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An Analysis Of Biometric Technology As An Enabler To Information Assurance, Darren A. Deschaine

Theses and Dissertations

The use of and dependence on, Information technology (IT) has grown tremendously in the last two decades. Still, some believe the United States is only in the infancy of this growth. This explosive growth has opened the door to capabilities that were only dreamed of in the past. As easy as it is to see how advantageous this technology is, it also is clear that with its advantages come distinct responsibilities and new problems that must be addressed. For instance, the minute one begins using information processing systems, the world of information assurance (IA) becomes far more complex. As a …

Oncolog, Volume 50, Number 02/03, February/March 2005, David Galloway

OncoLog MD Anderson's Report to Physicians (All issues) Archives

• Biostatistically Speaking
• Novel Drugs Address Gleevec Resistance
• Obesity: A Weighty Contributor to Cancer
• House Call: When a Friend Has Cancer

Insights Into Latent Class Analysis, Margaret S. Pepe, Holly Janes

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Latent class analysis is a popular statistical technique for estimating disease prevalence and test sensitivity and specificity. It is used when a gold standard assessment of disease is not available but results of multiple imperfect tests are. We derive analytic expressions for the parameter estimates in terms of the raw data, under the conditional independence assumption. These expressions indicate explicitly how observed two- and three-way associations between test results are used to infer disease prevalence and test operating characteristics. Although reasonable if the conditional independence model holds, the estimators have no basis when it fails. We therefore caution against using …

Standardizing Markers To Evaluate And Compare Their Performances, Margaret S. Pepe, Gary M. Longton

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Introduction: Markers that purport to distinguish subjects with a condition from those without a condition must be evaluated rigorously for their classification accuracy. A single approach to statistically evaluating and comparing markers is not yet established.

Methods: We suggest a standardization that uses the marker distribution in unaffected subjects as a reference. For an affected subject with marker value Y, the standardized placement value is the proportion of unaffected subjects with marker values that exceed Y.

Results: We apply the standardization to two illustrative datasets. In patients with pancreatic cancer placement values calculated for the CA 19-9 marker are smaller …

Combining Predictors For Classification Using The Area Under The Roc Curve, Margaret S. Pepe, Tianxi Cai, Zheng Zhang, Gary M. Longton

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No single biomarker for cancer is considered adequately sensitive and specific for cancer screening. It is expected that the results of multiple markers will need to be combined in order to yield adequately accurate classification. Typically the objective function that is optimized for combining markers is the likelihood function. In this paper we consider an alternative objective function -- the area under the empirical receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). We note that it yields consistent estimates of parameters in a generalized linear model for the risk score but does not require specifying the link function. Like logistic regression it yields …

Information Interface - Volume 33, Issue 1 - January/February 2005, George Washington University, Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

Information Interface (1976 - 2009)

News and information about Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library of interest to users. Includes articles on journal subscription renewals and database search tips.

Performance Evaluation Of A Computational Model Of En Route Air Traffic Control, Todd J. Callantine

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2005

This paper describes a model of en route air traffic control and presents the results of a performance evaluation of computational air traffic controller agents based on the model. The purpose is to better understand the representations, heuristics, and processes that expert air traffic controllers use and develop agents useful for air traffic management concept development and safety/risk analysis. The results show the agents control low-tomedium traffic levels effectively. The research was supported by the NASA Aviation System Capacity Program and the FAA/NASA Aviation Safety Program.

Study On The Integration Of Human Performance And Accident Risk Assessment Models: Air-Midas & Topaz, Kevin Corker

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2005

A computational model of human performance (Air Man-machine Integration Design and Analysis System, Air MIDAS) and an accident risk assessment methodology (Traffic Organization and Perturbation AnalyZer, TOPAZ) were integrated in order to learn about the similarities and differences of their models, to demonstrate the feasibility of such integration, and the integration impact on accident risk assessment.

