USING DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS IN RELATIONSHIP MARKETING

OpenAIRE

Iacob Catoiu; Mihai Èšichindelean; Simona Vinerean

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present paper is to describe and apply discriminant analysis withina relationship marketing context. The paper is structured into two parts; the first part contains aliterature review regarding the value chain concept and the dimensions it is built on, while thesecond part includes the results of applying discriminant analysis on several value chaindimensions. The authors have considered the client-company relationships of the gas-station marketas proper for studying the di...

Discrimination and depressive symptoms among sexual minority youth: is gay-affirming religious affiliation a protective factor?

Science.gov (United States)

Gattis, Maurice N; Woodford, Michael R; Han, Yoonsun

2014-11-01

Researchers have examined perceived discrimination as a risk factor for depression among sexual minorities; however, the role of religion as a protective factor is under-investigated, especially among sexual minority youth. Drawing on a cross-sectional study investigating campus climate at a large public university in the U.S. midwest, we examined the role of affiliation with a gay-affirming denomination (i.e., endorsing same-sex marriage) as a moderating factor in the discrimination-depression relationship among self-identified sexual minority (n = 393) and heterosexual youth (n = 1,727). Using multivariate linear regression analysis, religious affiliation was found to moderate the discrimination-depression relationship among sexual minorities. Specifically, the results indicated that the harmful effects of discrimination among sexual minority youth affiliated with denominations that endorsed same-sex marriage were significantly less than those among peers who affiliated with denominations opposing same-sex marriage or who identified as secular. In contrast, religious affiliation with gay-affirming denominations did not moderate the discrimination-depression relationship among heterosexual participants. The findings suggest that, although religion and same-sex sexuality are often seen as incompatible topics, it is important when working with sexual minority clients for clinicians to assess religious affiliation, as it could be either a risk or a protective factor, depending on the religious group's stance toward same-sex sexuality. To promote the well-being of sexual minority youth affiliated with denominations opposed to same-sex marriage, the results suggest these faith communities may be encouraged to reconsider their position and/or identify ways to foster youth's resilience to interpersonal discrimination.

Discriminant analysis on the treatment results of interstitial radium tongue implants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshina, Masao; Shibuya, Hitoshi; Horiuchi, Jun-Ichi; Matsubara, Sho; Suzuki, Soji; Takeda, Masamune

1989-01-01

Discriminant analysis was carried out for 48 tongue cancer patients who were treated with radium single-plane implantation. The 48 patients were grouped into 32 successfully cured without complications, five successfully cured with complications, six successfully cured but requiring additional boost therapy and five with local recurrence. To evaluate the relation between the dose distribution and the local treatment results, the analysis was based on a volume-dose relationship. The functions introduced by this discriminant analysis were linear, and the parameters used were modal dose, average dose and shape factors of histograms. Each group of treatment results had a correction rate of >80%, except for the successfully cured group with ulcers. The discriminant functions were useful as an index to obtain a final clinical treatment result at the early time of implantation, and these functions could be used as a criterion for the optimal treatment of tongue carcinoma. We were also able to recognize the limitation of the actual arrangement of sources in the single-plane implant. (author)

INCOME INEQUALITY IN SOME MAJOR EUROPEAN UNION ECONOMIES A DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS

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JYOTIRMAYEE KAR

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This exercise is an attempt to assess the importance of some social, economic, demographic and infrastructural factors which account for the prevailing income inequality across some of the EU countries. Using discriminant analysis the study suggests that crime recorded by police is the most important predictor in discriminating between the group of countries with relatively more equitable distribution of income from those with less. This variable is followed by number of students in the country. Reduction in the level of crime and improvement in the student strength could help in reducing income inequality. Quite intuitively, improvement in all the economic factors like GDP per capita and agricultural index will help to reduce income inequality. Identical is the case of the demographic factors. This calls for implementation of developmental policies towards improvement in these areas.

