A New Rank Test Against Ordered Alternatives in K-Sample Problems

The distribution-free test against ordered alternatives proposed by Jonckheere (1954) is based on the Kendall's rank correlation coefficient τ. A new rank test is proposed and illustrated with a numerical example. The proposed test is based on Spearman's σ and has similar functional structure as the Kruskal-Wallis test. A useful by-product is a test for departure from a trend.     

Development of pertussis vaccine production and control in the National Institute of Public Health in the Netherlands during the years 1950–1962

The development of the pertussis vaccine production in the National Institute of Public Health in the Netherlands since 1953, and the results with the consecutive lots of vaccine in the mouse protection test and the U.S.A. toxicity test are described. The results in the latter test are compared with the results of a locally developed guinea pig toxicity test. Special attention is given to the difficulties encountered when the U.S.A. toxicity test is used for adsorbed DPT vaccines. The potency data of all lots of DPT vaccines produced since 1958 fall within the limits of the potency test as prescribed in the U.S.A. Minimum Requirements. There are indications that the increased potency of the vaccine may have led to a lower mortality rate of pertussis.     

Testing for phylogenetic signal in phenotypic traits: new matrices of phylogenetic proximities

Abouheif adapted a test for serial independence to detect a phylogenetic signal in phenotypic traits. We provide the exact analytic value of this test, revealing that it uses Moran's I statistic with a new matrix of phylogenetic proximities. We introduce then two new matrices of phylogenetic proximities highlighting their mathematical properties: matrix A which is used in Abouheif test and matrix M which is related to A and biodiversity studies. Matrix A unifies the tests developed by Abouheif, Moran and Geary. We discuss the advantages of matrices A and M over three widely used phylogenetic proximity matrices through simulations evaluating power and type-I error of tests for phylogenetic autocorrelation. We conclude that A enhances the power of Moran's test and is useful for unresolved trees. Data sets and routines are freely available in an online package and explained in an online supplementary file.     

A New Statistical Goodness-of-Fit Test Based on Graphical Representation

A statistical goodness-of-fit test, based on representing the sample observations by linked vectors, is developed. The direction and the length of the linked vectors are defined as functions of the expected values of the order statistics and sample order statistics, respectively. The underlying method can be used to test distributional assumptions for any location-scale family. A test statistic Q_n is introduced and some of its properties are studied. It is shown that the proposed test can be generalized to test if two or more independent samples come from the same distribution. The test procedure provides a graphical method of identifying the true distribution when the null hypothesis is rejected.     

Rank Analysis of Block Designs Having Different Cell Frequencies

A distribution–free test is considered for testing the treatment effects in block designs with different cell frequencies. A test statistic which is a function of treatment ranks has been proposed which is distributed as chi-square for large samples. The null distribution of the test statistic has been obtained. The entire procedure has been explained by a numerical example.     

A Modified Chi-Square Test for Testing Equality of Two Multinomial Populations Against an Ordering Restricted Alternative

A modified chi-square test for testing the equality of two multinomial populations against an ordering restricted alternative in one sample and two sample cases is constructed. The relation between a concept of dependence called dependence by chi-square and stochastic ordering is established. A tabulation of the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic under the null hypothesis is given. Simulations are used to compare the power of this test with the power of the likelihood ratio test of stochastic ordering of the two multinomial populations.     

Comb Wax Salvage by the Red Dwarf Honeybee, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis florea</Emphasis> F.

Cannibalizing wax from a deserted nest and reusing it in construction of a new nest is only known for absconding colonies of red dwarf honeybee, Apis florea. We tested whether A. florea would preferentially choose to salvage wax from their own, original natal comb over that of other conspecific combs (test 1) and whether they would salvage wax from comb facsimiles of A. florea combs (test 2) fashioned from the combs of A. cerana, A. dorsata, and A. mellifera. In test 1, preferences for natal comb were significantly greater than for non-natal combs. In test 2, no wax was collected from heterospecific combs. It is evident that wax discrimination is context-dependent and that there is considerable genetic variation for the wax-salvaging trait.     

Testing a Partial Ordering of Population Means with Application to Inference about Growth Habits of Cowpea Genotypes

Using general results available in the literature, we derive the likelihood ratio test for a particular partial ordering of means that naturally arises in a biological context. We then show that the conceptual and computational complexity of the derivation can be substantially reduced by equivalently deriving the test using the intersection-union principle for decomposing a complex null hypothesis into elemental forms. A Monte Carlo algorithm for obtaining the p-value of the test is proposed. The test procedure is illustrated with a data set of the competitive ability of several cowpea genotypes, where previous experiments have indicated the proposed partial order of the means. A simulation study is used to examine the power of the test.     

