder adjustment. This evidence suggests that mental health within small areas may be sensitive to the neighbourhood interactions, through social comparison or discrimination which lead to psychosocial stress. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Assessment of geometrical characteristics of dental endodontic micro-instruments utilizing X-ray micro computed tomography

    PubMed Central

    Al JABBARI, Youssef S.; TSAKIRIDIS, Peter; ELIADES, George; AL-HADLAQ, Solaiman M.; ZINELIS, Spiros

    2012-01-01

    Objective The aim of this study was to quantify the surface area, volume and specific surface area of endodontic files employing quantitative X-ray micro computed tomography (mXCT). Material and Methods Three sets (six files each) of the Flex-Master Ni-Ti system (Nº 20, 25 and 30, taper .04) were utilized in this study. The files were scanned by mXCT. The surface area and volume of all files were determined from the cutting tip up to 16 mm. The data from the surface area, volume and specific area were statistically evaluated using the one-way ANOVA and SNK multiple comparison tests at α=0.05, employing the file size as a discriminating variable. The correlation between the surface area and volume with nominal ISO sizes were tested employing linear regression analysis. Results The surface area and volume of Nº 30 files showed the highest value followed by Nº 25 and Nº 20 and the differences were statistically significant. The Nº 20 files showed a significantly higher specific surface area compared to Nº 25 and Nº 30. The increase in surface and volume towards higher file sizes follows a linear relationship with the nominal ISO sizes (r2=0.930 for surface area and r2=0.974 for volume respectively). Results indicated that the surface area and volume demonstrated an almost linear increase while the specific surface area exhibited an abrupt decrease towards higher sizes. Conclusions This study demonstrates that mXCT can be effectively applied to discriminate very small differences in the geometrical features of endodontic micro-instruments, while providing quantitative information for their geometrical properties. PMID:23329248

  5. 10 CFR Appendix A to Subpart A of... - Metropolitan Statistical Areas/Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas With 1980 Populations...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Metropolitan Statistical Areas/Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas With 1980 Populations of 250,000 or more A Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 490 Energy..., Subpt. A, App. A Appendix A to Subpart A of Part 490—Metropolitan Statistical Areas/Consolidated...

  6. Bladder cancer mapping in Libya based on standardized morbidity ratio and log-normal model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alhdiri, Maryam Ahmed; Samat, Nor Azah; Mohamed, Zulkifley

    2017-05-01

    Disease mapping contains a set of statistical techniques that detail maps of rates based on estimated mortality, morbidity, and prevalence. A traditional approach to measure the relative risk of the disease is called Standardized Morbidity Ratio (SMR). It is the ratio of an observed and expected number of accounts in an area, which has the greatest uncertainty if the disease is rare or if geographical area is small. Therefore, Bayesian models or statistical smoothing based on Log-normal model are introduced which might solve SMR problem. This study estimates the relative risk for bladder cancer incidence in Libya from 2006 to 2007 based on the SMR and log-normal model, which were fitted to data using WinBUGS software. This study starts with a brief review of these models, starting with the SMR method and followed by the log-normal model, which is then applied to bladder cancer incidence in Libya. All results are compared using maps and tables. The study concludes that the log-normal model gives better relative risk estimates compared to the classical method. The log-normal model has can overcome the SMR problem when there is no observed bladder cancer in an area.

  7. Spatial distribution of Qinghai spruce forests and the thresholds of influencing factors in a small catchment, Qilian Mountains, northwest China.

    PubMed

    Yang, Wenjuan; Wang, Yanhui; Wang, Shunli; Webb, Ashley A; Yu, Pengtao; Liu, Xiande; Zhang, Xuelong

    2017-07-17

    Forest restoration in dryland mountainous areas is extremely difficult due to dry climate, complex topography and accelerating climate change. Thus, exact identification of suitable sites is required. This study at a small watershed of Qilian Mountains, Northwest China, aimed to determine the important factors and their thresholds limiting the spatial distribution of forests of Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia), a locally dominant tree species. The watershed was divided into 342 spatial units. Their location, terrain and vegetation characteristics were recorded. Statistical analysis showed that the potential distribution area of Qinghai spruce forests is within an ellipse with the axes of elevation (from 2673.6 to 3202.2 m a.s.l.) and slope aspect (from -162.1° to 75.1° deviated from North). Within this ellipse, the forested sites have a soil thickness ≥40 cm, and slope positions of lower-slope, lower- or middle-slope, anywhere if the elevation is <2800, 2800-2900, >2900 m a.s.l, respectively. The corresponding mean annual air temperature at upper elevation boundary is -2.69 °C, while the mean annual precipitation at lower elevation boundary is 374 (331) mm within the small watershed (study area). The high prediction accuracy using these 4 factors can help to identify suitable sites and increase the success of afforestation.

  8. Evaluating the uniformity of color spaces and performance of color difference formulae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lian, Yusheng; Liao, Ningfang; Wang, Jiajia; Tan, Boneng; Liu, Zilong

    2010-11-01

    Using small color difference data sets (Macadam ellipses dataset and RIT-DuPont suprathreshold color difference ellipses dataset), and large color difference data sets (Munsell Renovation Data and OSA Uniform Color Scales dataset), the uniformity of several color spaces and performance of color difference formulae based on these color spaces are evaluated. The color spaces used are CIELAB, DIN99d, IPT, and CIECAM02-UCS. It is found that the uniformity of lightness is better than saturation and hue. Overall, for all these color spaces, the uniformity in the blue area is inferior to the other area. The uniformity of CIECAM02-UCS is superior to the other color spaces for the whole color-difference range from small to large. The uniformity of CIELAB and IPT for the large color difference data sets is better than it for the small color difference data sets, but the DIN99d is opposite. Two common performance factors (PF/3 and STRESS) and the statistical F-test are calculated to test the performance of color difference formula. The results show that the performance of color difference formulae based on these four color spaces is consistent with the uniformity of these color spaces.

  9. Using Logistic Regression and Random Forests multivariate statistical methods for landslide spatial probability assessment in North-Est Sicily, Italy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trigila, Alessandro; Iadanza, Carla; Esposito, Carlo; Scarascia-Mugnozza, Gabriele

    2015-04-01

    North-East Sicily is strongly exposed to shallow landslide events. On October, 1st 2009 a severe rainstorm (225.5 mm of cumulative rainfall in 9 hours) caused flash floods and more than 1000 landslides, which struck several small villages as Giampilieri, Altolia, Molino, Pezzolo, Scaletta Zanclea, Itala, with 31 fatalities, 6 missing persons and damage to buildings and transportation infrastructures. Landslides, mainly consisting in earth and debris translational slides evolving into debris flows, triggered on steep slopes involving colluvium and regolith materials which cover the underlying metamorphic bedrock of Peloritani Mountains. In this area catchments are small (about 10 square kilometres), elongated, with steep slopes, low order streams, short time of concentration, and discharge directly into the sea. In the past, landslides occurred at Altolia in 1613 and 2000, at Molino in 1750, 1805 and 2000, at Giampilieri in 1791, 1918, 1929, 1932, 2000 and on October 25, 2007. The aim of this work is to define susceptibility models for shallow landslides using multivariate statistical analyses in the Giampilieri area (25 square kilometres). A detailed landslide inventory map has been produced, as the first step, through field surveys coupled with the observation of high resolution aerial colour orthophoto taken immediately after the event. 1,490 initiation zones have been identified; most of them have planimetric dimensions ranging between tens to few hundreds of square metres. The spatial hazard assessment has been focused on the detachment areas. Susceptibility models, performed in a GIS environment, took into account several parameters. The morphometric and hydrologic parameters has been derived from a detailed LiDAR 1×1 m. Square grid cells of 4×4 m were adopted as mapping units, on the basis of the area-frequency distribution of the detachment zones, and the optimal representation of the local morphometric conditions (e.g. slope angle, plan curvature). A first phase of the work addressed to identify the spatial relationships between the landslides location and the 13 related factors by using the Frequency Ratio bivariate statistical method. The analysis was then carried out by adopting a multivariate statistical approach, according to the Logistic Regression technique and Random Forests technique that gave best results in terms of AUC. The models were performed and evaluated with different sample sizes and also taking into account the temporal variation of input variables such as burned areas by wildfire. The most significant outcome of this work are: the relevant influence of the sample size on the model results and the strong importance of some environmental factors (e.g. land use and wildfires) for the identification of the depletion zones of extremely rapid shallow landslides.

  10. Trends in groundwater quality in principal aquifers of the United States, 1988-2012

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lindsey, Bruce D.; Rupert, Michael G.

    2014-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program analyzed trends in groundwater quality throughout the nation for the sampling period of 1988-2012. Trends were determined for networks (sets of wells routinely monitored by the USGS) for a subset of constituents by statistical analysis of paired water-quality measurements collected on a near-decadal time scale. The data set for chloride, dissolved solids, and nitrate consisted of 1,511 wells in 67 networks, whereas the data set for methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) consisted of 1, 013 wells in 46 networks. The 25 principal aquifers represented by these networks account for about 75 percent of withdrawals of groundwater used for drinking-water supply for the nation. Statistically significant changes in chloride, dissolved-solids, or nitrate concentrations were found in many well networks over a decadal period. Concentrations increased significantly in 48 percent of networks for chloride, 42 percent of networks for dissolved solids, and 21 percent of networks for nitrate. Chloride, dissolved solids, and nitrate concentrations decreased significantly in 3, 3, and 10 percent of the networks, respectively. The magnitude of change in concentrations was typically small in most networks; however, the magnitude of change in networks with statistically significant increases was typically much larger than the magnitude of change in networks with statistically significant decreases. The largest increases of chloride concentrations were in urban areas in the northeastern and north central United States. The largest increases of nitrate concentrations were in networks in agricultural areas. Statistical analysis showed 42 or the 46 networks had no statistically significant changes in MTBE concentrations. The four networks with statistically significant changes in MTBE concentrations were in the northeastern United States, where MTBE was widely used. Two networks had increasing concentrations, and two networks had decreasing concentrations. Production and use of MTBE peaked in about 2000 and has been effectively banned in many areas since about 2006. The two networks that had increasing concentrations were sampled for the second time close to the peak of MTBE production, whereas the two networks that had decreasing concentrations were sampled for the second time 10 years after the peak of MTBE production.

  11. Large scale landslide susceptibility assessment using the statistical methods of logistic regression and BSA - study case: the sub-basin of the small Niraj (Transylvania Depression, Romania)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roşca, S.; Bilaşco, Ş.; Petrea, D.; Fodorean, I.; Vescan, I.; Filip, S.; Măguţ, F.-L.

    2015-11-01

    The existence of a large number of GIS models for the identification of landslide occurrence probability makes difficult the selection of a specific one. The present study focuses on the application of two quantitative models: the logistic and the BSA models. The comparative analysis of the results aims at identifying the most suitable model. The territory corresponding to the Niraj Mic Basin (87 km2) is an area characterised by a wide variety of the landforms with their morphometric, morphographical and geological characteristics as well as by a high complexity of the land use types where active landslides exist. This is the reason why it represents the test area for applying the two models and for the comparison of the results. The large complexity of input variables is illustrated by 16 factors which were represented as 72 dummy variables, analysed on the basis of their importance within the model structures. The testing of the statistical significance corresponding to each variable reduced the number of dummy variables to 12 which were considered significant for the test area within the logistic model, whereas for the BSA model all the variables were employed. The predictability degree of the models was tested through the identification of the area under the ROC curve which indicated a good accuracy (AUROC = 0.86 for the testing area) and predictability of the logistic model (AUROC = 0.63 for the validation area).

  12. Accurate Inventories Of Irrigated Land

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wall, S.; Thomas, R.; Brown, C.

    1992-01-01

    System for taking land-use inventories overcomes two problems in estimating extent of irrigated land: only small portion of large state surveyed in given year, and aerial photographs made on 1 day out of year do not provide adequate picture of areas growing more than one crop per year. Developed for state of California as guide to controlling, protecting, conserving, and distributing water within state. Adapted to any large area in which large amounts of irrigation water needed for agriculture. Combination of satellite images, aerial photography, and ground surveys yields data for computer analysis. Analyst also consults agricultural statistics, current farm reports, weather reports, and maps. These information sources aid in interpreting patterns, colors, textures, and shapes on Landsat-images.

  13. Locational trends in R and D by large US corporations, 1965 to 1977

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

    Malecki, E.J.

    1979-10-01

    The locational decisions of large corporations, especially those involving research and development (R and D) and its role in technological change, have considerable effects on regional economic development. The locations of R and D facilities of 330 firms in the United States, are found primarily in metropolitan areas. Industry-specific patterns are present, but overall, a small number of major urban areas are the locations of corporate R and D. Changes in these patterns from 1965 to 1977 show that gains in R and D have taken place in only a few northeastern cities and in relatively few (SMSAs) Standard Metropolitanmore » Statistical Areas, in the Sunbelt. A second major shift in R and D is outward from some large cities, but within their urban regions. Corporate R and D, although experiencing some locational shifts, is remaining quite concentrated in large metropolitan areas. 47 references, 7 tables.« less

  14. [The role of meta-analysis in assessing the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer].

    PubMed

    Pérol, M; Pérol, D

    2004-02-01

    Meta-analysis is a statistical method allowing an evaluation of the direction and quantitative importance of a treatment effect observed in randomized trials which have tested the treatment but have not provided a definitive conclusion. In the present review, we discuss the methodology and the contribution of meta-analyses to the treatment of advanced-stage or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. In this area of cancerology, meta-analyses have provided determining information demonstrating the impact of chemotherapy on patient survival. They have also helped define a two-drug regimen based on cisplatin as the gold standard treatment for patients with a satisfactory general status. Recently, the meta-analysis method was used to measure the influence of gemcitabin in combination with platinium salts and demonstrated a small but significant benefit in survival, confirming that gemcitabin remains the gold standard treatment in combination with cisplatin.

  15. Assessing the influence of small fires on trends in fire regime features at mainland Spain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiménez-Ruano, Adrián; Rodrigues Mimbrero, Marcos; de la Riva Fernández, Juan

    2017-04-01

    Small fires, i.e. fires smaller than 1 Ha, represent a huge proportion of total wildfire occurrence in the Mediterranean region. In the case of Spain, around 53% of fires in the period 1988-2013 fall into this category according to the Spanish EGIF statistics. However, the proportion of small fires is not stationary over time. Small fires are usually excluded from most analysis, given the chance of introducing or falling into temporal bias, being almost mandatory in those assessments using data before the 90s. Inconsistences and inhomogeneity problems related to the diversity of criteria and/or registration procedures among Autonomous Regions are found before that date, although it is widely agreed that small fires are consistently registered starting from 1988. Nevertheless, in terms of fire regimen characterization it is important to know to what extent small fires contribute to the overall fire behaviour. The aim of this study is to analyse spatial-temporal trends of several fire features such as total number of fires and burned area, number and burned area of natural and human fires, and the proportion of natural/human cause in the period 1988-2013 at province level (NUTS3). The analysis is conducted at the mainland Spain at annual and seasonal time scales. We are mainly interested in exploring differences in spatial-temporal trends including or excluding small fires and dealing with them separately as well. This allows determining the extent to which small fires may affect fire regime characterization. We employed a Mann-Kendall test for trend detection and Sen's slope to evaluate the magnitude of the change. Both tests were applied for each fire feature aggregated at NUTS3 level for both autumn-winter and spring-summer seasons. Our results show significant changes in the evolution of annual wildfire frequency; especially strong when small fires are accounted for. A similar outcome was observed in natural and human number fires during the spring-summer season. The increase in number of fires seems to be reversed during autumn-winter. At seasonal scale, the inclusion of small fires allows to detect significant trends in all of fire frequency features, except natural fires. In turn, neither burned area features do not significantly affect the trends through incorporating small fires. Therefore, the inclusion/exclusion of small fires do influence observed trends mostly in terms of fire frequency.

  16. Alternative accounting in maternal and infant global health.

    PubMed

    Adams, Vincanne; Craig, Sienna R; Samen, Arlene

    2015-03-18

    Efforts to augment accountability through the use of metrics, and especially randomised controlled trial or other statistical methods place an increased burden on small nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) doing global health. In this paper, we explore how one small NGO works to generate forms of accountability and evidence that may not conform to new metrics trends but nevertheless deserve attention and scrutiny for being effective, practical and reliable in the area of maternal and infant health. Through an analysis of one NGO and, in particular, its organisational and ethical principles for creating a network of safety for maternal and child health, we argue that alternative forms of (ac)counting like these might provide useful evidence of another kind of successful global health work.

  17. Sensitivity of effective rainfall amount to land use description using GIS tool. Case of a small mediterranean catchment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Payraudeau, S.; Tournoud, M. G.; Cernesson, F.

    Distributed modelling in hydrology assess catchment subdivision to take into account physic characteristics. In this paper, we test the effect of land use aggregation scheme on catchment hydrological response. Evolution of intra-subcatchment land use is studied using statistic and entropy methods. The SCS-CN method is used to calculate effective rainfall which is here assimilated to hydrological response. Our purpose is to determine the existence of a critical threshold-area appropriate for the application of hydrological modelling. Land use aggregation effects on effective rainfall is assessed on small mediterranean catchment. The results show that land use aggregation and land use classification type have significant effects on hydrological modelling and in particular on effective rainfall modelling.

  18. Effusion cytomorphology of small round cell tumors.

    PubMed

    Ikeda, Katsuhide; Tsuta, Koji

    2016-01-01

    Small round cell tumors (SRCTs) are a group of tumors composed of small, round, and uniform cells with high nuclear/cytoplasmic (N/C) ratios. The appearance of SRCT neoplastic cells in the effusion fluid is very rare. We reported the cytomorphological findings of SRCTs in effusion cytology, and performed statistical and mathematical analyses for a purpose to distinguish SRCTs. We analyzed the cytologic findings of effusion samples from 40 SRCT cases and measured the lengths of the nuclei, cytoplasms, and the cell cluster areas. The SRCT cases included 14 Ewing sarcoma (EWS)/primitive neuroectodermal tumor cases, 5 synovial sarcoma cases, 6 rhabdomyosarcoma cases, 9 small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cases, and 6 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBL) cases. Morphologically, there were no significant differences in the nuclear and cytoplasmic lengths in cases of EWS, synovial sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. The cytoplasmic lengths in cases of SCLC and DLBL were smaller than those of EWS, synovial sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. The nuclear density of the cluster in SCLC was higher than that in other SRCTs, and cases of DLBL showed a lack of anisokaryosis and anisocytosis. We believe that it might be possible to diagnose DLBL and SCLC from cytologic analysis of effusion samples but it is very difficult to use this method to distinguish EWS, synovial sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. Statistical and mathematical analyses indicated that nuclear density and dispersion of nuclear and cytoplasmic sizes are useful adjuncts to conventional cytologic diagnostic criteria, which are acquired from experience.

  19. Phenomenology of small violations of Fermi and Bose statistics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Greenberg, O. W.; Mohapatra, Rabindra N.

    1989-04-01

    In a recent paper, we proposed a ``paronic'' field-theory framework for possible small deviations from the Pauli exclusion principle. This theory cannot be represented in a positive-metric (Hilbert) space. Nonetheless, the issue of possible small violations of the exclusion principle can be addressed in the framework of quantum mechanics, without being connected with a local quantum field theory. In this paper, we discuss the phenomenology of small violations of both Fermi and Bose statistics. We consider the implications of such violations in atomic, nuclear, particle, and condensed-matter physics and in astrophysics and cosmology. We also discuss experiments that can detect small violations of Fermi and Bose statistics or place stringent bounds on their validity.

  20. Variation of microorganism concentrations in urban stormwater runoff with land use and seasons.

    PubMed

    Selvakumar, Ariamalar; Borst, Michael

    2006-03-01

    Stormwater runoff samples were collected from outfalls draining small municipal separate storm sewer systems. The samples were collected from three different land use areas based on local designation (high-density residential, low-density residential and landscaped commercial). The concentrations of microorganisms in the stormwater runoff were found to be similar in magnitude to, but less variable than, those reported in the stormwater National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) database. Microorganism concentrations from high-density residential areas were higher than those associated with low-density residential and landscaped commercial areas. Since the outfalls were free of sanitary wastewater cross-connections, the major sources of microorganisms to the stormwater runoff were most likely from the feces of domestic animals and wildlife. Concentrations of microorganisms were significantly affected by the season during which the samples were collected. The lowest concentrations were observed during winter except for Staphylococcus aureus. The Pearson correlation coefficients among different indicators showed weak linear relationships and the relationships were statistically significant. However, the relationships between indicators and pathogens were poorly correlated and were not statistically significant, suggesting the use of indicators as evidence of the presence of pathogens is not appropriate. Further, the correlation between the concentration of the traditionally monitored indicators (total coliforms and fecal coliforms) and the suggested substitutes (enterococci and E. coli) is weak, but statistically significant, suggesting that historical time series will be only a qualitative indicator of impaired waters under the revised criteria for recreational water quality by the US EPA.

  1. Determining the contribution of long-range transport, regional and local source areas, to PM10 mass loading in Hessen, Germany using a novel multi-receptor based statistical approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garg, Saryu; Sinha, Baerbel

    2017-10-01

    This study uses two newly developed statistical source apportionment models, MuSAM and MuReSAM, to perform quantitative statistical source apportionment of PM10 at multiple receptor sites in South Hessen. MuSAM uses multi-site back trajectory data to quantify the contribution of long-range transport, while MuReSAM uses wind speed and direction as proxy for regional transport and quantifies the contribution of regional source areas. On average, between 7.8 and 9.1 μg/m3 of PM10 (∼50%) at receptor sites in South Hessen is contributed by long-range transport. The dominant source regions are Eastern, South Eastern, and Southern Europe. 32% of the PM10 at receptor sites in South Hessen is contributed by regional source areas (2.8-9.41 μg/m3). This fraction varies from <20% at remote sites to >40% for urban stations. Sources located within a 2 km radius around the receptor site are responsible for 7%-20% of the total PM10 mass (0.7-4.4 μg/m3). The perturbation study of the traffic flow due to the closing and reopening of the Schiersteiner Brücke revealed that the contribution of the bridge to PM10 mass loadings at two nearby receptor sites increased by approximately 120% after it reopened and became a bottleneck, although in absolute terms, the increase is small.

  2. WIC program participation--a marketing approach.

    PubMed Central

    Buechner, J S; Scott, H D; Smith, J L; Humphrey, A B

    1991-01-01

    Recent evaluation studies have described the benefits accruing to low-income women and children who participate in the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). However, participation is not uniform among all groups of eligible persons. This study examines the geographic variation in WIC participation rates of eligible pregnant women in Rhode Island to determine whether the program is effective in reaching the neediest segments of the population. Eight groups of small geographic areas in Rhode Island (census tracts) were formed on the basis of need for maternal and child health services, as determined from a statistical method employing factor and cluster analysis of existing health and sociodemographic data. Among these eight groups, participation rates in WIC during 1983-84 ranged from 46 percent to more than 100 percent of estimated eligible pregnant women. The rates were positively correlated with measures of need, strongly (r = 0.92) with an index of maternal risk, and less strongly (r = 0.79) with an index of birth outcomes. The results of this study have enabled the Rhode Island WIC Program to direct its outreach efforts more specifically to geographic areas where the need for the program's assistance is greatest. The procedures described in this report comprise a technique that can be generally applied to measure program effectiveness in marketing and outreach where relevant data are available by small geographic areas. The data requirements are (a) population-based estimates of program need and (b) program utilization measures. If these data can be aggregated to a common set of small geographic areas, the use of marketing analysis techniques becomes possible, and program benefits in the area of outreach and recruitment can be realized. PMID:1910189

  3. Towards good practice for health statistics: lessons from the Millennium Development Goal health indicators.

    PubMed

    Murray, Christopher J L

    2007-03-10

    Health statistics are at the centre of an increasing number of worldwide health controversies. Several factors are sharpening the tension between the supply and demand for high quality health information, and the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provide a high-profile example. With thousands of indicators recommended but few measured well, the worldwide health community needs to focus its efforts on improving measurement of a small set of priority areas. Priority indicators should be selected on the basis of public-health significance and several dimensions of measurability. Health statistics can be divided into three types: crude, corrected, and predicted. Health statistics are necessary inputs to planning and strategic decision making, programme implementation, monitoring progress towards targets, and assessment of what works and what does not. Crude statistics that are biased have no role in any of these steps; corrected statistics are preferred. For strategic decision making, when corrected statistics are unavailable, predicted statistics can play an important part. For monitoring progress towards agreed targets and assessment of what works and what does not, however, predicted statistics should not be used. Perhaps the most effective method to decrease controversy over health statistics and to encourage better primary data collection and the development of better analytical methods is a strong commitment to provision of an explicit data audit trail. This initiative would make available the primary data, all post-data collection adjustments, models including covariates used for farcasting and forecasting, and necessary documentation to the public.

  4. Challenging Conventional Wisdom for Multivariate Statistical Models with Small Samples

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNeish, Daniel

    2017-01-01

    In education research, small samples are common because of financial limitations, logistical challenges, or exploratory studies. With small samples, statistical principles on which researchers rely do not hold, leading to trust issues with model estimates and possible replication issues when scaling up. Researchers are generally aware of such…

  5. Calculating Confidence, Uncertainty, and Numbers of Samples When Using Statistical Sampling Approaches to Characterize and Clear Contaminated Areas

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

    Piepel, Gregory F.; Matzke, Brett D.; Sego, Landon H.

    2013-04-27

    This report discusses the methodology, formulas, and inputs needed to make characterization and clearance decisions for Bacillus anthracis-contaminated and uncontaminated (or decontaminated) areas using a statistical sampling approach. Specifically, the report includes the methods and formulas for calculating the • number of samples required to achieve a specified confidence in characterization and clearance decisions • confidence in making characterization and clearance decisions for a specified number of samples for two common statistically based environmental sampling approaches. In particular, the report addresses an issue raised by the Government Accountability Office by providing methods and formulas to calculate the confidence that amore » decision area is uncontaminated (or successfully decontaminated) if all samples collected according to a statistical sampling approach have negative results. Key to addressing this topic is the probability that an individual sample result is a false negative, which is commonly referred to as the false negative rate (FNR). The two statistical sampling approaches currently discussed in this report are 1) hotspot sampling to detect small isolated contaminated locations during the characterization phase, and 2) combined judgment and random (CJR) sampling during the clearance phase. Typically if contamination is widely distributed in a decision area, it will be detectable via judgment sampling during the characterization phrase. Hotspot sampling is appropriate for characterization situations where contamination is not widely distributed and may not be detected by judgment sampling. CJR sampling is appropriate during the clearance phase when it is desired to augment judgment samples with statistical (random) samples. The hotspot and CJR statistical sampling approaches are discussed in the report for four situations: 1. qualitative data (detect and non-detect) when the FNR = 0 or when using statistical sampling methods that account for FNR > 0 2. qualitative data when the FNR > 0 but statistical sampling methods are used that assume the FNR = 0 3. quantitative data (e.g., contaminant concentrations expressed as CFU/cm2) when the FNR = 0 or when using statistical sampling methods that account for FNR > 0 4. quantitative data when the FNR > 0 but statistical sampling methods are used that assume the FNR = 0. For Situation 2, the hotspot sampling approach provides for stating with Z% confidence that a hotspot of specified shape and size with detectable contamination will be found. Also for Situation 2, the CJR approach provides for stating with X% confidence that at least Y% of the decision area does not contain detectable contamination. Forms of these statements for the other three situations are discussed in Section 2.2. Statistical methods that account for FNR > 0 currently only exist for the hotspot sampling approach with qualitative data (or quantitative data converted to qualitative data). This report documents the current status of methods and formulas for the hotspot and CJR sampling approaches. Limitations of these methods are identified. Extensions of the methods that are applicable when FNR = 0 to account for FNR > 0, or to address other limitations, will be documented in future revisions of this report if future funding supports the development of such extensions. For quantitative data, this report also presents statistical methods and formulas for 1. quantifying the uncertainty in measured sample results 2. estimating the true surface concentration corresponding to a surface sample 3. quantifying the uncertainty of the estimate of the true surface concentration. All of the methods and formulas discussed in the report were applied to example situations to illustrate application of the methods and interpretation of the results.« less

  6. Developmental and anatomical changes in leaves of yellow birch and red kidney bean exposed to simulated acid precipitation

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

    Paparozzi, E.T.; Tukey, H.B. Jr.

    Leaves of Betula alleghaniensis Britt. (yellow birch) and Phaseolus vulgaris L cv. Red Kidney (bean) were examined microscopically during development and after exposure to simulated rain of pH 5.5, 4.3, 3.2, and 2.8. Yellow birch leaves attained maximal leaf area, midvein length, and cuticle thickness at 21 days. Trichomes were either long, unicellular, or multicellular with caplike head and stalk. Epicuticular wax was a bumpy and amorphous layer. The 2nd trifoliolate leaf of red kidney bean attained maximal leaf area, midvein length, and cuticle thickness when the 3rd trifoliolate leaf was expanding. Trichomes present were long, with a unicellular headmore » and a multicellular base; long, unicellular, and terminally hooked; and small and multicellular. Epicuticular wax was present as small irregular flakes. After 2 days of pH 2.8 and 4 days of pH 3.2 simulated acid rain, round yellow and small tan lesions appeared on birch and bean leaves, respectively. Most injury occurred on or between small veins. Most trichome types were uninjured. Lesions formed as a result of collapsed epidermal and highly plasmolyzed palisade cells. The cuticle was still present over injured epidermal cells and epicuticular waxes were unchanged. There was not statistical difference in mean cuticle thickness due to pH of simulated rain. 25 references, 10 figures, 4 tables.« less

  7. [Spatial patterns of dominant tree species in sub-alpine Betula-Abies forest in West Sichuan of China].

    PubMed

    Miao, Ning; Liu, Shi-Rong; Shi, Zuo-Min; Yu, Hong; Liu, Xing-Liang

    2009-06-01

    Based on the investigation in a 4 hm2 Betula-Abies forest plot in sub-alpine area in West Sichuan of China, and by using point pattern analysis method in terms of O-ring statistics, the spatial patterns of dominant species Betula albo-sinensis and Abies faxoniana in different age classes in study area were analyzed, and the intra- and inter-species associations between these age classes were studied. B. albo-sinensis had a unimodal distribution of its DBH frequency, indicating a declining population, while A. faxoniana had a reverse J-shaped pattern, showing an increasing population. All the big trees of B. albo-sinensis and A. faxoniana were spatially in random at all scales, while the medium age and small trees were spatially clumped at small scales and tended to be randomly or evenly distributed with increasing spatial scale. The maximum aggregation degree decreased with increasing age class. Spatial association mainly occurred at small scales. A. faxoniana generally showed positive intra-specific association, while B. albo-sinensis generally showed negative intra-specific association. For the two populations, big and small trees had no significant spatial association, but middle age trees had negative spatial association. Negative inter-specific associations of the two populations were commonly found in different age classes. The larger the difference of age class, the stronger the negative inter-specific association.

  8. McDonald's restaurants and neighborhood deprivation in Scotland and England.

    PubMed

    Cummins, Steven C J; McKay, Laura; MacIntyre, Sally

    2005-11-01

    Features of the local fast food environment have been hypothesized to contribute to the greater prevalence of obesity in deprived neighborhoods. However, few studies have investigated whether fast food outlets are more likely to be found in poorer areas, and those that have are local case studies. In this paper, using national-level data, we examine the association between neighborhood deprivation and the density of McDonald's restaurants in small census areas (neighborhoods) in Scotland and England. Data on population, deprivation, and the location of McDonald's Restaurants were obtained for 38,987 small areas in Scotland and England (6505 "data zones" in Scotland, and 32,482 "super output areas" in England) in January 2005. Measures of McDonald's restaurants per 1000 people for each area were calculated, and areas were divided into quintiles of deprivation. Associations between neighborhood deprivation and outlet density were examined during February 2005, using one-way analysis of variance in Scotland, England, and both countries combined. Statistically significant positive associations were found between neighborhood deprivation and the mean number of McDonald's outlets per 1000 people for Scotland (p<0.001), England (p<0.001), and both countries combined (p<0.001). These associations were broadly linear with greater mean numbers of outlets per 1000 people occurring as deprivation levels increased. Observed associations between presence or absence of fast food outlets and neighborhood deprivation may provide support for environmental explanations for the higher prevalence of obesity in poor neighborhoods.

  9. A multilevel model for cardiovascular disease prevalence in the US and its application to micro area prevalence estimates.

    PubMed

    Congdon, Peter

    2009-01-30

    Estimates of disease prevalence for small areas are increasingly required for the allocation of health funds according to local need. Both individual level and geographic risk factors are likely to be relevant to explaining prevalence variations, and in turn relevant to the procedure for small area prevalence estimation. Prevalence estimates are of particular importance for major chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease. A multilevel prevalence model for cardiovascular outcomes is proposed that incorporates both survey information on patient risk factors and the effects of geographic location. The model is applied to derive micro area prevalence estimates, specifically estimates of cardiovascular disease for Zip Code Tabulation Areas in the USA. The model incorporates prevalence differentials by age, sex, ethnicity and educational attainment from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Influences of geographic context are modelled at both county and state level, with the county effects relating to poverty and urbanity. State level influences are modelled using a random effects approach that allows both for spatial correlation and spatial isolates. To assess the importance of geographic variables, three types of model are compared: a model with person level variables only; a model with geographic effects that do not interact with person attributes; and a full model, allowing for state level random effects that differ by ethnicity. There is clear evidence that geographic effects improve statistical fit. Geographic variations in disease prevalence partly reflect the demographic composition of area populations. However, prevalence variations may also show distinct geographic 'contextual' effects. The present study demonstrates by formal modelling methods that improved explanation is obtained by allowing for distinct geographic effects (for counties and states) and for interaction between geographic and person variables. Thus an appropriate methodology to estimate prevalence at small area level should include geographic effects as well as person level demographic variables.

  10. A multilevel model for cardiovascular disease prevalence in the US and its application to micro area prevalence estimates

    PubMed Central

    Congdon, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Background Estimates of disease prevalence for small areas are increasingly required for the allocation of health funds according to local need. Both individual level and geographic risk factors are likely to be relevant to explaining prevalence variations, and in turn relevant to the procedure for small area prevalence estimation. Prevalence estimates are of particular importance for major chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease. Methods A multilevel prevalence model for cardiovascular outcomes is proposed that incorporates both survey information on patient risk factors and the effects of geographic location. The model is applied to derive micro area prevalence estimates, specifically estimates of cardiovascular disease for Zip Code Tabulation Areas in the USA. The model incorporates prevalence differentials by age, sex, ethnicity and educational attainment from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Influences of geographic context are modelled at both county and state level, with the county effects relating to poverty and urbanity. State level influences are modelled using a random effects approach that allows both for spatial correlation and spatial isolates. Results To assess the importance of geographic variables, three types of model are compared: a model with person level variables only; a model with geographic effects that do not interact with person attributes; and a full model, allowing for state level random effects that differ by ethnicity. There is clear evidence that geographic effects improve statistical fit. Conclusion Geographic variations in disease prevalence partly reflect the demographic composition of area populations. However, prevalence variations may also show distinct geographic 'contextual' effects. The present study demonstrates by formal modelling methods that improved explanation is obtained by allowing for distinct geographic effects (for counties and states) and for interaction between geographic and person variables. Thus an appropriate methodology to estimate prevalence at small area level should include geographic effects as well as person level demographic variables. PMID:19183458

  11. A new statistic for the analysis of circular data in gamma-ray astronomy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Protheroe, R. J.

    1985-01-01

    A new statistic is proposed for the analysis of circular data. The statistic is designed specifically for situations where a test of uniformity is required which is powerful against alternatives in which a small fraction of the observations is grouped in a small range of directions, or phases.

  12. Key indicators of obstetric and neonatal care in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

    PubMed

    Burtseva, Tatyana E; Odland, Jon Øyvind; Douglas, Natalya I; Grigoreva, Antonina N; Pavlova, Tatyana Y; Chichahov, Dgulustan A; Afanasieva, Lena N; Baisheva, Nurguyana S; Rad, Yana G; Tomsky, Mikhail I; Postoev, Vitaly A

    2016-01-01

    In the absence of a medical birth registry, the official statistics are the only sources of information about pregnancy outcomes in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) (RS). We analysed the official statistical data about birth rate, fertility, infant and maternal mortality in the RS in the period 2003-2014. Compared with all-Russian data, the RS had a higher birth rate, especially in rural districts. Maternal and infant mortality were also higher compared with all-Russian data, but had a decreasing trend. The majority of deaths occurred in the small level 1 units. We suggest that establishment of good predelivery transportation of pregnant women with high risk of complications from remote areas and centralization of risk deliveries with improved prenatal and neonatal care could improve the pregnancy outcome in Yakutia.

