Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Information And Data Management Program's Pi Workshop, Peggy Agouris

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

The objective of this workshop is to bring together the PIs and Co-PIs currently funded by the Information and Data Management Program of the National Science Foundation to discuss and exchange ideas on the focus topics of their field, as well as to identify and elaborate on emerging themes and particular emphases for future activities.

More specifically, the researchers, along with selected industry and government invitees, cooperatively focused on:

(1) analyzing research and development issues fundamental in making progress towards new challenges imposed by such diverse data sources as the Internet, embedded and distributed sensors, and satellites;

(2) specifying areas …

Modeling The Incubation Period Of Anthrax, Ron Brookmeyer, Elizabeth Johnson, Sarah Barry

Ron Brookmeyer

Models of the incubation period of anthrax are important to public health planners because they can be used to predict the delay before outbreaks are detected, the size of an outbreak and the duration of time that persons should remain on antibiotics to prevent disease. The difficulty is that there is little direct data about the incubation period in humans. The objective of this paper is to develop and apply models for the incubation period of anthrax. Mechanistic models that account for the biology of spore clearance and germination are developed based on a competing risks formulation. The models predict …

A Likelihood Based Method For Real Time Estimation Of The Serial Interval And Reproductive Number Of An Epidemic, Laura Forsberg White, Marcello Pagano

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Sisters In Science: Conversations With Black Women Scientists On Race, Gender, And Their Passion For Science, Diann Jordan

Purdue University Press Books

Author Diann Jordan took a journey to find out what inspired and daunted black women in their desire to become scientists in America. Letting 18 prominent black women scientists talk for themselves, Sisters in Science becomes an oral history stretching across decades and disciplines and desires. From Yvonne Clark, the first black woman to be awarded a B.S. in mechanical engineering to Georgia Dunston, a microbiologist who is researching the genetic code for her race, to Shirley Jackson, whose aspiration led to the presidency of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Jordan has created a significant record of women who persevered to become …

Wavelet-Based Functional Mixed Models To Characterize Population Heterogeneity In Accelerometer Profiles: A Case Study. , Jeffrey S. Morris, Cassandra Arroyo, Brent A. Coull, Louise M. Ryan, Steven L. Gortmaker

Jeffrey S. Morris

We present a case study illustrating the challenges of analyzing accelerometer data taken from a sample of children participating in an intervention study designed to increase physical activity. An accelerometer is a small device worn on the hip that records the minute-by-minute activity levels of the child throughout the day for each day it is worn. The resulting data are irregular functions characterized by many peaks representing short bursts of intense activity. We model these data using the wavelet-based functional mixed model. This approach incorporates multiple fixed effects and random effect functions of arbitrary form, the estimates of which are …

Alternative Probeset Definitions For Combining Microarray Data Across Studies Using Different Versions Of Affymetrix Oligonucleotide Arrays, Jeffrey S. Morris, Chunlei Wu, Kevin R. Coombes, Keith A. Baggerly, Jing Wang, Li Zhang

Jeffrey S. Morris

Many published microarray studies have small to moderate sample sizes, and thus have low statistical power to detect significant relationships between gene expression levels and outcomes of interest. By pooling data across multiple studies, however, we can gain power, enabling us to detect new relationships. This type of pooling is complicated by the fact that gene expression measurements from different microarray platforms are not directly comparable. In this chapter, we discuss two methods for combining information across different versions of Affymetrix oligonucleotide arrays. Each involves a new approach for combining probes on the array into probesets. The first approach involves …

Identifying Important Explanatory Variables For Time-Varying Outcomes., Oliver Bembom, Maya L. Petersen, Mark J. Van Der Laan

Maya Petersen

This chapter describes a systematic and targeted approach for estimating the impact of each of a large number of baseline covariates on an outcome that is measured repeatedly over time. These variable importance estimates can be adjusted for a user-specified set of confounders and lend themselves in a straightforward way to obtaining confidence intervals and p-values. Hence, they can in particular be used to identify a subset of baseline covariates that are the most important explanatory variables for the time-varying outcome of interest. We illustrate the methodology in a data analysis aimed at finding mutations of the human immunodeficiency virus …

