Final Classifications Research Articles

Ischemic Stroke: Etiologic Work-up with Multidetector CT of Heart and Extra- and Intracranial Arteries

To assess the potential of a single-session multidetector computed tomography (CT) protocol, as compared with established methods, for the etiologic work-up of acute ischemic stroke. Patients found to have recently experienced an ischemic stroke were recruited for this prospective study after institutional review board approval was obtained. Each patient was scheduled for two evaluation strategies: (a) a standard approach involving transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), duplex ultrasonography (US) of the neck vessels, and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of the neck and brain vessels; and (b) a protocol involving single-session multidetector CT of the heart, neck, and brain vessels. The authors sought to determine the major etiologic factors of stroke, including cardiac sources of embolism and atheroma of the aortic arch and the extra- and intracranial vessels, by using both strategies. Multidetector CT, MR imaging, and duplex US were performed in 46 patients, 39 of whom also underwent TEE. The sensitivity and specificity of multidetector CT were 72% (18 of 25 cases) and 95% (20 of 21 cases), respectively, for detection of cardiac sources and 100% (24 of 24 cases) and 91% (20 of 22 cases), respectively, for detection of major arterial atheroma. For the 46 cases of stroke, the final etiologic classifications determined by using the standard combination approach were cardiac sources in 20 (44%) cases, major arterial atheroma in nine (20%), multiple sources in four (9%), and cryptogenic sources in 13 (28%). Multidetector CT facilitated correct etiologic classification for 38 (83%) of the 46 patients. Multidetector CT is a promising tool for etiologic assessment of ischemic stroke, although the identification of minor cardiac sources with this examination requires the establishment of robust criteria.

First use of multiple substances: Identification of meaningful patterns

Context: Understanding the process through which adolescents and young adults are trying legal and illegal substances is a crucial point for the development of tailored prevention and treatment programs. However, patterns of substance first use can be very complex when multiple substances are considered, requiring reduction into a few meaningful number of categories.Data: We used data from a survey on adolescent and young adult health conducted in 2002 in Switzerland. Answers from 2212 subjects aged 19 and 20 were included. The first consumption ever of 10 substances (tobacco, cannabis, medicine to get high, sniff (volatile substances, and inhalants), ecstasy, GHB, LSD, cocaine, methadone, and heroin) was considered for a grand total of 516 different patterns.Methods: In a first step, automatic clustering was used to decrease the number of patterns to 50. Then, two groups of substance use experts, three social field workers, and three toxicologists and health professionals, were asked to reduce them into a maximum of 10 meaningful categories.Results: Classifications obtained through our methodology are of practical interest by revealing associations invisible to purely automatic algorithms. The article includes a detailed analysis of both final classifications, and a discussion on the advantages and limitations of our approach.

Methodologic Issues in Using Land Cover Data to Characterize Living Environments of Geocoded Addresses

Methodologic Issues in Using Land Cover Data to Characterize Living Environments of Geocoded Addresses

The M31 globular cluster system:ugrizandK-band photometry and structural parameters

We present an updated catalogue of M31 globular clusters (GCs) based on images from the Wide Field Camera (WFCAM) on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope and from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Our catalogue includes new, self-consistent ugriz and K-band photometry of these clusters. We discuss the difficulty of obtaining accurate photometry of clusters projected against M31 due to small-scale background structure in the galaxy. We consider the effect of this on the accuracy of our photometry and provide realistic photometric error estimates. We investigate possible contamination in the current M31 GC catalogues using the excellent spatial resolution of these WFCAM images combined with the SDSS multicolour photometry. We identify a large population of clusters with very blue colours. Most of these have recently been proposed by other works as young clusters. We distinguish between these, and old clusters, in the final classifications. Our final catalogue includes 416 old clusters, 156 young clusters and 373 candidate clusters. We also investigate the structure of M31's old GCs using previously published King model fits to these WFCAM images. We demonstrate that the structure and colours of M31's old GC system are similar to those of the Milky Way. One GC (B383) is found to be significantly brighter in previous observations than observed here. We investigate all of the previous photometry of this GC and suggest that this variability appears to be genuine and short lived. We propose that the large increase in its luminosity may have been due to a classical nova in the GC at the time of the previous observations in 1989.