  13. A statistical view of protein chemical synthesis using NCL and extended methodologies.

    PubMed

    Agouridas, Vangelis; El Mahdi, Ouafâa; Cargoët, Marine; Melnyk, Oleg

    2017-09-15

    Native chemical ligation and extended methodologies are the most popular chemoselective reactions for protein chemical synthesis. Their combination with desulfurization techniques can give access to small or challenging proteins that are exploited in a large variety of research areas. In this report, we have conducted a statistical review of their use for protein chemical synthesis in order to provide a flavor of the recent trends and identify the most popular chemical tools used by protein chemists. To this end, a protein chemical synthesis (PCS) database (http://pcs-db.fr) was created by collecting a set of relevant data from more than 450 publications covering the period 1994-2017. A preliminary account of what this database tells us is presented in this report. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Testing for independence in J×K contingency tables with complex sample survey data.

    PubMed

    Lipsitz, Stuart R; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M; Sinha, Debajyoti; Hevelone, Nathanael; Giovannucci, Edward; Hu, Jim C

    2015-09-01

    The test of independence of row and column variables in a (J×K) contingency table is a widely used statistical test in many areas of application. For complex survey samples, use of the standard Pearson chi-squared test is inappropriate due to correlation among units within the same cluster. Rao and Scott (1981, Journal of the American Statistical Association 76, 221-230) proposed an approach in which the standard Pearson chi-squared statistic is multiplied by a design effect to adjust for the complex survey design. Unfortunately, this test fails to exist when one of the observed cell counts equals zero. Even with the large samples typical of many complex surveys, zero cell counts can occur for rare events, small domains, or contingency tables with a large number of cells. Here, we propose Wald and score test statistics for independence based on weighted least squares estimating equations. In contrast to the Rao-Scott test statistic, the proposed Wald and score test statistics always exist. In simulations, the score test is found to perform best with respect to type I error. The proposed method is motivated by, and applied to, post surgical complications data from the United States' Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) complex survey of hospitals in 2008. © 2015, The International Biometric Society.

  15. EIA's Role in Energy Data Collection, With Some Notes on Water Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leckey, T. J.

    2017-12-01

    The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. EIA collects, analyzes, and disseminates independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment. EIA conducts a comprehensive data collection program that covers the full spectrum of energy sources, end uses, and energy flows. This presentation will describe EIA's authority to collect energy data, report on the range of energy areas currently collected by EIA, discuss some areas where energy information and water issues intersect, and describe the relatively few areas where EIA does collect a small amount of water data. The presentation will conclude with some thoughts about necessary components for effective collection of water data at the federal level.

  16. 24 CFR 1710.13 - Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA... Requirements § 1710.13 Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) exemption. (a) Eligibility requirements. The sale of... since April 28, 1969. (2) The lot is located within a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as defined by...

  17. 24 CFR 1710.13 - Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA... Requirements § 1710.13 Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) exemption. (a) Eligibility requirements. The sale of... since April 28, 1969. (2) The lot is located within a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as defined by...

  18. 75 FR 37245 - 2010 Standards for Delineating Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-28

    ... Micropolitan Statistical Areas; Notice #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 123 / Monday, June 28, 2010... and Micropolitan Statistical Areas AGENCY: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of... Statistical Areas. The 2010 standards replace and supersede the 2000 Standards for Defining Metropolitan and...

  19. 50 CFR Figure 1 to Part 679 - Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Statistical and Reporting Areas

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Statistical and Reporting Areas 1 Figure 1 to Part 679 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND... Islands Statistical and Reporting Areas ER15NO99.000 b. Coordinates Code Description 300 Russian waters... statistical area is the part of a reporting area contained in the EEZ. [64 FR 61983, Nov. 15, 1999; 65 FR...

  20. 50 CFR Figure 1 to Part 679 - Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Statistical and Reporting Areas

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Statistical and Reporting Areas 1 Figure 1 to Part 679 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND... Islands Statistical and Reporting Areas ER15NO99.000 b. Coordinates Code Description 300 Russian waters... statistical area is the part of a reporting area contained in the EEZ. [64 FR 61983, Nov. 15, 1999; 65 FR...

  1. Weak simulated extratropical responses to complete tropical deforestation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Findell, K.L.; Knutson, T.R.; Milly, P.C.D.

    2006-01-01

    The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory atmosphere-land model version 2 (AM2/LM2) coupled to a 50-m-thick slab ocean model has been used to investigate remote responses to tropical deforestation. Magnitudes and significance of differences between a control run and a deforested run are assessed through comparisons of 50-yr time series, accounting for autocorrelation and field significance. Complete conversion of the broadleaf evergreen forests of South America, central Africa, and the islands of Oceania to grasslands leads to highly significant local responses. In addition, a broad but mild warming is seen throughout the tropical troposphere (<0.2??C between 700 and 150 mb), significant in northern spring and summer. However, the simulation results show very little statistically significant response beyond the Tropics. There are no significant differences in any hydroclimatic variables (e.g., precipitation, soil moisture, evaporation) in either the northern or the southern extratropics. Small but statistically significant local differences in some geopotential height and wind fields are present in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Use of the same statistical tests on two 50-yr segments of the control run show that the small but significant extratropical differences between the deforested run and the control run are similar in magnitude and area to the differences between nonoverlapping segments of the control run. These simulations suggest that extratropical responses to complete tropical deforestation are unlikely to be distinguishable from natural climate variability.

  2. Identification of microRNAs with regulatory potential using a matched microRNA-mRNA time-course data.

    PubMed

    Jayaswal, Vivek; Lutherborrow, Mark; Ma, David D F; Hwa Yang, Yee

    2009-05-01

    Over the past decade, a class of small RNA molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs) has been shown to regulate gene expression at the post-transcription stage. While early work focused on the identification of miRNAs using a combination of experimental and computational techniques, subsequent studies have focused on identification of miRNA-target mRNA pairs as each miRNA can have hundreds of mRNA targets. The experimental validation of some miRNAs as oncogenic has provided further motivation for research in this area. In this article we propose an odds-ratio (OR) statistic for identification of regulatory miRNAs. It is based on integrative analysis of matched miRNA and mRNA time-course microarray data. The OR-statistic was used for (i) identification of miRNAs with regulatory potential, (ii) identification of miRNA-target mRNA pairs and (iii) identification of time lags between changes in miRNA expression and those of its target mRNAs. We applied the OR-statistic to a cancer data set and identified a small set of miRNAs that were negatively correlated to mRNAs. A literature survey revealed that some of the miRNAs that were predicted to be regulatory, were indeed oncogenic or tumor suppressors. Finally, some of the predicted miRNA targets have been shown to be experimentally valid.

  3. Landslide and flood hazard assessment in urban areas of Levoča region (Eastern Slovakia)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Magulova, Barbora; Caporali, Enrica; Bednarik, Martin

    2010-05-01

    The case study presents the use of statistical methods and analysis tools, for hazard assessment of "urbanization units", implemented in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment. As a case study, the Levoča region (Slovakia) is selected. The region, with a total area of about 351 km2, is widely affected by landslides and floods. The problem, for small urbanization areas, is nowadays particularly significant from the socio-economic point of view. It is considered, presently, also an increasing problem, mainly because of climate change and more frequent extreme rainfall events. The geo-hazards are evaluated using a multivariate analysis. The landslide hazard assessment is based on the comparison and subsequent statistical elaboration of territorial dependence among different input factors influencing the instability of the slopes. Particularly, five factors influencing slope stability are evaluated, i.e. lithology, slope aspect, slope angle, hypsographic level and present land use. As a result a new landslide susceptibility map is compiled and different zones of stable, dormant and non-stable areas are defined. For flood hazard map a detailed digital elevation model is created. A compose index of flood hazard is derived from topography, land cover and pedology related data. To estimate flood discharge, time series of stream flow and precipitation measurements are used. The assessment results are prognostic maps of landslide hazard and flood hazard, which presents the optimal base for urbanization planning.

  4. Evaluation of the 3D Finite Element Method Using a Tantalum Rod for Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Jingsheng; Chen, Jie; Wu, Jianguo; Chen, Feiyan; Huang, Gangyong; Wang, Zhan; Zhao, Guanglei; Wei, Yibing; Wang, Siqun

    2014-01-01

    Background The aim of this study was to contrast the collapse values of the postoperative weight-bearing areas of different tantalum rod implant positions, fibula implantation, and core decompression model and to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of tantalum rod implantation in different ranges of osteonecrosis in comparison with other methods. Material/Methods The 3D finite element method was used to establish the 3D finite element model of normal upper femur, 3D finite element model after tantalum rod implantation into different positions of the upper femur in different osteonecrosis ranges, and other 3D finite element models for simulating fibula implant and core decompression. Results The collapse values in the weight-bearing area of the femoral head of the tantalum rod implant model inside the osteonecrosis area, implant model in the middle of the osteonecrosis area, fibula implant model, and shortening implant model exhibited no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) when the osteonecrosis range was small (60°). The stress values on the artificial bone surface for the tantalum rod implant model inside the osteonecrosis area and the shortening implant model exhibited statistical significance (p<0.01). Conclusions Tantalum rod implantation into the osteonecrosis area can reduce the collapse values in the weight-bearing area when osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) was in a certain range, thereby obtaining better clinical effects. When ONFH was in a large range (120°), the tantalum rod implantation inside the osteonecrosis area, shortening implant or fibula implant can reduce the collapse values of the femoral head, as assessed by other methods. PMID:25479830

  5. Using a Standardized Clinical Quantitative Sensory Testing Battery to Judge the Clinical Relevance of Sensory Differences Between Adjacent Body Areas.

    PubMed

    Dimova, Violeta; Oertel, Bruno G; Lötsch, Jörn

    2017-01-01

    Skin sensitivity to sensory stimuli varies among different body areas. A standardized clinical quantitative sensory testing (QST) battery, established for the diagnosis of neuropathic pain, was used to assess whether the magnitude of differences between test sites reaches clinical significance. Ten different sensory QST measures derived from thermal and mechanical stimuli were obtained from 21 healthy volunteers (10 men) and used to create somatosensory profiles bilateral from the dorsum of the hands (the standard area for the assessment of normative values for the upper extremities as proposed by the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain) and bilateral at volar forearms as a neighboring nonstandard area. The parameters obtained were statistically compared between test sites. Three of the 10 QST parameters differed significantly with respect to the "body area," that is, warmth detection, thermal sensory limen, and mechanical pain thresholds. After z-transformation and interpretation according to the QST battery's standard instructions, 22 abnormal values were obtained at the hand. Applying the same procedure to parameters assessed at the nonstandard site forearm, that is, z-transforming them to the reference values for the hand, 24 measurements values emerged as abnormal, which was not significantly different compared with the hand (P=0.4185). Sensory differences between neighboring body areas are statistically significant, reproducing prior knowledge. This has to be considered in scientific assessments where a small variation of the tested body areas may not be an option. However, the magnitude of these differences was below the difference in sensory parameters that is judged as abnormal, indicating a robustness of the QST instrument against protocol deviations with respect to the test area when using the method of comparison with a 95 % confidence interval of a reference dataset.

  6. Ship detection using STFT sea background statistical modeling for large-scale oceansat remote sensing image

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Lixia; Pei, Jihong; Xie, Weixin; Liu, Jinyuan

    2018-03-01

    Large-scale oceansat remote sensing images cover a big area sea surface, which fluctuation can be considered as a non-stationary process. Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) is a suitable analysis tool for the time varying nonstationary signal. In this paper, a novel ship detection method using 2-D STFT sea background statistical modeling for large-scale oceansat remote sensing images is proposed. First, the paper divides the large-scale oceansat remote sensing image into small sub-blocks, and 2-D STFT is applied to each sub-block individually. Second, the 2-D STFT spectrum of sub-blocks is studied and the obvious different characteristic between sea background and non-sea background is found. Finally, the statistical model for all valid frequency points in the STFT spectrum of sea background is given, and the ship detection method based on the 2-D STFT spectrum modeling is proposed. The experimental result shows that the proposed algorithm can detect ship targets with high recall rate and low missing rate.

  7. Using Relative Statistics and Approximate Disease Prevalence to Compare Screening Tests.

    PubMed

    Samuelson, Frank; Abbey, Craig

    2016-11-01

    Schatzkin et al. and other authors demonstrated that the ratios of some conditional statistics such as the true positive fraction are equal to the ratios of unconditional statistics, such as disease detection rates, and therefore we can calculate these ratios between two screening tests on the same population even if negative test patients are not followed with a reference procedure and the true and false negative rates are unknown. We demonstrate that this same property applies to an expected utility metric. We also demonstrate that while simple estimates of relative specificities and relative areas under ROC curves (AUC) do depend on the unknown negative rates, we can write these ratios in terms of disease prevalence, and the dependence of these ratios on a posited prevalence is often weak particularly if that prevalence is small or the performance of the two screening tests is similar. Therefore we can estimate relative specificity or AUC with little loss of accuracy, if we use an approximate value of disease prevalence.

  8. Quality of water in the upper Ohio River basin and at Erie, Pennsylvania

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lewis, Samuel James

    1906-01-01

    This paper discusses the quality of water on the most important tributaries of Ohio River in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Maryland, and the nature of the water supply at Erie, Pa. The amount and character of the pollution is described and the results of drinking contaminated water as shown by typhoid statistics are indicated. The conditions on the tributaries of Ohio River in Ohio are discussed in Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 79, United States Geological Survey, pages 129-187. The water supplies and sewerage of small towns high up toward the head of a large drainage system do not in many cases receive the attention they should. Epidemics of a waterborne disease which affect large municipalities near the mouth of the river and therefore attract attention must necessarily have their origin in the pollution of the watershed above. It is evident, therefore, that adequate sanitation of the small towns and a water supply as carefully guarded as that of a large city would prevent disease at its very source and be far less expensive than the costly battles which are waged against epidemics in huge centers of population after disease has broken out. Typhoid fever statistics for small towns in this section are seldom available and are more or less unreliable at best. The few figures given show the existence of virulent typhoid fever in most towns of the drainage areas in certain years, and as these towns drain into the streams the liability ofthe water to infection is evident. The significance of typhoid fever death rates will be better understood from the statistics presented below, which have been collated from a number of cities having excellent water supplies.

  9. Characteristics of small areas with high rates of hospital-treated self-harm: deprived, fragmented and urban or just close to hospital? A national registry study.

    PubMed

    O'Farrell, I B; Corcoran, P; Perry, I J

    2015-02-01

    Previous research has shown an inconsistent relationship between the spatial distribution of hospital treated self-harm and area-level factors such as deprivation and social fragmentation. However, many of these studies have been confined to urban centres, with few focusing on rural settings and even fewer studies carried out at a national level. Furthermore, no previous research has investigated if travel time to hospital services can explain the area-level variation in the incidence of hospital treated self-harm. From 2009 to 2011, the Irish National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm collected data on self-harm presentations to all hospital emergency departments in the country. The Registry uses standard methods of case ascertainment and also geocodes patient addresses to small area geographical level. Negative binomial regression was used to explore the ecological relationship between area-level self-harm rates and various area-level factors. Deprivation, social fragmentation and population density had a positive linear association with self-harm, with deprivation having the strongest independent effect. Furthermore, self-harm incidence was found to be elevated in areas that had shorter journey times to hospital. However, while this association became attenuated after controlling for other area-level factors it still remained statistically significant. A subgroup analysis examining the effect of travel time on specific methods of self-harm, found that this effect was most marked for self-harm acts involving minor self-cutting. Self-harm incidence was influenced by proximity to hospital services, population density and social fragmentation; however, the strongest area-level predictor of self-harm was deprivation. 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.

  10. Meter-scale slopes of candidate MER landing sites from point photoclinometry

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Beyer, R.A.; McEwen, A.S.; Kirk, R.L.

    2003-01-01

    Photoclinometry was used to analyze the small-scale roughness of areas that fall within the proposed Mars Exploration Rover (MER) 2003 landing ellipses. The landing ellipses presented in this study were those in Athabasca Valles, Elysium Planitia, Eos Chasma, Gusev Crater, Isidis Planitia, Melas Chasma, and Meridiani Planum. We were able to constrain surface slopes on length scales comparable to the image resolution (1.5 to 12 m/pixel). The MER 2003 mission has various engineering constraints that each candidate landing ellipse must satisfy. These constraints indicate that the statistical slope values at 5 m baselines are an important criterion. We used our technique to constrain maximum surface slopes across large swaths of each image, and built up slope statistics for the images in each landing ellipse. We are confident that all MER 2003 landing site ellipses in this study, with the exception of the Melas Chasma ellipse, are within the small-scale roughness constraints. Our results have provided input into the landing hazard assessment process. In addition to evaluating the safety of the landing sites, our mapping of small-scale roughnesses can also be used to better define and map morphologic units. The morphology of a surface is characterized by the slope distribution and magnitude of slopes. In looking at how slopes are distributed, we can better define landforms and determine the boundaries of morphologic units. Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union.

  11. Unified risk analysis of fatigue failure in ductile alloy components during all three stages of fatigue crack evolution process.

    PubMed

    Patankar, Ravindra

    2003-10-01

    Statistical fatigue life of a ductile alloy specimen is traditionally divided into three stages, namely, crack nucleation, small crack growth, and large crack growth. Crack nucleation and small crack growth show a wide variation and hence a big spread on cycles versus crack length graph. Relatively, large crack growth shows a lesser variation. Therefore, different models are fitted to the different stages of the fatigue evolution process, thus treating different stages as different phenomena. With these independent models, it is impossible to predict one phenomenon based on the information available about the other phenomenon. Experimentally, it is easier to carry out crack length measurements of large cracks compared to nucleating cracks and small cracks. Thus, it is easier to collect statistical data for large crack growth compared to the painstaking effort it would take to collect statistical data for crack nucleation and small crack growth. This article presents a fracture mechanics-based stochastic model of fatigue crack growth in ductile alloys that are commonly encountered in mechanical structures and machine components. The model has been validated by Ray (1998) for crack propagation by various statistical fatigue data. Based on the model, this article proposes a technique to predict statistical information of fatigue crack nucleation and small crack growth properties that uses the statistical properties of large crack growth under constant amplitude stress excitation. The statistical properties of large crack growth under constant amplitude stress excitation can be obtained via experiments.

  12. a Novel Ship Detection Method for Large-Scale Optical Satellite Images Based on Visual Lbp Feature and Visual Attention Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haigang, Sui; Zhina, Song

    2016-06-01

    Reliably ship detection in optical satellite images has a wide application in both military and civil fields. However, this problem is very difficult in complex backgrounds, such as waves, clouds, and small islands. Aiming at these issues, this paper explores an automatic and robust model for ship detection in large-scale optical satellite images, which relies on detecting statistical signatures of ship targets, in terms of biologically-inspired visual features. This model first selects salient candidate regions across large-scale images by using a mechanism based on biologically-inspired visual features, combined with visual attention model with local binary pattern (CVLBP). Different from traditional studies, the proposed algorithm is high-speed and helpful to focus on the suspected ship areas avoiding the separation step of land and sea. Largearea images are cut into small image chips and analyzed in two complementary ways: Sparse saliency using visual attention model and detail signatures using LBP features, thus accordant with sparseness of ship distribution on images. Then these features are employed to classify each chip as containing ship targets or not, using a support vector machine (SVM). After getting the suspicious areas, there are still some false alarms such as microwaves and small ribbon clouds, thus simple shape and texture analysis are adopted to distinguish between ships and nonships in suspicious areas. Experimental results show the proposed method is insensitive to waves, clouds, illumination and ship size.

  13. Small mammal-heavy metal concentrations from mined and control sites

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, G.J.; Rongstad, O.J.

    1982-01-01

    Total body concentrations of zinc, copper, cadmium, lead, nickel, mercury and arsenic were determined for Peromyscus maniculatus and Microtus pennsylvanicus from an active zinc-copper mine near Timmins, Ontario, Canada, and a proposed zinc-copper mine near Crandon, Wisconsin, USA. Metal concentrations were evaluated with respect to area, species, sex and age groups. Metal concentrations in Peromyscus from the proposed mine site were not different from those collected in a third area where no mine or deposit exists. This is probably due to the 30 m of glacial material over the proposed mine site deposit. A statistical interaction between area, species, sex and age was observed for zinc and copper concentrations in small mammals we examined. Peromyscus from the mine site had consistently higher metal concentrations than Peromyscus from the control site. Greater total body cadmium and lead concentrations in adult?compared with juvenile?Peromyscus collected at the mine site suggests age-dependent accumulation of these toxic metals. Microtus did not exhibit this age-related response, and responded to other environmental metals more erratically and to a lesser degree. Differences in the response of these two species to environmental metal exposure may be due to differences in food habits. Nickel, mercury and arsenic concentrations in small mammals from the mine site were not different from controls. Heavy metal concentrations are also presented for Sorex cinereus, Blarina brevicauda and Zapus hudsonicus without respect to age and sex cohorts. Peromyscus may be a potentially important species for the monitoring of heavy metal pollution.

  14. Mechanical and statistical evidence of the causality of human-made mass shifts on the Earth's upper crust and the occurrence of earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klose, Christian D.

    2013-01-01

    A global catalog of small- to large-sized earthquakes was systematically analyzed to identify causality and correlatives between human-made mass shifts in the upper Earth's crust and the occurrence of earthquakes. The mass shifts, ranging between 1 kt and 1 Tt, result from large-scale geoengineering operations, including mining, water reservoirs, hydrocarbon production, fluid injection/extractions, deep geothermal energy production and coastal management. This article shows evidence that geomechanical relationships exist with statistical significance between (a) seismic moment magnitudes M of observed earthquakes, (b) lateral distances of the earthquake hypocenters to the geoengineering "operation points" and (c) mass removals or accumulations on the Earth's crust. Statistical findings depend on uncertainties, in particular, of source parameter estimations of seismic events before instrumental recoding. Statistical observations, however, indicate that every second, seismic event tends to occur after a decade. The chance of an earthquake to nucleate after 2 or 20 years near an area with a significant mass shift is 25 or 75 %, respectively. Moreover, causative effects of seismic activities highly depend on the tectonic stress regime in which the operations take place (i.e., extensive, transverse or compressive). Results are summarized as follows: First, seismic moment magnitudes increase the more mass is locally shifted on the Earth's crust. Second, seismic moment magnitudes increase the larger the area in the crust is geomechanically polluted. Third, reverse faults tend to be more trigger-sensitive than normal faults due to a stronger alteration of the minimum vertical principal stress component. Pure strike-slip faults seem to rupture randomly and independently from the magnitude of the mass changes. Finally, mainly due to high estimation uncertainties of source parameters and, in particular, of shallow seismic events (<10 km), it remains still very difficult to discriminate between induced and triggered earthquakes with respect to the data catalog of this study. However, first analyses indicate that small- to medium-sized earthquakes (M6) seem to be triggered. The rupture propagation of triggered events might be dominated by pre-existing tectonic stress conditions.

  15. Compact Quantum Random Number Generator with Silicon Nanocrystals Light Emitting Device Coupled to a Silicon Photomultiplier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bisadi, Zahra; Acerbi, Fabio; Fontana, Giorgio; Zorzi, Nicola; Piemonte, Claudio; Pucker, Georg; Pavesi, Lorenzo

    2018-02-01

    A small-sized photonic quantum random number generator, easy to be implemented in small electronic devices for secure data encryption and other applications, is highly demanding nowadays. Here, we propose a compact configuration with Silicon nanocrystals large area light emitting device (LED) coupled to a Silicon photomultiplier to generate random numbers. The random number generation methodology is based on the photon arrival time and is robust against the non-idealities of the detector and the source of quantum entropy. The raw data show high quality of randomness and pass all the statistical tests in national institute of standards and technology tests (NIST) suite without a post-processing algorithm. The highest bit rate is 0.5 Mbps with the efficiency of 4 bits per detected photon.

  16. Modular Classification of Endoscopic Endonasal Transsphenoidal Approaches to Sellar Region: Anatomic Quantitative Study.

    PubMed

    Belotti, Francesco; Doglietto, Francesco; Schreiber, Alberto; Ravanelli, Marco; Ferrari, Marco; Lancini, Davide; Rampinelli, Vittorio; Hirtler, Lena; Buffoli, Barbara; Bolzoni Villaret, Andrea; Maroldi, Roberto; Rodella, Luigi Fabrizio; Nicolai, Piero; Fontanella, Marco Maria

    2018-01-01

    Endoscopic visualization does not necessarily correspond to an adequate working space. The need for balancing invasiveness and adequacy of sellar tumor exposure has recently led to the description of multiple endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approaches. Comparative anatomic data on these variants are lacking. We sought to quantitatively compare endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approaches to the sella and parasellar region, using the concept of "surgical pyramid." Four endoscopic transsphenoidal approaches were performed in 10 injected specimens: 1) hemisphenoidotomy; 2) transrostral; 3) extended transrostral (with superior turbinectomy); and 4) extended transrostral with posterior ethmoidectomy. ApproachViewer software (part of GTx-Eyes II, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada) with a dedicated navigation system was used to quantify the surgical pyramid volume, as well as exposure of sellar and parasellar areas. Statistical analyses were performed with Friedman's tests and Nemenyi's procedure. Hemisphenoidotomy provided limited exposure of the sellar area and a small working volume. A transrostral approach was necessary to expose the entire sella. Exposure of lateral parasellar areas required superior turbinectomy or posterior ethmoidectomy. The differences between each of the modules was statistically significant. The present study validates, from an anatomic point of view, a modular classification of endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approaches to the sellar region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Identifying Potential Areas of Human Zika Infection in the City of Los Angeles, California by Use of Remote Sensing Imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, J.

    2017-12-01

    As of April 2017, California is the third most prevalent state on the United States for Zika Infection and Southern California has an ever growing population of Aedes mosquitos. Zika is a disease which poses a significant risk to humans and other mammals due to its effects on pregnancy. This emerging disease is highly contagious due to its spread of infection primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitos. Aedes mosquitos are able to breed in small rain collecting containers which allow the species to persevere in urban and semi urban environments. We hope to identify potential areas with risk of human infection within Los Angeles and its surrounding areas. This study integrates remote sensing, GIS, statistical, and environmental techniques to study favorable habitats for this particular species of mosquitos and their larvae. The study of the geographic and landscape factors which promote the larvae development allow for the disease spread to be analyzed and modeled. There are several goals in the development of this study. These include the coordination of statistical data with local epidemiology departments, identify workflows to improve efficiency, create models which can be utilized for disease prevention, and identify geographic risk factors for the spread of Zika.

  18. Low back pain media campaign: no effect on sickness behaviour.

    PubMed

    Werner, Erik L; Ihlebaek, Camilla; Laerum, Even; Wormgoor, Marjon E A; Indahl, Aage

    2008-05-01

    To evaluate the effect of a media campaign on popular beliefs about LBP, and eventual changes in sick leave, imaging examinations, and surgery. Quasi-experimental telephone survey of 1500 randomly chosen people before, during, and after a media campaign in two Norwegian counties, with residents of an adjacent county as the control group. Data on sickness absence, surgery rates for disc herniation and imaging examinations on LBP in the area were collected at the same intervals. The campaign led to a small but statistically significant shift in beliefs about LBP in the general public. In particular, beliefs about the use of X-rays, and the importance of remaining active and at work, seemed to have changed in response to the campaign messages. However, this change in attitude and understanding of the condition did not lead to any corresponding change in sickness behaviour. Although the media campaign seemed to somewhat improve beliefs about LBP in the general public, the magnitude of this was too small to produce any significant change in behaviour. A media campaign on LBP should not be limited to small areas and low-budget. A much larger investment is needed for a media campaign to have sufficient impact on public's beliefs on LBP to lead to altered sickness behaviour.

  19. A planktonic diatom displays genetic structure over small spatial scales.

    PubMed

    Sefbom, Josefin; Kremp, Anke; Rengefors, Karin; Jonsson, Per R; Sjöqvist, Conny; Godhe, Anna

    2018-04-03

    Marine planktonic microalgae have potentially global dispersal, yet reduced gene flow has been confirmed repeatedly for several species. Over larger distances (>200 km) geographic isolation and restricted oceanographic connectivity have been recognized as instrumental in driving population divergence. Here we investigated whether similar patterns, that is, structured populations governed by geographic isolation and/or oceanographic connectivity, can be observed at smaller (6-152 km) geographic scales. To test this we established 425 clonal cultures of the planktonic diatom Skeletonema marinoi collected from 11 locations in the Archipelago Sea (northern Baltic Sea). The region is characterized by a complex topography, entailing several mixing regions of which four were included in the sampling area. Using eight microsatellite markers and conventional F-statistics, significant genetic differentiation was observed between several sites. Moreover, Bayesian cluster analysis revealed the co-occurrence of two genetic groups spread throughout the area. However, geographic isolation and oceanographic connectivity could not explain the genetic patterns observed. Our data reveal hierarchical genetic structuring whereby despite high dispersal potential, significantly diverged populations have developed over small spatial scales. Our results suggest that biological characteristics and historical events may be more important in generating barriers to gene flow than physical barriers at small spatial scales. © 2018 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene C677T and A1298C polymorphisms in patients with small cell and non-small cell lung cancer.

    PubMed

    Siemianowicz, Krzysztof; Gminski, Jan; Garczorz, Wojciech; Slabiak, Natalia; Goss, Malgorzata; Machalski, Marek; Magiera-Molendowska, Helena

    2003-01-01

    Two mutations of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene (C677T and A1298C) may lead to a decreased activity of the enzyme. These mutations may change a risk of some cancers. We evaluated these two polymorphisms of MTHFR in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NCSCL). All lung cancer patients had statistically significantly higher percentage of MTHFR 677TT genotype in comparison with non-cancer controls. There were no statistically significant differences in the distribution of MTHFR 1298 genotypes. Neither of the polymorphisms presented any statistically significant differences between SCLC and NSCLC.

  1. Detecting Answer Copying Using Alternate Test Forms and Seat Locations in Small-Scale Examinations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van der Ark, L. Andries; Emons, Wilco H. M.; Sijtsma, Klaas

    2008-01-01

    Two types of answer-copying statistics for detecting copiers in small-scale examinations are proposed. One statistic identifies the "copier-source" pair, and the other in addition suggests who is copier and who is source. Both types of statistics can be used when the examination has alternate test forms. A simulation study shows that the…

  2. The Potential of Combined Heat and Power Generation, Wind Power Generation and Load Management Techniques for Cost Reduction in Small Electricity Supply Systems.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bass, Jeremy Hugh

    Available from UMI in association with The British Library. Requires signed TDF. An evaluation is made of the potential fuel and financial savings possible when a small, autonomous diesel system sized to meet the demands of an individual, domestic consumer is adapted to include: (1) combined heat and power (CHP) generation, (2) wind turbine generation, (3) direct load control. The potential of these three areas is investigated by means of time-step simulation modelling on a microcomputer. Models are used to evaluate performance and a Net Present Value analysis used to assess costs. A cost/benefit analysis then enables those areas, or combination of areas, that facilitate and greatest savings to be identified. The modelling work is supported by experience gained from the following: (1) field study of the Lundy Island wind/diesel system, (2) laboratory testing of a small diesel generator set, (3) study of a diesel based CHP unit, (4) study of a diesel based direct load control system, (5) statistical analysis of data obtained from the long-term monitoring of a large number of individual household's electricity consumption. Rather than consider the consumer's electrical demand in isolation, a more flexible approach is adopted, with consumer demand being regarded as the sum of primarily two components: a small, electricity demand for essential services and a large, reschedulable demand for heating/cooling. The results of the study indicate that: (1) operating a diesel set in a CHP mode is the best strategy for both financial and fuel savings. A simple retrofit enables overall conversion efficiencies to be increased from 25% to 60%, or greater, at little cost. (2) wind turbine generation in association with direct load control is a most effective combination. (3) a combination of both the above areas enables greatest overall financial savings, in favourable winds resulting in unit energy costs around 20% of those of diesel only operation.

  3. A comparison of confidence/credible interval methods for the area under the ROC curve for continuous diagnostic tests with small sample size.

    PubMed

    Feng, Dai; Cortese, Giuliana; Baumgartner, Richard

    2017-12-01

    The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is frequently used as a measure of accuracy of continuous markers in diagnostic tests. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is arguably the most widely used summary index for the ROC curve. Although the small sample size scenario is common in medical tests, a comprehensive study of small sample size properties of various methods for the construction of the confidence/credible interval (CI) for the AUC has been by and large missing in the literature. In this paper, we describe and compare 29 non-parametric and parametric methods for the construction of the CI for the AUC when the number of available observations is small. The methods considered include not only those that have been widely adopted, but also those that have been less frequently mentioned or, to our knowledge, never applied to the AUC context. To compare different methods, we carried out a simulation study with data generated from binormal models with equal and unequal variances and from exponential models with various parameters and with equal and unequal small sample sizes. We found that the larger the true AUC value and the smaller the sample size, the larger the discrepancy among the results of different approaches. When the model is correctly specified, the parametric approaches tend to outperform the non-parametric ones. Moreover, in the non-parametric domain, we found that a method based on the Mann-Whitney statistic is in general superior to the others. We further elucidate potential issues and provide possible solutions to along with general guidance on the CI construction for the AUC when the sample size is small. Finally, we illustrate the utility of different methods through real life examples.

  4. 77 FR 60321 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 620 in the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-03

    ... Statistical Area 620 of the GOA. Based on fleet capacity and potentially high levels of fleet participation in... Statistical Area 620 in the Gulf of Alaska AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic... prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 620 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is...

  5. 76 FR 11393 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-02

    ... Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic.... SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA... catch (TAC) of pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time...

  6. 76 FR 10779 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 610 in the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-28

    ... Statistical Area 610 in the Gulf of Alaska AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic.... SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA... pollock in Statistical Area 610 of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t...

  7. Assessing land-use history for reporting on cropland dynamics - A case study using the Land-Parcel Identification System in Ireland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zimmermann, Jesko; González, Ainhoa; Jones, Michael; O'Brien, Phillip; Stout, Jane C.; Green, Stuart

    2016-04-01

    In developed countries, cropland and grassland conversions and management can be a major factor in Land Use and Land Use Change (LULUC) related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) dynamics. Depending on land use, management and factors such as soil properties land can either act as source or sink for GHGs. Currently many countries depend on national statistics combined with socio-economic modelling to assess current land use as well as inter-annual changes. This potentially introduces a bias as it neither provides information on direct land- use change trajectories nor spatially explicit information to assess the environmental context. In order to improve reporting countries are shifting towards high resolution spatial datasets. In this case study, we used the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), a pan-European geographical database developed to assist farmers and authorities with agricultural subsidies, to analyse cropland dynamics in Ireland. The database offer high spatial resolution and is updated annually. Generally Ireland is considered grassland dominated with 90 % of its agricultural area under permanent grassland, and only a small area dedicated to cropland. However an in-depth analysis of the LPIS for the years 2000 to 2012 showed strong underlying dynamics. While the annual area reported as cropland remained relatively constant at 3752.3 ± 542.3 km2, the area of permanent cropland was only 1251.9 km2. Reversely, the area that was reported as cropland for at least one year during the timeframe was 7373.4 km2, revealing a significantly higher area with cropland history than annual statistics would suggest. Furthermore, the analysis showed that one quarter of the land converting from or to cropland will return to the previous land use within a year. To demonstrate potential policy impact, we assessed cropland/grassland dynamics from the 2008 to 2012 commitment period using (a) annual statistics, and (b) data including land use history derived from LPIS. Under current reporting standards temporary grassland is considered cropland for reporting purposes. Therefore taking land use history into account increases the area reported as cropland in 2008 by 45.7 % and the area remaining cropland in 2012 by 17.5 % compared to using annual statistics. In conclusion we showed that high resolution spatial datasets are an important tool to better understand land use dynamics, and can directly improve national GHG accounting efforts. Furthermore, knowledge of land use history is important to assess local GHG dynamics, and can therefore contribute to ultimately progress reporting to higher Tier level reporting.

  8. Fast and low-cost method for VBES bathymetry generation in coastal areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez-Carnero, N.; Aceña, S.; Rodríguez-Pérez, D.; Couñago, E.; Fraile, P.; Freire, J.

    2012-12-01

    Sea floor topography is key information in coastal area management. Nowadays, LiDAR and multibeam technologies provide accurate bathymetries in those areas; however these methodologies are yet too expensive for small customers (fishermen associations, small research groups) willing to keep a periodic surveillance of environmental resources. In this paper, we analyse a simple methodology for vertical beam echosounder (VBES) bathymetric data acquisition and postprocessing, using low-cost means and free customizable tools such as ECOSONS and gvSIG (that is compared with industry standard ArcGIS). Echosounder data was filtered, resampled and, interpolated (using kriging or radial basis functions). Moreover, the presented methodology includes two data correction processes: Monte Carlo simulation, used to reduce GPS errors, and manually applied bathymetric line transformations, both improving the obtained results. As an example, we present the bathymetry of the Ría de Cedeira (Galicia, NW Spain), a good testbed area for coastal bathymetry methodologies given its extension and rich topography. The statistical analysis, performed by direct ground-truthing, rendered an upper bound of 1.7 m error, at 95% confidence level, and 0.7 m r.m.s. (cross-validation provided 30 cm and 25 cm, respectively). The methodology presented is fast and easy to implement, accurate outside transects (accuracy can be estimated), and can be used as a low-cost periodical monitoring method.