General Aviation Vfr-Into-Imc: Z-Score Filtering Of Demographic And Personality Variables, And The Personality Paradox, William Knecht

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2005

Does pilot personality affect risk-taking with weather? Armchair logic says “Yes,” while data often say “No.” In this work, we apply the technique of z-score filtering (slice analysis) to pilot takeoff decisions made in the face of simulated adverse weather seen at taxiway level. Such a filtering technique might prove useful, provided emphasis is kept to maintain experiment-wise reliability. Statistical and methodological problems with personality data are discussed. The results of this particular data set showed a strong effect of weather on takeoffs, as measured by visibility, cloud ceiling, and the interaction of the two. But, despite best efforts, no …

Transfer Between Training Of Part-Tasks In Complex Skill Training – Model Development And Experiment, Jan Joris Roessingh, Astrid M.L. Kappers, Jan J. Koenderink

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2005

One of the most common instruction-strategies for training complex skills is part-training. In this paper a model is developed for the optimisation of schedules for part-training, the ‘optimal transfer model’. This model is based on individual learning, but may be generalised to groups of trainees. It is based on the idea that if there is functional skill transfer from part-training to whole-task performance, then there must be a training schedule that yields optimal results. In this context, an optimal training schedule is one in which part-training lasts as long as is necessary to ensure the best possible performance with the …

Human Performance Modelling For Accident Risk Assessment Of Active Runway Crossing Operation, Sybert H. Stroeve, Henk A.P. Blom

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2005

A human performance modelling approach is presented for risk assessment of operations with multiple, dynamically interacting agents. The approach is illustrated for a risk model of runway incursion on an active departure runway. This model-based approach can provide detailed, systematically derived results on risk contributions of human operators and technical systems in complex multi-agent environments.

Organizational Factors In Commercial Aviation Accidents 1990-2000, Terry L. Von Thaden, Douglas A. Wiegmann, Scott A. Shappell

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2005

Recently several major transportation accidents have brought significant attention to the role of organizational factors in supporting safety within high-risk critical systems. However, little is essentially known about the types of organizational factors that contribute to these accidents, as there has yet to be a comprehensive analysis of these factors. This paper elaborates on the types of organizational factors that have contributed to pilot-error related aviation accidents in U.S. commercial aviation. Specifically, we analyzed 60 accidents with organizational cause factors from 1990-2000. Results from this analysis indicate that the type and frequency of organizational factors that contribute to accidents varies …

A Real-Time Automated Transcription Tool For Tactical Communications Assessment, David T. Williamson, Lt Mathew D. Purtee

International Symposium on Aviation Psychology - 2005

This paper describes the development of a real-time automated transcription tool for assessing tactical communications in a DIS environment. Java-based tools were developed to capture simulated radio communications data from tactical training exercises conducted at the Warfighter Training Research Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Human Effectiveness Directorate. A representative set of audio data was handtranscribed and used as training material for a class-based statistical language model using a commercially available speech recognition system. The language model was designed to allow run-time input of callsign data to provide increased flexibility. The resulting system is a real-time automated speech-to-text transcription …

Measuring Shared Information And Coordinated Activity In Neuronal Networks, K L. Klinkner, C R. Shalizi, Marcelo Camperi

Physics and Astronomy

Most nervous systems encode information about stimuli in the respond- ing activity of large neuronal networks. This activity often manifests itself as dynamically coordinated sequences of action potentials. Since multiple electrode recordings are now a standard tool in neuroscience research, it is important to have a measure of such network-wide behav- ioral coordination and information sharing, applicable to multiple neural spike train data. We propose a new statistic, informational coherence , which measures how much better one unit can be predicted by knowing the dynamical state of another. We argue informational coherence is a measure of association and shared information …

Parental Perceptions Of Their Child's Weight And Health, Julie Vy Pham

Theses Digitization Project

Childhood obesity is a major health problem facing children in the United States. How parents view their children's weight is an important consideration for health care professionals. The purpose of this study was to explore parental perceptions of their children's weight and health.

Educational Curriculum For Obesity In School Aged Youth, Carmen Vieyra Kemp, Melody Ann Mendiola

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this project was to develop an educational program to assist educators in keeping school children healthy. This program is designed to support professionals who are working to reduce the problem of oobesity in children and adolescents in elementary and middle school setting.

Rabbit Knee Joint Biomechanics: Motion Analysis And Modeling Of Forces During Hopping, David L. Gushue, Jeff Houck, Amy L. Lerner

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Although the rabbit hindlimb has been commonly used as an experimental animal model for studies of osteoarthritis, bone growth and fracture healing, the in vivo biomechanics of the rabbit knee joint have not been quantified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinematic and kinetic patterns during hopping of the adult rabbit, and to develop a model to estimate the joint contact force distribution between the tibial plateaus. Force platform data and three-dimensional motion analysis using infrared markers mounted on intracortical bone pins were combined to calculate the knee and ankle joint intersegmental forces and moments. A statically …

Extension Of Lander-Waterman Theory For Sequencing Filtered Dna Libraries, Michael C. Wendl, W Brad Barbazuk

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Evolutionary Models For Insertions And Deletions In A Probabilistic Modeling Framework, Elena Rivas

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Quality Determination And The Repair Of Poor Quality Spots In Array Experiments, Brian Dm Tom, Walter R. Gilks, Elizabeth T. Brooke-Powell, James W. Ajioka

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

A Model Of The Statistical Power Of Comparative Genome Sequence Analysis, Sean R. Eddy

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Compliance With Dialysis Regimens: The Effects Of Coping And Social Support, Toyoko Yagi

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to identify determinants of compliance behavior. Since compliance among dialysis patients increases survival rate, it is important for social workers to identify patients who are at risk of noncompliance.