Identifying Important Explanatory Variables For Time-Varying Outcomes., Oliver Bembom, Maya L. Petersen, Mark J. Van Der Laan

Oliver Bembom

This chapter describes a systematic and targeted approach for estimating the impact of each of a large number of baseline covariates on an outcome that is measured repeatedly over time. These variable importance estimates can be adjusted for a user-specified set of confounders and lend themselves in a straightforward way to obtaining confidence intervals and p-values. Hence, they can in particular be used to identify a subset of baseline covariates that are the most important explanatory variables for the time-varying outcome of interest. We illustrate the methodology in a data analysis aimed at finding mutations of the human immunodeficiency virus …

Stability Analysis For An Seir Age-Structured Epidemic Model Under Vaccination, M. El-Doma

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

An SEIR age-structured epidemic model is investigated when susceptible and immune individuals are vaccinated indiscriminately and the force of infection of proportionate mixing type. We determine the steady states and obtain an explicitly computable threshold condition, and then study the stability of the steady states.

Global Stability Results And Well Posedness Of An Si Age-Structured Epidemic Model With Vertical Transmission, M. El-Doma

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

An SI age-structured epidemic model for a vertically as well as horizontally transmitted disease is investigated when the fertility and mortality rates depend on age and the force of infection of proportionate mixing assumption type. We prove the well posedness of the model as well as the global stability for endemic equilibriums.

Set-Based Cascading Approaches For Magnetic Resonance (Mr) Image Segmentation (Scamis), Jiang Liu, Tze-Yun Leong, Kin Ban Chee, Boon Pin Tan, Borys Shuter, Shih Chang Wang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper introduces Set-based Cascading Approach for Medical Image Segmentation (SCAMIS), a new methodology for segmentation of medical imaging by integrating a number of algorithms. Existing approaches typically adopt the pipeline methodology. Although these methods provide promising results, the results generated are still susceptible to over-segmentation and leaking. In our methodology, we describe how set operations can be utilized to better overcome these problems. To evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, Magnetic Resonance Images taken from a teaching hospital research programme have been utilised, to reflect the real world quality needed for testing in patient datasets. A comparison between the …

Modeling An Outbreak Of Anthrax, Ron Brookmeyer

Ron Brookmeyer

Introduction

On October 2, 2001 a sixty-three-year-old Florida man who worked as a photo editor at a media publishing company was admitted to an emergency department complaining of nausea, vomiting, and fever. His symptoms began four days earlier on a recreational trip to North Carolina. The man died shortly thereafter. An astute clinician quickly made the surprising diagnosis of inhalational anthrax, which is a serious and deadly disease. The diagnosis was surprising because inhalational anthrax is extremely rare; only 18 cases were reported in the United States between 1900 and 1978. Public health officials at first believed that the Florida …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Areal Data And Discovery Of Neighborhood Relationships In Conditionally Autoregressive Models, Subharup Guha, Louise Ryan

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Semiparametric Regression Of Multi-Dimensional Genetic Pathway Data: Least Squares Kernel Machines And Linear Mixed Models, Dawei Liu, Xihong Lin, Debashis Ghosh

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Prepms: Tof Ms Data Graphical Preprocessing Tool, Yuliya V. Karpievitch, Elizabeth G. Hill, Adam J. Smolka, Jeffrey S. Morris, Kevin R. Coombes, Keith A. Baggerly, Jonas S. Almeida

Jeffrey S. Morris

We introduce a simple-to-use graphical tool that enables researchers to easily prepare time-of-flight mass spectrometry data for analysis. For ease of use, the graphical executable provides default parameter settings experimentally determined to work well in most situations. These values can be changed by the user if desired. PrepMS is a stand-alone application made freely available (open source), and is under the General Public License (GPL). Its graphical user interface, default parameter settings, and display plots allow PrepMS to be used effectively for data preprocessing, peak detection, and visual data quality assessment.