  9. Design of the low area monotonic trim DAC in 40 nm CMOS technology for pixel readout chips

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drozd, A.; Szczygiel, R.; Maj, P.; Satlawa, T.; Grybos, P.

    2014-12-01

    The recent research in hybrid pixel detectors working in single photon counting mode focuses on nanometer or 3D technologies which allow making pixels smaller and implementing more complex solutions in each of the pixels. Usually single pixel in readout electronics for X-ray detection comprises of charge amplifier, shaper and discriminator that allow classification of events occurring at the detector as true or false hits by comparing amplitude of the signal obtained with threshold voltage, which minimizes the influence of noise effects. However, making the pixel size smaller often causes problems with pixel to pixel uniformity and additional effects like charge sharing become more visible. To improve channel-to-channel uniformity or implement an algorithm for charge sharing effect minimization, small area trimming DACs working in each pixel independently are necessary. However, meeting the requirement of small area often results in poor linearity and even non-monotonicity. In this paper we present a novel low-area thermometer coded 6-bit DAC implemented in 40 nm CMOS technology. Monte Carlo simulations were performed on the described design proving that under all conditions designed DAC is inherently monotonic. Presented DAC was implemented in the prototype readout chip with 432 pixels working in single photon counting mode, with two trimming DACs in each pixel. Each DAC occupies the area of 8 μm × 18.5 μm. Measurements and chips' tests were performed to obtain reliable statistical results.

  10. Mapping air quality zones for coastal urban centers.

    PubMed

    Freeman, Brian; Gharabaghi, Bahram; Thé, Jesse; Munshed, Mohammad; Faisal, Shah; Abdullah, Meshal; Al Aseed, Athari

    2017-05-01

    This study presents a new method that incorporates modern air dispersion models allowing local terrain and land-sea breeze effects to be considered along with political and natural boundaries for more accurate mapping of air quality zones (AQZs) for coastal urban centers. This method uses local coastal wind patterns and key urban air pollution sources in each zone to more accurately calculate air pollutant concentration statistics. The new approach distributes virtual air pollution sources within each small grid cell of an area of interest and analyzes a puff dispersion model for a full year's worth of 1-hr prognostic weather data. The difference of wind patterns in coastal and inland areas creates significantly different skewness (S) and kurtosis (K) statistics for the annually averaged pollutant concentrations at ground level receptor points for each grid cell. Plotting the S-K data highlights grouping of sources predominantly impacted by coastal winds versus inland winds. The application of the new method is demonstrated through a case study for the nation of Kuwait by developing new AQZs to support local air management programs. The zone boundaries established by the S-K method were validated by comparing MM5 and WRF prognostic meteorological weather data used in the air dispersion modeling, a support vector machine classifier was trained to compare results with the graphical classification method, and final zones were compared with data collected from Earth observation satellites to confirm locations of high-exposure-risk areas. The resulting AQZs are more accurate and support efficient management strategies for air quality compliance targets effected by local coastal microclimates. A novel method to determine air quality zones in coastal urban areas is introduced using skewness (S) and kurtosis (K) statistics calculated from grid concentrations results of air dispersion models. The method identifies land-sea breeze effects that can be used to manage local air quality in areas of similar microclimates.

  11. Investigation of seismicity after the initiation of a Seismic Electric Signal activity until the main shock

    PubMed Central

    Sarlis, N. V.; Skordas, E. S.; Lazaridou, M. S.; Varotsos, P. A.

    2008-01-01

    The behavior of seismicity in the area candidate to suffer a main shock is investigated after the observation of the Seismic Electric Signal activity until the impending main shock. This is based on the view that the occurrence of earthquakes is a critical phenomenon to which statistical dynamics may be applied. In the present work, analysing the time series of small earthquakes, the concept of natural time χ was used and the results revealed that the approach to criticality itself can be manifested by the probability density function (PDF) of κ1 calculated over an appropriate statistical ensemble. Here, κ1 is the variance κ1(= 〈χ2〉 − 〈χ〉2) resulting from the power spectrum of a function defined as Φ(ω)=∑k=1Npkexp(iωχk), where pk is the normalized energy of the k-th small earthquake and ω the natural frequency. This PDF exhibits a maximum at κ1 ≈ 0.070 a few days before the main shock. Examples are presented, referring to the magnitude 6∼7 class earthquakes that occurred in Greece. PMID:18941306

  12. Operational water management applications of snowcovered area observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rango, A.; Salomonson, V. V.; Foster, J. L.

    1975-01-01

    An effort was made to evaluate the utility of satellite snowcover observations for seasonal streamflow prediction. On a representative, large watershed(10 to the 5th power to 10 to the sixth power sq km) it was found, based on six years of data, that meteorological satellite observations of snow cover early in the snowmelt season exhibit a relationship to seasonal runoff having a statistically significant coefficient of determination of 0.92. Analyses of LANDSAT-1 snow-cover observations over the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming reveals that for areas with infrequent cloud cover the extent of snowcover and its change with time can be monitored on watersheds as small as 10 sq km in areal extent. The change in the snow cover with time as observed from LANDSAT-1 is found to reflect major differences in seasonal runoff from high altitude (mean altitude 3 km) and low altitude ( 3 km) watersheds. There are quantitative indications that LANDSAT observations over small watersheds could be used in a manner similar to that employed for meteorological satellite observations to relate the percent of a basin snowcovered on a given data to seasonal runoff.

  13. Scranton 1/sup 0/ x 2/sup 0/ NTMS area: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Preliminary basic data report. National Uranium Resource Evaluation Program. Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance

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

    Ferguson, R.B.; Tones, P.L.

    1978-11-01

    Stream sediment and stream water samples were collected from small streams at 980 sites for a nominal density of one site per 18 square kilometers in rural areas. Ground water samples were collected at 1251 sites for a nominal density of one site per 13 square kilometers. Neutron activation analysis results are given for uranium and 16 other elements in sediments, and for uranium and 9 other elements in ground water and surface water. Field measurements and observations are reported for each site. Analytical data and field measurements are presented in tables and maps. Statistical summaries of data and amore » brief description of results are given. A generalized geologic map and a summary of the geology of the area are included.« less

  14. EU energy policies achievement by industries in decentralized areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Destro, Nicola; Stoppato, Anna; Benato, Alberto; Schiro, Fabio

    2017-11-01

    Energy Roadmap outlined by the European Commission sets out several routes for a more sustainable, competitive and secure energy system in 2050. All the outlined scenarios consider energy efficiency, renewable energy, nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage. In this paper, more attention has been devoted to the energy efficiency issue, by the identification of new micro and small networks opportunity fed by hybrid plants in the North-East of Italy. National energy balance and national transmission system operator data allowed to collect industrial energy consumptions data on the investigated area. Applying industrial statistics to the local energy needs allows to collect a dataset including consumption information by factory and by company structure (size and employees) for each industrial sector highlighting the factory density in the area. Preliminary outcomes from the model address to the exploitation of local by-product for energy purposes.

  15. Commuting to work: RN travel time to employment in rural and urban areas.

    PubMed

    Rosenberg, Marie-Claire; Corcoran, Sean P; Kovner, Christine; Brewer, Carol

    2011-02-01

    To investigate the variation in average daily travel time to work among registered nurses (RNs) living in urban, suburban, and rural areas. We examine how travel time varies across RN characteristics, job setting, and availability of local employment opportunities. Descriptive statistics and linear regression using a 5% sample from the 2000 Census and a longitudinal survey of newly licensed RNs (NLRN). Travel time for NLRN respondents was estimated using geographic information systems (GIS) software. In the NLRN, rural nurses and those living in small towns had significantly longer average commute times. Young married RNs and RNs with children also tended to have longer commute times, as did RNs employed by hospitals. The findings indicate that travel time to work varies significantly across locale types. Further research is needed to understand whether and to what extent lengthy commute times impact RN workforce needs in rural and urban areas.

  16. When Will the Antarctic Ozone Hole Recover?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Newman, Paul A.

    2006-01-01

    The Antarctic ozone hole demonstrates large-scale, man-made affects on our atmosphere. Surface observations now show that human produced ozone depleting substances (ODSs) are declining. The ozone hole should soon start to diminish because of this decline. In this talk we will demonstrate an ozone hole parametric model. This model is based upon: 1) a new algorithm for estimating 61 and Br levels over Antarctica and 2) late-spring Antarctic stratospheric temperatures. This parametric model explains 95% of the ozone hole area's variance. We use future ODS levels to predict ozone hole recovery. Full recovery to 1980 levels will occur in approximately 2068. The ozone hole area will very slowly decline over the next 2 decades. Detection of a statistically significant decrease of area will not occur until approximately 2024. We further show that nominal Antarctic stratospheric greenhouse gas forced temperature change should have a small impact on the ozone hole.

  17. When Will the Antarctic Ozone Hole Recover?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Newman, Paul A.; Nash, Eric R.; Kawa, S. Randolph; Montzka, Stephen A.; Schauffler, Sue

    2006-01-01

    The Antarctic ozone hole demonstrates large-scale, man-made affects on our atmosphere. Surface observations now show that human produced ozone depleting substances (ODSs) are declining. The ozone hole should soon start to diminish because of this decline. Herein we demonstrate an ozone hole parametric model. This model is based upon: 1) a new algorithm for estimating C1 and Br levels over Antarctica and 2) late-spring Antarctic stratospheric temperatures. This parametric model explains 95% of the ozone hole area s variance. We use future ODS levels to predict ozone hole recovery. Full recovery to 1980 levels will occur in approximately 2068. The ozone hole area will very slowly decline over the next 2 decades. Detection of a statistically significant decrease of area will not occur until approximately 2024. We further show that nominal Antarctic stratospheric greenhouse gas forced temperature change should have a small impact on the ozone hole.

  18. Neuronal couplings between retinal ganglion cells inferred by efficient inverse statistical physics methods

    PubMed Central

    Cocco, Simona; Leibler, Stanislas; Monasson, Rémi

    2009-01-01

    Complexity of neural systems often makes impracticable explicit measurements of all interactions between their constituents. Inverse statistical physics approaches, which infer effective couplings between neurons from their spiking activity, have been so far hindered by their computational complexity. Here, we present 2 complementary, computationally efficient inverse algorithms based on the Ising and “leaky integrate-and-fire” models. We apply those algorithms to reanalyze multielectrode recordings in the salamander retina in darkness and under random visual stimulus. We find strong positive couplings between nearby ganglion cells common to both stimuli, whereas long-range couplings appear under random stimulus only. The uncertainty on the inferred couplings due to limitations in the recordings (duration, small area covered on the retina) is discussed. Our methods will allow real-time evaluation of couplings for large assemblies of neurons. PMID:19666487

  19. Water Interfaces, Solvation, and Spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Geissler, Phillip L.

    2013-04-01

    Liquid water consistently expands our appreciation of the rich statistical mechanics that can emerge from simple molecular constituents. Here I review several interrelated areas of recent work on aqueous systems that aim to explore and explain this richness by revealing molecular arrangements, their thermodynamic origins, and the timescales on which they change. Vibrational spectroscopy of OH stretching features prominently in these discussions, with an emphasis on efforts to establish connections between spectroscopic signals and statistics of intermolecular structure. For bulk solutions, the results of these efforts largely verify and enrich existing physical pictures of hydrogen-bond network connectivity, dynamics, and response. For water at interfaces, such pictures are still emerging. As an important example I discuss the solvation of small ions at the air-water interface, whose surface propensities challenge a basic understanding of how aqueous fluctuations accommodate solutes in heterogeneous environments.

  20. Total Phosphorus Loads for Selected Tributaries to Sebago Lake, Maine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hodgkins, Glenn A.

    2001-01-01

    The streamflow and water-quality datacollection networks of the Portland Water District (PWD) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as of February 2000 were analyzed in terms of their applicability for estimating total phosphorus loads for selected tributaries to Sebago Lake in southern Maine. The long-term unit-area mean annual flows for the Songo River and for small, ungaged tributaries are similar to the long-term unit-area mean annual flows for the Crooked River and other gaged tributaries to Sebago Lake, based on a regression equation that estimates mean annual streamflows in Maine. Unit-area peak streamflows of Sebago Lake tributaries can be quite different, based on a regression equation that estimates peak streamflows for Maine. Crooked River had a statistically significant positive relation (Kendall's Tau test, p=0.0004) between streamflow and total phosphorus concentration. Panther Run had a statistically significant negative relation (p=0.0015). Significant positive relations may indicate contributions from nonpoint sources or sediment resuspension, whereas significant negative relations may indicate dilution of point sources. Total phosphorus concentrations were significantly larger in the Crooked River than in the Songo River (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, p<0.0001). Evidence was insufficient, however, to indicate that phosphorus concentrations from medium-sized drainage basins, at a significance level of 0.05, were different from each other or that concentrations in small-sized drainage basins were different from each other (Kruskal-Wallis test, p= 0.0980, 0.1265). All large- and medium-sized drainage basins were sampled for total phosphorus approximately monthly. Although not all small drainage basins were sampled, they may be well represented by the small drainage basins that were sampled. If the tributaries gaged by PWD had adequate streamflow data, the current PWD tributary monitoring program would probably produce total phosphorus loading data that would represent all gaged and ungaged tributaries to Sebago Lake. Outside the PWD tributary-monitoring program, the largest ungaged tributary to Sebago Lake contains 1.5 percent of the area draining to the lake. In the absence of unique point or nonpoint sources of phosphorus, ungaged tributaries are unlikely to have total phosphorus concentrations that differ significantly from those in the small tributaries that have concentration data. The regression method, also known as the rating-curve method, was used to estimate the annual total phosphorus load for Crooked River, Northwest River, and Rich Mill Pond Outlet for water years 1996-98. The MOVE.1 method was used to estimate daily streamflows for the regression method at Northwest River and Rich Mill Pond Outlet, where streamflows were not continuously monitored. An averaging method also was used to compute annual loads at the three sites. The difference between the regression estimate and the averaging estimate for each of the three tributaries was consistent with what was expected from previous studies.

  1. 77 FR 16950 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-23

    ... Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic.... SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA... catch of pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t...

  2. 78 FR 17886 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-25

    ... Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic.... SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA... Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 22, 2013...

  3. 76 FR 13097 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-10

    ... Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf of Alaska AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic.... SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA... pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), March 7...

  4. Water demand-supply analysis in a large spatial area based on the processes of evapotranspiration and runoff

    PubMed Central

    Maruyama, Toshisuke

    2007-01-01

    To estimate the amount of evapotranspiration in a river basin, the “short period water balance method” was formulated. Then, by introducing the “complementary relationship method,” the amount of evapotranspiration was estimated seasonally, and with reasonable accuracy, for both small and large areas. Moreover, to accurately estimate river discharge in the low water season, the “weighted statistical unit hydrograph method” was proposed and a procedure for the calculation of the unit hydrograph was developed. Also, a new model, based on the “equivalent roughness method,” was successfully developed for the estimation of flood runoff from newly reclaimed farmlands. Based on the results of this research, a “composite reservoir model” was formulated to analyze the repeated use of irrigation water in large spatial areas. The application of this model to a number of watershed areas provided useful information with regard to the realities of water demand-supply systems in watersheds predominately dedicated to paddy fields, in Japan. PMID:24367144

  5. Randomized Controlled Trial of Cholestyramine and Hydrotalcite to Eliminate Bile for Capsule Endoscopy

    PubMed Central

    Hong-Bin, Chen; Yue, Huang; Chun, Huang; Shu-Ping, Xiao; Yue, Zhang; Xiao-Lin, Li

    2016-01-01

    Background/Aims: Bile is the main cause of poor bowel preparation for capsule endoscopy (CE). We aimed to determine whether cholestyramine and hydrotalcite can eliminate bile in the bowel. Patients and Methods: Patients undergoing CE were randomized into two groups. Group A patients (n = 75) recieved 250 mL 20% mannitol and 1 L 0.9% saline orally at 20:00 hours on the day before and at 05:00 hours on the day of CE and 20 mL simethicone 30 min before CE. Group B patients (n = 73) were treated identically, except for taking oral cholestyramine and hydrotalcite, starting 3 days before CE. Greenish luminal contents were assessed by four tissue color bar segments using Color Area Statistics software. Bowel cleanliness was evaluated by visualized area percentage assessment of cleansing (AAC) score. Result: Bowel cleanliness (82.7% [62/75] vs 46.6% [34/73]; χ2 = 14.596, P = 0.000). and detected greenish luminal contents (20.0% [15/75] vs 8.2% [6/73]; χ2 = 4.217, P = 0.040) were significantly greater in Group A than in Group B. Greenish luminal contents in the two groups differed significantly in the captured small-bowel (t = −13.74, P = 0.000) segments and proximal small-bowel (t = −0.7365, P = 0.000) segments, but not for the distal small-bowel (t = −0.552, P = 0.581) segments. Conclusions: Cholestyramine and hydrotalcite were ineffective in eliminating bile and improving small-bowel preparation. PMID:26997218

  6. Spatio-temporal analysis of annual rainfall in Crete, Greece

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varouchakis, Emmanouil A.; Corzo, Gerald A.; Karatzas, George P.; Kotsopoulou, Anastasia

    2018-03-01

    Analysis of rainfall data from the island of Crete, Greece was performed to identify key hydrological years and return periods as well as to analyze the inter-annual behavior of the rainfall variability during the period 1981-2014. The rainfall spatial distribution was also examined in detail to identify vulnerable areas of the island. Data analysis using statistical tools and spectral analysis were applied to investigate and interpret the temporal course of the available rainfall data set. In addition, spatial analysis techniques were applied and compared to determine the rainfall spatial distribution on the island of Crete. The analysis presented that in contrast to Regional Climate Model estimations, rainfall rates have not decreased, while return periods vary depending on seasonality and geographic location. A small but statistical significant increasing trend was detected in the inter-annual rainfall variations as well as a significant rainfall cycle almost every 8 years. In addition, statistically significant correlation of the island's rainfall variability with the North Atlantic Oscillation is identified for the examined period. On the other hand, regression kriging method combining surface elevation as secondary information improved the estimation of the annual rainfall spatial variability on the island of Crete by 70% compared to ordinary kriging. The rainfall spatial and temporal trends on the island of Crete have variable characteristics that depend on the geographical area and on the hydrological period.

  7. Detecting temperature fluctuations at equilibrium.

    PubMed

    Dixit, Purushottam D

    2015-05-21

    The Gibbs and the Boltzmann definition of temperature agree only in the macroscopic limit. The ambiguity in identifying the equilibrium temperature of a finite-sized 'small' system exchanging energy with a bath is usually understood as a limitation of conventional statistical mechanics. We interpret this ambiguity as resulting from a stochastically fluctuating temperature coupled with the phase space variables giving rise to a broad temperature distribution. With this ansatz, we develop the equilibrium statistics and dynamics of small systems. Numerical evidence using an analytically tractable model shows that the effects of temperature fluctuations can be detected in the equilibrium and dynamical properties of the phase space of the small system. Our theory generalizes statistical mechanics to small systems relevant in biophysics and nanotechnology.

  8. 2016 American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Areas (AIANNH) Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The TIGER/Line shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line shapefile is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. The American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian (AIANNH) Areas Shapefile includes the following legal entities: federally recognized American Indian reservations and off-reservation trust land areas, state-recognized American Indian reservations, and Hawaiian home lands (HHLs). The statistical entities included are Alaska Native village statistical areas (ANVSAs), Oklahoma tribal statistical areas (OTSAs), tribal designated statistical areas (TDSAs), and state designated tribal statistical areas (SDTSAs). Joint use areas are also included in this shapefile refer to areas that are administered jointly and/or claimed by two or more American Indian tribes. The Census Bureau designates both legal and statistical joint use areas as unique geographic entities for the purpose of presenting statistical data. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) provides the list of federally recognized tribes and only provides legal boundary infor

  9. 76 FR 81984 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Local Area...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-29

    ... for OMB Review; Comment Request; Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY... collection request (ICR) titled, ``Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program,'' to the Office of Management... of Collection: Local Area Unemployment Statistics Program. OMB Control Number: 1220-0017. Affected...

  10. Metro U.S.A. Data Sheet: Population Estimates and Selected Demographic Indicators for the Metropolitan Areas of the United States. Special edition of the United States Population Data Sheet.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Population Reference Bureau, Inc., Washington, DC.

    This poster-size data sheet presents population estimates and selected demographic indicators for the nation's 281 metropolitan areas. These areas are divided into 261 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and 20 Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (CMSAs), reporting units which replace the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (SMSAs)…

  11. 78 FR 61990 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 620 in the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-10

    ... catch (TAC) of pollock in Statistical Area 620 of the GOA is 51,444 metric tons (mt) as established by... Statistical Area 620 is 52,964 mt (51,444 mt plus 1,520 mt). In accordance with Sec. 679.20(d)(1)(i), the... Statistical Area 620 in the Gulf of Alaska AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic...

  12. Statistical characterization of discrete conservative systems: The web map

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruiz, Guiomar; Tirnakli, Ugur; Borges, Ernesto P.; Tsallis, Constantino

    2017-10-01

    We numerically study the two-dimensional, area preserving, web map. When the map is governed by ergodic behavior, it is, as expected, correctly described by Boltzmann-Gibbs statistics, based on the additive entropic functional SB G[p (x ) ] =-k ∫d x p (x ) lnp (x ) . In contrast, possible ergodicity breakdown and transitory sticky dynamical behavior drag the map into the realm of generalized q statistics, based on the nonadditive entropic functional Sq[p (x ) ] =k 1/-∫d x [p(x ) ] q q -1 (q ∈R ;S1=SB G ). We statistically describe the system (probability distribution of the sum of successive iterates, sensitivity to the initial condition, and entropy production per unit time) for typical values of the parameter that controls the ergodicity of the map. For small (large) values of the external parameter K , we observe q -Gaussian distributions with q =1.935 ⋯ (Gaussian distributions), like for the standard map. In contrast, for intermediate values of K , we observe a different scenario, due to the fractal structure of the trajectories embedded in the chaotic sea. Long-standing non-Gaussian distributions are characterized in terms of the kurtosis and the box-counting dimension of chaotic sea.

  13. 50 CFR 679.25 - Inseason adjustments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... area. (iii) Adjustment of TAC and PSC limits. (iv) Interim closures of statistical areas, or portions... of a statistical area, or portion thereof, under paragraph (a)(1)(iv) of this section, must be based... bycatch rates of prohibited species specified under § 679.21(b) in a statistical area, or portion thereof...

  14. Quantification of mitral regurgitation using proximal isovelocity surface area method in dogs.

    PubMed

    Choi, Hojung; Lee, Kichang; Lee, Heechun; Lee, Youngwon; Chang, Dongwoo; Eom, Kidong; Youn, Hwayoung; Choi, Mincheol; Yoon, Junghee

    2004-06-01

    The present study was performed to determine the accuracy and reproducibility of calculating the mitral regurgitant orifice area with the proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method in dogs with experimental mitral regurgitation and in canine patients with chronic mitral insufficiency and to evaluate the effect of general anesthesia on mitral regurgitation. Eight adult, Beagle dogs for experimental mitral regurgitation and 11 small breed dogs with spontaneous mitral regurgitation were used. In 8 Beagle dogs, mild mitral regurgitation was created by disrupting mitral chordae or leaflets. Effective regurgitant orifice (ERO) area was measured by the PISA method and compared with the measurements simultaneously obtained by quantitative Doppler echocardiography 4 weeks after creation of mitral regurgitation. The same procedure was performed in 11 patients with isolated mitral regurgitation and in 8 Beagle dogs under two different protocols of general anesthesia. ERO and regurgitant stroke volume (RSV) by the PISA method correlated well with values by the quantitative Doppler technique with a small error in experimental dogs (r = 0.914 and r = 0.839) and 11 patients (r = 0.990 and r = 0.996). The isoflurane anesthetic echocardiography demonstrated a significant decrease of RSV, and there was no significant change in fractional shortening (FS), ERO area, LV end-diastolic and LV end-systolic volume. ERO area showed increasing tendency after ketamine-xylazine administration, but not statistically significant. RSV, LV end-systolic and LV end-diastolic volume increased significantly (p < 0.01), whereas FS significantly decreased (p < 0.01). The PISA method is accurate and reproducible in experimental mitral regurgitation model and in a clinical setting. ERO area is considered and preferred as a hemodynamic-nondependent factor than other traditional measurements.

  15. Robust functional statistics applied to Probability Density Function shape screening of sEMG data.

    PubMed

    Boudaoud, S; Rix, H; Al Harrach, M; Marin, F

    2014-01-01

    Recent studies pointed out possible shape modifications of the Probability Density Function (PDF) of surface electromyographical (sEMG) data according to several contexts like fatigue and muscle force increase. Following this idea, criteria have been proposed to monitor these shape modifications mainly using High Order Statistics (HOS) parameters like skewness and kurtosis. In experimental conditions, these parameters are confronted with small sample size in the estimation process. This small sample size induces errors in the estimated HOS parameters restraining real-time and precise sEMG PDF shape monitoring. Recently, a functional formalism, the Core Shape Model (CSM), has been used to analyse shape modifications of PDF curves. In this work, taking inspiration from CSM method, robust functional statistics are proposed to emulate both skewness and kurtosis behaviors. These functional statistics combine both kernel density estimation and PDF shape distances to evaluate shape modifications even in presence of small sample size. Then, the proposed statistics are tested, using Monte Carlo simulations, on both normal and Log-normal PDFs that mimic observed sEMG PDF shape behavior during muscle contraction. According to the obtained results, the functional statistics seem to be more robust than HOS parameters to small sample size effect and more accurate in sEMG PDF shape screening applications.

  16. Response Variability in Commercial MOSFET SEE Qualification

    DOE PAGES

    George, J. S.; Clymer, D. A.; Turflinger, T. L.; ...

    2016-12-01

    Single-event effects (SEE) evaluation of five different part types of next generation, commercial trench MOSFETs indicates large part-to-part variation in determining a safe operating area (SOA) for drain-source voltage (V DS) following a test campaign that exposed >50 samples per part type to heavy ions. These results suggest a determination of a SOA using small sample sizes may fail to capture the full extent of the part-to-part variability. An example method is discussed for establishing a Safe Operating Area using a one-sided statistical tolerance limit based on the number of test samples. Finally, burn-in is shown to be a criticalmore » factor in reducing part-to-part variation in part response. Implications for radiation qualification requirements are also explored.« less

  17. Effect of slip-area scaling on the earthquake frequency-magnitude relationship

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senatorski, Piotr

    2017-06-01

    The earthquake frequency-magnitude relationship is considered in the maximum entropy principle (MEP) perspective. The MEP suggests sampling with constraints as a simple stochastic model of seismicity. The model is based on the von Neumann's acceptance-rejection method, with b-value as the parameter that breaks symmetry between small and large earthquakes. The Gutenberg-Richter law's b-value forms a link between earthquake statistics and physics. Dependence between b-value and the rupture area vs. slip scaling exponent is derived. The relationship enables us to explain observed ranges of b-values for different types of earthquakes. Specifically, different b-value ranges for tectonic and induced, hydraulic fracturing seismicity is explained in terms of their different triggering mechanisms: by the applied stress increase and fault strength reduction, respectively.

  18. An Update on Physician Practice Cost Shares

    PubMed Central

    Dayhoff, Debra A.; Cromwell, Jerry; Rosenbach, Margo L.

    1993-01-01

    The 1988 physicians' practice costs and income survey (PPCIS) collected detailed costs, revenues, and incomes data for a sample of 3,086 physicians. These data are utilized to update the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) cost shares used in calculating the medicare economic index (MEI) and the geographic practice cost index (GPCI). Cost shares were calculated for the national sample, for 16 specialty groupings, for urban and rural areas, and for 9 census divisions. Although statistical tests reveal that cost shares differ across specialties and geographic areas, sensitivity analysis shows that these differences are small enough to have trivial effects in computing the MEI and GPCI. These results may inform policymakers on one aspect of the larger issue of whether physician payments should vary by geographic location or specialty. PMID:10130573

  19. Response Variability in Commercial MOSFET SEE Qualification

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

    George, J. S.; Clymer, D. A.; Turflinger, T. L.

    Single-event effects (SEE) evaluation of five different part types of next generation, commercial trench MOSFETs indicates large part-to-part variation in determining a safe operating area (SOA) for drain-source voltage (V DS) following a test campaign that exposed >50 samples per part type to heavy ions. These results suggest a determination of a SOA using small sample sizes may fail to capture the full extent of the part-to-part variability. An example method is discussed for establishing a Safe Operating Area using a one-sided statistical tolerance limit based on the number of test samples. Finally, burn-in is shown to be a criticalmore » factor in reducing part-to-part variation in part response. Implications for radiation qualification requirements are also explored.« less

  20. Teacher Efficacy of Secondary Special Education Science Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonton, Celeste

    Students with disabilities are a specific group of the student population that are guaranteed rights that allow them to receive a free and unbiased education in an environment with their non-disabled peers. The importance of this study relates to providing students with disabilities with the opportunity to receive instruction from the most efficient and prepared educators. The purpose of this study is to determine how specific factors influence special education belief systems. In particular, educators who provide science instruction in whole group or small group classrooms in a large metropolitan area in Georgia possess specific beliefs about their ability to provide meaningful instruction. Data was collected through a correlational study completed by educators through an online survey website. The SEBEST quantitative survey instrument was used on a medium sample size (approximately 120 teachers) in a large metropolitan school district. The selected statistical analysis was the Shapiro-Wilk and Mann-Whitney in order to determine if any correlation exists among preservice training and perceived self-efficacy of secondary special education teachers in the content area of science. The results of this study showed that special education teachers in the content area of science have a higher perceived self-efficacy if they have completed an alternative certification program. Other variables tested did not show any statistical significance. Further research can be centered on the analysis of actual teacher efficacy, year end teacher efficacy measurements, teacher stipends, increased recruitment, and special education teachers of multiple content areas.

  1. Exposure of insects and insectivorous birds to metals and other elements from abandoned mine tailings in three Summit County drainages, Colorado

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Custer, Christine M.; Yang, C.; Crock, J.G.; Shearn-Bochsler, V.; Smith, K.S.; Hageman, P.L.

    2009-01-01

    Concentrations of 31 metals, metalloids, and other elements were measured in insects and insectivorous bird tissues from three drainages with different geochemistry and mining histories in Summit Co., Colorado, in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In insect samples, all 25 elements that were analyzed in all years increased in both Snake and Deer Creeks in the mining impacted areas compared to areas above and below the mining impacted areas. This distribution of elements was predicted from known or expected sediment contamination resulting from abandoned mine tailings in those drainages. Element concentrations in avian liver tissues were in concordance with levels in insects, that is with concentrations higher in mid-drainage areas where mine tailings were present compared to both upstream and downstream locations; these differences were not always statistically different, however. The lack of statistically significant differences in liver tissues, except for a few elements, was due to relatively small sample sizes and because many of these elements are essential and therefore well regulated by the bird's homeostatic processes. Most elements were at background concentrations in avian liver tissue except for Pb which was elevated at mid-drainage sites to levels where ??-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity was inhibited at other mining sites in Colorado. Lead exposure, however, was not at toxic levels. Fecal samples were not a good indication of what elements birds ingested and were potentially exposed to. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.

  2. Hydrogeology of the D aquifer and movement and ages of ground water determined from geochemical and isotopic analyses, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Truini, Margot; Longsworth, Steve A.

    2003-01-01

    The Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe in the Black Mesa area depend on ground water from sandstones of the N aquifer for domestic, agricultural, municipal, and industrial needs. They are concerned that pumping of water from the N aquifer will induce leakage from the overlying D aquifer, resulting in the degradation of water quality in the N aquifer. Water samples from the D aquifer contained higher concentrations of dissolved solids than samples from the N aquifer; however, ground waters in the D and N aquifers evolve similarly along their respective flow paths. The ground-water composition in the D aquifer results from interaction with limestone and sandstone sediments. The ground water evolves from a calcium magnesium bicarbonate type in the recharge area to a sodium bicarbonate type in downgradient areas. 34S data indicate sulfate reduction occurs when ground water comes in contact with lignite seams in the Dakota Sandstone. Adjusted 14C ages for ground water in the D aquifer range from 4,000 to 33,000 years. d18O and d2H data indicate that most of the recharge occurred when the climate was cooler and more humid than at present. 3H data indicate that localized recharge has occurred in some areas in recent time. Leakage between the D and N aquifers has been occurring for thousands of years. The area of highest leakage occurs in the southern areas of Black Mesa, where the N aquifer is thin, the predevelopment hydraulic gradient is small, and the vertical head differences between the D and N aquifers are small. Induced leakage from ground-water development in the last several decades could take centuries to detect geochemically because of the increased vertical difference between the potentiometric surfaces of the D and N aquifers, and possibly because of increases in the hydraulic gradient in the N aquifer that would increase flow rates, causing dilution. 87Sr/86Sr data are consistent with the leakage of ground water from the D aquifer into the N aquifer in the southern part of Black Mesa. 87Sr/86Sr values for the N and D aquifers are similar in this area; statistical means are -2.74 ? and -2.49 ?, respectively, N aquifer 87Sr/86Sr values are more radiogenic than D aquifer values in the northern part of Black Mesa; statistical means are -0.14 ? and -2.49 ?, respectively.

  3. Influence of background/surrounding area on accuracy of visual color matching.

    PubMed

    Dudea, Diana; Gasparik, Cristina; Botos, Alexandra; Alb, Florin; Irimie, Ada; Paravina, Rade D

    2016-07-01

    Visual shade selection is subjective and influenced by factors that might be operator-dependent or not. The objective was to evaluate influence of observer nonrelated factors (background/surrounding area, and light) and observer-related factors (gender and color competence) on shade-matching quality and to identify the most often mismatched shades in correlation with the background. Ten observers with average or superior color discrimination competence according to ISO TR 28642:2011 were asked to match 48 shade tabs of three VITA Classical shade guides, in a viewing booth under two light sources: D65 and D50. Gray, white, black, red, and light blue background/surrounding area simulated various clinical situations. The results were statistically analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test. Post hoc power analyses and sample size calculations were also conducted. The matching scores ranged between 72.7 % (using blue background) and 85.9 % (using white and black backgrounds). There was a statistically significant difference between matching scores on the five backgrounds (χ (2)(4) = 12.67, p = 0.01). When neutral gray was used as reference, Mann-Whitney U value was statistically significant only for the blue background (U = 107.00, Z = -2.52, p = 0.01). The influence of gender and lighting condition was also assessed, no statistically significance being found, but in both cases, the effect size and the achieved power were small. However, color discrimination competence did influence the results (p < 0.01). Background influenced shade matching results for tabs A3, B3, B4, and D4. Within the limitations of this study, it was concluded that 1. When it comes to the influence of the background/surround area on quality of color matching, no difference among achromatic backgrounds was recorded. Significantly worse results were recorded when the blue background was used. 2. Observers with superior color matching competence performed significantly better than the ones with average competence 3. The most frequently mismatched shade tabs were A3.5, B3, B4, and D4.

  4. A statistical approach to selecting and confirming validation targets in -omics experiments

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Genomic technologies are, by their very nature, designed for hypothesis generation. In some cases, the hypotheses that are generated require that genome scientists confirm findings about specific genes or proteins. But one major advantage of high-throughput technology is that global genetic, genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic behaviors can be observed. Manual confirmation of every statistically significant genomic result is prohibitively expensive. This has led researchers in genomics to adopt the strategy of confirming only a handful of the most statistically significant results, a small subset chosen for biological interest, or a small random subset. But there is no standard approach for selecting and quantitatively evaluating validation targets. Results Here we present a new statistical method and approach for statistically validating lists of significant results based on confirming only a small random sample. We apply our statistical method to show that the usual practice of confirming only the most statistically significant results does not statistically validate result lists. We analyze an extensively validated RNA-sequencing experiment to show that confirming a random subset can statistically validate entire lists of significant results. Finally, we analyze multiple publicly available microarray experiments to show that statistically validating random samples can both (i) provide evidence to confirm long gene lists and (ii) save thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of labor over manual validation of each significant result. Conclusions For high-throughput -omics studies, statistical validation is a cost-effective and statistically valid approach to confirming lists of significant results. PMID:22738145

  5. Assessing landslide susceptibility by statistical data analysis and GIS: the case of Daunia (Apulian Apennines, Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ceppi, C.; Mancini, F.; Ritrovato, G.