Discrimination and distress among Afghan refugees in northern California: The moderating role of pre- and post-migration factors

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

This study investigates the effect of perceived discrimination on the mental health of Afghan refugees, and secondly, tests the distress moderating effects of pre-migration traumatic experiences and post-resettlement adjustment factors. In a cross-sectional design, 259 Afghans completed surveys assessing perceived discrimination and a number of other factors using scales developed through inductive techniques. Multivariable analyses consisted of a series of hierarchical regressions testing the effect of perceived discrimination on distress, followed by a sequential analysis of moderator variables. Perceived discrimination was significantly associated with higher distress, and this relationship was stronger among those with a strong intra-ethnic identity and high pre-resettlement traumatic experiences. The expected buffering effects of civic engagement, ethnic orientation (e.g. integration), and social support were not significant. Discrimination is a significant source of stress for Afghan refugees, which may exacerbate stresses associated with other pre- and post-migration stressors. Future research is needed to tailor interventions that can help mitigate the stress associated with discrimination among this highly vulnerable group. PMID:29782531

Perceived interpersonal discrimination and depressive symptoms among sexual minority youth: Is religious affiliation a protective factor?

Science.gov (United States)

Gattis, Maurice N.; Woodford, Michael R.; Han, Yoonsun

2015-01-01

Researchers have examined perceived discrimination as a risk factor for depression among sexual minorities; however, the role of religion as a protective factor is under-investigated, especially among sexual minority youth. Drawing on a cross-sectional study investigating campus climate at a large public university in the U.S. Midwest, we examined the role of affiliation with a gay-affirming denomination (i.e., endorsing same-sex marriage) as a moderating factor in the discrimination-depression relationship among self-identified sexual minority (n = 393) and heterosexual youth (n = 1,727). Using multivariate linear regression analysis, religious affiliation was found to moderate the discrimination-depression relationship among sexual minorities. Specifically, the results indicated that the harmful effects of discrimination among sexual minority youth affiliated with denominations that endorsed same-sex marriage were significantly less than those among peers who affiliated with denominations opposing same-sex marriage, as well as those among peers who identified as secular. In contrast, religious affiliation with gay-affirming denominations did not moderate the discrimination-depression relationship among heterosexual participants. The findings suggest that although religion and same-sex sexuality are often seen as incompatible topics, it is important when working with sexual minority clients for clinicians to assess religious affiliation, as it could be either a risk or a protective factor, depending on the religious group’s stance toward same-sex sexuality. To promote the well-being of sexual minority youth affiliated with denominations opposed to same-sex marriage, the results suggest these faith communities may be encouraged to reconsider their position and/or identify ways to foster youth’s resilience to interpersonal discrimination. PMID:25119387

Racial and gender discrimination, early life factors, and chronic physical health conditions in midlife.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Jasmine A; Terry, Mary Beth; Tehranifar, Parisa

2014-01-01

Most studies of perceived discrimination have been cross-sectional and focused primarily on mental rather than physical health conditions. We examined the associations of perceived racial and gender discrimination reported in adulthood with early life factors and self-reported physician diagnosis of chronic physical health conditions. We used data from a racially diverse birth cohort of U.S. women (n = 168; average age, 41 years) with prospectively collected early life data (e.g., parental socioeconomic factors) and adult reported data on perceived discrimination, physical health conditions, and relevant risk factors. We performed modified robust Poisson regression owing to the high prevalence of the outcomes. Fifty percent of participants reported racial and 39% reported gender discrimination. Early life factors did not have strong associations with perceived discrimination. In adjusted regression models, participants reporting at least three experiences of gender or racial discrimination had a 38% increased risk of having at least one physical health condition (relative risk, 1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.87). Using standardized regression coefficients, the magnitude of the association of having physical health condition(s) was larger for perceived discrimination than for being overweight or obese. Our results suggest a substantial chronic disease burden associated with perceived discrimination, which may exceed the impact of established risk factors for poor physical health. Copyright © 2014 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Credit scoring analysis using kernel discriminant

