Discrepancies In Classification Research Articles

PRE-AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF SOLIDIFIERS: RESULTS AND LESSONS LEARNED

ABSTRACT The Regional Response Teams for Region 4 and the Caribbean developed pre-authorization documents to allow the use of solidifiers as listed on the National Product Schedule for mitigation of oil spills. Solidifiers are considered an alternative to sorbents or mechanical recovery for removal of small amounts of oil or thin sheens from the water surface. Throughout the process of developing the pre-authorization documents, a number of questions arose which were identified as key issues to a successful outcome, such as: What are sorbents? What are solidifiers? What are appropriate criteria for classification of solidifiers? What are the mechanisms of action for solidifiers? What is the typical composition of solidifiers? What are the environmental concerns associated with solidifiers? What are the benefits, shortcomings, and comparisons of using solidifiers versus sorbents? What are application and monitoring issues associated with use of solidifiers? What are the solidifier products currently listed on the NC? Product Schedule? The questions, while simple in nature, were complex in terms of the answers. There are conflicting and confusing criteria that exist when attempting to determine the nature of product designation as a sorbent or solidifier. Review of the ASTM criteria and Product Schedule in Subchapter J of the National Contingency Plan did little to clear the confusion. Despite this challenge, guidelines were developed for conditions where solidifiers could be pre-authorized for use including types of oil, use in loose form on any oil type under 500 gallons (treatment volume), no more than 1,000 pounds of solidifier loose product applied in response to a spill event, complete containment and recovery of all material, and monitoring requirements. A lesson learned from this exercise was that there needs to be a review and clarification of existing criteria for determining the difference between a sorbent and solidifier. This clarification will greatly assist in product classification under the Product Schedule during the projected upcoming regulatory project to rewrite Subchapter J of the NCP. That effort, in turn, will eliminate perceived discrepancies in product classification and allow the pre-authorization document to be a more lucid product for use by On Scene Coordinators.

P-148: Discrepancies in diagnosis of infertility as perceived by the patient, physician and researcher in women undergoing in-vitro-fertilization

There are many etiologies for sub fertility. Diagnostic classification of these factors is often confusing, ambiguous and imprecise. Moreover, diagnosis terminology may be interpreted differentially by health professionals, patients and researchers. In this study, we analyze for discrepancies in diagnostic classification for women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Perceived diagnosis was compared among women, their treating clinicians and an independent research adjudication committee. The impact of age, race and ethnicity of the patient was assessed.

Toward Automatic Reconstruction of a Highly Resolved Tree of Life

We have developed an automatable procedure for reconstructing the tree of life with branch lengths comparable across all three domains. The tree has its basis in a concatenation of 31 orthologs occurring in 191 species with sequenced genomes. It revealed interdomain discrepancies in taxonomic classification. Systematic detection and subsequent exclusion of products of horizontal gene transfer increased phylogenetic resolution, allowing us to confirm accepted relationships and resolve disputed and preliminary classifications. For example, we place the phylum Acidobacteria as a sister group of delta-Proteobacteria, support a Gram-positive origin of Bacteria, and suggest a thermophilic last universal common ancestor.

Magnetic resonance imaging for primary fistula in ano.

This was a prospective study designed to determine the therapeutic impact of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in primary fistula in ano, and to assess its effect on outcome. Thirty patients with suspected primary fistula in ano underwent preoperative MRI, and the findings were revealed during surgery following examination under anaesthesia (EUA). Any effect on operative approach was noted. Outcome was assessed at a median of 12 months. Two patients had sinuses, one had no sepsis and 27 had fistulas: five superficial, seven intersphincteric, 14 trans-sphincteric and one suprasphincteric. MRI and EUA agreed in 15 patients and MRI findings altered the surgical approach in a further three (10 per cent); two of the latter patients were believed to have a sinus at EUA, which MRI correctly identified as a fistula, allowing definitive treatment. The therapeutic impact of MRI was therefore 10 per cent. Persisting disagreement between MRI and EUA in 12 patients mostly related to minor discrepancies in classification. Only one patient required further unplanned surgery, which was for skin-bridging rather than any new sepsis. In experienced hands, MRI has a therapeutic impact of 10 per cent for primary fistula in ano, precipitating surgery that is likely to reduce recurrence in a small, but important, proportion of patients.