    2009-04-01

    This study aim at the landslide susceptibility mapping within an area of the Daunia (Apulian Apennines, Italy) by a multivariate statistical method and data manipulation in a Geographical Information System (GIS) environment. Among the variety of existing statistical data analysis techniques, the logistic regression was chosen to produce a susceptibility map all over an area where small settlements are historically threatened by landslide phenomena. By logistic regression a best fitting between the presence or absence of landslide (dependent variable) and the set of independent variables is performed on the basis of a maximum likelihood criterion, bringing to the estimation of regression coefficients. The reliability of such analysis is therefore due to the ability to quantify the proneness to landslide occurrences by the probability level produced by the analysis. The inventory of dependent and independent variables were managed in a GIS, where geometric properties and attributes have been translated into raster cells in order to proceed with the logistic regression by means of SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) package. A landslide inventory was used to produce the bivariate dependent variable whereas the independent set of variable concerned with slope, aspect, elevation, curvature, drained area, lithology and land use after their reductions to dummy variables. The effect of independent parameters on landslide occurrence was assessed by the corresponding coefficient in the logistic regression function, highlighting a major role played by the land use variable in determining occurrence and distribution of phenomena. Once the outcomes of the logistic regression are determined, data are re-introduced in the GIS to produce a map reporting the proneness to landslide as predicted level of probability. As validation of results and regression model a cell-by-cell comparison between the susceptibility map and the initial inventory of landslide events was performed and an agreement at 75% level achieved.

  6. Turbulent Flow Over Large Roughness Elements: Effect of Frontal and Plan Solidity on Turbulence Statistics and Structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Placidi, M.; Ganapathisubramani, B.

    2018-04-01

    Wind-tunnel experiments were carried out on fully-rough boundary layers with large roughness (δ /h ≈ 10, where h is the height of the roughness elements and δ is the boundary-layer thickness). Twelve different surface conditions were created by using LEGO™ bricks of uniform height. Six cases are tested for a fixed plan solidity (λ _P) with variations in frontal density (λ _F), while the other six cases have varying λ _P for fixed λ _F. Particle image velocimetry and floating-element drag-balance measurements were performed. The current results complement those contained in Placidi and Ganapathisubramani (J Fluid Mech 782:541-566, 2015), extending the previous analysis to the turbulence statistics and spatial structure. Results indicate that mean velocity profiles in defect form agree with Townsend's similarity hypothesis with varying λ _F, however, the agreement is worse for cases with varying λ _P. The streamwise and wall-normal turbulent stresses, as well as the Reynolds shear stresses, show a lack of similarity across most examined cases. This suggests that the critical height of the roughness for which outer-layer similarity holds depends not only on the height of the roughness, but also on the local wall morphology. A new criterion based on shelter solidity, defined as the sheltered plan area per unit wall-parallel area, which is similar to the `effective shelter area' in Raupach and Shaw (Boundary-Layer Meteorol 22:79-90, 1982), is found to capture the departure of the turbulence statistics from outer-layer similarity. Despite this lack of similarity reported in the turbulence statistics, proper orthogonal decomposition analysis, as well as two-point spatial correlations, show that some form of universal flow structure is present, as all cases exhibit virtually identical proper orthogonal decomposition mode shapes and correlation fields. Finally, reduced models based on proper orthogonal decomposition reveal that the small scales of the turbulence play a significant role in assessing outer-layer similarity.

  7. 75 FR 57702 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-22

    .... 010131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XZ13 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical... is reopening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This... specified for Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. [[Page 57703

  8. Estimating Unbiased Land Cover Change Areas In The Colombian Amazon Using Landsat Time Series And Statistical Inference Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arevalo, P. A.; Olofsson, P.; Woodcock, C. E.

    2017-12-01

    Unbiased estimation of the areas of conversion between land categories ("activity data") and their uncertainty is crucial for providing more robust calculations of carbon emissions to the atmosphere, as well as their removals. This is particularly important for the REDD+ mechanism of UNFCCC where an economic compensation is tied to the magnitude and direction of such fluxes. Dense time series of Landsat data and statistical protocols are becoming an integral part of forest monitoring efforts, but there are relatively few studies in the tropics focused on using these methods to advance operational MRV systems (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification). We present the results of a prototype methodology for continuous monitoring and unbiased estimation of activity data that is compliant with the IPCC Approach 3 for representation of land. We used a break detection algorithm (Continuous Change Detection and Classification, CCDC) to fit pixel-level temporal segments to time series of Landsat data in the Colombian Amazon. The segments were classified using a Random Forest classifier to obtain annual maps of land categories between 2001 and 2016. Using these maps, a biannual stratified sampling approach was implemented and unbiased stratified estimators constructed to calculate area estimates with confidence intervals for each of the stable and change classes. Our results provide evidence of a decrease in primary forest as a result of conversion to pastures, as well as increase in secondary forest as pastures are abandoned and the forest allowed to regenerate. Estimating areas of other land transitions proved challenging because of their very small mapped areas compared to stable classes like forest, which corresponds to almost 90% of the study area. Implications on remote sensing data processing, sample allocation and uncertainty reduction are also discussed.

  9. A pilot study of the Earthquake Precursors in the Southwest Peloponnes, Greece

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Velez, A. P.; Tsinganos, K.; Karastathis, V. K.; Kafatos, M.; Ouzounov, D.; Papadopoulos, G. A.; Tselentis, A.; Eleftheriou, G.; Mouzakiotis, E.; Gika, F.; Aspiotis, T.; Liakopoulos, S.; Voulgaris, N.

    2016-12-01

    A seismic array of the most contemporary technology has been recently installed in the area of Southwest Peloponnese, Greece, an area well known for its high seismic activity. The tectonic regime of the Hellenic arc was the reason for many lethal earthquakes with considerable damage to the broader area of East Mediterranean sea. The seismic array is based on nine 32-bit stations with broadband borehole seismometers. The seismogenic region, monitored by the array, is offshore. At this place the earthquake location suffers by poor azimuthal coverage and the stations of the national seismic network are very distant to this area. Therefore, the existing network cannot effectively monitor the microseismicity. The new array achieved a detailed monitoring of the small events dropping considerably the magnitude of completeness. The detectability of the microearthquakes has been drastically improved permitting so the statistical assessment of earthquake sequences in the area. In parallel the monitored seismicity is directly related with Radon measurement in the soil, taken at three stations in the area.. Radon measurements are performed indirectly by means γ-ray spectrometry of its radioactive progenies 214Pb and 214Bi (emitted at 351 keV and 609 keV, respectively). NaI(Tl) detectors have been installed at 1 m depth, at sites in vicinity of faults providing continuous real time data. Local meteorological records for atmospheric corrections are also continuously recorded. According to the Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) model atmospheric thermal anomalies observed before strong events can be attributed to increased radon concentration. This is also supported by the statistical analysis of AVHRR/NOAA-18 satellite thermal infrared (TIR) daily records. A combined study of precursor's signals is expected to provide a reliable assessment of their ability on short-term forecasting.

  10. Contrasting patterns in lichen diversity in the continental and maritime Antarctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Shiv Mohan; Olech, Maria; Cannone, Nicoletta; Convey, Peter

    2015-09-01

    Systematic surveys of the lichen floras of Schirmacher Oasis (Queen Maud Land, continental Antarctic), Victoria Land (Ross Sector, continental Antarctic) and Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic) were compared to help infer the major factors influencing patterns of diversity and biogeography in the three areas. Biogeographic patterns were determined using a variety of multivariate statistical tools. A total of 54 lichen species were documented from Schirmacher Oasis (SO), 48 from Victoria Land (VL) and 244 from Admiralty Bay (AB). Of these, 21 species were common to all areas. Most lichens from the SO and VL areas were microlichens, the dominant genus being Buellia. In AB, in contrast, many macrolichens were also present and the dominant genus was Caloplaca. In SO and VL large areas lacked any visible lichen cover, even where the ground was snow-free in summer. Small-scale diversity patterns were present in AB, where the number of species and genera was greater close to the coast. Most species recorded were rare in the study areas in which they were present and endemic to Antarctica.

  11. On the analysis of very small samples of Gaussian repeated measurements: an alternative approach.

    PubMed

    Westgate, Philip M; Burchett, Woodrow W

    2017-03-15

    The analysis of very small samples of Gaussian repeated measurements can be challenging. First, due to a very small number of independent subjects contributing outcomes over time, statistical power can be quite small. Second, nuisance covariance parameters must be appropriately accounted for in the analysis in order to maintain the nominal test size. However, available statistical strategies that ensure valid statistical inference may lack power, whereas more powerful methods may have the potential for inflated test sizes. Therefore, we explore an alternative approach to the analysis of very small samples of Gaussian repeated measurements, with the goal of maintaining valid inference while also improving statistical power relative to other valid methods. This approach uses generalized estimating equations with a bias-corrected empirical covariance matrix that accounts for all small-sample aspects of nuisance correlation parameter estimation in order to maintain valid inference. Furthermore, the approach utilizes correlation selection strategies with the goal of choosing the working structure that will result in the greatest power. In our study, we show that when accurate modeling of the nuisance correlation structure impacts the efficiency of regression parameter estimation, this method can improve power relative to existing methods that yield valid inference. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. Identifying aspects of neighbourhood deprivation associated with increased incidence of schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Bhavsar, Vishal; Boydell, Jane; Murray, Robin; Power, Paddy

    2014-06-01

    Several studies have found an association between area deprivation and incidence of schizophrenia. However, not all studies have concurred and definitions of deprivation have varied between studies. Relative deprivation and inequality seem to be particularly important, but which aspects of deprivation or how this effect might operate is not known. The Lambeth Early Onset case register is a database of all cases of first episode psychosis aged 16 to 35years from the London Borough of Lambeth, a highly urban area. We identified 405 people with first onset schizophrenia who presented between 2000 and 2007. We calculated the overall incidence of first onset schizophrenia and tested for an association with area-level deprivation, using a multi-domain index of deprivation (IMD 2004). Specific analyses into associations with individual sub-domains of deprivation were then undertaken. Incidence rates, directly standardized for age and gender, were calculated for Lambeth at two geographical levels (small and large neighbourhood level). The Poisson regression model predicting incidence rate ratios for schizophrenia using overall deprivation score was statistically significant at both levels after adjusting for ethnicity, ethnic density, population density and population turnover. The incidence rate ratio for electoral ward deprivation was 1.03 (95% CI=1.004-1.04) and for the super output area deprivation was 1.04 (95% CI=1.02-1.06). The individual domains of crime, employment deprivation and educational deprivation were statistically significant predictors of incidence but, after adjusting for the other domains as well as age, gender, ethnicity and population density, only crime and educational deprivation, remained statistically significant. Low income, poor housing and deprived living environment did not predict incidence. In a highly urban area, an association was found between area-level deprivation and incidence of schizophrenia, after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity and population density; high crime and low levels of education accounted for this. As both of these are potentially modifiable, this suggests a possible means to reduce the incidence of schizophrenia. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Characteristics of meta-analyses and their component studies in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: a cross-sectional, descriptive analysis

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Cochrane systematic reviews collate and summarise studies of the effects of healthcare interventions. The characteristics of these reviews and the meta-analyses and individual studies they contain provide insights into the nature of healthcare research and important context for the development of relevant statistical and other methods. Methods We classified every meta-analysis with at least two studies in every review in the January 2008 issue of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) according to the medical specialty, the types of interventions being compared and the type of outcome. We provide descriptive statistics for numbers of meta-analyses, numbers of component studies and sample sizes of component studies, broken down by these categories. Results We included 2321 reviews containing 22,453 meta-analyses, which themselves consist of data from 112,600 individual studies (which may appear in more than one meta-analysis). Meta-analyses in the areas of gynaecology, pregnancy and childbirth (21%), mental health (13%) and respiratory diseases (13%) are well represented in the CDSR. Most meta-analyses address drugs, either with a control or placebo group (37%) or in a comparison with another drug (25%). The median number of meta-analyses per review is six (inter-quartile range 3 to 12). The median number of studies included in the meta-analyses with at least two studies is three (inter-quartile range 2 to 6). Sample sizes of individual studies range from 2 to 1,242,071, with a median of 91 participants. Discussion It is clear that the numbers of studies eligible for meta-analyses are typically very small for all medical areas, outcomes and interventions covered by Cochrane reviews. This highlights the particular importance of suitable methods for the meta-analysis of small data sets. There was little variation in number of studies per meta-analysis across medical areas, across outcome data types or across types of interventions being compared. PMID:22114982

  14. Affirmative Action Plans, January 1, 1994--December 31, 1994. Revision

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

    Not Available

    1994-02-16

    This document is the Affirmative Action Plan for January 1, 1994 through December 31, 1994 for the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California (``LBL`` or ``the Laboratory.``) This is an official document that will be presented upon request to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, US Department of Labor. The plan is prepared in accordance with the Executive Order 11246 and 41 CFR Section 60-1 et seq. covering equal employment opportunity and will be updated during the year, if appropriate. Analyses included in this volume as required by government regulations are based on statistical comparisons. All statistical comparisons involvemore » the use of geographic areas and various sources of statistics. The geographic areas and sources of statistics used here are in compliance with the government regulations, as interpreted. The use of any geographic area or statistic does not indicate agreement that the geographic area is the most appropriate or that the statistic is the most relevant. The use of such geographic areas and statistics is intended to have no significance outside the context of this Affirmative Action Plan, although, of course, such statistics and geographic areas will be used in good faith with respect to this Affirmative Action Plan.« less

  15. Delayed small intestinal transit in patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes mellitus: investigation of the relationships with clinical features, gastric emptying, psychological distress, and nutritional parameters.

    PubMed

    Faria, Mariza; Pavin, Elizabeth João; Parisi, Maria Cândida Ribeiro; Lorena, Sônia Letícia Silva; Brunetto, Sérgio Quirino; Ramos, Celso Dario; Pavan, Célia Regina; Mesquita, Maria Aparecida

    2013-01-01

    Studies on small intestinal transit in type 1 diabetes mellitus have reported contradictory results. This study assessed the orocecal transit time (OCTT) in a group of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and its relationships with gastrointestinal symptoms, glycemic control, chronic complications of diabetes, anthropometric indices, gastric emptying, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and psychological distress. Twenty-eight patients with long-standing (>10 years) type 1 diabetes mellitus (22 women, six men; mean age, 39 ± 9 years) participated in the study. The lactulose hydrogen breath test was used to determine OCTT and the occurrence of SIBO. The presence of anxiety and depression was assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. Gastric emptying was measured by scintigraphy. Anthropometric indices included body mass index, percentage body fat, midarm circumference, and arm muscle area. There was a statistically significant increase in OCTT values in diabetes patients (79 ± 41 min) in comparison with controls (54 ± 17 min) (P=0.01). Individual analysis showed that OCTT was above the upper limit (mean+2 SD) in 30.8% of patients. All anthropometric parameters were significantly decreased (P<0.05) in patients with prolonged OCTT in comparison with those with normal OCTT. In contrast, there was no statistically significant association between prolonged OCTT and gastrointestinal symptoms, peripheral neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, glycated hemoglobin, delayed gastric emptying, SIBO, anxiety, or depression. Small bowel transit may be delayed in about one-third of patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes mellitus. This abnormality seems to have a negative effect on nutritional status in these patients.

  16. Wireless Channel Characterization: Modeling the 5 GHz Microwave Landing System Extension Band for Future Airport Surface Communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Matolak, D. W.; Apaza, Rafael; Foore, Lawrence R.

    2006-01-01

    We describe a recently completed wideband wireless channel characterization project for the 5 GHz Microwave Landing System (MLS) extension band, for airport surface areas. This work included mobile measurements at large and small airports, and fixed point-to-point measurements. Mobile measurements were made via transmission from the air traffic control tower (ATCT), or from an airport field site (AFS), to a receiving ground vehicle on the airport surface. The point-to-point measurements were between ATCT and AFSs. Detailed statistical channel models were developed from all these measurements. Measured quantities include propagation path loss and power delay profiles, from which we obtain delay spreads, frequency domain correlation (coherence bandwidths), fading amplitude statistics, and channel parameter correlations. In this paper we review the project motivation, measurement coordination, and illustrate measurement results. Example channel modeling results for several propagation conditions are also provided, highlighting new findings.

  17. Non-Gaussian information from weak lensing data via deep learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Arushi; Matilla, José Manuel Zorrilla; Hsu, Daniel; Haiman, Zoltán

    2018-05-01

    Weak lensing maps contain information beyond two-point statistics on small scales. Much recent work has tried to extract this information through a range of different observables or via nonlinear transformations of the lensing field. Here we train and apply a two-dimensional convolutional neural network to simulated noiseless lensing maps covering 96 different cosmological models over a range of {Ωm,σ8} . Using the area of the confidence contour in the {Ωm,σ8} plane as a figure of merit, derived from simulated convergence maps smoothed on a scale of 1.0 arcmin, we show that the neural network yields ≈5 × tighter constraints than the power spectrum, and ≈4 × tighter than the lensing peaks. Such gains illustrate the extent to which weak lensing data encode cosmological information not accessible to the power spectrum or even other, non-Gaussian statistics such as lensing peaks.

  18. Lineament and polygon patterns on Europa

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pieri, D. C.

    1981-01-01

    A classification scheme is presented for the lineaments and associated polygonal patterns observed on the surface of Europa, and the frequency distribution of the polygons is discussed in terms of the stress-relief fracturing of the surface. The lineaments are divided on the basis of albedo, morphology, orientation and characteristic geometry into eight groups based on Voyager 2 images taken at a best resolution of 4 km. The lineaments in turn define a system of polygons varying in size from small reticulate patterns the limit of resolution to 1,000,000 sq km individuals. Preliminary analysis of polygon side frequency distributions reveals a class of polygons with statistics similar to those found in complex terrestrial terrains, particularly in areas of well-oriented stresses, a class with similar statistics around the antijovian point, and a class with a distribution similar to those seen in terrestrial tensional fracture patterns. Speculations concerning the processes giving rise to the lineament patterns are presented.

  19. MOLA-Based Landing Site Characterization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duxbury, T. C.; Ivanov, A. B.

    2001-01-01

    The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data provide the basis for site characterization and selection never before possible. The basic MOLA information includes absolute radii, elevation and 1 micrometer albedo with derived datasets including digital image models (DIM's illuminated elevation data), slopes maps and slope statistics and small scale surface roughness maps and statistics. These quantities are useful in downsizing potential sites from descent engineering constraints and landing/roving hazard and mobility assessments. Slope baselines at the few hundred meter level and surface roughness at the 10 meter level are possible. Additionally, the MOLA-derived Mars surface offers the possibility to precisely register and map project other instrument datasets (images, ultraviolet, infrared, radar, etc.) taken at different resolution, viewing and lighting geometry, building multiple layers of an information cube for site characterization and selection. Examples of direct MOLA data, data derived from MOLA and other instruments data registered to MOLA arc given for the Hematite area.

  20. Difference between healthy children and ADHD based on wavelet spectral analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    González Gómez, Dulce I.; Moreno Barbosa, E.; Martínez Hernández, Mario Iván; Ramos Méndez, José; Hidalgo Tobón, Silvia; Dies Suarez, Pilar; Barragán Pérez, Eduardo; De Celis Alonso, Benito

    2014-11-01

    The main goal of this project was to create a computer algorithm based on wavelet analysis of region of homogeneity images obtained during resting state studies. Ideally it would automatically diagnose ADHD. Because the cerebellum is an area known to be affected by ADHD, this study specifically analysed this region. Male right handed volunteers (infants with ages between 7 and 11 years old) were studied and compared with age matched controls. Statistical differences between the values of the absolute integrated wavelet spectrum were found and showed significant differences (p<0.0015) between groups. This difference might help in the future to distinguish healthy from ADHD patients and therefore diagnose ADHD. Even if results were statistically significant, the small size of the sample limits the applicability of this methods as it is presented here, and further work with larger samples and using freely available datasets must be done.

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

    González Gómez Dulce, I., E-mail: isabeldgg@hotmail.com, E-mail: emoreno@fcfm.buap.mx, E-mail: mim@fcfm.buap.mx, E-mail: joserm84@gmail.com; Moreno Barbosa, E., E-mail: isabeldgg@hotmail.com, E-mail: emoreno@fcfm.buap.mx, E-mail: mim@fcfm.buap.mx, E-mail: joserm84@gmail.com; Hernández, Mario Iván Martínez, E-mail: isabeldgg@hotmail.com, E-mail: emoreno@fcfm.buap.mx, E-mail: mim@fcfm.buap.mx, E-mail: joserm84@gmail.com

    The main goal of this project was to create a computer algorithm based on wavelet analysis of region of homogeneity images obtained during resting state studies. Ideally it would automatically diagnose ADHD. Because the cerebellum is an area known to be affected by ADHD, this study specifically analysed this region. Male right handed volunteers (infants with ages between 7 and 11 years old) were studied and compared with age matched controls. Statistical differences between the values of the absolute integrated wavelet spectrum were found and showed significant differences (p<0.0015) between groups. This difference might help in the future to distinguishmore » healthy from ADHD patients and therefore diagnose ADHD. Even if results were statistically significant, the small size of the sample limits the applicability of this methods as it is presented here, and further work with larger samples and using freely available datasets must be done.« less

  2. The Physics of Semiconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brennan, Kevin F.

    1999-02-01

    Modern fabrication techniques have made it possible to produce semiconductor devices whose dimensions are so small that quantum mechanical effects dominate their behavior. This book describes the key elements of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and solid-state physics that are necessary in understanding these modern semiconductor devices. The author begins with a review of elementary quantum mechanics, and then describes more advanced topics, such as multiple quantum wells. He then disusses equilibrium and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. Following this introduction, he provides a thorough treatment of solid-state physics, covering electron motion in periodic potentials, electron-phonon interaction, and recombination processes. The final four chapters deal exclusively with real devices, such as semiconductor lasers, photodiodes, flat panel displays, and MOSFETs. The book contains many homework exercises and is suitable as a textbook for electrical engineering, materials science, or physics students taking courses in solid-state device physics. It will also be a valuable reference for practicing engineers in optoelectronics and related areas.

  3. Statistical evolution of quiet-Sun small-scale magnetic features using Sunrise observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anusha, L. S.; Solanki, S. K.; Hirzberger, J.; Feller, A.

    2017-02-01

    The evolution of small magnetic features in quiet regions of the Sun provides a unique window for probing solar magneto-convection. Here we analyze small-scale magnetic features in the quiet Sun, using the high resolution, seeing-free observations from the Sunrise balloon borne solar observatory. Our aim is to understand the contribution of different physical processes, such as splitting, merging, emergence and cancellation of magnetic fields to the rearrangement, addition and removal of magnetic flux in the photosphere. We have employed a statistical approach for the analysis and the evolution studies are carried out using a feature-tracking technique. In this paper we provide a detailed description of the feature-tracking algorithm that we have newly developed and we present the results of a statistical study of several physical quantities. The results on the fractions of the flux in the emergence, appearance, splitting, merging, disappearance and cancellation qualitatively agrees with other recent studies. To summarize, the total flux gained in unipolar appearance is an order of magnitude larger than the total flux gained in emergence. On the other hand, the bipolar cancellation contributes nearly an equal amount to the loss of magnetic flux as unipolar disappearance. The total flux lost in cancellation is nearly six to eight times larger than the total flux gained in emergence. One big difference between our study and previous similar studies is that, thanks to the higher spatial resolution of Sunrise, we can track features with fluxes as low as 9 × 1014 Mx. This flux is nearly an order of magnitude lower than the smallest fluxes of the features tracked in the highest resolution previous studies based on Hinode data. The area and flux of the magnetic features follow power-law type distribution, while the lifetimes show either power-law or exponential type distribution depending on the exact definitions used to define various birth and death events. We have also statistically determined the evolution of the flux within the features in the course of their lifetime, finding that this evolution depends very strongly on the birth and death process that the features undergo.

  4. Do drug treatment facilities increase clients' exposure to potential neighborhood-level triggers for relapse? A small-area assessment of a large, public treatment system.

    PubMed

    Jacobson, Jerry O

    2006-03-01

    Research on drug treatment facility locations has focused narrowly on the issue of geographic proximity to clients. We argue that neighborhood conditions should also enter into the facility location decision and illustrate a formal assessment of neighborhood conditions at facilities in a large, metropolitan area, taking into account conditions clients already face at home. We discuss choice and construction of small-area measures relevant to the drug treatment context, including drug activity, disadvantage, and violence as well as statistical comparisons of clients' home and treatment locations with respect to these measures. Analysis of 22,707 clients discharged from 494 community-based outpatient and residential treatment facilities that received public funds during 1998-2000 in Los Angeles County revealed no significant mean differences between home and treatment neighborhoods. However, up to 20% of clients are exposed to markedly higher levels of disadvantage, violence, or drug activity where they attend treatment than where they live, suggesting that it is not uncommon for treatment locations to increase clients' exposure to potential environmental triggers for relapse. Whereas on average both home and treatment locations exhibit higher levels of these measures than the household locations of the general population, substantial variability in public treatment clients' home neighborhoods calls into question the notion that they hail exclusively from poor, high drug activity areas. Shortcomings of measures available for neighborhood assessment of treatment locations and implications of the findings for other areas of treatment research are also discussed.

  5. Statistics on gene-based laser speckles with a small number of scatterers: implications for the detection of polymorphism in the Chlamydia trachomatis omp1 gene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ulyanov, Sergey S.; Ulianova, Onega V.; Zaytsev, Sergey S.; Saltykov, Yury V.; Feodorova, Valentina A.

    2018-04-01

    The transformation mechanism for a nucleotide sequence of the Chlamydia trachomatis gene into a speckle pattern has been considered. The first and second-order statistics of gene-based speckles have been analyzed. It has been demonstrated that gene-based speckles do not obey Gaussian statistics and belong to the class of speckles with a small number of scatterers. It has been shown that gene polymorphism can be easily detected through analysis of the statistical characteristics of gene-based speckles.

  6. 75 FR 64958 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-21

    .... 0910131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XZ84 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical... is opening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 72... for Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), October 15...

  7. 75 FR 14359 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical Area 630 in the Gulf...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-25

    .... 0910131362-0087-02] RIN 0648-XV45 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Pollock in Statistical... is reopening directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) for 72... (TAC) of pollock in Statistical Area 630 of the GOA. DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local time (A.l...

  8. Comparison of Logistic Regression and Random Forests techniques for shallow landslide susceptibility assessment in Giampilieri (NE Sicily, Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trigila, Alessandro; Iadanza, Carla; Esposito, Carlo; Scarascia-Mugnozza, Gabriele

    2015-11-01

    The aim of this work is to define reliable susceptibility models for shallow landslides using Logistic Regression and Random Forests multivariate statistical techniques. The study area, located in North-East Sicily, was hit on October 1st 2009 by a severe rainstorm (225 mm of cumulative rainfall in 7 h) which caused flash floods and more than 1000 landslides. Several small villages, such as Giampilieri, were hit with 31 fatalities, 6 missing persons and damage to buildings and transportation infrastructures. Landslides, mainly types such as earth and debris translational slides evolving into debris flows, were triggered on steep slopes and involved colluvium and regolith materials which cover the underlying metamorphic bedrock. The work has been carried out with the following steps: i) realization of a detailed event landslide inventory map through field surveys coupled with observation of high resolution aerial colour orthophoto; ii) identification of landslide source areas; iii) data preparation of landslide controlling factors and descriptive statistics based on a bivariate method (Frequency Ratio) to get an initial overview on existing relationships between causative factors and shallow landslide source areas; iv) choice of criteria for the selection and sizing of the mapping unit; v) implementation of 5 multivariate statistical susceptibility models based on Logistic Regression and Random Forests techniques and focused on landslide source areas; vi) evaluation of the influence of sample size and type of sampling on results and performance of the models; vii) evaluation of the predictive capabilities of the models using ROC curve, AUC and contingency tables; viii) comparison of model results and obtained susceptibility maps; and ix) analysis of temporal variation of landslide susceptibility related to input parameter changes. Models based on Logistic Regression and Random Forests have demonstrated excellent predictive capabilities. Land use and wildfire variables were found to have a strong control on the occurrence of very rapid shallow landslides.

  9. The probability forecast evaluation of hazard and storm wind over the territories of Russia and Europe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perekhodtseva, E. V.

    2012-04-01

    The results of the probability forecast methods of summer storm and hazard wind over territories of Russia and Europe are submitted at this paper. These methods use the hydrodynamic-statistical model of these phenomena. The statistical model was developed for the recognition of the situation involving these phenomena. For this perhaps the samples of the values of atmospheric parameters (n=40) for the presence and for the absence of these phenomena of storm and hazard wind were accumulated. The compressing of the predictors space without the information losses was obtained by special algorithm (k=7<19m/s, the values of 65%24m/s, the values of 75%29m/s or the area of the tornado and strong squalls. The evaluation of this probability forecast was provided by criterion of Brayer. The estimation was successful and was equal for the European part of Russia B=0,37. The application of the probability forecast of storm and hazard winds allows to mitigate the economic losses when the errors of the first and second kinds of storm wind categorical forecast are not so small. A lot of examples of the storm wind probability forecast are submitted at this report.

  10. Statistics Anxiety and Business Statistics: The International Student

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, James A.

    2008-01-01

    Does the international student suffer from statistics anxiety? To investigate this, the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) was administered to sixty-six beginning statistics students, including twelve international students and fifty-four domestic students. Due to the small number of international students, nonparametric methods were used to…

  11. A Stochastic Model of Space-Time Variability of Tropical Rainfall: I. Statistics of Spatial Averages

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kundu, Prasun K.; Bell, Thomas L.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Global maps of rainfall are of great importance in connection with modeling of the earth s climate. Comparison between the maps of rainfall predicted by computer-generated climate models with observation provides a sensitive test for these models. To make such a comparison, one typically needs the total precipitation amount over a large area, which could be hundreds of kilometers in size over extended periods of time of order days or months. This presents a difficult problem since rain varies greatly from place to place as well as in time. Remote sensing methods using ground radar or satellites detect rain over a large area by essentially taking a series of snapshots at infrequent intervals and indirectly deriving the average rain intensity within a collection of pixels , usually several kilometers in size. They measure area average of rain at a particular instant. Rain gauges, on the other hand, record rain accumulation continuously in time but only over a very small area tens of centimeters across, say, the size of a dinner plate. They measure only a time average at a single location. In making use of either method one needs to fill in the gaps in the observation - either the gaps in the area covered or the gaps in time of observation. This involves using statistical models to obtain information about the rain that is missed from what is actually detected. This paper investigates such a statistical model and validates it with rain data collected over the tropical Western Pacific from ship borne radars during TOGA COARE (Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment). The model incorporates a number of commonly observed features of rain. While rain varies rapidly with location and time, the variability diminishes when averaged over larger areas or longer periods of time. Moreover, rain is patchy in nature - at any instant on the average only a certain fraction of the observed pixels contain rain. The fraction of area covered by rain decreases, as the size of a pixel becomes smaller. This means that within what looks like a patch of rainy area in a coarse resolution view with larger pixel size, one finds clusters of rainy and dry patches when viewed on a finer scale. The model makes definite predictions about how these and other related statistics depend on the pixel size. These predictions were found to agree well with data. In a subsequent second part of the work we plan to test the model with rain gauge data collected during the TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) ground validation campaign.

  12. Comparing Satellite Rainfall Estimates with Rain-Gauge Data: Optimal Strategies Suggested by a Spectral Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bell, Thomas L.; Kundu, Prasun K.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    Validation of satellite remote-sensing methods for estimating rainfall against rain-gauge data is attractive because of the direct nature of the rain-gauge measurements. Comparisons of satellite estimates to rain-gauge data are difficult, however, because of the extreme variability of rain and the fact that satellites view large areas over a short time while rain gauges monitor small areas continuously. In this paper, a statistical model of rainfall variability developed for studies of sampling error in averages of satellite data is used to examine the impact of spatial and temporal averaging of satellite and gauge data on intercomparison results. The model parameters were derived from radar observations of rain, but the model appears to capture many of the characteristics of rain-gauge data as well. The model predicts that many months of data from areas containing a few gauges are required to validate satellite estimates over the areas, and that the areas should be of the order of several hundred km in diameter. Over gauge arrays of sufficiently high density, the optimal areas and averaging times are reduced. The possibility of using time-weighted averages of gauge data is explored.

  13. Evaluation of Methods Used for Estimating Selected Streamflow Statistics, and Flood Frequency and Magnitude, for Small Basins in North Coastal California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mann, Michael P.; Rizzardo, Jule; Satkowski, Richard

    2004-01-01

    Accurate streamflow statistics are essential to water resource agencies involved in both science and decision-making. When long-term streamflow data are lacking at a site, estimation techniques are often employed to generate streamflow statistics. However, procedures for accurately estimating streamflow statistics often are lacking. When estimation procedures are developed, they often are not evaluated properly before being applied. Use of unevaluated or underevaluated flow-statistic estimation techniques can result in improper water-resources decision-making. The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) uses two key techniques, a modified rational equation and drainage basin area-ratio transfer, to estimate streamflow statistics at ungaged locations. These techniques have been implemented to varying degrees, but have not been formally evaluated. For estimating peak flows at the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year recurrence intervals, the SWRCB uses the U.S. Geological Surveys (USGS) regional peak-flow equations. In this study, done cooperatively by the USGS and SWRCB, the SWRCB estimated several flow statistics at 40 USGS streamflow gaging stations in the north coast region of California. The SWRCB estimates were made without reference to USGS flow data. The USGS used the streamflow data provided by the 40 stations to generate flow statistics that could be compared with SWRCB estimates for accuracy. While some SWRCB estimates compared favorably with USGS statistics, results were subject to varying degrees of error over the region. Flow-based estimation techniques generally performed better than rain-based methods, especially for estimation of December 15 to March 31 mean daily flows. The USGS peak-flow equations also performed well, but tended to underestimate peak flows. The USGS equations performed within reported error bounds, but will require updating in the future as peak-flow data sets grow larger. Little correlation was discovered between estimation errors and geographic locations or various basin characteristics. However, for 25-percentile year mean-daily-flow estimates for December 15 to March 31, the greatest estimation errors were at east San Francisco Bay area stations with mean annual precipitation less than or equal to 30 inches, and estimated 2-year/24-hour rainfall intensity less than 3 inches.

  14. Pulmonary hypertension and computed tomography measurement of small pulmonary vessels in severe emphysema.

    PubMed

    Matsuoka, Shin; Washko, George R; Yamashiro, Tsuneo; Estepar, Raul San Jose; Diaz, Alejandro; Silverman, Edwin K; Hoffman, Eric; Fessler, Henry E; Criner, Gerard J; Marchetti, Nathaniel; Scharf, Steven M; Martinez, Fernando J; Reilly, John J; Hatabu, Hiroto

    2010-02-01

    Vascular alteration of small pulmonary vessels is one of the characteristic features of pulmonary hypertension in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The in vivo relationship between pulmonary hypertension and morphological alteration of the small pulmonary vessels has not been assessed in patients with severe emphysema. We evaluated the correlation of total cross-sectional area of small pulmonary vessels (CSA) assessed on computed tomography (CT) scans with the degree of pulmonary hypertension estimated by right heart catheterization. In 79 patients with severe emphysema enrolled in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT), we measured CSA less than 5 mm(2) (CSA(<5)) and 5 to 10 mm(2) (CSA(5-10)), and calculated the percentage of total CSA for the lung area (%CSA(<5) and %CSA(5-10), respectively). The correlations of %CSA(<5) and %CSA(5-10) with pulmonary arterial mean pressure (Ppa) obtained by right heart catheterization were evaluated. Multiple linear regression analysis using Ppa as the dependent outcome was also performed. The %CSA(<5) had a significant negative correlation with Ppa (r = -0.512, P < 0.0001), whereas the correlation between %CSA(5-10) and Ppa did not reach statistical significance (r = -0.196, P = 0.083). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that %CSA(<5) and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DL(CO)) % predicted were independent predictors of Ppa (r(2) = 0.541): %CSA (<5) (P < 0.0001), and DL(CO) % predicted (P = 0.022). The %CSA(<5) measured on CT images is significantly correlated to Ppa in severe emphysema and can estimate the degree of pulmonary hypertension.