Science.gov (United States)

Widiharih, T.; Mukid, M. A.; Mustafid

2018-05-01

Credit scoring model is an important tool for reducing the risk of wrong decisions when granting credit facilities to applicants. This paper investigate the performance of kernel discriminant model in assessing customer credit risk. Kernel discriminant analysis is a non- parametric method which means that it does not require any assumptions about the probability distribution of the input. The main ingredient is a kernel that allows an efficient computation of Fisher discriminant. We use several kernel such as normal, epanechnikov, biweight, and triweight. The models accuracy was compared each other using data from a financial institution in Indonesia. The results show that kernel discriminant can be an alternative method that can be used to determine who is eligible for a credit loan. In the data we use, it shows that a normal kernel is relevant to be selected for credit scoring using kernel discriminant model. Sensitivity and specificity reach to 0.5556 and 0.5488 respectively.

Application of Discriminant Analysis on Romanian Insurance Market

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Constantin Anghelache

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Discriminant analysis is a supervised learning technique that can be used in order to determine which variables are the best predictors of the classification of objects belonging to a population into predetermined classes. At the same time, discriminant analysis provides a powerful tool that enables researchers to make predictions regarding the classification of new objects into predefined classes. The main goal of discriminant analysis is to determine which of the N descriptive variables have the most discriminatory power, that is, which of them are the most relevant for the classification of objects into classes. In order to classify objects, we need a mathematical model that provides the rules for optimal allocation. This is the classifier. In this paper we will discuss three of the most important models of classification: the Bayesian criterion, the Mahalanobis criterion and the Fisher criterion. In this paper, we will use discriminant analysis to classify the insurance companies that operated on the Romanian market in 2006. We have selected a number of eigth (8 relevant variables: gross written premium (GR_WRI_PRE, net mathematical reserves (NET_M_PES, gross claims paid (GR_CL_PAID, net premium reserves (NET_PRE_RES, net claim reserves (NET_CL_RES, net income (NE—_INCOME, share capital (SHARE_CAP and gross written premium ceded in Reinsurance (GR_WRI_PRE_CED. Before proceeding to discriminant analysis, we performed cluster analysis on the initial data in order to identify classes (clusters that emerge from the data.

Perceived Discrimination as a Risk Factor for Use of Emerging Tobacco Products: More Similarities Than Differences Across Demographic Groups and Attributions for Discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Unger, Jennifer B

2018-01-17

Perceived discrimination has been associated with cigarette smoking and other substance use among members of disadvantaged minority groups. However, most studies have focused on a single minority group, have not considered the individual's attribution for the discrimination, and have not considered emerging tobacco products. This study examined the associations between perceived discrimination and use of six tobacco products (cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, hookah, and smokeless tobacco) in a diverse sample of 1,068 adults in the United States. Participants were recruited on Amazon's Mechanical Turk and participated in an online survey. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between perceived discrimination and use of each tobacco product. Interactions between discrimination and demographic characteristics, and between discrimination and perceived reasons for discrimination, were evaluated. Controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and socioeconomic status, perceived discrimination was a risk factor for current use of five of the six tobacco products. These associations were consistent across racial/ethnic groups and regardless of the individual's attribution for the reason for the discrimination. Results indicate that perceived discrimination is a risk factor for the use of multiple tobacco products, and that this association is not limited to particular demographic groups or types of discrimination. Public health programs could potentially reduce tobacco-related disease by teaching healthier ways to cope with discrimination.