Medical Technology: Contexts And Content In Science And Technology, Michael A. De Miranda, Mark Doggett, Jane T. Evans

Architectural and Manufacturing Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Convergence Analysis Of Mcmc Method In The Study Of Genetic Linkage With Missing Data, Diana Fisher

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Computational infeasibility of exact methods for solving genetic linkage analysis problems has led to the development of a new collection of stochastic methods, all of which require the use of Markov chains. The purpose of this work is to investigate the complexities of missing data in pedigree analysis using the Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) method as compared to the exact results. Also, we attempt to determine an association between missing data in a familial pedigree and the convergence to stationarity of a descent graph Markov chain implemented in the stochastic method for parametric linkage analysis.

In particular, we will …

Effect Of Dna Base Modification On Polymerase Chain Reaction Efficiency And Fidelity, Jan A. Sikorsky

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Polymerase stop assays, used to quantify DNA damage, assume single lesions are sufficient to block thermostable DNA polymerase progression. To explore this assumption, 90 base oligonucleotides containing normal or modified DNA bases were amplified using real-time PCR. Data implied that the PCR efficiency was influenced to differing degrees depending on which base lesion was present on the input oligonucleotide; specifically, while reactions with templates containing a single 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2í-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) were not noticeably altered, the presence of a single 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2í-deoxyadenosine, an abasic site, or a cis-syn thymidine dimer (TT dimer) dramatically delayed amplification. In addition, the presence of two tandem 8-oxodGs …

Non-Human Primates In Medical Research And Drug Development: A Critical Review, Jarrod Bailey

Laboratory Experiments Collection

There is much current debate surrounding the use of non-human primates (NHPs) in medical research and drug development. This review, stimulated by calls for evidence from UK-based inquiries into NHP research, takes a critical view in order to provide some important balance against papers supporting NHP research and calling for it to be expanded. We show that there is a paucity of evidence to demonstrate the positive contribution or successful translation of NHP research to human medicine, that there is a great deal of often overlooked data showing NHP research to be irrelevant, unnecessary, even hazardous to human health and …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 47 Number 3, Winter 2005, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

8 - AFTER AMERICA by Deepa Arora. Thomas J. Reese, S.J., the former editor of the Jesuit weekly magazine, America, is spending a sabbatical year at SCU. He sat down for an exclusive interview with SCM to reflect on what he has witnessed, what inspires him, and the future of the Church.

16 - A HALF-CENTURY OF ART AND HISTORY AT SCU by Victoria Hendel De La O. "Through its exhibitions and collections, the museum allows students and faculty to expand the walls of the classroom," says Rebecca M. Schapp, director of the de Saisset Museum, which is celebrating its …

Bachelor Of Health Science 2005, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Predictive Spatial Dynamics And Strategic Planning For Raccoon Rabies Emergence In Ohio, James E. Childs, David L. Smith, Colin A. Russell, Leslie A. Real

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Rabies is an important public health concern in North America because of recent epidemics of a rabies virus variant associated with raccoons. The costs associated with surveillance, diagnostic testing, and post-exposure treatment of humans exposed to rabies have fostered coordinated efforts to control rabies spread by distributing an oral rabies vaccine to wild raccoons. Authorities have tried to contain westward expansion of the epidemic front of raccoonassociated rabies via a vaccine corridor established in counties of eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Although sporadic cases of rabies have been identified in Ohio since oral rabies vaccine distribution in 1998, …

Guideview: Structured Multi-Modal Delivery Of Clinical Guidelines, M Sriram Iyengar, Subhajit Sarkar, Kira Bacal, Gregory Defouw, Phyllis Mcculley, Victor Hurst

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

GuideView is a system designed for structured, multi-modal delivery of clinical guidelines. Clinical instructions are presented simultaneously in voice, text, pictures or video or animations. Users navigate using mouse-clicks and voice commands. An evaluation study performed at a medical simulation laboratory found that voice and video instructions were rated highly.