L1-logistic Discrimination as Used for Assistance of Medical Diagnosis in Chronic Airways Disease

The paper presents an application of L₁-logistic discriminant functions to the support of medical diagnosis in so called chronic airways disease which includes bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and lung ephysema. It is shown that the L₁-logistic discriminant function is more robust than the classical logistic function and gives higher rate of correctly classified individuals.     

Characterization of the Mixtures of Gompertz Distributions by Conditional Expectation of Order Statistics

The mixtures of Gompertz random variables (Gompertz , 1825) X₁ and X₂ are identified in terms of relations between the conditional expectation of [exp (αX_2:2) — exp (αX_1:2)]^k given X_1:2 and the hazard rate function of the distribution, k is a positive integer and α < 0. Here X_1:2 and X_2:2 denote the corresponding order statistics. In addition, we also mention some related theorems to characterize the mixtures of Gompertz distributions. Finally, when the sample size is n, the above results are also valid and we also give an application to Multi-Hit models of carcinogenesis (Parallel Systems).     

Evaluation of expected absolute error affecting the maximum specific growth rate for random relative error of cell concentration

Borzani's [(1994) World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 10, 475–476] idea of evaluation of absolute error affecting the 'maximum specific growth rate' (ESGR), calculated on the basis of the first and the last time points of the entire experimental time period, is generalized to the real-life situations where the relative errors of cell concentration cannot be assumed to be constant during the experiment. Visualizing the entire experimental time period as to comprise of several successive, mutually exclusive and exhaustive time intervals, we compute specific growth rates (SGRs) for each of these time intervals. Defining maximum of these SGR values as MSGR in contrast to Borzani's ESGR our aim is to study the effect of the expected absolute error on SGRs of different intervals. This will reveal the discrepancy between the true and observed MSGRs. Assuming the relative error distribution on (0,1) to be rectangular and symmetric truncated normal with mean at 0.5 and suitable variance, the expected values of the absolute errors are evaluated and numerically tabulated using the software packages MATHEMATICA and S-PLUS. Our results thus hold for situations involving varying relative errors where Borzani's results cannot be applied. A discussion with a concrete numerical example on the misidentification of the MSGR interval due to the effect of the random relative measuremental errors reveals to an experimental biologist that ignorance of this fact may lead to his/her entire experiment being futile.     

Robust design and the use of auxiliary variables in estimating population size for an open population

We consider the problem of estimating the population size for an open population where the data are collected over secondary periods within primary periods according to a robust design suggested by Pollock (1982, Journal of Wildlife Management 46, 757-760). A conditional likelihood is used to estimate the parameters associated with a generalized linear model in which the capture probability is assumed to have a logistic form depending on individual covariates. A Horvitz-Thompson-type estimator is used to estimate the population size for each primary period and the survival probabilities between primary periods. The asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators are investigated through simulation and are found to perform well. A data set for such a robust design of a small-mammal capture-recapture study conducted at Dummy Bottom within Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge is analyzed.     

A Novel Genotyping Strategy Based on Allele-specific Inverse PCR for Rapid and Reliable Identification of Conditional FADD Knockout Mice

The apoptotic adapter protein FADD has been shown to play diverse roles in cell survival and proliferation. FADD knockout embryos died of heart defects, rendering Cre/loxP-mediated conditional FADD knockout mice a unique tool for investigating FADD-dependent nonapoptotic mechanism. Previously, these genetically engineered mice were identified by time-consuming Southern blot or controversial real-time PCR. In this article, we report a novel genotyping strategy based on allele-specific inverse PCR (ASI-PCR) for rapid and reliable identification of conditional FADD knockout mice. In this strategy, the knockout nature of FADD was simply identified by screening the absence of the wild type FADD-specific ASI-PCR product. Using this method, we accurately identified CD4-Cre-mediated T cell specific FADD knockout mice. The whole process can be accomplished in any normal biological laboratory within 12 h using genomic DNA from tail biopsy. The proposed ASI-PCR-based approach is simple, rapid, sensitive, reproducible, and especially suitable for genotyping small amount of spatiotemporally restricted biopsies and large animal population. We believe that the strategy described in this article may be of general utility in genotyping other conditional gene knockout mice.     

Relative Efficiency of Estimators of the Mean of a Normal Distribution when Coefficient of Variation is Known

A biased but simple and consistent estimator of the parameter ? has been obtained for the normal distribution N(?, a?₂), ?>0 where a is a known constant. It is shown that the estimator is more efficient than the sample mean or any suitably chosen constant multiple of the sample standard deviation. It is also proved to be more efficient than the mimumum variance unbiased estimator among a typical class of unbiased estimators derived by RASUL KHAN (1968).     

Conditional properties of unconditional parametric bootstrap procedures for inference in exponential families

Higher-order inference about a scalar parameter in the presenceof nuisance parameters can be achieved by bootstrapping, incircumstances where the parameter of interest is a componentof the canonical parameter in a full exponential family. Theoptimal test, which is approximated, is a conditional one basedon conditioning on the sufficient statistic for the nuisanceparameter. A bootstrap procedure that ignores the conditioningis shown to have desirable conditional properties in providingthird-order relative accuracy in approximation of p-values associatedwith the optimal test, in both continuous and discrete models.The bootstrap approach is equivalent to third-order analyticalapproaches, and is demonstrated in a number of examples to givevery accurate approximations even for very small sample sizes.     