Discrete Discriminant analysis based on tree-structured graphical models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Perez de la Cruz, Gonzalo; Eslava, Guillermina

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the potential use of discriminant analysis based on tree{structured graphical models for discrete variables. This is done by comparing its empirical performance using estimated error rates for real and simulated data. The results show that discriminant a...... analysis based on tree{structured graphical models is a simple nonlinear method competitive with, and sometimes superior to, other well{known linear methods like those assuming mutual independence between variables and linear logistic regression.......The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the potential use of discriminant analysis based on tree{structured graphical models for discrete variables. This is done by comparing its empirical performance using estimated error rates for real and simulated data. The results show that discriminant...

Discrimination, religious and cultural factors, and Middle Eastern/Arab Americans' psychological distress.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikizler, Ayse S; Szymanski, Dawn M

2018-01-11

We investigated (1) the moderating role of religiosity in the link between religious affiliation and ethnic discrimination and (2) the moderating roles of religiosity, ethnic identity, and family connectedness in the relations between ethnic discrimination and psychological distress. Our sample consisted of 122 (60% women, 40% men) Middle Eastern/Arab Americans (MEAAs), ranging in age from 18 to 82 years old, who completed an online survey. Muslim identification predicted discrimination for MEAAs with high but not low religiosity. Higher levels of discrimination, more family connectedness, the interaction of discrimination and religiosity, and the interaction of discrimination and family connectedness were unique predictors of psychological distress. Religiosity is a risk factor for experiencing ethnic discrimination among Muslim identified MEAAs. MEAAs who have high religiosity and low to moderate levels of family connectedness are vulnerable to psychological distress associated with ethnic discrimination. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Comparative Analysis of the Evolution of Gender Wage Discrimination: Spain Versus Galicia

OpenAIRE

Pena-Boquete, Yolanda

2006-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyze the degree of female wage discrimination in the Spanish region of Galicia relative to the rest of Spain. The analysis starts from an established fact: women's average earnings are lower than men's. First, we try to show the causes behind this wage differential. Next, we discuss the evolution of the wage gap between 1995 and 2002, in order to bring some light on the factors potentially accounting for wage discrimination persistence in Galicia and Spain. We w...

A Comparative Analysis of the Evolution of Gender Wage Discrimination: Spain Versus Galicia.

OpenAIRE

Yolanda Pena-Boquete

2006-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyze the degree of female wage discrimination in the Spanish region of Galicia relative to the rest of Spain. The analysis starts from an established fact: women’s average earnings are lower than men’s. First, we try to show the causes behind this wage differential. Next, we discuss the evolution of the wage gap between 1995 and 2002, in order to bring some light on the factors potentially accounting for wage discrimination persistence in Galicia and Spain. We w...

Contributions to sensitivity analysis and generalized discriminant analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacques, J.

2005-12-01

Two topics are studied in this thesis: sensitivity analysis and generalized discriminant analysis. Global sensitivity analysis of a mathematical model studies how the output variables of this last react to variations of its inputs. The methods based on the study of the variance quantify the part of variance of the response of the model due to each input variable and each subset of input variables. The first subject of this thesis is the impact of a model uncertainty on results of a sensitivity analysis. Two particular forms of uncertainty are studied: that due to a change of the model of reference, and that due to the use of a simplified model with the place of the model of reference. A second problem was studied during this thesis, that of models with correlated inputs. Indeed, classical sensitivity indices not having significance (from an interpretation point of view) in the presence of correlation of the inputs, we propose a multidimensional approach consisting in expressing the sensitivity of the output of the model to groups of correlated variables. Applications in the field of nuclear engineering illustrate this work. Generalized discriminant analysis consists in classifying the individuals of a test sample in groups, by using information contained in a training sample, when these two samples do not come from the same population. This work extends existing methods in a Gaussian context to the case of binary data. An application in public health illustrates the utility of generalized discrimination models thus defined. (author)

Prediction Model of Collapse Risk Based on Information Entropy and Distance Discriminant Analysis Method