  15. Comparison of Peak-Flow Estimation Methods for Small Drainage Basins in Maine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Hebson, Charles; Lombard, Pamela J.; Mann, Alexander

    2007-01-01

    Understanding the accuracy of commonly used methods for estimating peak streamflows is important because the designs of bridges, culverts, and other river structures are based on these flows. Different methods for estimating peak streamflows were analyzed for small drainage basins in Maine. For the smallest basins, with drainage areas of 0.2 to 1.0 square mile, nine peak streamflows from actual rainfall events at four crest-stage gaging stations were modeled by the Rational Method and the Natural Resource Conservation Service TR-20 method and compared to observed peak flows. The Rational Method had a root mean square error (RMSE) of -69.7 to 230 percent (which means that approximately two thirds of the modeled flows were within -69.7 to 230 percent of the observed flows). The TR-20 method had an RMSE of -98.0 to 5,010 percent. Both the Rational Method and TR-20 underestimated the observed flows in most cases. For small basins, with drainage areas of 1.0 to 10 square miles, modeled peak flows were compared to observed statistical peak flows with return periods of 2, 50, and 100 years for 17 streams in Maine and adjoining parts of New Hampshire. Peak flows were modeled by the Rational Method, the Natural Resources Conservation Service TR-20 method, U.S. Geological Survey regression equations, and the Probabilistic Rational Method. The regression equations were the most accurate method of computing peak flows in Maine for streams with drainage areas of 1.0 to 10 square miles with an RMSE of -34.3 to 52.2 percent for 50-year peak flows. The Probabilistic Rational Method was the next most accurate method (-38.5 to 62.6 percent). The Rational Method (-56.1 to 128 percent) and particularly the TR-20 method (-76.4 to 323 percent) had much larger errors. Both the TR-20 and regression methods had similar numbers of underpredictions and overpredictions. The Rational Method overpredicted most peak flows and the Probabilistic Rational Method tended to overpredict peak flows from the smaller (less than 5 square miles) drainage basins and underpredict peak flows from larger drainage basins. The results of this study are consistent with the most comprehensive analysis of observed and modeled peak streamflows in the United States, which analyzed statistical peak flows from 70 drainage basins in the Midwest and the Northwest.

  16. Explanatory models concerning the effects of small-area characteristics on individual health.

    PubMed

    Voigtländer, Sven; Vogt, Verena; Mielck, Andreas; Razum, Oliver

    2014-06-01

    Material and social living conditions at the small-area level are assumed to have an effect on individual health. We review existing explanatory models concerning the effects of small-area characteristics on health and describe the gaps future research should try to fill. Systematic literature search for, and analysis of, studies that propose an explanatory model of the relationship between small-area characteristics and health. Fourteen studies met our inclusion criteria. Using various theoretical approaches, almost all of the models are based on a three-tier structure linking social inequalities (posited at the macro-level), small-area characteristics (posited at the meso-level) and individual health (micro-level). No study explicitly defines the geographical borders of the small-area context. The health impact of the small-area characteristics is explained by specific pathways involving mediating factors (psychological, behavioural, biological). These pathways tend to be seen as uni-directional; often, causality is implied. They may be modified by individual factors. A number of issues need more attention in research on explanatory models concerning small-area effects on health. Among them are the (geographical) definition of the small-area context; the systematic description of pathways comprising small-area contextual as well as compositional factors; questions of direction of association and causality; and the integration of a time dimension.

  17. Mapping irrigated lands at 250-m scale by merging MODIS data and National Agricultural Statistics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pervez, Md Shahriar; Brown, Jesslyn F.

    2010-01-01

    Accurate geospatial information on the extent of irrigated land improves our understanding of agricultural water use, local land surface processes, conservation or depletion of water resources, and components of the hydrologic budget. We have developed a method in a geospatial modeling framework that assimilates irrigation statistics with remotely sensed parameters describing vegetation growth conditions in areas with agricultural land cover to spatially identify irrigated lands at 250-m cell size across the conterminous United States for 2002. The geospatial model result, known as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Irrigated Agriculture Dataset (MIrAD-US), identified irrigated lands with reasonable accuracy in California and semiarid Great Plains states with overall accuracies of 92% and 75% and kappa statistics of 0.75 and 0.51, respectively. A quantitative accuracy assessment of MIrAD-US for the eastern region has not yet been conducted, and qualitative assessment shows that model improvements are needed for the humid eastern regions where the distinction in annual peak NDVI between irrigated and non-irrigated crops is minimal and county sizes are relatively small. This modeling approach enables consistent mapping of irrigated lands based upon USDA irrigation statistics and should lead to better understanding of spatial trends in irrigated lands across the conterminous United States. An improved version of the model with revised datasets is planned and will employ 2007 USDA irrigation statistics.

  18. 7 CFR 3550.10 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... adjusted for household size) for the county or Metropolitan Statistical Area where the property is or will... excess of 10,000 but not in excess of 20,000, is not contained within a Metropolitan Statistical Area..., 1990, (even if within a Metropolitan Statistical Area), with a population exceeding 10,000, but not in...

  19. Development of evaluation metod of flood risk in Tokyo metropolitan area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirano, J.; Dairaku, K.

    2012-12-01

    Flood is one of the most significant natural hazards in Japan. In particular, the Tokyo metropolitan area has been affected by several large flood disasters. Investigating potential flood risk in Tokyo metropolitan area is important for development of climate change adaptation strategy. We aim to develop a method for evaluating flood risk in Tokyo Metropolitan area by considering effect of historical land use and land cover change, socio-economic change, and climatic change. Ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism in Japan published "Statistics of flood", which contains data for flood causes, number of damaged houses, area of wetted surface, and total amount of damage for each flood at small municipal level. Based on these flood data, we constructed a flood database system for Tokyo metropolitan area for the period from 1961 to 2008 by using ArcGIS software.Based on these flood data , we created flood risk curve, representing the relation ship between damage and exceedbability of flood for the period 1976-2008. Based on the flood risk cruve, we aim to evaluate potential flood risk in the Tokyo metropolitan area and clarify the cause of regional difference in flood risk at Tokyo metropolitan area by considering effect of socio-economic change and climate change

  20. Immigration and earnings inequality in America's new small-town destinations.

    PubMed

    Hyde, Allen; Pais, Jeremy; Wallace, Michael

    2015-01-01

    Research on the relationship between immigrant population concentration and earnings inequality is divided between two perspectives. Supply-side arguments maintain that areas attracting large numbers of immigrants experience minimal wage growth at the bottom of the earnings distribution, which increases local levels of earnings inequality. Demand-side arguments contend that industrial restructuring reduces the pay of manual labor regardless of, and even prior to, the arrival of foreign-born workers. Adjudicating between these two perspectives is hindered by issues of potential endogeneity, which confound attempts to independently assess the effects of immigration on inequality or vice versa using OLS regression. We consider a third perspective called the reciprocal effects hypothesis which contends that immigrant concentration and earnings inequality emerge together through a mutually reinforcing feedback process. We explore this question in America's "new small-town destinations" using data from U.S. micropolitan statistical areas. We use three-stage least squares estimation to address the endogeneity problem and to test these three hypotheses. While we find support for both the supply- and demand-side perspectives, the results are best explained by the reciprocal effects hypothesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Do no harm--normal tissue effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hall, E. J.

    2001-01-01

    Radiation therapy confers enormous benefits that must be balanced against the possibilities for harm including late toxicity in normal tissues and radiation-induced second malignancies. A small percentage of patients experience severe late complications. The question is, do these late sequelae occur randomly, or are they confined to individuals who are genetically predisposed to radiosensitivity. Experiments with knockout mice and with patients demonstrate that individuals heterozygous for a number of genes appear to be radiosensitive. If radiosensitive patients were identified prospectively by genetic analysis, they could be spared the trauma of late sequelae. Several large studies have shown a statistically significant excess of radiation-induced malignancies in radiotherapy patients. Most second cancers are carcinomas, developing in the lining cells of the body often remote from the treatment site. Radiation-induced sarcomas appear only in the heavily irradiated areas. These are small in number but appear with a very high relative risk.

  2. Dynamic P-Technique for Modeling Patterns of Data: Applications to Pediatric Psychology Research

    PubMed Central

    Aylward, Brandon S.; Rausch, Joseph R.

    2011-01-01

    Objective Dynamic p-technique (DPT) is a potentially useful statistical method for examining relationships among dynamic constructs in a single individual or small group of individuals over time. The purpose of this article is to offer a nontechnical introduction to DPT. Method An overview of DPT analysis, with an emphasis on potential applications to pediatric psychology research, is provided. To illustrate how DPT might be applied, an example using simulated data is presented for daily pain and negative mood ratings. Results The simulated example demonstrates the application of DPT to a relevant pediatric psychology research area. In addition, the potential application of DPT to the longitudinal study of adherence is presented. Conclusion Although it has not been utilized frequently within pediatric psychology, DPT could be particularly well-suited for research in this field because of its ability to powerfully model repeated observations from very small samples. PMID:21486938

  3. The biodiversity of species and their rates of extinction, distribution, and protection.

    PubMed

    Pimm, S L; Jenkins, C N; Abell, R; Brooks, T M; Gittleman, J L; Joppa, L N; Raven, P H; Roberts, C M; Sexton, J O

    2014-05-30

    Recent studies clarify where the most vulnerable species live, where and how humanity changes the planet, and how this drives extinctions. We assess key statistics about species, their distribution, and their status. Most are undescribed. Those we know best have large geographical ranges and are often common within them. Most known species have small ranges. The numbers of small-ranged species are increasing quickly, even in well-known taxa. They are geographically concentrated and are disproportionately likely to be threatened or already extinct. Current rates of extinction are about 1000 times the likely background rate of extinction. Future rates depend on many factors and are poised to increase. Although there has been rapid progress in developing protected areas, such efforts are not ecologically representative, nor do they optimally protect biodiversity. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  4. Dynamic p-technique for modeling patterns of data: applications to pediatric psychology research.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Timothy D; Aylward, Brandon S; Rausch, Joseph R

    2011-10-01

    Dynamic p-technique (DPT) is a potentially useful statistical method for examining relationships among dynamic constructs in a single individual or small group of individuals over time. The purpose of this article is to offer a nontechnical introduction to DPT. An overview of DPT analysis, with an emphasis on potential applications to pediatric psychology research, is provided. To illustrate how DPT might be applied, an example using simulated data is presented for daily pain and negative mood ratings. The simulated example demonstrates the application of DPT to a relevant pediatric psychology research area. In addition, the potential application of DPT to the longitudinal study of adherence is presented. Although it has not been utilized frequently within pediatric psychology, DPT could be particularly well-suited for research in this field because of its ability to powerfully model repeated observations from very small samples.

  5. Variable ranking based on the estimated degree of separation for two distributions of data by the length of the receiver operating characteristic curve.

    PubMed

    Maswadeh, Waleed M; Snyder, A Peter

    2015-05-30

    Variable responses are fundamental for all experiments, and they can consist of information-rich, redundant, and low signal intensities. A dataset can consist of a collection of variable responses over multiple classes or groups. Usually some of the variables are removed in a dataset that contain very little information. Sometimes all the variables are used in the data analysis phase. It is common practice to discriminate between two distributions of data; however, there is no formal algorithm to arrive at a degree of separation (DS) between two distributions of data. The DS is defined herein as the average of the sum of the areas from the probability density functions (PDFs) of A and B that contain a≥percentage of A and/or B. Thus, DS90 is the average of the sum of the PDF areas of A and B that contain ≥90% of A and/or B. To arrive at a DS value, two synthesized PDFs or very large experimental datasets are required. Experimentally it is common practice to generate relatively small datasets. Therefore, the challenge was to find a statistical parameter that can be used on small datasets to estimate and highly correlate with the DS90 parameter. Established statistical methods include the overlap area of the two data distribution profiles, Welch's t-test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test, Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test, and the area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC). The area between the ROC curve and diagonal (ACD) and the length of the ROC curve (LROC) are introduced. The established, ACD, and LROC methods were correlated to the DS90 when applied on many pairs of synthesized PDFs. The LROC method provided the best linear correlation with, and estimation of, the DS90. The estimated DS90 from the LROC (DS90-LROC) is applied to a database, as an example, of three Italian wines consisting of thirteen variable responses for variable ranking consideration. An important highlight of the DS90-LROC method is utilizing the LROC curve methodology to test all variables one-at-a-time with all pairs of classes in a dataset. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Analysis of the variability of extra-tropical cyclones at the regional scale for the coasts of Northern Germany and investigation of their coastal impacts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schaaf, Benjamin; Feser, Frauke

    2015-04-01

    The evaluation of long-term changes in wind speeds is very important for the coastal areas and the protection measures. Therefor the wind variability at the regional scale for the coast of Northern Germany shall be analysed. In order to derive changes in storminess it is essential to analyse long, homogeneous meteorological time series. Wind measurements often suffer from inconsistencies which arise from changes in instrumentation, observation method, or station location. Reanalysis data take into account such inhomogeneities of observation data and convert these measurements into a consistent, gridded data set with the same grid spacing and time intervals. This leads to a smooth, homogeneous data set, but with relatively low resolution (about 210 km for the longest reanalysis data set, the NCEP reanalysis starting in 1948). Therefore a high-resolution regional atmospheric model will be used to bring these reanalyses to a higher resolution, using in addition to a dynamical downscaling approach the spectral nudging technique. This method 'nudges' the large spatial scales of the regional climate model towards the reanalysis, while the smaller spatial scales are left unchanged. It was applied successfully in a number of applications, leading to realistic atmospheric weather descriptions of the past. With the regional climate model COSMO-CLM a very high-resolution data set was calculated for the last 67 years, the period from 1948 until now. The model area is North Germany with the coastal area of the North sea and parts of the Baltic sea. This is one of the first model simulations on climate scale with a very high resolution of 2.8 km, so even small scale effects can be detected. With this hindcast-simulation there are numerous options of evaluation. One can create wind climatologies for regional areas such as for the metropolitan region of Hamburg. Otherwise one can investigate individual storms in a case study. With a filtering and tracking program the course of individual storms can be tracked and compared with observations. Also statistical studies can be done and one can calculate percentiles, return periods and other different extreme value statistic variables. Later, with a further nesting simulation, the resolution can be reduced to 1 km for individual areas of interest to analyse small islands (as Foehr or Amrum) and their effects on the atmospheric flow more closely.

  7. Decline of Monarch Butterflies Overwintering in Mexico- Is the Migratory Phenomenon at Risk?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brower, Lincoln; Taylor, Orley R.; Williams, Ernest H.; Slayback, Daniel; Zubieta, Raul R.; Ramirez, M. Isabel

    2012-01-01

    1.During the 2009-2010 overwintering season and following a 15-year downward trend, the total area in Mexico occupied by the eastern North American population of overwintering monarch butterflies reached an all-time low. Despite an increase, it remained low in 2010-2011. 2. Although the data set is small, the decline in abundance is statistically significant using both linear and exponential regression models. 3. Three factors appear to have contributed to reduce monarch abundance: degradation of the forest in the overwintering areas; the loss of breeding habitat in the United States due to the expansion ofGM herbicide-resistant crops, with consequent loss of milkweed host plants, as well as continued land development; and severe weather. 4. This decline calls into question the long-term survival of the monarchs' migratory phenomenon

  8. Drinking-water quality and variations in water levels in the fractured crystalline-rock aquifer, west-central Jefferson County, Colorado. Water-resources investigations (interim)

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

    Hall, D.C.; Johnson, C.J.

    1979-09-01

    In parts of the area, water for domestic use obtained from the fractured crystalline-rock aquifer contained excessive concentrations of dissolved fluoride, dissolved nitrite plus nitrate, dissolved solids, dissolved iron, dissolved manganese, dissolved zinc, coliform bacteria, gross alpha radiation, and gross beta radiation. Based on water-quality analyses from 26 wells located in small urbanized areas, water from 21 of the wells contained excessive concentrations of one or more constituents. Local variations in concentrations of 15 chemical constituents, specific conductance, and water temperature were statistically significant. Depths to water in 11 non-pumping wells ranged from 1 to 15 feet annually. Three-year trendsmore » in water-level changes in 6 of the 11 wells indicated a decrease in stored water in the aquifer.« less

  9. Comparing ecoregional classifications for natural areas management in the Klamath Region, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sarr, Daniel A.; Duff, Andrew; Dinger, Eric C.; Shafer, Sarah L.; Wing, Michael; Seavy, Nathaniel E.; Alexander, John D.

    2015-01-01

    We compared three existing ecoregional classification schemes (Bailey, Omernik, and World Wildlife Fund) with two derived schemes (Omernik Revised and Climate Zones) to explore their effectiveness in explaining species distributions and to better understand natural resource geography in the Klamath Region, USA. We analyzed presence/absence data derived from digital distribution maps for trees, amphibians, large mammals, small mammals, migrant birds, and resident birds using three statistical analyses of classification accuracy (Analysis of Similarity, Canonical Analysis of Principal Coordinates, and Classification Strength). The classifications were roughly comparable in classification accuracy, with Omernik Revised showing the best overall performance. Trees showed the strongest fidelity to the classifications, and large mammals showed the weakest fidelity. We discuss the implications for regional biogeography and describe how intermediate resolution ecoregional classifications may be appropriate for use as natural areas management domains.

  10. Gravitational Effects on Closed-Cellular-Foam Microstructure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Noever, David A.; Cronise, Raymond J.; Wessling, Francis C.; McMannus, Samuel P.; Mathews, John; Patel, Darayas

    1996-01-01

    Polyurethane foam has been produced in low gravity for the first time. The cause and distribution of different void or pore sizes are elucidated from direct comparison of unit-gravity and low-gravity samples. Low gravity is found to increase the pore roundness by 17% and reduce the void size by 50%. The standard deviation for pores becomes narrower (a more homogeneous foam is produced) in low gravity. Both a Gaussian and a Weibull model fail to describe the statistical distribution of void areas, and hence the governing dynamics do not combine small voids in either a uniform or a dependent fashion to make larger voids. Instead, the void areas follow an exponential law, which effectively randomizes the production of void sizes in a nondependent fashion consistent more with single nucleation than with multiple or combining events.

  11. Small Intestine Cancer—Health Professional Version

    Cancer.gov

    Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of small intestine cancer. Other types of small intestine cancer are sarcomas, carcinoid tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and lymphomas. Find evidence-based information on small intestine cancer treatment, research, and statistics.

  12. Reliability of recording uterine cancer in death certification in France and age-specific proportions of deaths from cervix and corpus uteri.

    PubMed

    Rogel, Agnès; Belot, Aurélien; Suzan, Florence; Bossard, Nadine; Boussac, Marjorie; Arveux, Patrick; Buémi, Antoine; Colonna, Marc; Danzon, Arlette; Ganry, Olivier; Guizard, Anne-Valérie; Grosclaude, Pascale; Velten, Michel; Jougla, Eric; Iwaz, Jean; Estève, Jacques; Chérié-Challine, Laurence; Remontet, Laurent

    2011-06-01

    French uterine cancer recordings in death certificates include 60% of "uterine cancer, Not Otherwise Specified (NOS)"; this hampers the estimation of mortalities from cervix and corpus uteri cancers. The aims of this work were to study the reliability of uterine cancer recordings in death certificates using a case matching with cancer registries and estimate age-specific proportions of deaths from cervix and corpus uteri cancers among all uterine cancer deaths by a statistical approach that uses incidence and survival data. Deaths from uterine cancer between 1989 and 2001 were extracted from the French National database of causes of death and case-to-case matched to women diagnosed with uterine cancer between 1989 and 1997 in 8 cancer registries. Registry data were considered as "gold-standard". Among the 1825 matched deaths, cancer registries recorded 830 cervix and 995 corpus uteri cancers. In death certificates, 5% and 40% of "true" cervix cancers were respectively coded "corpus" and "uterus, NOS" and 5% and 59% of "true" corpus cancers respectively coded "cervix" and "uterus, NOS". Miscoding cervix cancers was more frequent at advanced ages at death and in deaths at home or in small urban areas. Miscoding corpus cancers was more frequent in deaths at home or in small urban areas. From the statistical method, the estimated proportion of deaths from cervix cancer among all uterine cancer deaths was higher than 95% in women aged 30-40 years old but declined to 35% in women older than 70 years. The study clarifies the reason for poor encoding of uterus cancer mortality and refines the estimation of mortalities from cervix and corpus uteri cancers allowing future studies on the efficacy of cervical cancer screening. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. 12 CFR 25.22 - Lending test.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... assessment area(s) through its lending activities by considering a bank's home mortgage, small business... mortgage, small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the bank's assessment area(s); (2) Geographic distribution. The geographic distribution of the bank's home mortgage, small business...

  14. 12 CFR 25.22 - Lending test.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... assessment area(s) through its lending activities by considering a bank's home mortgage, small business... mortgage, small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the bank's assessment area(s); (2) Geographic distribution. The geographic distribution of the bank's home mortgage, small business...

  15. 12 CFR 25.22 - Lending test.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... assessment area(s) through its lending activities by considering a bank's home mortgage, small business... mortgage, small business, small farm, and consumer loans, if applicable, in the bank's assessment area(s); (2) Geographic distribution. The geographic distribution of the bank's home mortgage, small business...

  16. Estimating the Magnitude and Frequency of Floods in Small Urban Streams in South Carolina, 2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Feaster, Toby D.; Guimaraes, Wladimir B.

    2004-01-01

    The magnitude and frequency of floods at 20 streamflowgaging stations on small, unregulated urban streams in or near South Carolina were estimated by fitting the measured wateryear peak flows to a log-Pearson Type-III distribution. The period of record (through September 30, 2001) for the measured water-year peak flows ranged from 11 to 25 years with a mean and median length of 16 years. The drainage areas of the streamflow-gaging stations ranged from 0.18 to 41 square miles. Based on the flood-frequency estimates from the 20 streamflow-gaging stations (13 in South Carolina; 4 in North Carolina; and 3 in Georgia), generalized least-squares regression was used to develop regional regression equations. These equations can be used to estimate the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, 200-, and 500-year recurrence-interval flows for small urban streams in the Piedmont, upper Coastal Plain, and lower Coastal Plain physiographic provinces of South Carolina. The most significant explanatory variables from this analysis were mainchannel length, percent impervious area, and basin development factor. Mean standard errors of prediction for the regression equations ranged from -25 to 33 percent for the 10-year recurrence-interval flows and from -35 to 54 percent for the 100-year recurrence-interval flows. The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a Geographic Information System application called StreamStats that makes the process of computing streamflow statistics at ungaged sites faster and more consistent than manual methods. This application was developed in the Massachusetts District and ongoing work is being done in other districts to develop a similar application using streamflow statistics relative to those respective States. Considering the future possibility of implementing StreamStats in South Carolina, an alternative set of regional regression equations was developed using only main channel length and impervious area. This was done because no digital coverages are currently available for basin development factor and, therefore, it could not be included in the StreamStats application. The average mean standard error of prediction for the alternative equations was 2 to 5 percent larger than the standard errors for the equations that contained basin development factor. For the urban streamflow-gaging stations in South Carolina, measured water-year peak flows were compared with those from an earlier urban flood-frequency investigation. The peak flows from the earlier investigation were computed using a rainfall-runoff model. At many of the sites, graphical comparisons indicated that the variance of the measured data was much less than the variance of the simulated data. Several statistical tests were applied to compare the variances and the means of the measured and simulated data for each site. The results indicated that the variances were significantly different for 11 of the 13 South Carolina streamflow-gaging stations. For one streamflow-gaging station, the test for normality, which is one of the assumptions of the data when comparing variances, indicated that neither the measured data nor the simulated data were distributed normally; therefore, the test for differences in the variances was not used for that streamflow-gaging station. Another statistical test was used to test for statistically significant differences in the means of the measured and simulated data. The results indicated that for 5 of the 13 urban streamflowgaging stations in South Carolina there was a statistically significant difference in the means of the two data sets. For comparison purposes and to test the hypothesis that there may have been climatic differences between the period in which the measured peak-flow data were measured and the period for which historic rainfall data were used to compute the simulated peak flows, 16 rural streamflow-gaging stations with long-term records were reviewed using similar techniques as those used for the measured an

  17. Change in residential remoteness during the first 5 years of life in an Australian cerebral palsy cohort.

    PubMed

    DeLacy, Michael J; Louca, Christalla; Smithers-Sheedy, Hayley; McIntyre, Sarah

    2016-02-01

    To determine if families of children with cerebral palsy living in Australia move to less remote areas between birth and 5 years. Children on the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register (n=3399) born 1996 to 2005, were assigned a remoteness value for family residence at birth and 5 years using a modification of the Australian Statistical Geography Standard. Each value at birth was subtracted from the value at 5 years yielding a positive difference if they moved more remotely, negative difference if they moved less remotely and a value of zero if they did not move or moved to an equally remote residence. The small net increase in remoteness across this cohort was non-significant (p=0.43). Fifty-seven per cent of families changed postcode but only 20% changed remoteness, 11% more remotely, and 9% less remotely. There was a small trend for families with a child with more impaired gross motor function (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels IV and V) to move to a less remote area. This cohort of families with children with cerebral palsy did not appear to move to less remote areas by age 5 years. Remoteness at birth and level of gross motor function seem to have little effect. © 2016 The Authors. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology © 2016 Mac Keith Press.

  18. Estimating Surface and Subsurface Ice Abundance on Mercury Using a Thermophysical Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rubanenko, L.; Mazarico, E.; Neumann, G. A.; Paige, D. A.

    2016-12-01

    The small obliquity of the Moon and Mercury causes some topographic features near their poles to cast permanent shadows for geologic time periods. In the past, these permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) were found to have low enough temperatures to trap surface and subsurface water ice. On Mercury, high normal albedo is correlated with maximum temperatures <100 m and high radar backscatter, possibly indicating the presence of surface ice. Areas with slightly higher maximum temperatures were measured to have a decreased albedo, postulated to contain of organic materials overlaying buried ice. We evaluate this theory by employing a thermophysical model that considers insolation, scattering, thermal emissions and subsurface conduction. We model the area fraction of surface and subsurface cold-traps on realistic topography at scales of ˜500 m , recorded by the Mercury Laster Altimeter (MLA) on board the MErcury Surface, Space ENviroment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. At smaller scales, below the instrument threshold, we consider a statistical description of the surface assuming a Gaussian slope distribution. Using the modeled cold-trap area fraction we calculate the expected surface albedo and compare it to MESSENGER's near-infrared surface reflectance data. Last, we apply our model to other airless small-obliquity planetary bodies such as the Moon and Ceres in order to explain other correlations between the maximum temperature and normal albedo.

  19. Seismic sample areas defined from incomplete catalogues: an application to the Italian territory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mulargia, F.; Tinti, S.

    1985-11-01

    The comprehensive understanding of earthquake source-physics under real conditions requires the study not of single faults as separate entities but rather of a seismically active region as a whole, accounting for the interaction among different structures. We define "seismic sample area" the most convenient region to be used as a natural laboratory for the study of seismic source physics. This coincides with the region where the average large magnitude seismicity is the highest. To this end, time and space future distributions of large earthquakes are to be estimated. Using catalog seismicity as an input, the rate of occurrence is not constant but appears generally biased by incompleteness in some parts of the catalog and possible nonstationarities in seismic activity. We present a statistical procedure which is capable, under a few mild assumptions, of both detecting nonstationarities in seismicity and finding the incomplete parts of a seismic catalog. The procedure is based on Kolmogorov-Smirnov nonparametric statistics, and can be applied without a priori assuming the parent distribution of the events. The efficiency of this procedure allows the analysis of small data sets. An application to the Italian territory is presented, using the most recent version of the ENEL seismic catalog. Seismic activity takes place in six well defined areas but only five of them have a number of events sufficient for analysis. Barring a few exceptions, seismicity is found stationary throughout the whole catalog span 1000-1980. The eastern Alps region stands out as the best "sample area", with the highest average probability of event occurrence per time and area unit. Final objective of this characterization is to stimulate a program of intensified research.

  20. Urban-suburban differences in GP requests for lumbosacral spine radiographs in a primary healthcare centre in Malta.

    PubMed

    Pullicino, Glorianne; Sciortino, Philip; Francalanza, Sean; Sciortino, Paul; Pullicino, Richard

    2018-04-01

    Due to demographic changes, growing demands, technological developments and rising healthcare costs, analysis of resources in rural and urban primary care clinics is crucial. However, data on primary care provision in rural and suburban areas are lacking. Moreover, health inequities in small island communities tend to be reduced by social homogeneity and an almost indiscernible urban-rural difference. The aim of the study was to examine the urban-suburban differences in the indications for lumbosacral spine radiographs in a public primary healthcare centre in Malta. A list of all patients who underwent lumbosacral spine radiography in a public primary healthcare centre between January and June 2014 was obtained. The indications for lumbosacral spine radiographs were compared against the evidence-based indications posited by the America College of Radiology, the American Society of Spine Radiology, the Society for Pediatric Radiology and the Society of Skeletal Radiology in 2014. Differences between suburban and urban areas were analysed using the χ² test. Direct logistic regression was used to estimate the influences of different patients' characteristics and imaging indications in urban and suburban areas. The logistic regression model predicting the likelihood of different factors occurring with suburban patients as opposed to those residing in urban areas contained four independent variables (private/public sector, examination findings, osteoporosis, infection). The full model containing all predictors was statistically significant, c2 (4, N=1112) = 26.57, p≤0.001, indicating that the model was able to distinguish between patients residing in rural and urban areas. All four of the independent variables made a unique, statistically significant contribution to the model. The model as a whole explained between 2.4% (Cox and Snell R2) and 3.6% (Nagelkerke R2) of the variance in suburban/urban areas, and correctly classified 78.5% of cases. All four of the independent variables made a unique statistically significant contribution to the model. General practitioner (GP) requests for patients residing in suburban areas were more likely to be submitted from the private sector whereas urban GPs tended to include more examination findings. Requests by GPs for lumbosacral spine radiographs due to osteoporosis and infection tended to be more prevalent for urban patients. Such findings provide information for policymakers to improve equity in health care and resource allocations within the settings of urbanity and rurality.

  1. Building a stronger child dental health system in Australia: statistical sampling masks the burden of dental disease distribution in Australian children.

    PubMed

    Tennant, M; Kruger, E

    2014-01-01

    In Australia, over the past 30 years, the prevalence of dental decay in children has reduced significantly, where today 60-70% of all 12-year-olds are caries free, and only 10% of children have more than two decayed teeth. However, many studies continue to report a small but significant subset of children suffering severe levels of decay. The present study applies Monte Carlo simulation to examine, at the national level, 12-year-old decayed, missing or filled teeth and shed light on both the statistical limitation of Australia's reporting to date as well as the problem of targeting high-risk children. A simulation for 273 000 Australian 12-year-old children found that moving from different levels of geographic clustering produced different statistical influences that drive different conclusions. At the high scale (ie state level) the gross averaging of the non-normally distributed disease burden masks the small subset of disease bearing children. At the much higher acuity of analysis (ie local government area) the risk of low numbers in the sample becomes a significant issue. The results clearly highlight the importance of care when examining the existing data, and, second, opportunities for far greater levels of targeting of services to children in need. The sustainability (and fairness) of universal coverage systems needs to be examined to ensure they remain highly targeted at disease burden, and not just focused on the children that are easy to reach (and suffer the least disease).

  2. 33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters within the Naval Station Annapolis small boat basin and...

  3. 33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters within the Naval Station Annapolis small boat basin and...

  4. 33 CFR 334.155 - Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. 334.155 Section 334.155 Navigation and... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.155 Severn River, Naval Station Annapolis, Small Boat Basin, Annapolis, MD; naval restricted area. (a) The area. The waters within the Naval Station Annapolis small boat basin and...

  5. Relationship between isoseismal area and magnitude of historical earthquakes in Greece by a hybrid fuzzy neural network method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tselentis, G.-A.; Sokos, E.

    2012-01-01

    In this paper we suggest the use of diffusion-neural-networks, (neural networks with intrinsic fuzzy logic abilities) to assess the relationship between isoseismal area and earthquake magnitude for the region of Greece. It is of particular importance to study historical earthquakes for which we often have macroseismic information in the form of isoseisms but it is statistically incomplete to assess magnitudes from an isoseismal area or to train conventional artificial neural networks for magnitude estimation. Fuzzy relationships are developed and used to train a feed forward neural network with a back propagation algorithm to obtain the final relationships. Seismic intensity data from 24 earthquakes in Greece have been used. Special attention is being paid to the incompleteness and contradictory patterns in scanty historical earthquake records. The results show that the proposed processing model is very effective, better than applying classical artificial neural networks since the magnitude macroseismic intensity target function has a strong nonlinearity and in most cases the macroseismic datasets are very small.

  6. The food retail environment and area deprivation in Glasgow City, UK

    PubMed Central

    Macdonald, Laura; Ellaway, Anne; Macintyre, Sally

    2009-01-01

    It has previously been suggested that deprived neighbourhoods within modern cities have poor access to general amenities, for example, fewer food retail outlets. Here we examine the distribution of food retailers by deprivation in the City of Glasgow, UK. We obtained a list of 934 food retailers in Glasgow, UK, in 2007, and mapped these at address level. We categorised small areas (data zones) into quintiles of area deprivation using the 2006 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation Income sub-domain score. We computed mean number of retailers per 1000 residents per data zone, and mean network distance to nearest outlet from data zone centroid, for all retailers combined and for each of seven categories of retailer separately (i.e. bakers, butchers, fruit and vegetable sellers, fishmongers, convenience stores, supermarkets and delicatessens). The most deprived quintile (of areas) had the greatest mean number of total food retailers per 1000 residents while quintile 1 (least deprived) had the least, and this difference was statistically significant (Chi-square p < 0.01). The closest mean distance to the nearest food retailer was within quintile 3 while the furthest distance was within quintile 1, and this was also statistically significant (Chi-square p < 0.01). There was variation in the distribution of the seven different types of food retailers, and access to amenities depended upon the type of food retailer studied and whether proximity or density was measured. Overall the findings suggested that deprived neighbourhoods within the City of Glasgow did not necessarily have fewer food retail outlets. PMID:19660114

  7. Coastal microbial quality of surface sediments in different environments along the Italian coast.

    PubMed

    Chiaretti, G; Onorati, F; Borrello, P; Orasi, A; Mugnai, C

    2014-09-20

    In order to improve sediment handling following dredging operations, this study aims to statistically derive ranges of distribution for certain microbiological parameters, according to four environmental types inspired by Italian legislation on seaports: ports of international/national importance, ports of regional importance, port channels in brackish environments, and marine coastal areas. A national database was developed using microbiological data from technical reports available at the Italian Ministry of Environment and National Institute of Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) for the period 1990-2008. The parameters considered were total coliform bacteria, faecal coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, enterococci, sulfite-reducing clostridia (SRC), total bacterial counts at 22 °C and at 37 °C, and fungi. The data were statistically analyzed: (1) to verify the correspondence with the identified environmental types and rank them according to the concentration gradient and (2) to describe the data distribution in order to obtain reference ranges typical for each parameter/environmental type. The four environmental types considered were clearly different for enterococci, SRC, and fungi, highlighting a correspondence with Italian legislation. For the remaining parameters, at least two environmental types were merged. In general, the less contaminated environments were small ports and relatively unimpacted coastal areas. The ranges defined for relatively clean coastal areas can be considered a target for other areas both from an environmental point of view and for the sediment management implications. These values could be used as a comparison in environmental surveys addressing marine or brackish sediment handling and may represent a future line of evidence for the assessment of overall sediment quality.

  8. Predicting stroke through genetic risk functions: the CHARGE Risk Score Project.

    PubMed

    Ibrahim-Verbaas, Carla A; Fornage, Myriam; Bis, Joshua C; Choi, Seung Hoan; Psaty, Bruce M; Meigs, James B; Rao, Madhu; Nalls, Mike; Fontes, Joao D; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Kathiresan, Sekar; Ehret, Georg B; Fox, Caroline S; Malik, Rainer; Dichgans, Martin; Schmidt, Helena; Lahti, Jari; Heckbert, Susan R; Lumley, Thomas; Rice, Kenneth; Rotter, Jerome I; Taylor, Kent D; Folsom, Aaron R; Boerwinkle, Eric; Rosamond, Wayne D; Shahar, Eyal; Gottesman, Rebecca F; Koudstaal, Peter J; Amin, Najaf; Wieberdink, Renske G; Dehghan, Abbas; Hofman, Albert; Uitterlinden, André G; Destefano, Anita L; Debette, Stephanie; Xue, Luting; Beiser, Alexa; Wolf, Philip A; Decarli, Charles; Ikram, M Arfan; Seshadri, Sudha; Mosley, Thomas H; Longstreth, W T; van Duijn, Cornelia M; Launer, Lenore J

    2014-02-01

    Beyond the Framingham Stroke Risk Score, prediction of future stroke may improve with a genetic risk score (GRS) based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with stroke and its risk factors. The study includes 4 population-based cohorts with 2047 first incident strokes from 22,720 initially stroke-free European origin participants aged ≥55 years, who were followed for up to 20 years. GRSs were constructed with 324 single-nucleotide polymorphisms implicated in stroke and 9 risk factors. The association of the GRS to first incident stroke was tested using Cox regression; the GRS predictive properties were assessed with area under the curve statistics comparing the GRS with age and sex, Framingham Stroke Risk Score models, and reclassification statistics. These analyses were performed per cohort and in a meta-analysis of pooled data. Replication was sought in a case-control study of ischemic stroke. In the meta-analysis, adding the GRS to the Framingham Stroke Risk Score, age and sex model resulted in a significant improvement in discrimination (all stroke: Δjoint area under the curve=0.016, P=2.3×10(-6); ischemic stroke: Δjoint area under the curve=0.021, P=3.7×10(-7)), although the overall area under the curve remained low. In all the studies, there was a highly significantly improved net reclassification index (P<10(-4)). The single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with stroke and its risk factors result only in a small improvement in prediction of future stroke compared with the classical epidemiological risk factors for stroke.