Structure, Bioadhesive Distribution and Elastic Properties of the Agglutinated Test of Astrammina rara (Protozoa: Foraminiferida)

ABSTRACT. The fine structure, elastic properties, and distribution of the fibrous, meshlike cement (bioadhesive) were studied for the test of the antarctic agglutinated foraminiferan Astrammina rara. Grain-size analysis of particles incorporated into the test compared with adjacent sediment indicates that A. rara is grain-size selective. Fractured tests curl inward, suggesting that the test is under tension—an impression substantiated by micromanipulation observations. Changes in test appearance were examined by scanning electron microscopy after sequential chemical treatments combined with ultrasonication. Organic fibrils securing fine-grained particulates on the test exterior were removed during initial sonication. A veil of fibrous organic material lining the test interior (i.e. inner organic lining) was removed by treatment with a nonionic detergent, revealing ligamentous cables of bioadhesive securely joining large grains. These cables are partially disrupted by treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate, and further disrupted by disulfide reducing agents, suggesting that protein is an integral adhesive component. The large detrital grains incorporated into the test are arranged in an interlocked, optimally packed fashion. Together, these observations indicate that the seemingly simple spherical architecture of A. rara's test is in fact quite complex, consisting of large grains compressed by tensile cables of a proteinaceous bioadhesive, with additional rigidity supplied by fine particulate "mortar" deposited externally.     

A simple and rapid colloidal gold-based immunochromatogarpic strip test for detection of FMDV serotype A

A sandwich format immunochromatographic assay for detecting foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) serotypes was developed. In this rapid test, affinity purified polyclonal antibodies from Guinea pigs which were immunized with sucking-mouse adapted FMD virus (A/AV88(L) strain) were conjugated to colloidal gold beads and used as the capture antibody, and affinity purified polyclonal antibodies from rabbits which were immunized with cell-culture adapted FMD virus (A/CHA/09 strain) were used as detector antibody. On the nitrocellulose membrane of the immunochromatographic strip, the capture antibody was laid on a sample pad, the detector antibody was printed at the test line(T) and goat anti-guinea pigs IgG antibodies were immobilized to the control line(C). The lower detection limit of the test for a FMDV 146S antigen is 11.7ng/ml as determined in serial tests after the strip device was assembled and the assay condition optimization. No cross reactions were found with FMDV serotype C, Swine vesicular disease (SVD), Vesicular stomatiti svirus (VSV) and vesicular exanthema of swine virus (VES) viral antigens with this rapid test. Clinically, the diagnostic sensitivity of this test for FMDV serotypes A was 88.7% which is as same as an indirect-sandwich ELISA. The specificity of this strip test was 98.2% and is comparable to the 98.7% obtained with indirect-sandwich ELISA. This rapid strip test is simple, easy and fast for clinical testing on field sites; no special instruments and skills are required, and the result can be obtained within 15 min. To our knowledge, this is the first rapid immunochromatogarpic assay for serotype A of FMDV.     

SYPHILIS AND SEROLOGIC EVALUATION OF PATIENTS—A Recurring Problem

Although syphilis is again becoming more prevalent, routine serologic testing for the disease is diminishing. A test such as the VDRL or similar test is useful for general screening. If the test is nonreactive, the probability of the patient having syphilis is minimal. If the screening test is positive, a positive reaction to a Reiter or TPI test indicates a high probability of syphilis. But a negative reaction to these tests is not full assurance of absence of disease.     

流感快检法与病毒分离法检测结果的比较

实验中用流感快检法和病毒分离法同时对61份标本进行检测,并进行了比较,快检法的阳性预测值为100%,阴性预测值为40.9%,两种方法的符合率为57.3%。结果表明,快检方法可以作为快速的辅助手段。     

Correcting for Confounding in Analyzing Receiver Operating Characteristic Curves

A method is described for modeling a receiver operating curve as a function of confounding covariates when the outcome of the screening test is a continuous variate. A parametric survival model is proposed for modeling the distribution of the screening test outcome as a function of true disease status and other confounding covariates. The sensitivity and specificity of the screening test at any “cut-point” along the range of the screening test outcome may be estimated easily from the estimated survival distribution. Confidence intervals and an estimate of the area under the curve are derived.     

Test of Random Subject Effects In Heteroskedastic Linear Models

A new test of random subject effects in linear regression models is presented. The test is robust against heteroskedasticity and its asymptotic distribution is derived under a sequence of local alternatives. The finite sample properties of the test are studied in a simulation experiment and an empirical example. The results presented show that the new test is to be preferred over earlier test proposed.     