A Quantitative Method for Assigning Abundance Classifications to Leaf Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Kentucky

Little is known about the distribution and relative abundance of leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) within the United States. However, recent extensive collecting efforts within Kentucky, as well as the compilation and digitization of label data from seven museum collections, have resulted in distribution data for 11,079 beetles collected between 1884 and 2007. We used an integrated approach to assign abundance classifications of rare, local, infrequent, frequent, and abundant to the 253 known leaf beetle species recorded, incorporating both specimen data and our knowledge of the dataset. We initially selected a recently collected subset of 149 species, which were assigned preliminary subjective classifications. Possible index calculations were applied to all 253 species, and the calculation whose order was most aligned with the subjective classifications was chosen. Cutoffs between categories (e.g., abundant to frequent) were identified using subjective classifications as well as natural breaks in data or index values. Final classifications resulted in 132 rare, 38 local, 44 infrequent, 20 frequent, and 19 abundant species. These categories were 81.9% consistent with those given an initial subjective classification. In order to assess the ability of our abundance classifications to differentiate habitat types and quality, we used contingency analysis to compare leaf beetle species composition from two habitats (a native grassland nature preserve and a research farm). Species composition between these two habitats was significantly different (Pearson's χ2=11.4, P = 0.023). Our results indicate that quantitative data can be used to establish consistent abundance classifications, which can then be used to compare species composition of different habitats or communities.

Temporal support in the identification of e‐learning efficacy: an example of object classification in the presence of ignorance

Abstract: This study investigates the efficacy of an in‐place e‐learning facility, towards the performance of students on a university module, through the utilization of an information system based on CaRBS (Classification and Ranking Belief Simplex). It attempts to discern the final indifferent and good performance classifications of students based on their activity during the module (online page views). The ongoing assessment of the students every two weeks during the module is modelled with separate classification results reported as the number of two‐week periods builds up. Students who completed the course as well as those who withdrew are considered. The CaRBS system has its emphasis on the visual representation of results (using simplex plots), as well as its operations in the presence of ignorance (using the Dempster–Shafer theory of evidence). In the analysis of the module considered, the activity over certain weeks is consistently shown to be important to discern student performance. This study is of interest to practitioners and theorists, with the results shown offering a benchmark to the type of findings pertinent to expositing e‐learning efficacy.

Mortalité coronaire en France selon les sources d’information

Since 1985, two sources of information currently yield coronary disease frequency indicators among the French population: the national cause of death statistics set up by the CépiDC (INSERM), on the one hand, and three registries recording myocardial infarction and coronary deaths as defined by the WHO MONICA Project in three regions (Bas-Rhin, Communauté Urbaine de Lille, Haute-Garonne) on the other hand. Particularly, an inquiry for each possibly coronary death allows the registries to conclude positively (with or without a myocardial infarction), negatively or that no conclusion can be drawn because of insufficient data. The aim of the present work is to analyze concordance between coronary deaths issuing from the two sources according to their definition, while taking into account, or not, multiple causes listed on the death certificates. and methods: In total, 4,664 deaths occurring in 2000 in the 35-64 year-old population of the three regions identified by the CépiDc were paired with the 812 deaths analyzed by the registries. The MONICA classification was compared with that of the CépiDC which used the ICD 10th Revision of the initial cause or after taking into account multiple causes. In each case, the concordance between the final classifications (coronary deaths or not) and the mortality ratio obtained from the two sources were computed. and conclusions: Eight hundred and six deaths could be paired: 310 with a coronary cause according to the registries, 420 of presumed coronary cause but with insufficient data and 76 of non coronary origin. Whereas the total number of coronary deaths was similar for the two sources, their concordance was relatively low (kappa=0.61). However, when the deaths with insufficient data were included in the MONICA definition, concordance decreased and a large underestimation (59%) of the coronary mortality is given by the national statistics as compared to the registries. Taking into account multiple causes of death and not only the initial cause permitted partly to reduce this underestimation (42%) and to increase concordance (kappa from 0.46 to 0.51). These findings have important consequences for international comparisons concerning coronary disease. Indeed, the MONICA Project showed that the frequency of deaths with insufficient data was especially elevated in France leading to an underestimation of the coronary death rates provided by the national statistics in comparison with other countries, particularly in Europe.

Practice, efficacy, and costs of thyroid nodule evaluation: a retrospective study in a Dutch university hospital.