紫扇贝与海湾扇贝通用SSR的检测及其在杂交子代鉴定中的应用

以紫扇贝DNA为模板,用已开发的147个海湾扇贝微卫星标记引物扩增,结果表明100个微卫星标记能成功扩增,其中有47个表现出多态性,等位基因数目从2到9不等.观测杂合度范围为0.128 0～1.000 0(平均0.660 4),期望杂合度范围为0.503 1～0.862 1(平均0.671 9),有6个位点偏离Hardy-Weinberg平衡(P<0.05).用7对引物分别对紫扇贝、海湾扇贝及其种间正反杂交F1各30个个体进行PCR扩增,发现它们可明确区分紫扇贝与海湾扇贝,且所检测60个杂交子代均同时含海湾扇贝与紫扇贝的相应种特异性条带,证明全部为种间杂交子代.将该7对引物的扩增产物克隆测序,发现这些位点在两种扇贝中的序列同源率为40.22%～91.95%,其中3个位点在紫扇贝中的扩增产物仍然含有微卫星.     

Improving the Flexibility and Efficiency of Phase II Designs for Oncology Trials

Summary Phase II trials in oncology are usually conducted as single-arm two-stage designs with binary endpoints. Currently available adaptive design methods are tailored to comparative studies with continuous test statistics. Direct transfer of these methods to discrete test statistics results in conservative procedures and, therefore, in a loss in power. We propose a method based on the conditional error function principle that directly accounts for the discreteness of the outcome. It is shown how application of the method can be used to construct new phase II designs that are more efficient as compared to currently applied designs and that allow flexible mid-course design modifications. The proposed method is illustrated with a variety of frequently used phase II designs.     

Choice of Smoothing Parameters for Direct Kernels in Discrimination

Direct kernels, due to LAUDER (1983), as an alternative to the indirect kernel method in discriminant analysis are considered. It is shown that direct kernels may be based on any kernel function known in discrete density estimation. The choice of smoothing parameters is based on general loss functions and a family of loss functions which are specific for the discrimination problem is introduced. Examples with distance dependent and distance independent smoothing parameters are given to illustrate the applicability.     

药用野生稻体细胞杂交后代对条纹叶枯病的抗性鉴定

目的：从药用野生稻体细胞杂交后代中筛选对水稻条纹叶枯病具有抗性的水稻种质。方法：利用苗期接种法对药用野生稻体细胞杂交后代进行表型抗性评价,利用ELISA技术对供试材料进行感病率检测。结果：34份F1个体中,Y37、Y39、Y42和Y45的抗病级别都为高抗,它们的感病率分别为5.7%、5.7%、5.7%和4.3%,表现高抗水稻条纹叶枯病。结论：筛选到4个高抗条纹叶枯病水稻材料。     

A Conceptual Framework for the Interpretation of Biological Markers for Environmental Exposure Assessment

Human exposure to environmental contaminants occurs via air, water, soil, dust, food, and other environmental media. Given this multitude of sources, environmental exposure assessment is moving away from single route exposure assessment to more integrated measures of exposure. Biological markers are frequently advocated as appropriate exposure assessment tools since they provide a measure of internal dose integrated over all routes of exposure. However, contributing sources may be difficult to identify through use of biological markers, and thus, have had limited utility in the regulatory community. To explore the different perspectives on the use and application of biological markers for exposure assessors, epidemiologists, and regulatory personnel, we have developed a biological marker conceptual framework. This framework is developed as a paradigm for the interpretation of biological markers for environmental exposure assessment linking the exposure assessment and the health effects assessment perspectives regarding biological markers. Further, it incorporates issues of source-specific exposures, aggregate exposure assessment, route-specific contributions, and biological variation in response to exposure. This structure provides an approach to explore the current constraints in using biological markers to evaluate source-specific exposures. This framework is discussed in the context of currently available biological markers for lead, carbon monoxide, and toluene. Biological markers represent a complex tool to assess human exposures to environmental contaminants; the biological marker framework presents a structure for their interpretation recognizing that many of the determinants of exposure, bioavailablity, and toxicokinetics are still being evaluated. The conceptual framework presented here provides another tool for the researcher in assessing the utility of biological markers in exposure assessment and epidemiology.     

Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Exponential Polynomial Rate for Poisson Data

The heterogeneous Poisson process with discretized exponential quadratic rate function is considered. Maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters of the rate function are derived for the case when the data consists of numbers of occurrences in consecutive equal time periods. A likelihood ratio test of the null hypothesis of exponential quadratic rate is presented. Its power against exponential linear rate functions is estimated using Monte Carlo simulation. The maximum likelihood method is compared with a log-linear least squares techniques. An application of the technique to the analysis of mortality rates due to congenital malformations is presented.     

儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病特异性标记物的精准检测方法研究

目的：T细胞和免疫球蛋白重链基因重排是微小残留病灶水平的特异性标记物,而微小残留病灶的水平与儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病的复发强烈相关。应用传统的聚合酶链式反应方法来监测IgH／TCR基因重排不仅耗时、耗人力,而且敏感度较低。本研究旨在探索一种更为高效和敏感与实用的监测IgH／TCR基因重排的精准检测方法。方法：应用多重PCR技术检测26个患有急性淋巴细胞白血病的儿童的外周血样品中的标记物,这些儿童是在中国哈尔滨市最近两年内被诊断的患者。分别应用基因扫描和毛细血管电泳方法检测IgH（FRI,FRII,FRⅢ）／TCR（TCRB,TCRγ）基因重排和分析PCR产物的片段。结果：IgH／TCR基因重排和对IgH基因重排的阳性率分别为92．3％和75％,在26个病例中,4个复发病人的IgH的三个片段（FRI,FRII,FRⅢ）基因重排显示阳性。进一步分析显示复发与ign基因重排呈线性相关。结论：实验与临床应用表明,基因扫描这种方法对于IgH／TCR基因重排的检测是可靠的、实用的,因而可用于儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病的诊断和随访。