意大利蜜蜂对两种油菜花朵气味的偏爱性

【目的】明确意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera ligustica（简称“意蜂”）对两种油菜（甘蓝型胜利油菜 Brassica napus cv. Shengli和芥菜型马尾油菜 B. juncea cv. Mawei）的气味偏爱性及选择行为特征。【方法】本研究开展大田访花偏爱性试验、室外群体气味偏爱性试验以及室内“Y”型嗅觉仪行为反应和学习记忆试验,测定意蜂蜂群及青年采集蜂对甘蓝型胜利油菜和芥菜型马尾油菜两种油菜花朵的选择次数,并通过采集蜂训练时及训练后的喙伸反应率分析两种油菜花朵气味对采集蜂学习记忆能力的影响,最终评估意蜂蜂群及个体对这两种油茶花朵气味的选择性。【结果】大田试验12:00-13:00时间段,访问胜利油菜的意蜂数量显著高于访问马尾油菜的数量(P<0.05）。群体气味偏爱性试验14:00-15:00时间段意蜂访问胜利油菜的数量显著高于访问马尾油菜的数量（P<0.05）。行为反应试验结果显示意蜂选择胜利油菜的次数（3.86±2.83）显著高于访问马尾油菜的次数（2.28±1.87）（P<0.05）。在学习记忆试验中,随着训练次数的增加,意蜂对两种油菜花朵气味的喙伸反应率逐渐升高,相同的训练次数,意蜂对两种油菜气味的学习能力差异不显著（P>0.05）;训练结束后,随着时间的增加,意蜂对胜利油菜及马尾油菜的气味记忆逐渐下降,在24 h对胜利油菜的气味记忆明显高于对马尾油菜的气味记忆（P<0.05）。【结论】本研究证明意蜂较偏爱胜利油菜的花朵气味,花朵气味是影响其采集偏爱的重要因素,气味响应性试验可定量分析蜜蜂对花朵气味的嗅觉敏感性。     

Comparing Associations in two Independent Fourfold Tables

A test is derived for comparing the associations in two independent fourfold tables. The test is based on the odd ratio as a measure of association but may likewise be applied for testing the difference between two phi coefficients. For small samples an exact test version is given with tables for reading critical phi differences. For large samples an asymptotic version is reported, requiring, however, the solution of a cubic equation. A typical bivariate application is illustrated, using a numerical example from psycho-pharmacology, and univariate applications are also discussed.     

Generalization and simplification of the Moore-Goodman test for significance of alignment homologies

Summary A test given by Moore and Goodman (1977) that checks the significance of a homology between protein sequences is generalized to any type of distance measure and to any classification of codon pairs or amino acids according to this measure. A normal distribution is shown to approximate satisfactorily the probability distribution underlying this test for the examples chosen, and supposedly for any distance measure. The test accordingly reduces to a simple standard procedure.     

A PRELIMINARY BACTERIOLOGICAL SCREENING TEST FOR QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS AND FORMULATIONS

SUMMARY: The test is based on a colony count method to determine the survival of a given test organism, Bacterium coli , in the presence of sterile homogenized whole milk added with the bacterial suspension to the quaternary ammonium compound dilutions, for an exposure time of two min.
Attention is drawn to the special cleaning of the glassware used. The preparation and use of the Q.A.C. inhibitor, lecithin in 'Lissapol N', is described, with details of the testing procedure.
Inconsistencies in survivor counts occurring when Q.A.C. solutions were tested against saline suspensions of Bact. coli were reduced by carrying out the test in the presence of whole milk solids.
Examples quoted show how this test indicated a difference in bactericidal efficiency between (a) two different Q.A.C. solutions, and (b) the same Q.A.C. included in two powder formulations of differing pH value.     

动态浊度法检测冻干甲型肝炎减毒活疫苗细菌内毒素含量的研究

探讨动态浊度法检测冻干甲型肝炎减毒活疫苗细菌内毒素含量的可行性。参照《中国药典》2015年版通则1143细菌内毒素检测法中动态浊度法,对甲肝疫苗进行标准曲线可靠性试验、干扰初筛试验、干扰验证试验及内毒素含量的测定,同时与经凝胶法检定合格的同批疫苗进行比较。标准曲线可靠性试验结果符合规定。干扰初筛试验疫苗稀释160、320及640倍,回收率在50%~200%之间,均无干扰,符合要求。干扰验证试验结果进一步表明:疫苗稀释160倍对试验无干扰作用。采用动态浊度法检测的10批甲肝疫苗细菌内毒素含量均小于该疫苗的限值L=20 EU/m L,且与经凝胶法检定的同批疫苗结果一致。采用动态浊度法检测甲肝疫苗细菌内毒素含量是可行的,值得推广应用。