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules has markedly reduced the role of thyroid scintigraphy. This is often limited to nondiagnostic or follicular (tumor) FNA classifications. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and cost of such a strategy in a university center. From 1992-1998, 995 aspirations were done in 667 patients with palpable nodules. FNA was classified as malignant, suspicious, follicular, benign or inadequate. The Gold standard was surgery or extended follow-up, including physical examination, FNA, and/or ultrasound (US) with a time interval of half a year. Cost analysis was limited to operated patients. The first FNA yielded inadequate results in 28%, decreasing to 6% after 4 aspirations (n = 42). The other final classifications were: 76%, benign; 14%, follicular; 2%, suspicious; 1%, malignant (n = 7). Scintigraphy ((99m)Tc) suggested a hyperfunctioning autonomous nodule (adenoma) in 12% and 3% of the inadequate and follicular subset, respectively. Surgery for diagnostic reasons (n = 105) yielded 24 malignancies (23%): in 47% of suspicious, 12% of the follicular, and in all with malignant FNA. Postoperative morbidity occurred in 14 (5 laryngeal nerve paralyses) with benign histology. Major cost drivers were surgery and hospitalization: mean costs per patient amounting to Euro 3.311 in case of benign histology. We conclude that current work-up is still unable to prevent unnecessary surgery for benign thyroid nodules. Thyroid scintigraphy proved most productive in the inadequate FNA category. Improvement of the diagnostic process using immunohistochemistry and/or imaging is needed from the patient's and society's perspective.

Planetary Diagrams for Roman Astronomy in Medieval Europe, ca. 800-1500

PREFACE For more than twenty years, one of us (Bruce Eastwood) has been studying the texts and manuscripts of four Roman works. These are Pliny the Elder's Natural History, Macrobius's Commentary on Cicero's Somnium Scipionis, Martianus Capella's Marriage of Philology and Mercury, and Calcidius's Commentary on the Timaeus of Plato. Manuscripts of these works multiplied during the ninth century, in the culture of the Carolingian renaissance, and each of the works contained or stimulated astronomical diagrams that can reveal to moderns certain concerns of the Carolingian scholars and leaders involved. An important stimulus for the present work was the discovery that early medieval astronomy, especially in the era of Charlemagne and his successors, consisted of texts that went far beyond the boundaries of computus, which modern scholars have long believed to be the only significant context for astronomical studies of that time. It became apparent early that the texts sometimes contained varying or innovative diagrams where no other sign of divergence from the text could be seen. Such diagrams were not necessarily corruptions or errors; they were frequently found to provide indications of understandings of the texts-understandings different from those of modern scholars and generally ignored by editors of the texts. Furthermore the traditions of these diagrams lasted in many cases from the Carolingian era to the fifteenth century. Over the years Eastwood collected a large number of microfilms of the manuscripts of the four texts and of other texts using any of the planetary diagrams derived from the four Roman texts. He carried out the initial locating and identifying of all the diagrams referred to in the present work. In the summer of 1997 the two of us came together for three months at the Max Planck Institute for History of Science in Berlin to work directly on the present compilation and analysis of the planetary diagrams. In the summer of 1999 we were, again at the Institute in Berlin, able to work together intensively to follow up our basic work of two years earlier. Finally, in the summer of 2001 we completed the scholarly tasks needed for our work. The long preparatory work by Eastwood was supported generously at different times by the National Science Foundation, the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton), and the American Philosophical Society and by frequent summer research grants from the University of Kentucky. The collaborative stage, from 1997 onward, was generously supported especially by the Max-Planck-Institut-fur-Wissenschaftsgeschichte (Berlin) and by both the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst and the National Science Foundation as well as the University of Kentucky. Without these many sources of support over the years this project could never have been completed, and we are extremely grateful to each of these institutions for helping to make this work possible. Regarding our collaboration, we want to emphasize that although Eastwood contributed the microfilms and the data about the manuscripts and the diagrams, it was the conversations between us primarily during each of the three summer sessions of work together, that produced the final separations and classifications of the individual diagrams. Often it would seem at first to us that a diagram was referring to a doctrine of one author, Martianus Capella for example, when further questioning and analysis would then show us the error of our preliminary assessment and lead us to assign the diagram in question to a doctrine of a different author, Macrobius for example. Correct assignment of a diagram to its originating text was not always obvious or easy, and our give-and-take in discussing such questions has made the final result in this work far superior to what either of us could have accomplished without the other. Finally, the organization of the work in its present form, while requiring consultation between us, is almost completely the contribution of Grashoff. …

Support vector machines for texture classification

This paper investigates the application of support vector machines (SVMs) in texture classification. Instead of relying on an external feature extractor, the SVM receives the gray-level values of the raw pixels, as SVMs can generalize well even in high-dimensional spaces. Furthermore, it is shown that SVMs can incorporate conventional texture feature extraction methods within their own architecture, while also providing solutions to problems inherent in these methods. One-against-others decomposition is adopted to apply binary SVMs to multitexture classification, plus a neural network is used as an arbitrator to make final classifications from several one-against-others SVM outputs. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of SVMs in texture classification.