  9. The food retail environment and area deprivation in Glasgow City, UK.

    PubMed

    Macdonald, Laura; Ellaway, Anne; Macintyre, Sally

    2009-08-06

    It has previously been suggested that deprived neighbourhoods within modern cities have poor access to general amenities, for example, fewer food retail outlets. Here we examine the distribution of food retailers by deprivation in the City of Glasgow, UK.We obtained a list of 934 food retailers in Glasgow, UK, in 2007, and mapped these at address level. We categorised small areas (data zones) into quintiles of area deprivation using the 2006 Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation Income sub-domain score. We computed mean number of retailers per 1000 residents per data zone, and mean network distance to nearest outlet from data zone centroid, for all retailers combined and for each of seven categories of retailer separately (i.e. bakers, butchers, fruit and vegetable sellers, fishmongers, convenience stores, supermarkets and delicatessens).The most deprived quintile (of areas) had the greatest mean number of total food retailers per 1000 residents while quintile 1 (least deprived) had the least, and this difference was statistically significant (Chi-square p < 0.01). The closest mean distance to the nearest food retailer was within quintile 3 while the furthest distance was within quintile 1, and this was also statistically significant (Chi-square p < 0.01). There was variation in the distribution of the seven different types of food retailers, and access to amenities depended upon the type of food retailer studied and whether proximity or density was measured. Overall the findings suggested that deprived neighbourhoods within the City of Glasgow did not necessarily have fewer food retail outlets.

  10. On the meaning of the weighted alternative free-response operating characteristic figure of merit.

    PubMed

    Chakraborty, Dev P; Zhai, Xuetong

    2016-05-01

    The free-response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) method is being increasingly used to evaluate observer performance in search tasks. Data analysis requires definition of a figure of merit (FOM) quantifying performance. While a number of FOMs have been proposed, the recommended one, namely, the weighted alternative FROC (wAFROC) FOM, is not well understood. The aim of this work is to clarify the meaning of this FOM by relating it to the empirical area under a proposed wAFROC curve. The weighted wAFROC FOM is defined in terms of a quasi-Wilcoxon statistic that involves weights, coding the clinical importance, assigned to each lesion. A new wAFROC curve is proposed, the y-axis of which incorporates the weights, giving more credit for marking clinically important lesions, while the x-axis is identical to that of the AFROC curve. An expression is derived relating the area under the empirical wAFROC curve to the wAFROC FOM. Examples are presented with small numbers of cases showing how AFROC and wAFROC curves are affected by correct and incorrect decisions and how the corresponding FOMs credit or penalize these decisions. The wAFROC, AFROC, and inferred ROC FOMs were applied to three clinical data sets involving multiple reader FROC interpretations in different modalities. It is shown analytically that the area under the empirical wAFROC curve equals the wAFROC FOM. This theorem is the FROC analog of a well-known theorem developed in 1975 for ROC analysis, which gave meaning to a Wilcoxon statistic based ROC FOM. A similar equivalence applies between the area under the empirical AFROC curve and the AFROC FOM. The examples show explicitly that the wAFROC FOM gives equal importance to all diseased cases, regardless of the number of lesions, a desirable statistical property not shared by the AFROC FOM. Applications to the clinical data sets show that the wAFROC FOM yields results comparable to that using the AFROC FOM. The equivalence theorem gives meaning to the weighted AFROC FOM, namely, it is identical to the empirical area under weighted AFROC curve.

  11. Stress shadows - a controversial topic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lasocki, Stanislaw; Karakostas, Vassilis G.; Papadimitriou, Eletheria E.; Orlecka-Sikora, Beata

    2010-05-01

    The spatial correlation between the positive Coulomb stress changes and the subsequent seismic activity has been firmly confirmed in many recent studies. If, however, the static stress transfer is a consistent expression of interaction between earthquakes one should also observe a decrease of the activity in the zones of negative stress changes. Instead, the existence of stress shadows is poorly evidenced and may be questioned. We tested the influence of the static stress changes associated with the coseismic slip of the 1995 Mw6.5 Kozani-Grevena (Greece) earthquake on locations of its aftershocks. The study was based on a detailed slip model for the main shock and accurate locations and reliable fault plane solutions of an adequate number of the aftershocks. We developed a statistical testing method, which tested whether the proportions of aftershocks located inside areas determined by a selected criterion on the static stress change could be attained if there were no effect of the stress change due to the main shock on aftershock locations. The areas of stress change were determined at the focus of every aftershock. The distribution of test statistic was constructed with the use of a two-dimensional nonparametric, kernel density estimator of the reference epicenter distribution. The tests highly confidently indicated a rise in probability to locate aftershocks inside areas of positive static stress change, which supported the hypothesis on the triggering effect in these areas. Furthermore, it was evidenced that a larger stress increase caused a stronger triggering effect. The analysis, however, did not evidence the existence of stress shadows inside areas of negative stress change. Contrary to expectations, the tests indicated a significant increase of the probability of event location in the areas of a stress decrease of more than or equal to 5.0 and 10.0 bar. It turned out that for areas of larger absolute stress change this probability increased regardless of the sign of the change though distinctly more in areas of positive than of negative change. In the case of seismicity accompanying underground mining exploitation the coseismic stress changes expressed in terms of the Coulomb failure function are at least of one order smaller than those for earthquakes. Furthermore, they are only a small component of the total stress field variations in mining rockmass, which are mainly controlled by the mining process. Nevertheless, our studies of the induced seismicity in the Rudna mine in the Legnica-Głogow Copper District in Poland showed that the influence of the Coulomb stress changes on locations of subsequent events was statistically significant. We analyzed series of seismic events quantifying the triggering and inhibiting effect by the proportion of events in the series whose locations were consistent with the stress increased and stress decreased zones, respectively. It was found out that more than 60 per-cent of the analyzed seismic events occurred in areas where stress was enhanced due to the occurrence of previous events. The significance of this result was determined by comparing it with 2000 results of the same analysis carried out on the random permutations of the original series of events. The test indicated that the locations in positive stress changes areas were preferred statistically significantly when the stress changes exceeded 0.05 bar. However, no statistically significant inhibiting effect of negative static stress changes, within the considered range of these changes, was ascertained. Here we present details of these two studies and discuss possible reasons behind the negative conclusions on the existence of stress shadows.

  12. Statewide analysis of the drainage-area ratio method for 34 streamflow percentile ranges in Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Asquith, William H.; Roussel, Meghan C.; Vrabel, Joseph

    2006-01-01

    The drainage-area ratio method commonly is used to estimate streamflow for sites where no streamflow data are available using data from one or more nearby streamflow-gaging stations. The method is intuitive and straightforward to implement and is in widespread use by analysts and managers of surface-water resources. The method equates the ratio of streamflow at two stream locations to the ratio of the respective drainage areas. In practice, unity often is assumed as the exponent on the drainage-area ratio, and unity also is assumed as a multiplicative bias correction. These two assumptions are evaluated in this investigation through statewide analysis of daily mean streamflow in Texas. The investigation was made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. More than 7.8 million values of daily mean streamflow for 712 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Texas were analyzed. To account for the influence of streamflow probability on the drainage-area ratio method, 34 percentile ranges were considered. The 34 ranges are the 4 quartiles (0-25, 25-50, 50-75, and 75-100 percent), the 5 intervals of the lower tail of the streamflow distribution (0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, and 4-5 percent), the 20 quintiles of the 4 quartiles (0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-25, 25-30, 30-35, 35-40, 40-45, 45-50, 50-55, 55-60, 60-65, 65-70, 70-75, 75-80, 80-85, 85-90, 90-95, and 95-100 percent), and the 5 intervals of the upper tail of the streamflow distribution (95-96, 96-97, 97-98, 98-99 and 99-100 percent). For each of the 253,116 (712X711/2) unique pairings of stations and for each of the 34 percentile ranges, the concurrent daily mean streamflow values available for the two stations provided for station-pair application of the drainage-area ratio method. For each station pair, specific statistical summarization (median, mean, and standard deviation) of both the exponent and bias-correction components of the drainage-area ratio method were computed. Statewide statistics (median, mean, and standard deviation) of the station-pair specific statistics subsequently were computed and are tabulated herein. A separate analysis considered conditioning station pairs to those stations within 100 miles of each other and with the absolute value of the logarithm (base-10) of the ratio of the drainage areas greater than or equal to 0.25. Statewide statistics of the conditional station-pair specific statistics were computed and are tabulated. The conditional analysis is preferable because of the anticipation that small separation distances reflect similar hydrologic conditions and the observation of large variation in exponent estimates for similar-sized drainage areas. The conditional analysis determined that the exponent is about 0.89 for streamflow percentiles from 0 to about 50 percent, is about 0.92 for percentiles from about 50 to about 65 percent, and is about 0.93 for percentiles from about 65 to about 85 percent. The exponent decreases rapidly to about 0.70 for percentiles nearing 100 percent. The computation of the bias-correction factor is sensitive to the range analysis interval (range of streamflow percentile); however, evidence suggests that in practice the drainage-area method can be considered unbiased. Finally, for general application, suggested values of the exponent are tabulated for 54 percentiles of daily mean streamflow in Texas; when these values are used, the bias correction is unity.

  13. A study of knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis among small-scale dairy farmers in an urban and peri-urban area of Tajikistan.

    PubMed

    Lindahl, Elisabeth; Sattorov, Nosirjon; Boqvist, Sofia; Magnusson, Ulf

    2015-01-01

    Improvement of knowledge, attitudes and practices among urban livestock farmers could have a significant impact on the reduction of many zoonotic infections in urban farming. This study aimed to describe and evaluate weak areas in knowledge, attitudes and practices with regards to brucellosis among urban and peri-urban small-scale dairy farmers in a low income country to generate information essential for control programmes and public health interventions. The cross-sectional study was conducted during six weeks in 2011. The study subjects were small-scale dairy farmers living in the urban and peri-urban area of the capital Dushanbe in Tajikistan. In total, 441 farmers were interviewed using a questionnaire with questions about demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis. Descriptive statistics were used and a logistic regression model applied to evaluate potential predictors to knowledge about brucellosis. The majority (85%) of the farmers had never heard of brucellosis. Low educational level was found to be associated with low awareness of brucellosis (P = < 0.001). Respondents who talked about animal health issues with family members or friends were less likely to have heard of brucellosis compared to those who often talked to veterinarians (P = 0.03). Sixty three per cent of the participants wanted more information about brucellosis. Seventeen per cent sold unpasteurized dairy products on a regular basis direct to consumers. Almost 30% of the households consumed unpasteurized dairy products on regular basis. A majority of the respondents did not use any protection when handling cows having an abortion or when dealing with aborted materials. Poor knowledge, high-risk behaviours and a willingness to learn more strengthens the logic for including health education as part of control programmes.

  14. Equity in children's dental caries before and after cessation of community water fluoridation: differential impact by dental insurance status and geographic material deprivation.

    PubMed

    McLaren, Lindsay; McNeil, Deborah A; Potestio, Melissa; Patterson, Steve; Thawer, Salima; Faris, Peter; Shi, Congshi; Shwart, Luke

    2016-02-11

    One of the main arguments made in favor of community water fluoridation is that it is equitable in its impact on dental caries (i.e., helps to offset inequities in dental caries). Although an equitable effect of fluoridation has been demonstrated in cross-sectional studies, it has not been studied in the context of cessation of community water fluoridation (CWF). The objective of this study was to compare the socio-economic patterns of children's dental caries (tooth decay) in Calgary, Canada, in 2009/10 when CWF was in place, and in 2013/14, after it had been discontinued. We analyzed data from population-based samples of schoolchildren (grade 2) in 2009/10 and 2013/14. Data on dental caries (decayed, missing, and filled primary and permanent teeth) were gathered via open mouth exams conducted in schools by registered dental hygienists. We examined the association between dental caries and 1) presence/absence of dental insurance and 2) small area index of material deprivation, using Poisson (zero-inflated) and logistic regression, for both time points separately. For small-area material deprivation at each time point, we also computed the concentration index of inequality for each outcome variable. Statistically significant inequities by dental insurance status and by small area material deprivation were more apparent in 2013/14 than in 2009/10. Results are consistent with increasing inequities in dental caries following cessation of CWF. However, further research is needed to 1) confirm the effects in a study that includes a comparison community, and 2) explore possible alternative reasons for the findings, including changes in treatment and preventive programming.

  15. NOx dispersion modelling around roundabout in a small city, example from Hungary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Farkas, Orsolya; Rákai, Anikó; Czáder, Károly; Török, Ákos

    2013-04-01

    The present paper focuses on the modelling of pollutant distribution and dispersion in an urban region that is located in a moderately industrialized town of Hungary, Székesfehérvár, with a population of 100,000. The study area is located close to the city centre, with different housing styles and different building elevations. High-rise buildings with 10 floors to small houses with gardens are found in the modelled area. The roundabout has 5 access roads; three major ones and two minor ones with different geometries and traffic load. The traffic load of the roads was defined by traffic count, while for the meteorological characteristics wind-statistics were created. Additional input parameters were the ground plan and the elevation of buildings. To simulate the airflow and the dispersion of pollutants a Computational Fluid Dynamics code called MISKAM was used. The background concentration was taken from the dataset of a nearby air quality monitoring station. According to vehicle counting the 5 roads of the roundabout have very different loads from 12 vehicles to more than 412 vehicles/hour. Three different grid systems were applied ranging from half million to 5 million cells. The difference in the results related to grid density was also evaluated. Wind speed distribution, wind turbulence and building wake flow patterns were identified by using the model. With the help of the simulation the NOx flow and dispersion of pollutants around the roundabout can be estimated and the critical locations with higher pollution concentration are presented. The results of the modelling can be more generalized and used in the design of the layout, development, traffic-control and environmental aspects of roundabouts located in small urban areas.

  16. A Study of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Relating to Brucellosis among Small-Scale Dairy Farmers in an Urban and Peri-Urban Area of Tajikistan

    PubMed Central

    Lindahl, Elisabeth; Sattorov, Nosirjon; Boqvist, Sofia; Magnusson, Ulf

    2015-01-01

    Improvement of knowledge, attitudes and practices among urban livestock farmers could have a significant impact on the reduction of many zoonotic infections in urban farming. This study aimed to describe and evaluate weak areas in knowledge, attitudes and practices with regards to brucellosis among urban and peri-urban small-scale dairy farmers in a low income country to generate information essential for control programmes and public health interventions. The cross-sectional study was conducted during six weeks in 2011. The study subjects were small-scale dairy farmers living in the urban and peri-urban area of the capital Dushanbe in Tajikistan. In total, 441 farmers were interviewed using a questionnaire with questions about demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to brucellosis. Descriptive statistics were used and a logistic regression model applied to evaluate potential predictors to knowledge about brucellosis. The majority (85%) of the farmers had never heard of brucellosis. Low educational level was found to be associated with low awareness of brucellosis (P = < 0.001). Respondents who talked about animal health issues with family members or friends were less likely to have heard of brucellosis compared to those who often talked to veterinarians (P = 0.03). Sixty three per cent of the participants wanted more information about brucellosis. Seventeen per cent sold unpasteurized dairy products on a regular basis direct to consumers. Almost 30% of the households consumed unpasteurized dairy products on regular basis. A majority of the respondents did not use any protection when handling cows having an abortion or when dealing with aborted materials. Poor knowledge, high-risk behaviours and a willingness to learn more strengthens the logic for including health education as part of control programmes. PMID:25668783

  17. EVALUATION OF A NEW MEAN SCALED AND MOMENT ADJUSTED TEST STATISTIC FOR SEM.

    PubMed

    Tong, Xiaoxiao; Bentler, Peter M

    2013-01-01

    Recently a new mean scaled and skewness adjusted test statistic was developed for evaluating structural equation models in small samples and with potentially nonnormal data, but this statistic has received only limited evaluation. The performance of this statistic is compared to normal theory maximum likelihood and two well-known robust test statistics. A modification to the Satorra-Bentler scaled statistic is developed for the condition that sample size is smaller than degrees of freedom. The behavior of the four test statistics is evaluated with a Monte Carlo confirmatory factor analysis study that varies seven sample sizes and three distributional conditions obtained using Headrick's fifth-order transformation to nonnormality. The new statistic performs badly in most conditions except under the normal distribution. The goodness-of-fit χ(2) test based on maximum-likelihood estimation performed well under normal distributions as well as under a condition of asymptotic robustness. The Satorra-Bentler scaled test statistic performed best overall, while the mean scaled and variance adjusted test statistic outperformed the others at small and moderate sample sizes under certain distributional conditions.

  18. A Meta-Analytic Review of Studies of the Effectiveness of Small-Group Learning Methods on Statistics Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalaian, Sema A.; Kasim, Rafa M.

    2014-01-01

    This meta-analytic study focused on the quantitative integration and synthesis of the accumulated pedagogical research in undergraduate statistics education literature. These accumulated research studies compared the academic achievement of students who had been instructed using one of the various forms of small-group learning methods to those who…

  19. Statistics for Geography Teachers: Topics in Geography, Number 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Council for Geographic Education.

    This publication is designed to provide geography teachers with useful statistical information. It presents tables, maps, graphs, diagrams, and explanations of statistical data in 24 areas. The areas in which statistics are given are conversions, measurement, astronomy, time, daylight, twilight, latitude and longitude as distance, the relationship…

  20. Benchmarking protein-protein interface predictions: why you should care about protein size.

    PubMed

    Martin, Juliette

    2014-07-01

    A number of predictive methods have been developed to predict protein-protein binding sites. Each new method is traditionally benchmarked using sets of protein structures of various sizes, and global statistics are used to assess the quality of the prediction. Little attention has been paid to the potential bias due to protein size on these statistics. Indeed, small proteins involve proportionally more residues at interfaces than large ones. If a predictive method is biased toward small proteins, this can lead to an over-estimation of its performance. Here, we investigate the bias due to the size effect when benchmarking protein-protein interface prediction on the widely used docking benchmark 4.0. First, we simulate random scores that favor small proteins over large ones. Instead of the 0.5 AUC (Area Under the Curve) value expected by chance, these biased scores result in an AUC equal to 0.6 using hypergeometric distributions, and up to 0.65 using constant scores. We then use real prediction results to illustrate how to detect the size bias by shuffling, and subsequently correct it using a simple conversion of the scores into normalized ranks. In addition, we investigate the scores produced by eight published methods and show that they are all affected by the size effect, which can change their relative ranking. The size effect also has an impact on linear combination scores by modifying the relative contributions of each method. In the future, systematic corrections should be applied when benchmarking predictive methods using data sets with mixed protein sizes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Adsorption of water vapour and the specific surface area of arctic zone soils (Spitsbergen)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cieśla, Jolanta; Sokołowska, Zofia; Witkowska-Walczak, Barbara; Skic, Kamil

    2018-01-01

    Water vapour/nitrogen adsorption were investigated and calculated the specific surface areas of arctic-zone soil samples (Turbic Cryosols) originating from different micro-relief forms (mud boils, cell forms and sorted circles) and from different depths. For the characterisation of the isotherms obtained for arctic soils, the Brunauer-Emmet-Teller model was then compared with the two other models (Aranovich-Donohue and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer) which were developed from Brunauer-Emmet-Teller. Specific surface area was calculated using the Brunauer-Emmet-Teller model at p p0-1 range of 0.05-0.35 for the water vapour desorption and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. The values of total specific surface area were the highest in Cryosols on mud boils, lower on cell forms, and the lowest on sorted circles. Such tendency was observed for the results obtained by both the water vapour and nitrogen adsorption. The differences in the values of specific surface area at two investigated layers were small. High determination coefficients were obtained for relationships between the specific surface areas and contents of clay and silt fraction in Cryosols. No statistically significant correlation between the total carbon amount and the values of specific surface area in Cryosols has been found.

  2. Estimating prevalence of coronary heart disease for small areas using collateral indicators of morbidity.

    PubMed

    Congdon, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Different indicators of morbidity for chronic disease may not necessarily be available at a disaggregated spatial scale (e.g., for small areas with populations under 10 thousand). Instead certain indicators may only be available at a more highly aggregated spatial scale; for example, deaths may be recorded for small areas, but disease prevalence only at a considerably higher spatial scale. Nevertheless prevalence estimates at small area level are important for assessing health need. An instance is provided by England where deaths and hospital admissions for coronary heart disease are available for small areas known as wards, but prevalence is only available for relatively large health authority areas. To estimate CHD prevalence at small area level in such a situation, a shared random effect method is proposed that pools information regarding spatial morbidity contrasts over different indicators (deaths, hospitalizations, prevalence). The shared random effect approach also incorporates differences between small areas in known risk factors (e.g., income, ethnic structure). A Poisson-multinomial equivalence may be used to ensure small area prevalence estimates sum to the known higher area total. An illustration is provided by data for London using hospital admissions and CHD deaths at ward level, together with CHD prevalence totals for considerably larger local health authority areas. The shared random effect involved a spatially correlated common factor, that accounts for clustering in latent risk factors, and also provides a summary measure of small area CHD morbidity.

  3. Estimating Prevalence of Coronary Heart Disease for Small Areas Using Collateral Indicators of Morbidity

    PubMed Central

    Congdon, Peter

    2010-01-01

    Different indicators of morbidity for chronic disease may not necessarily be available at a disaggregated spatial scale (e.g., for small areas with populations under 10 thousand). Instead certain indicators may only be available at a more highly aggregated spatial scale; for example, deaths may be recorded for small areas, but disease prevalence only at a considerably higher spatial scale. Nevertheless prevalence estimates at small area level are important for assessing health need. An instance is provided by England where deaths and hospital admissions for coronary heart disease are available for small areas known as wards, but prevalence is only available for relatively large health authority areas. To estimate CHD prevalence at small area level in such a situation, a shared random effect method is proposed that pools information regarding spatial morbidity contrasts over different indicators (deaths, hospitalizations, prevalence). The shared random effect approach also incorporates differences between small areas in known risk factors (e.g., income, ethnic structure). A Poisson-multinomial equivalence may be used to ensure small area prevalence estimates sum to the known higher area total. An illustration is provided by data for London using hospital admissions and CHD deaths at ward level, together with CHD prevalence totals for considerably larger local health authority areas. The shared random effect involved a spatially correlated common factor, that accounts for clustering in latent risk factors, and also provides a summary measure of small area CHD morbidity. PMID:20195439

  4. 42 CFR 485.610 - Condition of participation: Status and location.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... requirements: (i) The CAH is located outside any area that is a Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by... Statistical Area, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget, but is being treated as being located in... this section and is located in a county that, in FY 2004, was not part of a Metropolitan Statistical...

  5. Small proportions of actively-smoking patrons and high PM2.5 levels in southern California tribal casinos: support for smoking bans or designated smoking areas

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Nearly all California casinos currently allow smoking, which leads to potentially high patron exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke pollutants. Some argue that smoking restrictions or bans would result in a business drop, assuming > 50% of patrons smoke. Evidence in Nevada and responses from the 2008 California tobacco survey refute this assertion. The present study investigates the proportion of active smokers in southern California tribal casinos, as well as occupancy and PM2.5 levels in smoking and nonsmoking sections. Methods We measured active-smoker and total-patron counts during Friday or Saturday night visits (two per casino) to smoking and nonsmoking gaming areas inside 11 southern California casinos. We counted slot machines and table games in each section, deriving theoretical maximum capacities and occupancy rates. We also measured PM2.5 concentrations (or used published levels) in both nonsmoking and smoking areas. Results Excluding one casino visit with extremely high occupancy, we counted 24,970 patrons during 21 casino visits of whom 1,737 were actively smoking, for an overall active- smoker proportion of 7.0% and a small range of ~5% across casino visits (minimum of 5% and maximum of 10%). The differences in mean inter-casino active-smoker proportions were not statistically significant. Derived occupancy rates were 24% to 215% in the main (low-stakes) smoking-allowed slot or table areas. No relationship was found between observed active-smoker proportions and occupancy rate. The derived maximum capacities of nonsmoking areas were 1% to 29% of the overall casino capacity (most under 10%) and their observed occupancies were 0.1 to over 3 times that of the main smoking-allowed casino areas. Seven of twelve visits to nonsmoking areas with no separation had occupancy rates greater than main smoking areas. Unenclosed nonsmoking areas don’t substantially protect occupants from PM2.5 exposure. Nonsmoking areas encapsulated inside smoking areas or in a separate, but unenclosed, area had PM2.5 levels that were 10 to 60 μg/m3 and 6 to 23 μg/m3 higher than outdoor levels, respectively, indicating contamination from smoking. Conclusions Although fewer than roughly 10% of casino patrons are actively smoking on average, these individuals substantially increase PM2.5 exposure for all patrons in smoking and unenclosed nonsmoking areas. Nonsmoking areas may be too inconvenient, small, or undesirable to serve a substantial number of nonsmoking patrons. Imposing indoor smoking bans, or contained smoking areas with a maximum capacity of up to 10% of the total patronage, would offer protection from PM2.5 exposures for nonsmoking patrons and reduce employee exposures. PMID:22998850

  6. Small proportions of actively-smoking patrons and high PM2.5 levels in southern California tribal casinos: support for smoking bans or designated smoking areas.

    PubMed

    Klepeis, Neil E; Omoto, Jason; Ong, Seow Ling; Omoto, Harmeena Sahota; Dhaliwal, Narinder

    2012-09-22

    Nearly all California casinos currently allow smoking, which leads to potentially high patron exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke pollutants. Some argue that smoking restrictions or bans would result in a business drop, assuming > 50% of patrons smoke. Evidence in Nevada and responses from the 2008 California tobacco survey refute this assertion. The present study investigates the proportion of active smokers in southern California tribal casinos, as well as occupancy and PM(2.5) levels in smoking and nonsmoking sections. We measured active-smoker and total-patron counts during Friday or Saturday night visits (two per casino) to smoking and nonsmoking gaming areas inside 11 southern California casinos. We counted slot machines and table games in each section, deriving theoretical maximum capacities and occupancy rates. We also measured PM(2.5) concentrations (or used published levels) in both nonsmoking and smoking areas. Excluding one casino visit with extremely high occupancy, we counted 24,970 patrons during 21 casino visits of whom 1,737 were actively smoking, for an overall active- smoker proportion of 7.0% and a small range of ~5% across casino visits (minimum of 5% and maximum of 10%). The differences in mean inter-casino active-smoker proportions were not statistically significant. Derived occupancy rates were 24% to 215% in the main (low-stakes) smoking-allowed slot or table areas. No relationship was found between observed active-smoker proportions and occupancy rate. The derived maximum capacities of nonsmoking areas were 1% to 29% of the overall casino capacity (most under 10%) and their observed occupancies were 0.1 to over 3 times that of the main smoking-allowed casino areas. Seven of twelve visits to nonsmoking areas with no separation had occupancy rates greater than main smoking areas. Unenclosed nonsmoking areas don't substantially protect occupants from PM2.5 exposure. Nonsmoking areas encapsulated inside smoking areas or in a separate, but unenclosed, area had PM(2.5) levels that were 10 to 60 μg/m(3) and 6 to 23 μg/m(3) higher than outdoor levels, respectively, indicating contamination from smoking. Although fewer than roughly 10% of casino patrons are actively smoking on average, these individuals substantially increase PM(2.5) exposure for all patrons in smoking and unenclosed nonsmoking areas. Nonsmoking areas may be too inconvenient, small, or undesirable to serve a substantial number of nonsmoking patrons. Imposing indoor smoking bans, or contained smoking areas with a maximum capacity of up to 10% of the total patronage, would offer protection from PM2.5 exposures for nonsmoking patrons and reduce employee exposures.

  7. Hospital admissions for severe mental illness in England: changes in equity of utilisation at the small area level between 2006 and 2010.

    PubMed

    White, Jonathan; Gutacker, Nils; Jacobs, Rowena; Mason, Anne

    2014-11-01

    Severe Mental Illness (SMI) encompasses a range of chronic conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychoses. Patients with SMI often require inpatient psychiatric care. Despite equity being a key objective in the English National Health Service (NHS) and in many other health care systems worldwide, little is known about the socio-economic equity of hospital care utilisation for patients with SMI and how it has changed over time. This analysis seeks to address that gap in the evidence base. We exploit a five-year (2006-2010) panel dataset of admission rates at small area level (n=162,410). The choice of control variables was informed by a systematic literature search. To assess changes in socio-economic equity of utilisation, OLS-based standardisation was first used to conduct analysis of discrete deprivation groups. Geographical inequity was then illustrated by plotting standardised and crude admission rates at local purchaser level. Lastly, formal statistical tests for changes in socio-economic equity of utilisation were applied to a continuous measure of deprivation using pooled negative binomial regression analysis, adjusting for a range of risk factors. Our results suggest that one additional percentage point of area income deprivation is associated with a 1.5% (p<0.001) increase in admissions for SMI after controlling for population size, age, sex, prevalence of SMI in the local population, as well as other need and supply factors. This finding is robust to sensitivity analyses, suggesting that a pro-poor inequality in utilisation exists for SMI-related inpatient services. One possible explanation is that the supply or quality of primary, community or social care for people with mental health problems is suboptimal in deprived areas. Although there is some evidence that inequity has reduced over time, the changes are small and not always robust to sensitivity analyses. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  8. Black hole thermodynamics under the microscope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Falls, Kevin; Litim, Daniel F.

    2014-04-01

    A coarse-grained version of the effective action is used to study the thermodynamics of black holes, interpolating from largest to smallest masses. The physical parameters of the black hole are linked to the running couplings by thermodynamics, and the corresponding equation of state includes quantum corrections for temperature, specific heat, and entropy. If quantum gravity becomes asymptotically safe, the state function predicts conformal scaling in the limit of small horizon area and bounds on black hole mass and temperature. A metric-based derivation for the equation of state and quantum corrections to the thermodynamical, statistical, and phenomenological definition of entropy are also given. Further implications and limitations of our study are discussed.

  9. Bayesian 2-Stage Space-Time Mixture Modeling With Spatial Misalignment of the Exposure in Small Area Health Data.

    PubMed

    Lawson, Andrew B; Choi, Jungsoon; Cai, Bo; Hossain, Monir; Kirby, Russell S; Liu, Jihong

    2012-09-01

    We develop a new Bayesian two-stage space-time mixture model to investigate the effects of air pollution on asthma. The two-stage mixture model proposed allows for the identification of temporal latent structure as well as the estimation of the effects of covariates on health outcomes. In the paper, we also consider spatial misalignment of exposure and health data. A simulation study is conducted to assess the performance of the 2-stage mixture model. We apply our statistical framework to a county-level ambulatory care asthma data set in the US state of Georgia for the years 1999-2008.

  10. 48 CFR 1852.219-74 - Use of rural area small businesses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... and Clauses 1852.219-74 Use of rural area small businesses. As prescribed in 1819.7103, insert the following clause: Use of Rural Area Small Business (SEP 1990) (a) Definitions. Rural area means any county with a population of fewer than twenty thousand individuals. Small business concern, as used in this...

  11. 48 CFR 1852.219-74 - Use of rural area small businesses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... and Clauses 1852.219-74 Use of rural area small businesses. As prescribed in 1819.7103, insert the following clause: Use of Rural Area Small Business (SEP 1990) (a) Definitions. Rural area means any county with a population of fewer than twenty thousand individuals. Small business concern, as used in this...

  12. 48 CFR 1852.219-74 - Use of rural area small businesses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... and Clauses 1852.219-74 Use of rural area small businesses. As prescribed in 1819.7103, insert the following clause: Use of Rural Area Small Business (SEP 1990) (a) Definitions. Rural area means any county with a population of fewer than twenty thousand individuals. Small business concern, as used in this...

  13. 48 CFR 1852.219-74 - Use of rural area small businesses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... and Clauses 1852.219-74 Use of rural area small businesses. As prescribed in 1819.7103, insert the following clause: Use of Rural Area Small Business (SEP 1990) (a) Definitions. Rural area means any county with a population of fewer than twenty thousand individuals. Small business concern, as used in this...

  14. Techniques for estimating flood peak discharges for unregulated streams and streams regulated by small floodwater retarding structures in Oklahoma

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tortorelli, R.L.; Bergman, D.L.

    1985-01-01

    Statewide regression relations for Oklahoma were determined for estimating peak discharge of floods for selected recurrence intervals from 2 to 500 years. The independent variables required for estimating flood discharge for rural streams are contributing drainage area and mean annual precipitation. Main-channel slope, a variable used in previous reports, was found to contribute very little to the accuracy of the relations and was not used. The regression equations are applicable for watersheds with drainage areas less than 2,500 square miles that are not significantly affected by regulation from manmade works. These relations are presented in graphical form for easy application. Limitations on the use of the regression relations and the reliability of regression estimates for rural unregulated streams are discussed. Basin and climatic characteristics, log-Pearson Type III statistics and the flood-frequency relations for 226 gaging stations in Oklahoma and adjacent states are presented. Regression relations are investigated for estimating flood magnitude and frequency for watersheds affected by regulation from small FRS (floodwater retarding structures) built by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service in their watershed protection and flood prevention program. Gaging-station data from nine FRS regulated sites in Oklahoma and one FRS regulated site in Kansas are used. For sites regulated by FRS, an adjustment of the statewide rural regression relations can be used to estimate flood magnitude and frequency. The statewide regression equations are used by substituting the drainage area below the FRS, or drainage area that represents the percent of the basin unregulated, in the contributing drainage area parameter to obtain flood-frequency estimates. Flood-frequency curves and flow-duration curves are presented for five gaged sites to illustrate the effects of FRS regulation on peak discharge.

  15. Delineation and Prediction Uncertainty of Areas Contributing Recharge to Selected Well Fields in Wetland and Coastal Settings, Southern Rhode Island

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Friesz, Paul J.

    2010-01-01

    Areas contributing recharge to four well fields in two study sites in southern Rhode Island were delineated on the basis of steady-state groundwater-flow models representing average hydrologic conditions. The wells are screened in sand and gravel deposits in wetland and coastal settings. The groundwater-flow models were calibrated by inverse modeling using nonlinear regression. Summary statistics from nonlinear regression were used to evaluate the uncertainty associated with the predicted areas contributing recharge to the well fields. In South Kingstown, two United Water Rhode Island well fields are in Mink Brook watershed and near Worden Pond and extensive wetlands. Wetland deposits of peat near the well fields generally range in thickness from 5 to 8 feet. Analysis of water-level drawdowns in a piezometer screened beneath the peat during a 20-day pumping period indicated vertical leakage and a vertical hydraulic conductivity for the peat of roughly 0.01 ft/d. The simulated area contributing recharge for average withdrawals of 2,138 gallons per minute during 2003-07 extended to groundwater divides in mostly till and morainal deposits, and it encompassed 2.30 square miles. Most of a sand and gravel mining operation between the well fields was in the simulated contributing area. For the maximum pumping capacity (5,100 gallons per minute), the simulated area contributing recharge expanded to 5.54 square miles. The well fields intercepted most of the precipitation recharge in Mink Brook watershed and in an adjacent small watershed, and simulated streams ceased to flow. The simulated contributing area to the well fields included an area beneath Worden Pond and a remote, isolated area in upland till on the opposite side of Worden Pond from the well fields. About 12 percent of the pumped water was derived from Worden Pond. In Charlestown, the Central Beach Fire District and the East Beach Water Association well fields are on a small (0.85 square mile) peninsula in a coastal setting. The wells are screened in a coarse-grained, ice-proximal part of a morphosequence with saturated thicknesses generally less than 30 feet on the peninsula. The simulated area contributing recharge for the average withdrawal (16 gallons per minute) during 2003-07 was 0.018 square mile. The contributing area extended southwestward from the well fields to a simulated groundwater mound; it underlay part of a small nearby wetland, and it included isolated areas on the side of the wetland opposite the well fields. For the maximum pumping rate (230 gallons per minute), the simulated area contributing recharge (0.26 square mile) expanded in all directions; it included a till area on the peninsula, and it underlay part of a nearby pond. Because the well fields are screened in a thin aquifer, simulated groundwater traveltimes from recharge locations to the discharging wells were short: 94 percent of the traveltimes were 10 years or less, and the median traveltime was 1.3 years. Model-prediction uncertainty was evaluated using a Monte Carlo analysis; the parameter variance-covariance matrix from nonlinear regression was used to create parameter sets for the analysis. Important parameters for model prediction that could not be estimated by nonlinear regression were incorporated into the variance-covariance matrix. For the South Kingstown study site, observations provided enough information to constrain the uncertainty of these parameters within realistic ranges, but for the Charlestown study site, prior information on parameters was required. Thus, the uncertainty analysis for the South Kingstown study site was an outcome of calibrating the model to available observations, but the Charlestown study site was also dependent on information provided by the modeler. A water budget and model-fit statistical criteria were used to assess parameter sets so that prediction uncertainty was not overestimated. For the scenarios using maximum pumping rates at both study

  16. Research Education in Undergraduate Occupational Therapy Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petersen, Paul; And Others

    1992-01-01

    Of 63 undergraduate occupational therapy programs surveyed, the 38 responses revealed some common areas covered: elementary descriptive statistics, validity, reliability, and measurement. Areas underrepresented include statistical analysis with or without computers, research design, and advanced statistics. (SK)

  17. Flat-Sky Pseudo-Cls Analysis for Weak Gravitational Lensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asgari, Marika; Taylor, Andy; Joachimi, Benjamin; Kitching, Thomas D.