Reply to the contribution of Hainaut, Olivier and Pfeifer (TP53 mutation spectrum in lung cancers and mutagenic signature of components of tobacco smoke: lessons from the IARC TP53 mutation database)

The topic of my contribution published recently in a ‘Discussion Forum’ in Mutagenesis was the comparison of different versions of the IARC p53 database with respect to data on lung cancer of smokers and non-smokers. Most importantly, this comparison revealed a number of discrepancies in the classification of smoking status of identical lung cancer entries in different versions (R1, R2 and R3) of the database. Additionally, no statistically significant differences in G→T transversion mutation frequencies or in mutational hotspots at codons 157, 248 and 273 were found in the R3 version of the database comparing lung cancer in smokers and non-smokers. Finally, a possible influence of confounding factors on p53 mutation spectra was demonstrated. In the present Letter Hainaut et al. refer to my paper and conclude that ‘indiscriminate inclusion of mutations in his dataset may partially explain what he sees as discrepancies’. I appreciate the editors of Mutagenesis giving me the opportunity to reply to some critical comments made by Hainaut et al.

Clouds as Seen by Satellite Sounders (3I) and Imagers (ISCCP). Part II: A New Approach for Cloud Parameter Determination in the 3I Algorithms

First comparisons of improved initialization inversion (3I) cloud parameters determined from TIROS-N Operational Vertical Sounder observations with time–space-collocated clouds from the recently reprocessed International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) dataset have shown a reasonable agreement between all cloud types, with exception of the stratocumulus regions off the western coasts. Here, 3I clouds were found systematically thinner and higher than ISCCP clouds. These results have initiated a careful investigation of the methods used to convert measurements from IR sounders into cloud parameters. All existing methods get very sensitive to the chosen temperature profile toward lower cloud heights, due to a denominator approaching zero. This leads to a bias like the one seen in the comparison with ISCCP. Therefore, a new 3I cloud scheme has been developed, based on a weighted-χ2 method, which calculates the effective cloud amount from the CO2-band radiances, but weighted differently according to the effect of the brightness temperature uncertainty within an air mass on these radiances at the various cloud levels. This physically much more correct method led to unbiased 3I cloud parameters for homogeneous cloud types. The ISCCP comparison agrees much better now, especially in the stratocumulus regions where the cloud type matching improved from about 50% to 75%. In 1° grid boxes covered uniformly with the same ISCCP cloud type, the matching reaches even 87%. Remaining discrepancies in cloud classification can be explained by partly cloudy fields and differences in temperature profiles and cloud detection. The weighted-χ2 method can be used in other IR sounder inversion algorithms, if the empirical weights, taking care of the effect of temperature profile uncertainties on the difference between clear sky and cloudy radiances for different cloud levels and spectral channels, have been reevaluated so that they can be calculated automatically by the corresponding inversion algorithm.

The potential of HPLC triglyceride profiles for the classification of cretan olive oils

One hundred and twenty authentic olive oil samples of the two major Cretan olive cultivars, Koroneiki and Mastoidis, collected at different maturity stages have been obtained from different producing areas and analysed by isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography according to the official EC method. Multivariate analysis, including principal component analysis and canonical discrimination analysis, were used to characterize the oils according to cultivar, location and sampling date. Using the triglyceride compositional data, the two varieties examined were sufficiently separated by means of discriminant analysis procedures. Within each variety the oils were grouped quite clearly according to their geographic origin. Samples that originated from neighbouring locations with no marked differences in geographic morphology, or samples from locations with some extremes in the climatic conditions, presented some discrepancies in classification.© 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd

Transduction is a major factor influencing receptor characterization.