Heterogeneity of (Co)Variance Components for Jersey Type Traits

Heterogeneity of (co)variances for US Jersey linear and final scores was investigated with data from February 2000 USDA genetic evaluations. (Co)variances were estimated from data sets defined by parity, contemporary group size, and mean final score. First-appraisal scores during first or second parity from records that included all traits were studied. Contemporary groups within each parity were classified by size, based on number of cows in a given parity for that herd appraisal date: 5 to 15, 30 to 55, and ≥100. Groups were further classified as high (above parity-size class mean) or low (below parity-size class mean) for final score. The parity, group size, and final score classifications resulted in 12 data sets, which contained appraisal information from 8111 to 23,692 cows. (Co)variance components were estimated using expectation-maximization REML and canonical transformation. Across all traits and independent of herd size, phenotypic variances tended to be higher for low-scoring contemporary groups and during second parity. Similar or larger heterogeneities existed for genetic variances, but those heterogeneities were not as consistent across trait and contemporary group size class. Associated mean relative differences were defined as the mean of the ratios of the Frobenius norms of the differences between a given matrix and an overall mean matrix to the Frobenius norm of the mean matrix. For variance matrices, covariances were ignored. Mean differences for phenotypic variances were 18% during first and 20% during second parity, and for genetic variances, and 26 and 31% for first and second parity, respectively. The different patterns for genetic and phenotypic variances led to significant differences in estimated heritabilities. Mean relative differences for covariances were found to be similarly heterogeneous: 20% for first parity and 23% for second parity, for phenotypic covariance, and 32 and 36% for first and second parities, respectively, for genetic covariance. This heterogeneity resulted more from variance heterogeneity than from differences among associated correlation matrices (phenotypic: 11% first and 12% second parity; genetic: 20% first and 26% second parity), especially for phenotypic covariances.

Industrial experience and first degree success

An investigation of the final degree classifications of electronic and electrical engineering graduates over a three year period is presented. It is shown that industrial experience gained either in formal sandwich course arrangements or via concurrent work experience correlates with improved degree performance. Possible reasons, attitudinal rather than cognitive, for this relationship are explored. >

Stability of Categorical Designations for Special Education Students

The categorical stability of 523 students with mild handicaps during their school years was investigated in a retrospective study of special education records in three high schools. The students had final classifications as learning disabled (LD), educable mentally retarded (EMR), emotionally disturbed (ED), and speech impaired (SP). Twenty-four percent had at least two different classifications during their school years. In analyzing stability of classification according to the initial category designation, the least stable category was SP, and the most stable was ED. Of the students who changed classification sometime during their special education history, most had changed to one different category, but some had changed to two different categories. Most of the changes took place during the secondary years. The ED and EMR categories tended to receive proportionately more members from other categories than did the LD and SP categories. The SP category tended to receive few members from other categories of handicapping conditions, while the LD category received an intermediate number relative to its large size. The strongest predictor of reclassification was initial classification in the SP category.

Infants at social risk: Relations among infant maltreatment, maternal behavior, and infant attachment behavior.

Fifty-six 12-month-old infants, including 10 maltreated infants, 18 nonmaltreated high-risk infants, and 28 matched low-income controls, were videotaped in naturalistic settings at home with their mothers for 40 min and were observed 2 weeks later in the Ainsworth Strange Situation. Maltreating mothers were rated higher than nonmaltreating mothers on covertly hostile and interfering behaviors toward their infants at home. Maltreated infants were more avoidant of their mothers in the Strange Situation than nonmaltreated infants. Correlations between maternal behaviors at home and infant behaviors in the Strange Situation revealed that mothers whose infants displayed resistant behavior on reunion were rated at home as less verbally communicative and mothers whose infants displayed avoidant behavior on reunion were rated at home as more covertly hostile. Infants showing mixed avoidance and resistance were more likely to have extremely uncommunicative mothere than were infants who showed avoidance alone. Use of the behavioral rating scales for avoidance and resistance produced clearer findings than use of the final attachment classifications. Reasons for the discrepancies between analyses of classifications and analyses of behavior ratings were identified.