    2018-05-01

    We investigate the use of estimators of weak lensing power spectra based on a flat-sky implementation of the 'Pseudo-CI' (PCl) technique, where the masked shear field is transformed without regard for masked regions of sky. This masking mixes power, and 'E'-convergence and 'B'-modes. To study the accuracy of forward-modelling and full-sky power spectrum recovery we consider both large-area survey geometries, and small-scale masking due to stars and a checkerboard model for field-of-view gaps. The power spectrum for the large-area survey geometry is sparsely-sampled and highly oscillatory, which makes modelling problematic. Instead, we derive an overall calibration for large-area mask bias using simulated fields. The effects of small-area star masks can be accurately corrected for, while the checkerboard mask has oscillatory and spiky behaviour which leads to percent biases. Apodisation of the masked fields leads to increased biases and a loss of information. We find that we can construct an unbiased forward-model of the raw PCls, and recover the full-sky convergence power to within a few percent accuracy for both Gaussian and lognormal-distributed shear fields. Propagating this through to cosmological parameters using a Fisher-Matrix formalism, we find we can make unbiased estimates of parameters for surveys up to 1,200 deg2 with 30 galaxies per arcmin2, beyond which the percent biases become larger than the statistical accuracy. This implies a flat-sky PCl analysis is accurate for current surveys but a Euclid-like survey will require higher accuracy.

  18. Wildfire air pollution and daily mortality in a large urban area.

    PubMed

    Vedal, Sverre; Dutton, Steven J

    2006-09-01

    Unusual air pollution episodes, such as when smoke from wildfires covers a large urban area, can be used to attempt to detect associations between short-term increases in particulate matter (PM) concentrations and subsequent mortality without relying on the sophisticated statistical models that are typically required in the absence of such episodes. The objective of this study was to explore whether acute increases in PM concentrations from wildfire smoke cause acute increases in daily mortality. The temporal patterns of daily nonaccidental deaths and daily cardiorespiratory deaths for June of 2002 in the Denver metropolitan area were examined and compared to those in two nearby counties in Colorado that were not affected by the wildfire smoke and to daily deaths in Denver in June of 2001. Abrupt increases in PM concentrations in Denver occurred on 2 days in June of 2002 as a result of wildfire smoke drifting over the Denver area. Small peaks in mortality corresponded to both of the PM peaks, but the first mortality peak also corresponded to a peak of mortality in the control counties, and cardiorespiratory deaths began to increase on the day before the second peak. Further, there was no detectable increase in cardiorespiratory deaths in the hours immediately following the PM peaks. Although the findings from this study do not rule out the possibility of small increases in mortality due to abrupt and dramatic increases in PM concentrations from wildfire smoke, in a population of over 2 million people no perceptible increases in daily mortality could be attributed to such events.

  19. Variations in fresh fruit and vegetable quality by store type, urban-rural setting and neighbourhood deprivation in Scotland.

    PubMed

    Cummins, Steven; Smith, Dianna M; Taylor, Mathew; Dawson, John; Marshall, David; Sparks, Leigh; Anderson, Annie S

    2009-11-01

    Neighbourhood differences in access to fresh fruit and vegetables may explain social inequalities in diet. Investigations have focused on variations in cost and availability as barriers to the purchase and consumption of fresh produce; investigations of quality have been neglected. Here we investigate whether produce quality systematically varies by food store type, rural-urban location and neighbourhood deprivation in a selection of communities across Scotland. Cross-sectional survey of twelve fresh fruit and vegetable items in 288 food stores in ten communities across Scotland. Communities were selected to reflect a range of urban-rural settings and a food retail census was conducted in each location. The quality of twelve fruit and vegetable items within each food store was evaluated. Data from the Scottish Executive were used to characterise each small area by deprivation and urban-rural classification. Scotland. Quality of fruit and vegetables within the surveyed stores was high. Medium-sized stores, stores in small town and rural areas, and stores in more affluent areas tended to have the highest-quality fresh fruit and vegetables. Stores where food is secondary, stores in urban settings and stores in more deprived areas tended have the lowest-quality fresh produce. Although differences in quality were not always statistically significant, patterns were consistent for the majority of fruit and vegetable items. The study provides evidence that variations in food quality may plausibly be a micro-environmental mediating variable in food purchase and consumption and help partially explain neighbourhood differences in food consumption patterns.

  20. Attitudes towards information system security among physicians in Croatia.

    PubMed

    Markota, M; Kern, J; Svab, I

    2001-07-01

    To examine attitudes about information system security among Croatian physicians a cross-sectional study was performed on a representative sample of 800 Croatian physicians. An anonymous questionnaire comprising 21 questions was distributed and statistical analysis was performed using a chi-square test. A 76.2% response rate was obtained. The majority of respondents (85.8%) believe that information system security is a new area in their work. In general, physicians are not informed about European directives, conventions, recommendations, etc. Only a small number of physicians use personal computers at work (29%). Those physicians who have a personal computer use it mainly for administrative reasons. Most healthcare institutions (89%) do not have a security manual and the area of information system security is left to individual interest and initiative. Only 25% of physicians who have a personal computer use any type of password. A high percentage of physicians (22%) has never thought about the problem of personal data being used by organizations (e.g. police, banks) without legal background; a small, but still significant percentage of physicians (5.6%) has even agreed with such use. Results indicate that for the vast majority of physicians, information system security is a new area in their daily work, one which is left to individual interest and initiative. They are not familiar with the ethical, technical and legal backgrounds which have been defined for that area within the Council of Europe and the European Union. New aspects: This is the first study performed in Central and Eastern Europe dealing with information system security, performed on a representative nationwide sample of all the physicians.

  1. Yellow band disease compromises the reproductive output of the Caribbean reef-building coral Montastraea faveolata (Anthozoa, Scleractinia).

    PubMed

    Weil, Ernesto; Cróquer, Aldo; Urreiztieta, Isabel

    2009-11-16

    Sexual reproduction is critical to coral population dynamics and the long-term regeneration of coral reefs. Bleaching, disease, and/or anthropogenic-induced tissue/colony loss reduce reproductive output. This is the first attempt to explore the effect of a biotic disease on the reproduction of scleractinian corals. The study aimed to assess the effect of yellow band disease (YBD) on the reproduction of the important Caribbean reef-builder Montastraea faveolata. Tissue samples were collected from diseased, transition, and healthy-looking areas in each of 5 infected colonies and from 5 healthy controls in southwest Puerto Rico. The effect of disease-induced mortality was assessed by collecting samples from the edge and center of surviving small and large, healthy-looking tissue patches from large, previously infected tagged colonies. Fecundity was significantly lower in disease lesions compared to transition and healthy-looking tissues and the controls (99% fewer eggs). Fecundity in transition areas was significantly lower (50%) than in healthy-looking tissues in diseased colonies, which had 23% lower fecundity than control tissues. Although this fecundity drop was not statistically significant, it could indicate a systemic effect of YBD across the colony. Large and small patches had 64 and 84% fewer eggs than controls, respectively, and edge polyps had 97% fewer eggs than those in central control areas. Field observations of the spawning behavior of each tissue area corroborated the histological results. Our results indicate that YBD significantly compromises the reproductive output of M. faveolata, potentially reducing the fitness and consequently, the recovery of this important reef-building species on Caribbean coral reefs.

  2. Effect of drop volume and surface statistics on the superhydrophobicity of randomly rough substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Afferrante, L.; Carbone, G.

    2018-01-01

    In this paper, a simple theoretical approach is developed with the aim of evaluating shape, interfacial pressure, apparent contact angle and contact area of liquid drops gently deposed on randomly rough surfaces. This method can be useful to characterize the superhydrophobic properties of rough substrates, and to investigate the contact behavior of impacting drops. We assume that (i) the size of the apparent liquid-solid contact area is much larger than the micromorphology of the substrate, and (ii) a composite interface is always formed at the microscale. Results show apparent contact angle and liquid-solid area fraction are slightly influenced by the drop volume only at relatively high values of the root mean square roughness h rms, whereas the effect of volume is practically negligible at small h rms. The main statistical quantity affecting the superhydrophobic properties is found to be the Wenzel roughness parameter r W, which depends on the average slope of the surface heights. Moreover, transition from the Cassie-Baxter state to the Wenzel one is observed when r W reduces below a certain critical value, and theoretical predictions are found to be in good agreement with experimental data. Finally, the present method can be conveniently exploited to evaluate the occurrence of pinning phenomena in the case of impacting drops, as the Wenzel critical pressure for liquid penetration gives an estimation of the maximum impact pressure tolerated by the surface without pinning occurring.

  3. Source origin and parameters influencing levels of heavy metals in TSP, in an industrial background area of Southern Italy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ragosta, Maria; Caggiano, Rosa; D'Emilio, Mariagrazia; Macchiato, Maria

    In this paper, we investigate the relationships among atmospheric concentration of trace elements and some meteorological parameters. In particular, the effects of different meteorological conditions on heavy metal levels are interpreted by means of a multivariate statistical approach. The analysed variables were measured during a monitoring survey that started in 1997, and this survey was carried out in order to evaluate the atmospheric concentrations of heavy metals in the industrial area of Tito Scalo (Basilicata Region, Southern Italy). Here we present and analyse the data set collected from 1997 to 1999. The data set includes daily concentrations of total suspended particulates (TSP), daily concentrations of eight metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in TSP and daily meteoclimatic data (temperature, rainfall, speed and wind directions). Both the concentration level and the occurrence of peak concentration events are consistent with the characteristics of the study area: abundant small and medium industrial plants in a mountainous and unpolluted zone. Regarding the origin of sources of heavy metals in TSP, the statistical procedure allows us to identify three profiles: SP 1 and SP 2 related to industrial sources and SP 3 related to other sources (natural and/or anthropogenic). In particular, taking into account the effect of different meteorological conditions, we are able to distinguish the contribution of different fractions of the same metal in the detected source profiles.

  4. Timber resource statistics of the northern interior resource area of California.

    Treesearch

    Perry Colclasure; Joel Moen; Charles L. Bolsinger

    1986-01-01

    This report is one of five that provide timber resource statistics for 57 of the 58 counties in California (San Francisco is excluded). This report presents statistics from a 1981-84 inventory of the timber resources of Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties. Tables presented are of forest area and of timber volume, growth, and mortality. Timberland area...

  5. Association between Floods and Acute Cardiovascular Diseases: A Population-Based Cohort Study Using a Geographic Information System Approach

    PubMed Central

    Vanasse, Alain; Cohen, Alan; Courteau, Josiane; Bergeron, Patrick; Dault, Roxanne; Gosselin, Pierre; Blais, Claudia; Bélanger, Diane; Rochette, Louis; Chebana, Fateh

    2016-01-01

    Background: Floods represent a serious threat to human health beyond the immediate risk of drowning. There is few data on the potential link between floods and direct consequences on health such as on cardiovascular health. This study aimed to explore the impact of one of the worst floods in the history of Quebec, Canada on acute cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Methods: A cohort study with a time series design with multiple control groups was built with the adult population identified in the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance System. A geographic information system approach was used to define the study areas. Logistic regressions were performed to compare the occurrence of CVD between groups. Results: The results showed a 25%–27% increase in the odds in the flooded population in spring 2011 when compared with the population in the same area in springs 2010 and 2012. Besides, an increase up to 69% was observed in individuals with a medical history of CVD. Conclusion: Despite interesting results, the association was not statistically significant. A possible explanation to this result can be that the population affected by the flood was probably too small to provide the statistical power to answer the question, and leaves open a substantial possibility for a real and large effect. PMID:26828511

  6. Association between Floods and Acute Cardiovascular Diseases: A Population-Based Cohort Study Using a Geographic Information System Approach.

    PubMed

    Vanasse, Alain; Cohen, Alan; Courteau, Josiane; Bergeron, Patrick; Dault, Roxanne; Gosselin, Pierre; Blais, Claudia; Bélanger, Diane; Rochette, Louis; Chebana, Fateh

    2016-01-28

    Floods represent a serious threat to human health beyond the immediate risk of drowning. There is few data on the potential link between floods and direct consequences on health such as on cardiovascular health. This study aimed to explore the impact of one of the worst floods in the history of Quebec, Canada on acute cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A cohort study with a time series design with multiple control groups was built with the adult population identified in the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance System. A geographic information system approach was used to define the study areas. Logistic regressions were performed to compare the occurrence of CVD between groups. The results showed a 25%-27% increase in the odds in the flooded population in spring 2011 when compared with the population in the same area in springs 2010 and 2012. Besides, an increase up to 69% was observed in individuals with a medical history of CVD. Despite interesting results, the association was not statistically significant. A possible explanation to this result can be that the population affected by the flood was probably too small to provide the statistical power to answer the question, and leaves open a substantial possibility for a real and large effect.

  7. A controlled study of a simulated workplace laboratory for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

    PubMed

    Fried, Ronna; Surman, Craig; Hammerness, Paul; Petty, Carter; Faraone, Stephen; Hyder, Laran; Westerberg, Diana; Small, Jacqueline; Corkum, Lyndsey; Claudat, Kim; Biederman, Joseph

    2012-12-30

    Despite an extant literature documenting that adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for significant difficulties in the workplace, there is little documentation of the underlying factors associated with these impairments. The main aim of this study was to examine specific deficiencies associated with ADHD on workplace performance in a simulated workplace laboratory relative to controls. Participants were 56 non-medicated young adults with DSM-IV ADHD and 63 age- and sex-matched controls without ADHD. Participants spent 10h in a workplace simulation laboratory. Areas assessed included: (1) simulated tasks documented in a government report (SCANS) often required in workplace settings (taxing vigilance; planning; cooperation; attention to detail), (2) observer ratings, and (3) self-reports. Robust findings were found in the statistically significant differences on self-report of ADHD symptoms found between participants with ADHD and controls during all workplace tasks and periods of the workday. Task performance was found to be deficient in a small number of areas, and there were a few statistically significant differences identified by observer ratings. Symptoms reported by participants with ADHD in the simulation including internal restlessness, intolerance of boredom and difficulty maintaining vigilance were significant and could adversely impact workplace performance over the long-term. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Income level and regional policies, underlying factors associated with unwarranted variations in conservative breast cancer surgery in Spain

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Geographical variations in medical practice are expected to be small when the evidence about the effectiveness and safety of a particular technology is abundant. This would be the case of the prescription of conservative surgery in breast cancer patients. In these cases, when variation is larger than expected by need, socioeconomic factors have been argued as an explanation. Objectives: Using an ecologic design, our study aims at describing the variability in the use of surgical conservative versus non-conservative treatment. Additionally, it seeks to establish whether the socioeconomic status of the healthcare area influences the use of one or the other technique. Methods 81,868 mastectomies performed between 2002 and 2006 in 180 healthcare areas were studied. Standardized utilization rates of breast cancer conservative (CS) and non-conservative (NCS) procedures were estimated as well as the variation among areas, using small area statistics. Concentration curves and dominance tests were estimated to determine the impact of income and instruction levels in the healthcare area on surgery rates. Multilevel analyses were performed to determine the influence of regional policies. Results Variation in the use of CS was massive (4-fold factor between the highest and the lowest rate) and larger than in the case of NCS (2-fold), whichever the age group. Healthcare areas with higher economic and instruction levels showed highest rates of CS, regardless of the age group, while areas with lower economic and educational levels yielded higher rates of NCS interventions. Living in a particular Autonomous Community (AC), explained a substantial part of the CS residual variance (up to a 60.5% in women 50 to 70). Conclusion The place where a woman lives -income level and regional policies- explain the unexpectedly high variation found in utilization rates of conservative breast cancer surgery. PMID:21504577

  9. A re-evaluation of project pride, a redesigned school-based drug abuse prevention program.

    PubMed

    LoSciuto, Leonard; Steinman, Ross B

    2004-01-01

    The present study examined the effectiveness of Project PRIDE, a school-based, counselor-administered, drug and alcohol prevention program. The study is presented in the context of Project PRIDE'S efforts to keep itself current and effective via continual evaluation-based development. In this outcome evaluation, Project PRIDE participants demonstrated greater pretest to posttest gains on five of six outcome measures compared to control students, although many of the changes were small or moderate and only two were statistically significant. Further, as predicted, gains in more factual or objective areas of the program were greater than in more subjective areas dealing with student perceptions and feelings. The limitations and implications of the findings are discussed. Also discussed are the advantages of the Binomial Effect Size Display as a data presentation mode that promotes both client and general audience understanding of results.

  10. Using Statistics to Explore Cross-Curricular and Social Issues Opportunities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Day, Lorraine

    2013-01-01

    The area of statistics is one in which teachers may be encouraged to make important links to other curriculum areas and social issues. Statistical literacy is a key component of being numerate and living as an informed citizen. The teaching of statistics provides an opportunity to inform and educate students about social issues and moral…

  11. Using small area estimation and Lidar-derived variables for multivariate prediction of forest attributes

    Treesearch

    F. Mauro; Vicente Monleon; H. Temesgen

    2015-01-01

    Small area estimation (SAE) techniques have been successfully applied in forest inventories to provide reliable estimates for domains where the sample size is small (i.e. small areas). Previous studies have explored the use of either Area Level or Unit Level Empirical Best Linear Unbiased Predictors (EBLUPs) in a univariate framework, modeling each variable of interest...

  12. Small area estimation of proportions with different levels of auxiliary data.

    PubMed

    Chandra, Hukum; Kumar, Sushil; Aditya, Kaustav

    2018-03-01

    Binary data are often of interest in many small areas of applications. The use of standard small area estimation methods based on linear mixed models becomes problematic for such data. An empirical plug-in predictor (EPP) under a unit-level generalized linear mixed model with logit link function is often used for the estimation of a small area proportion. However, this EPP requires the availability of unit-level population information for auxiliary data that may not be always accessible. As a consequence, in many practical situations, this EPP approach cannot be applied. Based on the level of auxiliary information available, different small area predictors for estimation of proportions are proposed. Analytic and bootstrap approaches to estimating the mean squared error of the proposed small area predictors are also developed. Monte Carlo simulations based on both simulated and real data show that the proposed small area predictors work well for generating the small area estimates of proportions and represent a practical alternative to the above approach. The developed predictor is applied to generate estimates of the proportions of indebted farm households at district-level using debt investment survey data from India. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Endpoint in plasma etch process using new modified w-multivariate charts and windowed regression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zakour, Sihem Ben; Taleb, Hassen

    2017-09-01

    Endpoint detection is very important undertaking on the side of getting a good understanding and figuring out if a plasma etching process is done in the right way, especially if the etched area is very small (0.1%). It truly is a crucial part of supplying repeatable effects in every single wafer. When the film being etched has been completely cleared, the endpoint is reached. To ensure the desired device performance on the produced integrated circuit, the high optical emission spectroscopy (OES) sensor is employed. The huge number of gathered wavelengths (profiles) is then analyzed and pre-processed using a new proposed simple algorithm named Spectra peak selection (SPS) to select the important wavelengths, then we employ wavelet analysis (WA) to enhance the performance of detection by suppressing noise and redundant information. The selected and treated OES wavelengths are then used in modified multivariate control charts (MEWMA and Hotelling) for three statistics (mean, SD and CV) and windowed polynomial regression for mean. The employ of three aforementioned statistics is motivated by controlling mean shift, variance shift and their ratio (CV) if both mean and SD are not stable. The control charts show their performance in detecting endpoint especially W-mean Hotelling chart and the worst result is given by CV statistic. As the best detection of endpoint is given by the W-Hotelling mean statistic, this statistic will be used to construct a windowed wavelet Hotelling polynomial regression. This latter can only identify the window containing endpoint phenomenon.

  14. Incorporation of water-use summaries into the StreamStats web application for Maryland

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ries, Kernell G.; Horn, Marilee A.; Nardi, Mark R.; Tessler, Steven

    2010-01-01

    Approximately 25,000 new households and thousands of new jobs will be established in an area that extends from southwest to northeast of Baltimore, Maryland, as a result of the Federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, with consequent new demands on the water resources of the area. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Maryland Department of the Environment, has extended the area of implementation and added functionality to an existing map-based Web application named StreamStats to provide an improved tool for planning and managing the water resources in the BRAC-affected areas. StreamStats previously was implemented for only a small area surrounding Baltimore, Maryland, and it was extended to cover all BRAC-affected areas. StreamStats could provide previously published streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent probability flood and the 7-day, 10-year low flow, for U.S. Geological Survey data-collection stations and estimates of streamflow statistics for any user-selected point on a stream within the implemented area. The application was modified for this study to also provide summaries of water withdrawals and discharges upstream from any user-selected point on a stream. This new functionality was made possible by creating a Web service that accepts a drainage-basin delineation from StreamStats, overlays it on a spatial layer of water withdrawal and discharge points, extracts the water-use data for the identified points, and sends it back to StreamStats, where it is summarized for the user. The underlying water-use data were extracted from the U.S. Geological Survey's Site-Specific Water-Use Database System (SWUDS) and placed into a Microsoft Access database that was created for this study for easy linkage to the Web service and StreamStats. This linkage of StreamStats with water-use information from SWUDS should enable Maryland regulators and planners to make more informed decisions on the use of water resources in the BRAC area, and the technology should be transferrable to other geographic areas.

  15. LOCAL POPULATION CHANGE AND VARIATIONS IN RACIAL INTEGRATION IN THE UNITED STATES, 2000-2010.

    PubMed

    Bellman, Benjamin; Spielman, Seth E; Franklin, Rachel S

    2018-03-01

    While population growth has been consistently tied to decreasing racial segregation at the metropolitan level in the United States, little work has been done to relate small-scale changes in population size to integration. We address this question through a novel technique that tracks population changes by race and ethnicity for comparable geographies in both 2000 and 2010. Using the Theil Index, we analyze the fifty most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas in 2010 for changes in multigroup segregation. We classify local areas by their net population change between 2000 and 2010 using a novel unit of analysis based on aggregating census blocks. We find strong evidence that growing parts of rapidly growing metropolitan areas of the United States are crucial to understanding regional differences in segregation that have emerged in past decades. Multigroup segregation declined the most in growing parts of growing metropolitan areas. Comparatively, growing parts of shrinking or stagnant metropolitan areas were less diverse and had smaller declines in segregation. We also find that local areas with shrinking populations had disproportionately high minority representation in 2000 before population loss took place. We conclude that the regional context of population growth or decline has important consequences for the residential mixing of racial groups.

  16. 50 CFR Figure 1 to Subpart G of... - Boundaries of the Statistical Reporting Area in the Southern Ocean

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Boundaries of the Statistical Reporting Area in the Southern Ocean 1 Figure 1 to Subpart G of Part 300 Wildlife and Fisheries INTERNATIONAL.... 300, Subpt. G, Fig. 1 Figure 1 to Subpart G of Part 300—Boundaries of the Statistical Reporting Area...

  17. 50 CFR Figure 1 to Subpart G of... - Boundaries of the Statistical Reporting Area in the Southern Ocean

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Boundaries of the Statistical Reporting Area in the Southern Ocean 1 Figure 1 to Subpart G of Part 300 Wildlife and Fisheries INTERNATIONAL.... 300, Subpt. G, Fig. 1 Figure 1 to Subpart G of Part 300—Boundaries of the Statistical Reporting Area...

  18. Statistical Mechanical Foundation for the Two-State Transition in Protein Folding of Small Globular Proteins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iguchi, Kazumoto

    We discuss the statistical mechanical foundation for the two-state transition in the protein folding of small globular proteins. In the standard arguments of protein folding, the statistical search for the ground state is carried out from astronomically many conformations in the configuration space. This leads us to the famous Levinthal's paradox. To resolve the paradox, Gō first postulated that the two-state transition - all-or-none type transition - is very crucial for the protein folding of small globular proteins and used the Gō's lattice model to show the two-state transition nature. Recently, there have been accumulated many experimental results that support the two-state transition for small globular proteins. Stimulated by such recent experiments, Zwanzig has introduced a minimal statistical mechanical model that exhibits the two-state transition. Also, Finkelstein and coworkers have discussed the solution of the paradox by considering the sequential folding of a small globular protein. On the other hand, recently Iguchi have introduced a toy model of protein folding using the Rubik's magic snake model, in which all folded structures are exactly known and mathematically represented in terms of the four types of conformations: cis-, trans-, left and right gauche-configurations between the unit polyhedrons. In this paper, we study the relationship between the Gō's two-state transition, the Zwanzig's statistical mechanics model and the Finkelsteinapos;s sequential folding model by applying them to the Rubik's magic snake models. We show that the foundation of the Gō's two-state transition model relies on the search within the equienergy surface that is labeled by the contact order of the hydrophobic condensation. This idea reproduces the Zwanzig's statistical model as a special case, realizes the Finkelstein's sequential folding model and fits together to understand the nature of the two-state transition of a small globular protein by calculating the physical quantities such as the free energy, the contact order and the specific heat. We point out the similarity between the liquid-gas transition in statistical mechanics and the two-state transition of protein folding. We also study morphology of the Rubik's magic snake models to give a prototype model for understanding the differences between α-helices proteins and β-sheets proteins.

  19. A review of geographic variation and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications in prescription drug use research.

    PubMed

    Wangia, Victoria; Shireman, Theresa I

    2013-01-01

    While understanding geography's role in healthcare has been an area of research for over 40 years, the application of geography-based analyses to prescription medication use is limited. The body of literature was reviewed to assess the current state of such studies to demonstrate the scale and scope of projects in order to highlight potential research opportunities. To review systematically how researchers have applied geography-based analyses to medication use data. Empiric, English language research articles were identified through PubMed and bibliographies. Original research articles were independently reviewed as to the medications or classes studied, data sources, measures of medication exposure, geographic units of analysis, geospatial measures, and statistical approaches. From 145 publications matching key search terms, forty publications met the inclusion criteria. Cardiovascular and psychotropic classes accounted for the largest proportion of studies. Prescription drug claims were the primary source, and medication exposure was frequently captured as period prevalence. Medication exposure was documented across a variety of geopolitical units such as countries, provinces, regions, states, and postal codes. Most results were descriptive and formal statistical modeling capitalizing on geospatial techniques was rare. Despite the extensive research on small area variation analysis in healthcare, there are a limited number of studies that have examined geographic variation in medication use. Clearly, there is opportunity to collaborate with geographers and GIS professionals to harness the power of GIS technologies and to strengthen future medication studies by applying more robust geospatial statistical methods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Population-wide distributions of neural activity during perceptual decision-making

    PubMed Central

    Machens, Christian

    2018-01-01

    Cortical activity involves large populations of neurons, even when it is limited to functionally coherent areas. Electrophysiological recordings, on the other hand, involve comparatively small neural ensembles, even when modern-day techniques are used. Here we review results which have started to fill the gap between these two scales of inquiry, by shedding light on the statistical distributions of activity in large populations of cells. We put our main focus on data recorded in awake animals that perform simple decision-making tasks and consider statistical distributions of activity throughout cortex, across sensory, associative, and motor areas. We transversally review the complexity of these distributions, from distributions of firing rates and metrics of spike-train structure, through distributions of tuning to stimuli or actions and of choice signals, and finally the dynamical evolution of neural population activity and the distributions of (pairwise) neural interactions. This approach reveals shared patterns of statistical organization across cortex, including: (i) long-tailed distributions of activity, where quasi-silence seems to be the rule for a majority of neurons; that are barely distinguishable between spontaneous and active states; (ii) distributions of tuning parameters for sensory (and motor) variables, which show an extensive extrapolation and fragmentation of their representations in the periphery; and (iii) population-wide dynamics that reveal rotations of internal representations over time, whose traces can be found both in stimulus-driven and internally generated activity. We discuss how these insights are leading us away from the notion of discrete classes of cells, and are acting as powerful constraints on theories and models of cortical organization and population coding. PMID:23123501

  1. Computation of distribution of minimum resolution for log-normal distribution of chromatographic peak heights.

    PubMed

    Davis, Joe M

    2011-10-28

    General equations are derived for the distribution of minimum resolution between two chromatographic peaks, when peak heights in a multi-component chromatogram follow a continuous statistical distribution. The derivation draws on published theory by relating the area under the distribution of minimum resolution to the area under the distribution of the ratio of peak heights, which in turn is derived from the peak-height distribution. Two procedures are proposed for the equations' numerical solution. The procedures are applied to the log-normal distribution, which recently was reported to describe the distribution of component concentrations in three complex natural mixtures. For published statistical parameters of these mixtures, the distribution of minimum resolution is similar to that for the commonly assumed exponential distribution of peak heights used in statistical-overlap theory. However, these two distributions of minimum resolution can differ markedly, depending on the scale parameter of the log-normal distribution. Theory for the computation of the distribution of minimum resolution is extended to other cases of interest. With the log-normal distribution of peak heights as an example, the distribution of minimum resolution is computed when small peaks are lost due to noise or detection limits, and when the height of at least one peak is less than an upper limit. The distribution of minimum resolution shifts slightly to lower resolution values in the first case and to markedly larger resolution values in the second one. The theory and numerical procedure are confirmed by Monte Carlo simulation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Individual Income, Area Deprivation, and Health: Do Income-Related Health Inequalities Vary by Small Area Deprivation?

    PubMed

    Siegel, Martin; Mielck, Andreas; Maier, Werner

    2015-11-01

    This paper aims to explore potential associations between health inequalities related to socioeconomic deprivation at the individual and the small area level. We use German cross-sectional survey data for the years 2002 and 2006, and measure small area deprivation via the German Index of Multiple Deprivation. We test the differences between concentration indices of income-related and small area deprivation related inequalities in obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Our results suggest that small area deprivation and individual income both yield inequalities in health favoring the better-off, where individual income-related inequalities are significantly more pronounced than those related to small area deprivation. We then apply a semiparametric extension of Wagstaff's corrected concentration index to explore how individual-level health inequalities vary with the degree of regional deprivation. We find that the concentration of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes among lower income groups also exists at the small area level. The degree of deprivation-specific income-related inequalities in the three health outcomes exhibits only little variations across different levels of multiple deprivation for both sexes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Statistical Physics Experiments Using Dusty Plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goree, John

    2016-10-01

    Compared to other areas of physics research, Statistical Physics is heavily dominated by theory, with comparatively little experiment. One reason for the lack of experiments is the impracticality of tracking of individual atoms and molecules within a substance. Thus, there is a need for a different kind of experimental system, one where individual particles not only move stochastically as they collide with one another, but also are large enough to allow tracking. A dusty plasma can meet this need. A dusty plasma is a partially ionized gas containing small particles of solid matter. These micron-size particles gain thousands of electronic charges by collecting more electrons than ions. Their motions are dominated by Coulomb collisions with neighboring particles. In this so-called strongly coupled plasma, the dust particles self-organize in much the same way as atoms in a liquid or solid. Unlike atoms, however, these particles are large and slow, so that they can be tracked easily by video microscopy. Advantages of dusty plasma for experimental statistical physics research include particle tracking, lack of frictional contact with solid surfaces, and avoidance of overdamped motion. Moreover, the motion of a collection of dust particles can mimic an equilibrium system with a Maxwellian velocity distribution, even though the dust particles themselves are not truly in thermal equilibrium. Nonequilibrium statistical physics can be studied by applying gradients, for example by imposing a shear flow. In this talk I will review some of our recent experiments with shear flow. First, we performed the first experimental test to verify the Fluctuation Theorem for a shear flow, showing that brief violations of the Second Law of Thermodynamics occur with the predicted probabilities, for a small system. Second, we discovered a skewness of a shear-stress distribution in a shear flow. This skewness is a phenomenon that likely has wide applicability in nonequilibrium steady states. Third, we performed the first experimental test of a statistical physics theory (the Green-Kubo model) that is widely used by physical chemists to compute viscosity coefficients, and we found that it fails. Work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, NSF, and NASA.

  4. Suicide Rates in Evacuation Areas After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster.

    PubMed

    Orui, Masatsugu; Suzuki, Yuriko; Maeda, Masaharu; Yasumura, Seiji

    2018-04-05

    Associations between nuclear disasters and suicide have been examined to a limited extent. To clarify the suicide rates in evacuation areas after the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, which occurred in March 2011. This descriptive study used monthly data from vital statistics between March 2009 and December 2015. Suicide rates in areas to which evacuation orders had been issued, requiring across-the-board, compulsory evacuation of residents from the entire or part of municipalities, were obtained and compared with the national average. Male suicide rates in evacuation areas increased significantly immediately after the disaster, and then began to increase again 4 years after the disaster. Female suicide rates declined slightly during the first year and then increased significantly over the subsequent 3-year period. Moreover, male rates in areas where evacuation orders were issued for the total area declined over the course of approximately 2 years, but then began to increase thereafter. Analysis by age revealed postdisaster male rates in evacuation areas decreased for those aged 50-69 years and increased for those aged ≤ 29 years and ≥ 70 years. The number of suicides among females and the female population in the evacuation area was small. Our findings suggest the need to keep in mind that, when providing post-disaster mental health services, suicide rates can eventually increase even if they initially decrease.

  5. Effects of land use patterns on stream water quality: a case study of a small-scale watershed in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China.

    PubMed

    Huang, Zhilin; Han, Liyang; Zeng, Lixiong; Xiao, Wenfa; Tian, Yaowu

    2016-02-01

    In this study, we have considered the relationship between the spatial configuration of land use and water quality in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Using land use types, landscape metrics, and long-term water quality data, as well as statistical and spatial analysis, we determined that most water quality parameters were negatively correlated with non-wood forest and urban areas but were strongly positively correlated with the proportion of forest area. Landscape indices such as patch density, contagion, and the Shannon diversity index were able to predict some water quality indicators, but the mean shape index was not significantly related to the proportions of farmland and water in the study area. Regression relationships were stronger in spring and fall than in summer, and relationships with nitrogen were stronger than those of the other water quality parameters (R(2) > 0.80) in all three seasons. Redundancy analysis showed that declining stream water quality was closely associated with configurations of urban, agricultural, and forest areas and with landscape fragmentation (PD) caused by urbanization and agricultural activities. Thus, a rational land use plan of adjusting the land use type, controlling landscape fragmentation, and increasing the proportion of forest area would help to achieve a healthier river ecosystem in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA).

  6. Statistical, graphical, and trend summaries of selected water-quality and streamflow data from the Trinity River near Crockett, Texas, 1964-85

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Goss, Richard L.

    1987-01-01

    As part of the statistical summaries, trend tests were conducted. Several small uptrends were detected for total nitrogen, total organic nitrogen, total ammonia nitrogen, total nitrite nitrogen, total nitrate nitrogen, total organic plus ammonia nitrogen, total nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Small downtrends were detected for biochemical oxygen demand and dissolved magnesium.

  7. 14 CFR 298.61 - Reporting of traffic statistics.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Reporting of traffic statistics. 298.61... Requirements § 298.61 Reporting of traffic statistics. (a) Each commuter air carrier and small certificated air... statistics shall be compiled in terms of each flight stage as actually performed. The detail T-100 data shall...

  8. 14 CFR 298.61 - Reporting of traffic statistics.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Reporting of traffic statistics. 298.61... Requirements § 298.61 Reporting of traffic statistics. (a) Each commuter air carrier and small certificated air... statistics shall be compiled in terms of each flight stage as actually performed. The detail T-100 data shall...

  9. Morphometric analysis of Russian Plain's small lakes on the base of accurate digital bathymetric models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naumenko, Mikhail; Guzivaty, Vadim; Sapelko, Tatiana

    2016-04-01

    Lake morphometry refers to physical factors (shape, size, structure, etc) that determine the lake depression. Morphology has a great influence on lake ecological characteristics especially on water thermal conditions and mixing depth. Depth analyses, including sediment measurement at various depths, volumes of strata and shoreline characteristics are often critical to the investigation of biological, chemical and physical properties of fresh waters as well as theoretical retention time. Management techniques such as loading capacity for effluents and selective removal of undesirable components of the biota are also dependent on detailed knowledge of the morphometry and flow characteristics. During the recent years a lake bathymetric surveys were carried out by using echo sounder with a high bottom depth resolution and GPS coordinate determination. Few digital bathymetric models have been created with 10*10 m spatial grid for some small lakes of Russian Plain which the areas not exceed 1-2 sq. km. The statistical characteristics of the depth and slopes distribution of these lakes calculated on an equidistant grid. It will provide the level-surface-volume variations of small lakes and reservoirs, calculated through combination of various satellite images. We discuss the methodological aspects of creating of morphometric models of depths and slopes of small lakes as well as the advantages of digital models over traditional methods.