Two state (agonist-antagonist) receptor systems may explain many discrepancies in receptor classification, but the role of transduction (G protein coupling) may be critical. We propose that in some instances synthetic agonists and antagonists may interact with the receptor in such a way as to modify coupling compared with endogenous agonists, and that the transduction system together with the local environment, may contribute more to the rank order of potency of agonists and antagonists than the receptor subtype as defined by structure. Allosteric interactions at ion channels and receptors require a modification of concepts of coupling. Imidazoline ligands have different efficacy in coupling alpha 2-adrenoceptors to G proteins, compared with adrenaline and noradrenaline, and do not show a marked sodium shift, implying that the sodium site, and by implication the arginine switch, is implicated in the differential coupling. The alpha 2-adrenoceptor labeled with a natural agonist does not show subtype selectivity whereas antagonist-labeled alpha 2-adrenoceptors show subtype selectivity. In the 5-HT1A receptor, palmitoylation (of receptor or G proteins) allows the expression of different agonist states. Thus transduction and G protein coupling must be taken into account in receptor classification, even if the primary classification may be structural.

Classification of deaths after myocardial infarction as arrhythmic or nonarrhythmic (The Cardiac Arrhythmia Pilot Study)

The Cardiac Arrhythmia Pilot Study (CAPS) was a randomized, double-blind trial of antiarrhythmic drugs (encainide, flecainide, moricizine, imipramine and placebo) in 502 patients with at least 10 ventricular premature complexes/hour, 6 to 60 days after acute myocardial infarction. CAPS tested the feasibility of performing a larger study to determine if suppression of ventricular ectopic activity after acute myocardial infarction could improve survival. Patients in CAPS were followed for 1 year. All death or cardiac arrest events were evaluated by at least 2 investigators using a classification scheme that characterized the underlying mechanism as cardiac arrhythmic, cardiac nonarrhythmic or noncardiac. Forty-five patients (9%) died or had cardiac arrest during the 1-year follow-up, 29 (64%) within 1 hour from the onset of symptoms and 16 > 1 hour from the onset of symptoms. Twenty-three deaths (51%) were classified as arrhythmic, 19 (42%) as nonarrhythmic and 3 (7%) as noncardiac. Acute myocardial ischemia or infarction was associated with the death/cardiac arrest event in 16 patients (36%), 8 in the arrhythmic death group. Discrepancies in classification among reviewers were particularly common in patients with long-standing symptoms of congestive heart failure, in whom it was frequently difficult to identify the precise moment of the onset of symptoms in the death/cardiac arrest event. Using only the temporal relation of symptoms to categorize deaths or cardiac arrests, the mechanism of 12 (27%) of the 45 patients was in disagreement with the classification based on the Events Committee review. Classification of death as sudden or nonsudden is not equivalent to the classification of death as arrhythmic or nonarrhythmic.

Chromosome 20 deletion in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2: expanded double-blind studies.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A and 2B are autosomal dominant syndromes in which medullary thyroid cancers are associated with adrenal pheochromocytomas. We have expanded our double-blind studies of high-resolution G-banded chromosomes from lymphocytes to a total of 12 MEN-2A families, 7 MEN-2B (mucosal neuroma phenotype) families and 23 non-MEN control subjects. Eighteen of 23 different control subjects were scored as having normal chromosomes 20, and 15 of 21 MEN-2A and 4 of 8 MEN-2B patients were scored as having an interstitial deletion: del(20) (p12.2p12.2). These findings suggest that the dominant mutation in many MEN-2A and MEN-2B families is a visible deletion within band 20p12.2. Combining the results of these double-blind studies with those of the only other comparable reported double-blind series provides a statistical probability of less than 1/1000 that the association between MEN-2A and the deletion was observed by chance alone. However, the occasional discrepancies in classification using presently available techniques preclude the use of high resolution chromosome studies for the diagnosis of MEN-2.

Some models of agreement and disagreement in repeated measurements of occupation

Abstract Measures used by the U.S. Bureau of the Census to assay misclassification and correct marginal distributions—the net difference rate and the index of inconsistency—may produce misleading results and do not fully use information about inconsistency in repeated measurements. We show how multiplicative models of classifications of repeated measurements can be used to locate sources of inconsistency in marginal classifications, sources of discrepancies in classification, and differences between categories in levels of agreement and disagreement. The models are illustrated with an occupational classification from the 1970 CPS-Census Match. Some of our results differ from those reported earlier by the Bureau of the Census.