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Hujun He

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The prediction and risk classification of collapse is an important issue in the process of highway construction in mountainous regions. Based on the principles of information entropy and Mahalanobis distance discriminant analysis, we have produced a collapse hazard prediction model. We used the entropy measure method to reduce the influence indexes of the collapse activity and extracted the nine main indexes affecting collapse activity as the discriminant factors of the distance discriminant analysis model (i.e., slope shape, aspect, gradient, and height, along with exposure of the structural face, stratum lithology, relationship between weakness face and free face, vegetation cover rate, and degree of rock weathering. We employ postearthquake collapse data in relation to construction of the Yingxiu-Wolong highway, Hanchuan County, China, as training samples for analysis. The results were analyzed using the back substitution estimation method, showing high accuracy and no errors, and were the same as the prediction result of uncertainty measure. Results show that the classification model based on information entropy and distance discriminant analysis achieves the purpose of index optimization and has excellent performance, high prediction accuracy, and a zero false-positive rate. The model can be used as a tool for future evaluation of collapse risk.

Experimentally derived δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N discrimination factors for gray wolves and the impact of prior information in Bayesian mixing models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan J Derbridge

Full Text Available Stable isotope analysis of diet has become a common tool in conservation research. However, the multiple sources of uncertainty inherent in this analysis framework involve consequences that have not been thoroughly addressed. Uncertainty arises from the choice of trophic discrimination factors, and for Bayesian stable isotope mixing models (SIMMs, the specification of prior information; the combined effect of these aspects has not been explicitly tested. We used a captive feeding study of gray wolves (Canis lupus to determine the first experimentally-derived trophic discrimination factors of C and N for this large carnivore of broad conservation interest. Using the estimated diet in our controlled system and data from a published study on wild wolves and their prey in Montana, USA, we then investigated the simultaneous effect of discrimination factors and prior information on diet reconstruction with Bayesian SIMMs. Discrimination factors for gray wolves and their prey were 1.97‰ for δ13C and 3.04‰ for δ15N. Specifying wolf discrimination factors, as opposed to the commonly used red fox (Vulpes vulpes factors, made little practical difference to estimates of wolf diet, but prior information had a strong effect on bias, precision, and accuracy of posterior estimates. Without specifying prior information in our Bayesian SIMM, it was not possible to produce SIMM posteriors statistically similar to the estimated diet in our controlled study or the diet of wild wolves. Our study demonstrates the critical effect of prior information on estimates of animal diets using Bayesian SIMMs, and suggests species-specific trophic discrimination factors are of secondary importance. When using stable isotope analysis to inform conservation decisions researchers should understand the limits of their data. It may be difficult to obtain useful information from SIMMs if informative priors are omitted and species-specific discrimination factors are unavailable.

Baseline prediction of combination therapy outcome in hepatitis C virus 1b infected patients by discriminant analysis using viral and host factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Saludes, Verónica; Bracho, Maria Alma; Valero, Oliver; Ardèvol, Mercè; Planas, Ramón; González-Candelas, Fernando; Ausina, Vicente; Martró, Elisa

2010-11-30

Current treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has limited efficacy -especially among genotype 1 infected patients-, is costly, and involves severe side effects. Thus, predicting non-response is of major interest for both patient wellbeing and health care expense. At present, treatment cannot be individualized on the basis of any baseline predictor of response. We aimed to identify pre-treatment clinical and virological parameters associated with treatment failure, as well as to assess whether therapy outcome could be predicted at baseline. Forty-three HCV subtype 1b (HCV-1b) chronically infected patients treated with pegylated-interferon alpha plus ribavirin were retrospectively studied (21 responders and 22 non-responders). Host (gender, age, weight, transaminase levels, fibrosis stage, and source of infection) and viral-related factors (viral load, and genetic variability in the E1-E2 and Core regions) were assessed. Logistic regression and discriminant analyses were used to develop predictive models. A "leave-one-out" cross-validation method was used to assess the reliability of the discriminant models. Lower alanine transaminase levels (ALT, p=0.009), a higher number of quasispecies variants in the E1-E2 region (number of haplotypes, nHap_E1-E2) (p=0.003), and the absence of both amino acid arginine at position 70 and leucine at position 91 in the Core region (p=0.039) were significantly associated with treatment failure. Therapy outcome was most accurately predicted by discriminant analysis (90.5% sensitivity and 95.5% specificity, 85.7% sensitivity and 81.8% specificity after cross-validation); the most significant variables included in the predictive model were the Core amino acid pattern, the nHap_E1-E2, and gamma-glutamyl transferase and ALT levels. Discriminant analysis has been shown as a useful tool to predict treatment outcome using baseline HCV genetic variability and host characteristics. The discriminant models obtained in this