  10. The importance of aquaculture community group (ACG) in social media (Facebook) towards the aquaculture knowledge and financial improvement of small scale fish farmers (SSFF) in rural areas of Central Java

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elfitasari, T.; Nugroho, R. A.; Nugroho, A. P.

    2018-04-01

    Internet is now widely used by people all over the world, including small scale fisheries communities such as fish farmers. Many applications are being created including social media Facebook which are used by small scale fish farmers (SSFF) for its ease and convenience. The objective of this research is to identify the impact of aquaculture community group (ACG) in social media Facebook towards the improvement of aquaculture knowledge and financial condition of small scale fish farmers in Central Java. This research used quantitative approach where questionnaires were distributed into two groups: SSFF who are member of ACG in social media Facebook and who are not. Sampling technique used random sampling, used 60 samples of SSFF in Central Java. Data obtained were tested using the test statistic Independent t-test using SPSS v.20. Result showed a significant effect of group who are member of ACG in social media Facebook and those who are not, towards the aquaculture knowledge (t count -7.424 and sig 0.000) and financial improvement (t -3.775 and sig 0.000). The results of the average value of the SSFF who are ACG member in Facebook are also higher than farmers who are not.

  11. Permutation-based inference for the AUC: A unified approach for continuous and discontinuous data.

    PubMed

    Pauly, Markus; Asendorf, Thomas; Konietschke, Frank

    2016-11-01

    We investigate rank-based studentized permutation methods for the nonparametric Behrens-Fisher problem, that is, inference methods for the area under the ROC curve. We hereby prove that the studentized permutation distribution of the Brunner-Munzel rank statistic is asymptotically standard normal, even under the alternative. Thus, incidentally providing the hitherto missing theoretical foundation for the Neubert and Brunner studentized permutation test. In particular, we do not only show its consistency, but also that confidence intervals for the underlying treatment effects can be computed by inverting this permutation test. In addition, we derive permutation-based range-preserving confidence intervals. Extensive simulation studies show that the permutation-based confidence intervals appear to maintain the preassigned coverage probability quite accurately (even for rather small sample sizes). For a convenient application of the proposed methods, a freely available software package for the statistical software R has been developed. A real data example illustrates the application. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Observed and Simulated Radiative and Microphysical Properties of Tropical Convective Storms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DelGenio, Anthony D.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    Increases in the ice content, albedo and cloud cover of tropical convective storms in a warmer climate produce a large negative contribution to cloud feedback in the GISS GCM. Unfortunately, the physics of convective upward water transport, detrainment, and ice sedimentation, and the relationship of microphysical to radiative properties, are all quite uncertain. We apply a clustering algorithm to TRMM satellite microwave rainfall retrievals to identify contiguous deep precipitating storms throughout the tropics. Each storm is characterized according to its size, albedo, OLR, rain rate, microphysical structure, and presence/absence of lightning. A similar analysis is applied to ISCCP data during the TOGA/COARE experiment to identify optically thick deep cloud systems and relate them to large-scale environmental conditions just before storm onset. We examine the statistics of these storms to understand the relative climatic roles of small and large storms and the factors that regulate convective storm size and albedo. The results are compared to GISS GCM simulated statistics of tropical convective storms to identify areas of agreement and disagreement.

  13. Phylogenetic relationships of South American lizards of the genus Stenocercus (Squamata: Iguania): A new approach using a general mixture model for gene sequence data.

    PubMed

    Torres-Carvajal, Omar; Schulte, James A; Cadle, John E

    2006-04-01

    The South American iguanian lizard genus Stenocercus includes 54 species occurring mostly in the Andes and adjacent lowland areas from northern Venezuela and Colombia to central Argentina at elevations of 0-4000m. Small taxon or character sampling has characterized all phylogenetic analyses of Stenocercus, which has long been recognized as sister taxon to the Tropidurus Group. In this study, we use mtDNA sequence data to perform phylogenetic analyses that include 32 species of Stenocercus and 12 outgroup taxa. Monophyly of this genus is strongly supported by maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses. Evolutionary relationships within Stenocercus are further analyzed with a Bayesian implementation of a general mixture model, which accommodates variability in the pattern of evolution across sites. These analyses indicate a basal split of Stenocercus into two clades, one of which receives very strong statistical support. In addition, we test previous hypotheses using non-parametric and parametric statistical methods, and provide a phylogenetic classification for Stenocercus.

  14. Estimating weak ratiometric signals in imaging data. I. Dual-channel data.

    PubMed

    Broder, Josef; Majumder, Anirban; Porter, Erika; Srinivasamoorthy, Ganesh; Keith, Charles; Lauderdale, James; Sornborger, Andrew

    2007-09-01

    Ratiometric fluorescent indicators are becoming increasingly prevalent in many areas of biology. They are used for making quantitative measurements of intracellular free calcium both in vitro and in vivo, as well as measuring membrane potentials, pH, and other important physiological variables of interest to researchers in many subfields. Often, functional changes in the fluorescent yield of ratiometric indicators are small, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is of order unity or less. In particular, variability in the denominator of the ratio can lead to very poor ratio estimates. We present a statistical optimization method for objectively detecting and estimating ratiometric signals in dual-wavelength measurements of fluorescent, ratiometric indicators that improves on standard methods. With the use of an appropriate statistical model for ratiometric signals and by taking the pixel-pixel covariance of an imaging dataset into account, we are able to extract user-independent spatiotemporal information that retains high resolution in both space and time.

  15. LIGSIFT: an open-source tool for ligand structural alignment and virtual screening.

    PubMed

    Roy, Ambrish; Skolnick, Jeffrey

    2015-02-15

    Shape-based alignment of small molecules is a widely used approach in computer-aided drug discovery. Most shape-based ligand structure alignment applications, both commercial and freely available ones, use the Tanimoto coefficient or similar functions for evaluating molecular similarity. Major drawbacks of using such functions are the size dependence of the score and the fact that the statistical significance of the molecular match using such metrics is not reported. We describe a new open-source ligand structure alignment and virtual screening (VS) algorithm, LIGSIFT, that uses Gaussian molecular shape overlay for fast small molecule alignment and a size-independent scoring function for efficient VS based on the statistical significance of the score. LIGSIFT was tested against the compounds for 40 protein targets available in the Directory of Useful Decoys and the performance was evaluated using the area under the ROC curve (AUC), the Enrichment Factor (EF) and Hit Rate (HR). LIGSIFT-based VS shows an average AUC of 0.79, average EF values of 20.8 and a HR of 59% in the top 1% of the screened library. LIGSIFT software, including the source code, is freely available to academic users at http://cssb.biology.gatech.edu/LIGSIFT. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. skolnick@gatech.edu. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Are students prone to depression and suicidal thoughts? Assessment of the risk of depression in university students from rural and urban areas.

    PubMed

    Mojs, Ewa; Warchoł-Biedermann, Katarzyna; Głowacka, Maria Danuta; Strzelecki, Wojciech; Ziemska, Beata; Marcinkowski, Jerzy T

    2012-01-01

    Depressive disorders in adolescents and young adults may have serious developmental and functional consequences, such as academic failure or persistent psychosocial problems. University students are affected by specific agents which may play a role in the onset of depression. The problem of student depression is particularly important in Poland because of a recent increase in student numbers, therefore, the aim of the presented study was to evaluate the prevalence of the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts among university students in Poznan, Poland, and to analyze the role of gender, current living arrangements, background (rural/small town or urban permanent place of residence), and reported financial status. 1,065 respondent students, mean age 21.1 years, 72% of whom were females, anonymously answered a questionnaire on the risk of depression (Kutcher's KADS) and a demographics survey. The obtained data were then analyzed statistically with the SPSS programme. 6.1 subjects were at risk of depression while 1.6 % of them had suicidal thoughts. Among analyzed determinants, perceived financial status and student's background (permanent place of residence) were found to have a statistically significant influence on the risk of depression. Students with rural/small town background and/or lower rather than good reported financial status are more likely to become depressed.

  17. Ground-water-quality assessment of shallow aquifers in the Front Range Urban Corridor, Colorado, 1954-98

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Flynn, Jennifer L.

    2003-01-01

    Historical (1954-98) water-quality data for major ions, trace elements, major plant nutrients, and organic constituents collected in 3,870 sampling events at 2,138 shallow wells represent ground-water quality in shallow aquifers that underlie the Front Range Urban Corridor in Colorado. Nonparametric summary statistics and maps of concentrations across the study area indicate that ground water in the study area included fresh to saline water. Sulfate concentrations were elevated in the north and northeast parts of the study area, possibly due to Pierre Shale and Laramie Formation shale outcrops in those areas. Apart from isolated areas of known contamination, chloride concentrations were generally less than 100 milligrams per liter across the study area. Wells with elevated nitrate concentrations usually were located near rivers and streams downgradient from metropolitan areas. Elevated nitrate concentrations in wells that were not along the South Platte River were possibly from individual sewage disposal system usage or from fertilizer application to land. Spatial distribution for organic compounds for which more than 40 percent of the data were above the detection limit (atrazine, methyl-tert-butylether, and prometon) is not widespread across the study area, but this may reflect limitations of data availability. Summary statistics calculated or estimated by decade are influenced by the temporal variability of data across the study area. The median values of specific conductance, chloride, and nitrate from the 1970?s are less than values from the 1980?s and 1990?s, which, because most samples from the l970?s were collected in the western part of the study area, indicates that water quality in the western part of the study area is generally different than the rest of the study area. Chloride may be introduced to ground water from runoff of road deicers or chlorinated organics in transportation/transitional areas, where the median concentration is the greatest (85.0 milligrams per liter). Nitrate median concentrations are several times greater where the land is cultivated or used for agricultural business, which may reflect use of nitrogen fertilizers and the presence of animal feeding operations. Most inorganic and organic constituents exceeded drinking-water standards in only a small percentage of samples. Exceptions to this include sulfate; nitrate; trace elements aluminum, cadmium, iron, and manganese; and organic compounds 1,1-dichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, benzene, and dichloromethane.

  18. 50 CFR 300.107 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... area designated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as Statistical Area 51 or Statistical Area 57 in the eastern and western Indian Ocean outside and north of the Convention Area shall be issued a preapproval. (2) Harvesting vessels. (i) In addition to any AMLR harvesting...

  19. 50 CFR 300.107 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... area designated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as Statistical Area 51 or Statistical Area 57 in the eastern and western Indian Ocean outside and north of the Convention Area shall be issued a preapproval. (2) Harvesting vessels. (i) In addition to any AMLR harvesting...

  20. 50 CFR 300.107 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... area designated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as Statistical Area 51 or Statistical Area 57 in the eastern and western Indian Ocean outside and north of the Convention Area shall be issued a preapproval. (2) Harvesting vessels. (i) In addition to any AMLR harvesting...

  1. 50 CFR 300.107 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... area designated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as Statistical Area 51 or Statistical Area 57 in the eastern and western Indian Ocean outside and north of the Convention Area shall be issued a preapproval. (2) Harvesting vessels. (i) In addition to any AMLR harvesting...

  2. 50 CFR 300.107 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... area designated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as Statistical Area 51 or Statistical Area 57 in the eastern and western Indian Ocean outside and north of the Convention Area shall be issued a preapproval. (2) Harvesting vessels. (i) In addition to any AMLR harvesting...

  3. Statistical Downscaling of Gusts During Extreme European Winter Storms Using Radial-Basis-Function Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Voigt, M.; Lorenz, P.; Kruschke, T.; Osinski, R.; Ulbrich, U.; Leckebusch, G. C.

    2012-04-01

    Winterstorms and related gusts can cause extensive socio-economic damages. Knowledge about the occurrence and the small scale structure of such events may help to make regional estimations of storm losses. For a high spatial and temporal representation, the use of dynamical downscaling methods (RCM) is a cost-intensive and time-consuming option and therefore only applicable for a limited number of events. The current study explores a methodology to provide a statistical downscaling, which offers small scale structured gust fields from an extended large scale structured eventset. Radial-basis-function (RBF) networks in combination with bidirectional Kohonen (BDK) maps are used to generate the gustfields on a spatial resolution of 7 km from the 6-hourly mean sea level pressure field from ECMWF reanalysis data. BDK maps are a kind of neural network which handles supervised classification problems. In this study they are used to provide prototypes for the RBF network and give a first order approximation for the output data. A further interpolation is done by the RBF network. For the training process the 50 most extreme storm events over the North Atlantic area from 1957 to 2011 are used, which have been selected from ECMWF reanalysis datasets ERA40 and ERA-Interim by an objective wind based tracking algorithm. These events were downscaled dynamically by application of the DWD model chain GME → COSMO-EU. Different model parameters and their influence on the quality of the generated high-resolution gustfields are studied. It is shown that the statistical RBF network approach delivers reasonable results in modeling the regional gust fields for untrained events.

  4. Primary prevention of cannabis use: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

    PubMed

    Norberg, Melissa M; Kezelman, Sarah; Lim-Howe, Nicholas

    2013-01-01

    A systematic review of primary prevention was conducted for cannabis use outcomes in youth and young adults. The aim of the review was to develop a comprehensive understanding of prevention programming by assessing universal, targeted, uni-modal, and multi-modal approaches as well as individual program characteristics. Twenty-eight articles, representing 25 unique studies, identified from eight electronic databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, DRUG, EBM Reviews, and Project CORK), were eligible for inclusion. Results indicated that primary prevention programs can be effective in reducing cannabis use in youth populations, with statistically significant effect sizes ranging from trivial (0.07) to extremely large (5.26), with the majority of significant effect sizes being trivial to small. Given that the preponderance of significant effect sizes were trivial to small and that percentages of statistically significant and non-statistically significant findings were often equivalent across program type and individual components, the effectiveness of primary prevention for cannabis use should be interpreted with caution. Universal multi-modal programs appeared to outperform other program types (i.e, universal uni-modal, targeted multi-modal, targeted unimodal). Specifically, universal multi-modal programs that targeted early adolescents (10-13 year olds), utilised non-teacher or multiple facilitators, were short in duration (10 sessions or less), and implemented boosters sessions were associated with large median effect sizes. While there were studies in these areas that contradicted these results, the results highlight the importance of assessing the interdependent relationship of program components and program types. Finally, results indicated that the overall quality of included studies was poor, with an average quality rating of 4.64 out of 9. Thus, further quality research and reporting and the development of new innovative programs are required.

  5. Primary Prevention of Cannabis Use: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

    PubMed Central

    Norberg, Melissa M.; Kezelman, Sarah; Lim-Howe, Nicholas

    2013-01-01

    A systematic review of primary prevention was conducted for cannabis use outcomes in youth and young adults. The aim of the review was to develop a comprehensive understanding of prevention programming by assessing universal, targeted, uni-modal, and multi-modal approaches as well as individual program characteristics. Twenty-eight articles, representing 25 unique studies, identified from eight electronic databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, DRUG, EBM Reviews, and Project CORK), were eligible for inclusion. Results indicated that primary prevention programs can be effective in reducing cannabis use in youth populations, with statistically significant effect sizes ranging from trivial (0.07) to extremely large (5.26), with the majority of significant effect sizes being trivial to small. Given that the preponderance of significant effect sizes were trivial to small and that percentages of statistically significant and non-statistically significant findings were often equivalent across program type and individual components, the effectiveness of primary prevention for cannabis use should be interpreted with caution. Universal multi-modal programs appeared to outperform other program types (i.e, universal uni-modal, targeted multi-modal, targeted unimodal). Specifically, universal multi-modal programs that targeted early adolescents (10–13 year olds), utilised non-teacher or multiple facilitators, were short in duration (10 sessions or less), and implemented boosters sessions were associated with large median effect sizes. While there were studies in these areas that contradicted these results, the results highlight the importance of assessing the interdependent relationship of program components and program types. Finally, results indicated that the overall quality of included studies was poor, with an average quality rating of 4.64 out of 9. Thus, further quality research and reporting and the development of new innovative programs are required. PMID:23326396

  6. The Future of Statistical Software. Proceedings of a Forum--Panel on Guidelines for Statistical Software (Washington, D.C., February 22, 1991).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC.

    The Panel on Guidelines for Statistical Software was organized in 1990 to document, assess, and prioritize problem areas regarding quality and reliability of statistical software; present prototype guidelines in high priority areas; and make recommendations for further research and discussion. This document provides the following papers presented…

  7. Human immunophenotyping via low-variance, low-bias, interpretive regression modeling of small, wide data sets: Application to aging and immune response to influenza vaccination.

    PubMed

    Holmes, Tyson H; He, Xiao-Song

    2016-10-01

    Small, wide data sets are commonplace in human immunophenotyping research. As defined here, a small, wide data set is constructed by sampling a small to modest quantity n,1

  8. Human Immunophenotyping via Low-Variance, Low-Bias, Interpretive Regression Modeling of Small, Wide Data Sets: Application to Aging and Immune Response to Influenza Vaccination

    PubMed Central

    Holmes, Tyson H.; He, Xiao-Song

    2016-01-01

    Small, wide data sets are commonplace in human immunophenotyping research. As defined here, a small, wide data set is constructed by sampling a small to modest quantity n, 1 < n < 50, of human participants for the purpose of estimating many parameters p, such that n < p < 1,000. We offer a set of prescriptions that are designed to facilitate low-variance (i.e. stable), low-bias, interpretive regression modeling of small, wide data sets. These prescriptions are distinctive in their especially heavy emphasis on minimizing use of out-of-sample information for conducting statistical inference. That allows the working immunologist to proceed without being encumbered by imposed and often untestable statistical assumptions. Problems of unmeasured confounders, confidence-interval coverage, feature selection, and shrinkage/denoising are defined clearly and treated in detail. We propose an extension of an existing nonparametric technique for improved small-sample confidence-interval tail coverage from the univariate case (single immune feature) to the multivariate (many, possibly correlated immune features). An important role for derived features in the immunological interpretation of regression analyses is stressed. Areas of further research are discussed. Presented principles and methods are illustrated through application to a small, wide data set of adults spanning a wide range in ages and multiple immunophenotypes that were assayed before and after immunization with inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV). Our regression modeling prescriptions identify some potentially important topics for future immunological research. 1) Immunologists may wish to distinguish age-related differences in immune features from changes in immune features caused by aging. 2) A form of the bootstrap that employs linear extrapolation may prove to be an invaluable analytic tool because it allows the working immunologist to obtain accurate estimates of the stability of immune parameter estimates with a bare minimum of imposed assumptions. 3) Liberal inclusion of immune features in phenotyping panels can facilitate accurate separation of biological signal of interest from noise. In addition, through a combination of denoising and potentially improved confidence interval coverage, we identify some candidate immune correlates (frequency of cell subset and concentration of cytokine) with B cell response as measured by quantity of IIV-specific IgA antibody-secreting cells and quantity of IIV-specific IgG antibody-secreting cells. PMID:27196789

  9. Magnitude and frequency of low flows in the Suwannee River Water Management District, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Giese, G.L.; Franklin, M.A.

    1996-01-01

    Low-flow frequency statistics for 20 gaging stations having at least 10 years of continuous record and 31 other stations having less than 10 years of continu ous record or a series of at least two low- flow measurements are presented for unregulated streams in the Suwannee River Water Management District in north-central Florida. Statistics for the 20 continuous-record stations included are the annual and monthly minimum consecutive-day average low- flow magnitudes for 1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 consecutive days for recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 20, and, for some long-term stations, 50 years, based on records available through the 1994 climatic year.Only theannual statistics are given for the 31 other stations; these are for the 7- and 30-consecutive day periods only and for recurrence intervals of 2 and 10 years only. Annual low-flow frequency statistics range from zero for many small streams to 5,500 cubic feet per second for the annual 30- consecutive-day average flow with a recurrenceinterval of 2 years for the Suwannee River near Wilcox (station 02323500). Monthly low-flow frequency statistics range from zero for many small streams to 13,800 cubic feet per second for the minimum 30-consecutive-day average flow with a 2-year recurrence interval for the month of March for the same station. Generally, low-flow characteristics of streams in the Suwannee River Water Management District are controlled by climatic, topographic, and geologic fac tors. The carbonate Floridan aquifer system underlies, or is at the surface of, the entire District. The terrane's karstic nature results in manysinkholes and springs. In some places, springs may contribute greatly to low streamflow and the contributing areas of such springs may include areasoutside the presumed surface drainage area of the springs. In other places, water may enter sinkholes within a drainage basin, then reappear in springs downstream from a gage. Many of the smaller streams in the District go dry or have no flow forseveral months in many years. In addition to the low-flow statistics, four synoptic low-flow measurement surveys were conducted on 161 sites during 1990, 1995, and 1996. Themeasurements were made to provide "snapshots" of flow conditions of streams throughout the Suwannee River Water Management District. Magnitudes of low flows during the 1990 series of measurements were in the range associated withminimum 7-consecutive-day 50-year recurrence interval to the minimum 7-consecutive-day 20-year recurrence interval, except in Taylor and Dixie Counties, where the magnitudes ranged from the minimum 7-consecutive-day 5-year flow level to the7-consecutive-day 2-year flow level. The magnitudes were all greater than the minimum 7- consecutive-day 2-year flow level during 1995 and 1996. Observations of no flow were recorded at many of the sites for all four series of measurements.

  10. Peromyscus ranges at high and low population densities

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stickel, L.F.

    1960-01-01

    Live-trapping studies at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Maryland, showed that the ranges of wood mice were larger when the population density was lower and smaller when the population density was higher. When the population density was about 1.3 male mice per acre in June 1954, the average distance recorded between traps after four or more captures was 258 feet. When the population density was about 4.1 male mice per acre in June 1957, the average distance was 119 feet. Differences were statistically significant. Females were so scarce at the low that comparisons could not be made for them. Examples from the literature also show that home range of a species may vary with population density. Other examples show that the range may vary with habitat, breeding condition and food supply. These variations in range size reduce the reliability of censuses in which relative methods are used: Lines of traps sample the population of a larger area when ranges are large than they do when ranges are small. Direct comparisons therefore will err in some degree. Error may be introduced also when line-trap data are transformed to per acre figures on the basis of home-range estimates made by area-trapping at another place or time. Variation in range size also can make it necessary to change area-trapping plans, for larger quadrants are needed when ranges are larger. It my be necessary to set traps closer together when ranges are small than when ranges are large.

  11. Food hygiene, deprivation, types of premises and rates of gastrointestinal illnesses in the UK.

    PubMed

    Collins, Brendan

    2015-01-01

    To understand more about the relationship between economic deprivation, types of premises, food hygiene scores and rates of gastrointestinal illness in the UK. Data were extracted from the UK Food Standards Agency for about 300 000 UK premises which had hygiene scores based on visits from local authority food safety officers. These scores were analysed by type of premises, deprivation and local authority. Local authority-level average scores were mapped and compared with rates of laboratory-detected gastrointestinal illness from the Health Protection Agency. UK. UK premises (n 311 458) from 341 local authority areas that sell or produce food. There was a modest but statistically significant relationship between average food hygiene score and deprivation, which was caused by deprived areas having more of the categories of premises with significantly lower hygiene scores; these were pub/club (n 40 525), restaurant/café/canteen (n 73 052), small retailer (n 42 932) and takeaway (n 36 708). No relationship was established between local authority average food hygiene scores and rates of laboratory-detected gastrointestinal illness; however, this result does not preclude a relationship between food hygiene and rates of gastrointestinal illnesses, as laboratory-detected illness rates make up only a small proportion of actual rates of illness in the community. Certain types of UK premises are more likely to have low hygiene scores, which means that they should be targeted more for enforcement. These types of premises are more prevalent in the most economically deprived areas.

  12. Socioeconomic Disparities in Adverse Birth Outcomes in Urban and Rural Contexts: a French Mother-Child Cohort.

    PubMed

    Bertin, Mélanie; Viel, Jean-François; Monfort, Christine; Cordier, Sylvaine; Chevrier, Cécile

    2015-09-01

    Although adverse birth outcomes have been associated with neighbourhood deprivation in urban areas, few studies have addressed this issue in rural zones. This study examines whether associations between neighbourhood deprivation and adverse birth outcomes differ in urban and rural contexts, while taking individual characteristics and spatial accessibility of prenatal care (SAPC) into account. Pregnant women from a French mother-child cohort were recruited from 2002 to 2006 in Brittany. Their residential addresses were geocoded into their census blocks (the finest geographical resolution available). Deprivation was assessed at the same neighbourhood level. Models to assess the associations of deprivation, stratified by urban/rural status, with preterm delivery (PTD), with small for gestational age birth weight (SGA) and with small for gestational age head circumference at birth (SHC), estimated odds ratios (ORs), adjusted for maternal socioeconomic characteristics and SAPC. This study considered 2929 liveborn singleton pregnancies from 780 census blocks. Neighbourhood deprivation was associated with increased risks of SGA and SHC (P trend < 0.01 and 0.03 respectively), only among mothers residing in rural areas. Neighbourhood deprivation had statistically significantly heterogeneous effects on SGA and SHC according to the urban/rural status of maternal residence. These findings suggest that neighbourhood deprivation affects fetal growth differentially in urban and rural areas and that SAPC does not seem to be responsible for this difference. Comparison of these findings with the literature requires caution in the conceptualisation of urban and rural settings. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Monitoring small reservoirs' storage with satellite remote sensing in inaccessible areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Avisse, Nicolas; Tilmant, Amaury; François Müller, Marc; Zhang, Hua

    2017-12-01

    In river basins with water storage facilities, the availability of regularly updated information on reservoir level and capacity is of paramount importance for the effective management of those systems. However, for the vast majority of reservoirs around the world, storage levels are either not measured or not readily available due to financial, political, or legal considerations. This paper proposes a novel approach using Landsat imagery and digital elevation models (DEMs) to retrieve information on storage variations in any inaccessible region. Unlike existing approaches, the method does not require any in situ measurement and is appropriate for monitoring small, and often undocumented, irrigation reservoirs. It consists of three recovery steps: (i) a 2-D dynamic classification of Landsat spectral band information to quantify the surface area of water, (ii) a statistical correction of DEM data to characterize the topography of each reservoir, and (iii) a 3-D reconstruction algorithm to correct for clouds and Landsat 7 Scan Line Corrector failure. The method is applied to quantify reservoir storage in the Yarmouk basin in southern Syria, where ground monitoring is impeded by the ongoing civil war. It is validated against available in situ measurements in neighbouring Jordanian reservoirs. Coefficients of determination range from 0.69 to 0.84, and the normalized root-mean-square error from 10 to 16 % for storage estimations on six Jordanian reservoirs with maximal water surface areas ranging from 0.59 to 3.79 km2.

  14. Estimation of aquifer scale proportion using equal area grids: assessment of regional scale groundwater quality

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Belitz, Kenneth; Jurgens, Bryant C.; Landon, Matthew K.; Fram, Miranda S.; Johnson, Tyler D.

    2010-01-01

    The proportion of an aquifer with constituent concentrations above a specified threshold (high concentrations) is taken as a nondimensional measure of regional scale water quality. If computed on the basis of area, it can be referred to as the aquifer scale proportion. A spatially unbiased estimate of aquifer scale proportion and a confidence interval for that estimate are obtained through the use of equal area grids and the binomial distribution. Traditionally, the confidence interval for a binomial proportion is computed using either the standard interval or the exact interval. Research from the statistics literature has shown that the standard interval should not be used and that the exact interval is overly conservative. On the basis of coverage probability and interval width, the Jeffreys interval is preferred. If more than one sample per cell is available, cell declustering is used to estimate the aquifer scale proportion, and Kish's design effect may be useful for estimating an effective number of samples. The binomial distribution is also used to quantify the adequacy of a grid with a given number of cells for identifying a small target, defined as a constituent that is present at high concentrations in a small proportion of the aquifer. Case studies illustrate a consistency between approaches that use one well per grid cell and many wells per cell. The methods presented in this paper provide a quantitative basis for designing a sampling program and for utilizing existing data.

  15. Far-field triggering of foreshocks near the nucleation zone of the 5 September 2012 (MW 7.6) Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica earthquake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walter, Jacob I.; Meng, Xiaofeng; Peng, Zhigang; Schwartz, Susan Y.; Newman, Andrew V.; Protti, Marino

    2015-12-01

    On 5 September 2012, a moment magnitude (MW) 7.6 earthquake occurred directly beneath the Nicoya Peninsula, an area with dense seismic and geodetic network coverage. The mainshock ruptured a portion of a previously identified locked patch that was recognized due to a decade-long effort to delineate the megathrust seismic and aseismic processes in this area. Here we conduct a comprehensive study of the seismicity prior to this event utilizing a matched-filter analysis that allows us to decrease the magnitude of catalog completeness by 1 unit. We observe a statistically significant increase in seismicity rate below the Nicoya Peninsula following the 27 August 2012 (MW 7.3) El Salvador earthquake (about 450 km to the northwest and 9 days prior to the Nicoya earthquake). Additionally, we identify a cluster of small-magnitude (<2.2) earthquakes preceding the mainshock by about 35 min and within 15 km of its hypocenter. The immediate foreshock sequence occurred in the same area as those earthquakes triggered shortly after the El Salvador event; though it is not clear whether the effect of triggering from the El Salvador event persisted until the foreshock sequence given the uncertainties in seismicity rates from a relatively small number of earthquakes. If megathrust earthquakes at such distances can induce significant increases in seismicity during the days before another larger event, this sequence strengthens the need for real-time seismicity monitoring for large earthquake forecasting.

  16. Does the Market Value Racial and Ethnic Concordance in Physician–Patient Relationships?

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Timothy T; Scheffler, Richard M; Tom, Sarah E; Schulman, Kevin A

    2007-01-01

    Objective To determine if the market-determined earnings per hour of physicians is sensitive to the degree of area-level racial/ethnic concordance (ALREC) in the local physician labor market. Data Sources 1998–1999 and 2000–2001 Community Tracking Study Physician Surveys and Household Surveys, 2000 U.S. Census, and the Area Resource File. Study Design Population-averaged regression models with area-level fixed effects were used to estimate the determinants of log earnings per hour for physicians in a two-period panel (N = 12,886). ALREC for a given racial/ethnic group is measured as the percentage of physicians who are of a given race/ethnicity less the percentage of the population who are of the corresponding race/ethnicity. Relevant control variables were included. Principal Findings Average earnings per hour for Hispanic and Asian physicians varies with the degree of ALREC that corresponds to a physician's race/ethnicity. Both Hispanic and Asian physicians earn more per hour in areas where corresponding ALREC is negative, other things equal. ALREC varies from negative to positive for all groups. ALREC for Hispanics is negative, on average, due to the small percentage of the physician workforce that is Hispanic. This results in an average 5.6 percent earnings-per-hour premium for Hispanic physicians. However, ALREC for Asians is positive, on average, due to the large percentage of the physician workforce that is Asian. This results in an average 4.0 percent earnings-per-hour discount for Asian physicians. No similar statistically significant results were found for black physicians. Conclusions The market-determined earnings per hour of Hispanic and Asian physicians are sensitive to the degree of ALREC in the local labor market. Larger sample sizes may be needed to find statistically significant results for black physicians. PMID:17362214

  17. Parametric distribution approach for flow availability in small hydro potential analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdullah, Samizee; Basri, Mohd Juhari Mat; Jamaluddin, Zahrul Zamri; Azrulhisham, Engku Ahmad; Othman, Jamel

    2016-10-01

    Small hydro system is one of the important sources of renewable energy and it has been recognized worldwide as clean energy sources. Small hydropower generation system uses the potential energy in flowing water to produce electricity is often questionable due to inconsistent and intermittent of power generated. Potential analysis of small hydro system which is mainly dependent on the availability of water requires the knowledge of water flow or stream flow distribution. This paper presented the possibility of applying Pearson system for stream flow availability distribution approximation in the small hydro system. By considering the stochastic nature of stream flow, the Pearson parametric distribution approximation was computed based on the significant characteristic of Pearson system applying direct correlation between the first four statistical moments of the distribution. The advantage of applying various statistical moments in small hydro potential analysis will have the ability to analyze the variation shapes of stream flow distribution.

  18. A Stochastic Model of Space-Time Variability of Mesoscale Rainfall: Statistics of Spatial Averages

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kundu, Prasun K.; Bell, Thomas L.

    2003-01-01

    A characteristic feature of rainfall statistics is that they depend on the space and time scales over which rain data are averaged. A previously developed spectral model of rain statistics that is designed to capture this property, predicts power law scaling behavior for the second moment statistics of area-averaged rain rate on the averaging length scale L as L right arrow 0. In the present work a more efficient method of estimating the model parameters is presented, and used to fit the model to the statistics of area-averaged rain rate derived from gridded radar precipitation data from TOGA COARE. Statistical properties of the data and the model predictions are compared over a wide range of averaging scales. An extension of the spectral model scaling relations to describe the dependence of the average fraction of grid boxes within an area containing nonzero rain (the "rainy area fraction") on the grid scale L is also explored.

  19. Associations of neighborhood-level racial residential segregation with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

    PubMed

    Salow, Arturo D; Pool, Lindsay R; Grobman, William A; Kershaw, Kiarri N

    2018-03-01

    Previous analyses utilizing birth certificate data have shown environmental factors such as racial residential segregation may contribute to disparities in adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, birth certificate data are ill equipped to reliably differentiate among small for gestational age, spontaneous preterm birth, and medically indicated preterm birth. We sought to utilize data from electronic medical records to determine whether residential segregation among Black women is associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The study population was composed of 4770 non-Hispanic Black women who delivered during the years 2009 through 2013 at a single urban medical center. Addresses were geocoded at the level of census tract, and this tract was used to determine the degree of residential segregation for an individual's neighborhood. Residential segregation was measured using the Gi* statistic, a z-score that measures the extent to which the neighborhood racial composition deviates from the composition of the larger surrounding area. The Gi* statistic z-scores were categorized as follows: low (z < 0), medium (z = 0-1.96), and high (z > 1.96). Adverse pregnancy outcomes included overall preterm birth, spontaneous preterm birth, medically indicated preterm birth, and small for gestational age. Hierarchical logistic regression models accounting for clustering by census tract and repeated births among mothers were used to estimate odds ratios of adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with segregation. In high segregation areas, the prevalence of overall preterm birth was significantly higher than that in low segregation areas (15.5% vs 10.7%, respectively; P < .001). Likewise, the prevalence of spontaneous preterm birth and medically indicated preterm birth were higher in high (9.5% and 6.0%) vs low (6.2% and 4.6%) segregation neighborhoods (P < .001 and P = .046, respectively). The associations of high segregation with overall preterm birth (odds ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.69) and spontaneous preterm birth (odds ratio, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.85) remained significant with adjustment for neighborhood poverty, insurance status, parity, and maternal medical conditions. Among non-Hispanic Black women in an urban area, high levels of segregation were independently associated with the higher odds of spontaneous preterm birth. These findings highlight one aspect of social determinants (ie, segregation) through which adverse pregnancy outcomes may be influenced and points to a potential target for intervention. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Next Generation Analytic Tools for Large Scale Genetic Epidemiology Studies of Complex Diseases

    PubMed Central

    Mechanic, Leah E.; Chen, Huann-Sheng; Amos, Christopher I.; Chatterjee, Nilanjan; Cox, Nancy J.; Divi, Rao L.; Fan, Ruzong; Harris, Emily L.; Jacobs, Kevin; Kraft, Peter; Leal, Suzanne M.; McAllister, Kimberly; Moore, Jason H.; Paltoo, Dina N.; Province, Michael A.; Ramos, Erin M.; Ritchie, Marylyn D.; Roeder, Kathryn; Schaid, Daniel J.; Stephens, Matthew; Thomas, Duncan C.; Weinberg, Clarice R.; Witte, John S.; Zhang, Shunpu; Zöllner, Sebastian; Feuer, Eric J.; Gillanders, Elizabeth M.

    2012-01-01

    Over the past several years, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have succeeded in identifying hundreds of genetic markers associated with common diseases. However, most of these markers confer relatively small increments of risk and explain only a small proportion of familial clustering. To identify obstacles to future progress in genetic epidemiology research and provide recommendations to NIH for overcoming these barriers, the National Cancer Institute sponsored a workshop entitled “Next Generation Analytic Tools for Large-Scale Genetic Epidemiology Studies of Complex Diseases” on September 15–16, 2010. The goal of the workshop was to facilitate discussions on (1) statistical strategies and methods to efficiently identify genetic and environmental factors contributing to the risk of complex disease; and (2) how to develop, apply, and evaluate these strategies for the design, analysis, and interpretation of large-scale complex disease association studies in order to guide NIH in setting the future agenda in this area of research. The workshop was organized as a series of short presentations covering scientific (gene-gene and gene-environment interaction, complex phenotypes, and rare variants and next generation sequencing) and methodological (simulation modeling and computational resources and data management) topic areas. Specific needs to advance the field were identified during each session and are summarized. PMID:22147673

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