Unique and common variance in Structured Interview and Jenkins Activity Survey measures of Type A behavior pattern.

The aim of the present study was to identify factors that account for similarities and discrepancies in classification of Type A and B behavior by the Structured Interview (SI) and by the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS). Two diverse samples were administered the SI and the JAS. SI questions were coded for content of response and psychomotor behavior during the interview. Frequency of specific Type A speech characteristics and clinical judgments were also rated. Analyses revealed that the SI estimate of Type A could be predicted by the subjects' promptness of response, voice emphasis, hurried speech, and judgements of competitiveness, hostility, and energy level. The latter three judgments were also measured somewhat by the JAS. Interviewer ratings of subjects' overt motor behavior and appearance did not relate to SI assessments. The JAS estimate of Type A could be predicted by subjects' reports of pressured drive, which was also measured by SI. This pattern of interrelationships was similar in the two samples in spite of sample differences in age, health status, geographical location, interview and JAS forms, and raters. Overall, the correlations between the SI and JAS assessment were low and suggested a considerable degree of independence between the two measures. In light of these results, they should not be used as interchangeable measures of Type A behavior.

Unique and common variance in Structured Interview and Jenkins Activity Survey measures of Type A behavior pattern.

The aim of the present study was to identify factors that account for similarities and discrepancies in classification of Type A and B behavior by the Structured Interview (SI) and by the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS). Two diverse samples were administered the SI and the JAS. SI questions were coded for content of response and psychomotor behavior during the interview. Frequency of specific Type A speech characteristics and clinical judgments were also rated. Analyses revealed that the SI estimate of Type A could be predicted by the subjects' promptness of response, voice emphasis, hurried speech, and judgements of competitiveness, hostility, and energy level. The latter three judgments were also measured somewhat by the JAS. Interviewer ratings of subjects' overt motor behavior and appearance did not relate to SI assessments. The JAS estimate of Type A could be predicted by subjects' reports of pressured drive, which was also measured by SI. This pattern of interrelationships was similar in the two samples in spite of sample differences in age, health status, geographical location, interview and JAS forms, and raters. Overall, the correlations between the SI and JAS assessment were low and suggested a considerable degree of independence between the two measures. In light of these results, they should not be used as interchangeable measures of Type A behavior.

Objective Analysis of Achievement-Aptitude Discrepancies in LD Classification

A critical review of the literature dealing with quantification of aptitude-achievement differences revealed that methods developed to date are fraught with numerous and grave inadequacies. Based upon this evaluation of past methods, this article outlines and discusses criteria of new and more adequate procedures. Finally, step-by-step procedures that can be routinely followed are presented.

Radiometry and surface properties of Apollo, Amor, and Aten asteroids

view Abstract Citations (28) References (16) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Radiometry and surface properties of Apollo, Amor, and Aten asteroids. Lebofsky, L. A. ; Lebofsky, M. J. ; Rieke, G. H. Abstract Radiometric observations of three earth-approaching objects are reported: 1978CA, 1978DA, and 1978RA. Some discrepancies in classification are found when the radiometric results are compared with polarimetric and UBV results. In particular, 1978RA appears to be covered with high-thermal-inertia (rocky) material, as in the case of 1580 Betulia. This supports theoretical arguments that small asteroids should have thinner (or nonexistent) mature regoliths, compared to larger ones. Also, it is concluded that the techniques developed for the classification of large main-belt asteroids (particularly UBV colors, polarimetry, and standard thermal modeling) may not be generally applicable to other asteroids. Publication: The Astronomical Journal Pub Date: June 1979 DOI: 10.1086/112492 Bibcode: 1979AJ.....84..885L Keywords: Asteroids; Planetary Surfaces; Radiometers; Astronomical Photometry; Surface Properties; Ubv Spectra; RADIOMETRY; SURFACE; APOLLO ASTEROIDS; AMOR ASTEROIDS; ATEN ASTEROID; OBSERVATIONS; BETULIA ASTEROID; INFRARED; COMPARISONS; REGOLITH; PHOTOMETRY; ASTEROIDS; Lunar and Planetary Exploration; Asteroids; Infrared Photometry:Minor Planets; Minor Planets:Classification full text sources ADS |