Evaluation of errors for mass-spectrometric analysis with surface-ionization type mass-spectrometer (statistical evaluation of mass-discrimination effect)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Y.

1981-01-01

The surface-ionization type mass-spectrometer is widely used as an apparatus for quality assurance, accountability and safeguarding of nuclear materials, and for this analysis it has become an important factor to statistically evaluate an analytical error which consists of a random error and a systematic error. The major factor of this systematic error was the mass-discrimination effect. In this paper, various assays for evaluating the factor of variation on the mass-discrimination effect were studied and the data obtained were statistically evaluated. As a result of these analyses, it was proved that the factor of variation on the mass-discrimination effect was not attributed to the acid concentration of sample, sample size on the filament and supplied voltage for a multiplier, but mainly to the filament temperature during the mass-spectrometric analysis. The mass-discrimination effect values β which were usually calculated from the measured data of uranium, plutonium or boron isotopic standard sample were not so significant dependently of the difference of U-235, Pu-239 or B-10 isotopic abundance. Furthermore, in the case of U and Pu, measurement conditions and the mass range of these isotopes were almost similar, and these values β were not statistically significant between U and Pu. On the other hand, the value β for boron was about a third of the value β for U or Pu, but compared with the coefficient of the correction on the mass-discrimination effect for the difference of mass-number, ΔM, these coefficient values were almost the same among U, Pu, and B.As for the isotopic analysis error of U, Pu, Nd and B, it was proved that the isotopic abundance of these elements and the isotopic analysis error were in a relationship of quadratic curves on a logarithmic-logarithmic scale

Discriminant Analysis of Student Loan Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Dyl, Edward A.; McGann, Anthony F.

1977-01-01

The use of discriminant analysis in identifying potentially "good" versus potentially "bad" student loans is explained. The technique is applied to a sample of 200 student loan applications at the University of Wyoming. (LBH)

PRICE DISCRIMINATION AND MARKET POWER: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Smirnova

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the contemporary theoretical and empirical research in the field of impact assessment of market power and conclusions about the possibilities of the company to implement price discrimination in different market structures. The results of the analysis allow to evaluate current approaches to antitrust regulation of price discrimination.

Application of discriminant analysis-based model for prediction of risk of low back disorders due to workplace design in industrial jobs.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganga, G M D; Esposto, K F; Braatz, D

2012-01-01

The occupational exposure limits of different risk factors for development of low back disorders (LBDs) have not yet been established. One of the main problems in setting such guidelines is the limited understanding of how different risk factors for LBDs interact in causing injury, since the nature and mechanism of these disorders are relatively unknown phenomena. Industrial ergonomists' role becomes further complicated because the potential risk factors that may contribute towards the onset of LBDs interact in a complex manner, which makes it difficult to discriminate in detail among the jobs that place workers at high or low risk of LBDs. The purpose of this paper was to develop a comparative study between predictions based on the neural network-based model proposed by Zurada, Karwowski & Marras (1997) and a linear discriminant analysis model, for making predictions about industrial jobs according to their potential risk of low back disorders due to workplace design. The results obtained through applying the discriminant analysis-based model proved that it is as effective as the neural network-based model. Moreover, the discriminant analysis-based model proved to be more advantageous regarding cost and time savings for future data gathering.