Traditional Medicine And Traditional Music In Madagascar, Nat Quansah

Nat Quansah

No abstract provided.

2006 Scholars And Artists Bibliography, Daniel J. Simon, Michael Schwartz Library, Cleveland State University, Friends Of The Michael Schwartz Library

Scholars and Artists Bibliographies

This bibliography was created for the annual Friends of the Michael Schwartz Library Scholars and Artists Reception, recognizing scholarly and creative achievements of Cleveland State University faculty, staff and emeriti. Dr. Dan Simon was the guest speaker.

Statistical Analysis Of Air Pollution Panel Studies: An Illustration, Holly Janes, Lianne Sheppard, Kristen Shepherd

UW Biostatistics Working Paper Series

The panel study design is commonly used to evaluate the short-term health effects of air pollution. Standard statistical methods for analyzing longitudinal data are available, but the literature reveals that the techniques are not well understood by practitioners. We illustrate these methods using data from the 1999 to 2002 Seattle panel study. Marginal, conditional, and transitional approaches for modeling longitudinal data are reviewed and contrasted with respect to their parameter interpretation and methods for accounting for correlation and dealing with missing data. We also discuss and illustrate techniques for controlling for time-dependent and time-independent confounding, and for exploring and summarizing …

2004 Jeffress Research Grant Awards

Virginia Journal of Science

List of winners of the 2004 Jeffress Research Grant Awards.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 48 Number 2, Fall 2006, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

8 - TRUTH, LEGEND, AND JESSE JAMES By Ron Hansen M.A. '95. Jesse James' exploits made him a legend even in his own time. Now the author of the novel The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford reveals what it takes to get beyond coloring book heroes and villains to understanding a charming psychopath and his killer. Plus insights into the making of the forthcoming film starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck.

14 - VIOLENCE IN THE MOVIES By Jim Shepard. Movies keep giving us more motion, more mayhem-which is exactly what we want. But what price …

Characterization Of Β-Lactam Resistant Pandemic Serotypes Of Vibrio Cholerae Isolated From Ships' Ballast Tanks And Coastal Waters, Amanda Lynn Goodrich

OES Theses and Dissertations

Vibrio cholerae serotypes 01 and 0139 are responsible for world-wide epidemics of cholera. These pandemic causing strains must possess genes that encode for the cholera toxin (CTX) and toxin co-regulated pili (TCP) in order to infect their hosts. In this study, 284 isolates of Vibrio cholerae from ballast and coastal waters were serotyped, with 11 % testing positive for serotype 01 and 21 % testing positive for serotype 0139. PCR assays were used to detect the presence of ctxA and tcpA genes in all positive isolates, none of which contained ctxA while 2% of the isolates contained tcpA. The 01 …

Spatial Cluster Detection For Censored Outcome Data, Andrea J. Cook, Diane Gold, Yi Li

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Extending Marginal Structural Models Through Local, Penalized, And Additive Learning, Daniel Rubin, Mark J. Van Der Laan

U.C. Berkeley Division of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

Marginal structural models (MSMs) allow one to form causal inferences from data, by specifying a relationship between a treatment and the marginal distribution of a corresponding counterfactual outcome. Following their introduction in Robins (1997), MSMs have typically been fit after assuming a semiparametric model, and then estimating a finite dimensional parameter. van der Laan and Dudoit (2003) proposed to instead view MSM fitting not as a task of semiparametric parameter estimation, but of nonparametric function approximation. They introduced a class of causal effect estimators based on mapping loss functions suitable for the unavailable counterfactual data to those suitable for the …

A Stochastic Model For Psa Levels: Behavior Of Solutions And Population Statistics, Pavel Bělík, P W A Dayananda, John T. Kemper, Mikhail M. Shvartsman

Faculty Authored Articles

This paper investigates the partial differential equation for the evolving distribution of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels following radiotherapy. We also present results on the behavior of moments for the evolving distribution of PSA levels and estimate the probability of long-term treatment success and failure related to values of treatment and disease parameters. Results apply to a much wider range of parameter values than was considered in earlier studies, including parameter combinations that are patient specific.