Biological Criteria for Definition of Species and Distinct Intraspecific Populations of Anadromous Salmonids Under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973

The validity of most recognized species of salmonids under the biological species concept is supported by evidence from diverse sources. However, the specific status of a number of recently diverged populations remains uncertain. In the United States, it is particularly important to consider the possibility of unrecognized reproductively isolated populations for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA).Innate life history differences among species as well as numerous uncertainties within species preclude the use of a generalized model based on homing as the sole or primary means of defining discrete population segments of anadromous salmonid species. A process involving successive samplings, analyses, and syntheses of data from populations of a particular area is suggested. A major requirement of this process is reliable genetic data. The capability for the detection of allelic proteins by electrophoretic methods has provided a major tool for identifying and measuring genetic differences among populations and species. These data are necessary, but often insufficient for identifying most population segments and must be complemented by other biological and life history data as well as by historical and geological information. Provisional classifications of threatened or endangered populations on the basis of incomplete data may be necessary in many instances, but final classifications should depend on complete sets of data.Transplanted and hatchery populations complicate the identification and management of anadromous salmonid populations under the ESA. Some evidence is cited that indicates a potential or actual adverse genetic effect of hatchery or transplanted fish on some native populations, and current studies designed to measure such effects are mentioned. The technical and economical feasibility for measuring these effects suggest that such measurements should be a requisite for new or extended transplantation and hatchery operations.Further data are needed to determine whether or not threatened or endangered species and populations can be artificially perpetuated and still retain the capability to adapt to wild environments upon reintroduction to native habitats. This capability apparently exists in some domesticated strains of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). However, large differences exist in the intrinsic levels of genetic variation between most domesticated populations of rainbow trout and many threatened or endangered natural populations of salmonids.Key words: criteria, intraspecific, anadromous salmonid populations, genetic data

Environmental Correlations among Paternal Half-Sisters for Type

Official final scores, scorecard, and descriptive type classifications recorded by the Holstein-Friesian Association from January 1, 1967, through June 30, 1974, were used to estimate environmental correlations among paternal sisters. Single records on 330,740 daughters of 2,434 sires were used. Each sire had at least 20 daughters in five or more herds. Final score and the scorecard traits were adjusted for age. Differences among herds were ignored. Correlations were estimated from differences of intraclass correlations among paternal sisters in one herd from those of one daughter in each herd, differences between product-moment correlations among paternal sisters in same and different herds, and the intra-herd correlation among daughters of the same sire. Methods yielded similar correlations ranging from .16 to .18 for final score, .13 to .16 for general appearance, .09 to .14 for dairy character, .11 to .17 for body capacity, and .11 to .13 for mammary system. Most environmental correlations for descriptive traits were less than .10 as stature, head, front end, and feet ranged from .06 to .15, and rear legs and udder support and floor ranged from .02 to .08.

Hierarchic and Non-Hierarchic Grouping Methods: An Empirical Comparison of two Techniques

Hierarchic and non-hierarchic grouping methods are compared and the reallocation property of the latter is identified as an important advantage as it overcomes the problem of chaining, which is inherent in hierarchic methods. The two methods are used to produce regionalizations of crop composition data for the counties of Ohio in 1940. The grouping strategies are applied to the orthogonal crop dimen- sions from a Principal Components Analysis. Various data treatments are explored and their crucial method- ological role is noted in determining the group struc- ture of the final classifications. Different regionalizations were produced by each method and each data treatment. The non-hierarchic method gave simpler classifications. Stepwise discrim- inant analysis was used as a test of the efficiency of each method. Non-hierarchic classifications were more similar to the 'optimal' classifications produced by the discriminant analysis than those of the hierarchic method. The effect of subjective decisions in grouping strategies are often underestimated and the role of alternative methodologies in classification problems needs more careful evaluation.

Spectrophotometric measurements of objective-prism spectra

I should like to give you a very condensed progress report on some spectrophotometric measurements of objective-prism spectra made in collaboration with H. Leicher at Bonn. The procedure used is almost completely automatic. The measurements are made with the help of a semi-automatic fully digitized registering microphotometer constructed by Hög-Hamburg. The reductions are carried out with the aid of a number of interconnected programmes written for the computer IBM 7090, beginning with the output of the photometer in the form of punched cards and ending with the printing-out of the final two-dimensional classifications.

What Are Our Alumnae Doing?

of graduates by classes along wi.th biographical information positions held, additional study, husbands' oc.cupation, number of children, and so on. The register was cross-indexed for maiden and married names. The second register carries additional information about alumnae dues, percentages of each class who were alumnae association members, the alumnae bulletin, pensions, sick benefits, scholarships, a geographical list of alumnae, and so on. For the current register, we began by appointing a committee. We soon discovered that bringing a register up to date, 10 years and 1000 graduates later, was a formidable task. The association had a full-time secretary by that time and we had a number of volunteer assistants. Even so, it was necessary to get additional secretarial help and, when the final classifications were worked out, we managed to get the help of a person who had worked