Discrimination between smiling faces: Human observers vs. automated face analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Del Líbano, Mario; Calvo, Manuel G; Fernández-Martín, Andrés; Recio, Guillermo

2018-05-11

This study investigated (a) how prototypical happy faces (with happy eyes and a smile) can be discriminated from blended expressions with a smile but non-happy eyes, depending on type and intensity of the eye expression; and (b) how smile discrimination differs for human perceivers versus automated face analysis, depending on affective valence and morphological facial features. Human observers categorized faces as happy or non-happy, or rated their valence. Automated analysis (FACET software) computed seven expressions (including joy/happiness) and 20 facial action units (AUs). Physical properties (low-level image statistics and visual saliency) of the face stimuli were controlled. Results revealed, first, that some blended expressions (especially, with angry eyes) had lower discrimination thresholds (i.e., they were identified as "non-happy" at lower non-happy eye intensities) than others (especially, with neutral eyes). Second, discrimination sensitivity was better for human perceivers than for automated FACET analysis. As an additional finding, affective valence predicted human discrimination performance, whereas morphological AUs predicted FACET discrimination. FACET can be a valid tool for categorizing prototypical expressions, but is currently more limited than human observers for discrimination of blended expressions. Configural processing facilitates detection of in/congruence(s) across regions, and thus detection of non-genuine smiling faces (due to non-happy eyes). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discriminant analysis method to determine the power of the boys 11-12 year

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Mirosława Cieślicka

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: To determine the model of power in boys 11-12 years old. Material and methods: To achieve the objectives, the following methods: analysis of scientific literature, statistical methods for analysis of results. The study involved 35 boys 11 year (n = 35 and 32 boys 12 year (n = 32. Results: Analysis of the results shows that the statistical significance of differences in the test results of boys 11 and 12 years there has been research jump from the place of execution and the amount of squats (the amount of execution time (p <0.001, p <0. Conclusions: Structural factors discriminant function suggest that more attention is paid to training of speed and endurance, the more likely to increase the force to prepare the boys. The canonical discriminant function can  be used to assess and forecast the development of motor skills in boys.

The use of the discriminant analysis method for e π μ separation in BES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Zhijin; Wang Taijie; Xie Yigang; Huang Tao

1994-01-01

We use the discriminant analysis method in multivariate statistical theory to handle the e π μ separation in BES, describing the principle of the discriminant analysis method, deriving the unstandardized discriminant functions (responsible for particle separation), giving the discriminant efficiency for e π μ and comparing the results from the discriminant analysis method with those obtained in a conventional way. ((orig.))

Factors Associated with Medical Doctors' Intentions to Discriminate Against Transgender Patients in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Vijay, Aishwarya; Earnshaw, Valerie A.; Tee, Ying Chew; Pillai, Veena; White Hughto, Jaclyn M.; Clark, Kirsty; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L.; Wickersham, Jeffrey A.

2018-01-01

Purpose: Transgender people are frequent targets of discrimination. Discrimination against transgender people in the context of healthcare can lead to poor health outcomes and facilitate the growth of health disparities. This study explores factors associated with medical doctors' intentions to discriminate against transgender people in Malaysia.

[Relations between self-discrimination of MSM and sexual behavior and psychological factors].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yi; Zhang, Hong-bo; Xu, Jie; Zhang, Guang-gui; Yang, Hong-wu; Fan, Jing