Demographic Change And Response: Social Context And The Practice Of Birth Control In Six Countries, Sangeeta Parashar, Harriet B. Presser, Megan L. Klein Hattori, Sara Raley, Zhihong Sa

Department of Sociology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper expands on Kingsley Davis’s demographic thesis of change and re- sponse. Specifically, we consider the social context that accounts for the primacy of particular birth control methods that bring about fertility change during specific time periods. We examine the relevance of state policy (including national family planning programs), the international population establishment, the medical profession, organized religion, and women’s groups using case studies from Japan, Russia, Puerto Rico, China, India, and Cameroon. Some of these countries are undergoing the second demographic transition, others the first. Despite variations in context, heavy reliance on sterilization and/or abortion as a means …

An Event-Driven Approach To Computerizing Clinical Guidelines Using Xml, Bing Wu, Essam Mansour, Kudakwashe Dube, Jianxin Li

Conference Papers

Clinical events form the basis of patient care practice. Their computerization is an important aid to the work of clinicians. Clinical guidelines or protocols direct clinicians and patients on when and how to handle clinical problems. Thus, clinical guidelines are an encapsulation of clinical events. Hence, an event-driven approach to computerizing the management of clinical guidelines is worthy of investigation. In our framework, called SpEM, the main clinical guideline management dimensions are specification, execution, and manipulation. This paper presents an event-driven approach, within the context of the SpEM framework, to manage clinical guidelines. The event-driven approach is based on the …

Silica-Coated Lanthanum-Strontium Manganites For Hyperthermia Treatments, Vuk Uskoković, Aljoša Košak, Miha Drofenik

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

La_0.76Sr_0.24MnO_{3 + δ} particles, prepared by performing a traditional, solid-state method of synthesis, were coated by uniform layers of silica via initiating hydrolysis and condensation of TEOS in aqueous–alcoholic alkali environment. The eventually obtained samples exhibited Curie temperature at ∼40 °C, and comprised core-shell particles of ∼250 nm in diameter. By varying stoichiometric ratio of cations within manganite cores of the particles, Curie point of the resulting material can be varied too, thus opening a way for the simple design of biocompatible, temperature-self-regulating particles for application in hyperthermia treatments, with Curie point thereof adjusted to …

Newly Identified Vitamin K-Producing Bacteria Isolated From The Neonatal Faecal Flora, Gordon Cooke, John Behan, Mary Costello

Articles

Fat-soluble vitamin K is an essential component of the blood clotting process. Menaquinones are the naturally occurring form of vitamin K identified in bacteria. Lipid extracts were made from three bacteria originally isolated from the human neonatal gut and identified as Enterobacter agglomerans, Serratia marcescens and Enterococcus faecium. Following preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC), the lipid extracts were subjected to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Peak analysis of the LC-MS data showed that the three bacteria produce various forms of menaquinone.

In Vitro Antimicrobial Efficacy Of Calcium Hydroxides In Root Dentin, Josef W. Lubisich

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Enterococcus faecalis is the most commonly isolated bacteria in failed root canal treatment. Endodontic intracanal medicaments are commonly tested using standardized bovine cylinders infected with bacteria. The literature is not clear on whether calcium hydroxides are able to remove E. faecalis from the dentinal tubules. One reason for this is that there are several varying forms of calcium hydroxide commonly used. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine whether four commonly used calcium hydroxide products were able to reduce E. faecalis from four incremental samples of dentin and to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between …

Evaluation Of Program Outcomes: Assessment In Children, Cheryl M. Romano

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In an age of increased concern for accountability and the review of services, administrators of health programs should be able to present their clinics effectiveness, and demonstrate their excellent service to the community, along with providing evidence for the continued need of such clinics. Outcome evaluation plays an integral part in providing this information, and is intended to provide information concerning the effectiveness of a particular program, thus allowing for modification, and even better outcomes.

This project addressed pre and post functioning in children referred for academic and/or behavioral difficulties, in a university of health sciences-based clinic. The aim was …