2010-07-01

To understand the self-discrimination experience of MSM and its relationship with sexual behavior and psychological factors. By respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method, a call-for action and anonymous self-administration questionnaire investigation was carried out in Mianyang city on experience of self-discriminations, sexual partners and behaviors and depression symptom, etc. The first 12 qualified people were designated as the "root" in the whole investigation from different MSM subgroups. Every "root" would get 3 recruit cards after their own investigation, then cards could be promoted to another 3 qualified people who were willing to accept questionnaires. And this process would go on till the sample size was accomplished. χ(2) test, rank correlation and contingency coefficient would be applied for the statistical analysis. In total, 201 persons were investigated. Within the past 6 months, 59.2% (119/201) persons felt they did harm to their family or made the family down as gays, 79.6% (160/201) had to disguise their real sexual orientation in avoidance of being discriminated, 39.3% (79/201) were humiliated for having gay sex. It showed correlation between humiliation or harm to family and frequency to disco balls/night clubs (r = 0.196, χ(2) = 7.95, P sexual partners (r = 0.265, χ(2) = 11.422, P sexual behavior in the past 6 months (r = 0.513, χ(2) = 7.442, P sexual orientation in avoidance of being discriminated and the frequency of show up in the cybercafé (r = 0.272, χ(2) = 15.932, P discrimination was connected to entrance into gay-welcome places, acceptance of HIV consultancy and tests, posting gay information among MSM friends and hold of many sexual partners. Meanwhile, the pressure was rising when depression was checked out. Self-discrimination was prevalent among MSM, which had brought critical influence on the individual behavior, MSM psychological health and prevalence of AIDS.

Regularized Discriminant Analysis: A Large Dimensional Study

KAUST Repository

Yang, Xiaoke

2018-04-28

In this thesis, we focus on studying the performance of general regularized discriminant analysis (RDA) classifiers. The data used for analysis is assumed to follow Gaussian mixture model with different means and covariances. RDA offers a rich class of regularization options, covering as special cases the regularized linear discriminant analysis (RLDA) and the regularized quadratic discriminant analysis (RQDA) classi ers. We analyze RDA under the double asymptotic regime where the data dimension and the training size both increase in a proportional way. This double asymptotic regime allows for application of fundamental results from random matrix theory. Under the double asymptotic regime and some mild assumptions, we show that the asymptotic classification error converges to a deterministic quantity that only depends on the data statistical parameters and dimensions. This result not only implicates some mathematical relations between the misclassification error and the class statistics, but also can be leveraged to select the optimal parameters that minimize the classification error, thus yielding the optimal classifier. Validation results on the synthetic data show a good accuracy of our theoretical findings. We also construct a general consistent estimator to approximate the true classification error in consideration of the unknown previous statistics. We benchmark the performance of our proposed consistent estimator against classical estimator on synthetic data. The observations demonstrate that the general estimator outperforms others in terms of mean squared error (MSE).

Facial Affect Recognition Using Regularized Discriminant Analysis-Based Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng-Yuan Shih

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel and effective method for facial expression recognition including happiness, disgust, fear, anger, sadness, surprise, and neutral state. The proposed method utilizes a regularized discriminant analysis-based boosting algorithm (RDAB with effective Gabor features to recognize the facial expressions. Entropy criterion is applied to select the effective Gabor feature which is a subset of informative and nonredundant Gabor features. The proposed RDAB algorithm uses RDA as a learner in the boosting algorithm. The RDA combines strengths of linear discriminant analysis (LDA and quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA. It solves the small sample size and ill-posed problems suffered from QDA and LDA through a regularization technique. Additionally, this study uses the particle swarm optimization (PSO algorithm to estimate optimal parameters in RDA. Experiment results demonstrate that our approach can accurately and robustly recognize facial expressions.

Discriminating Drivers through Human Factor and Behavioral Difference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ju Seok Oh

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Since Greenwood and Woods' (1919 study in tendency of accident, many researchers have insisted that various human factors (sensation seeking, anger, anxiety are highly correlated with reckless driving and traffic accidents. Oh and Lee (2011 designed the Driving Behavior Determinants Questionnaire, a psychological tool to predict danger level of drivers and discriminate them into three groups (normal, unintentionally reckless, and intentionally reckless by their characteristics, attitude, and expected reckless behavior level. This tool's overall accuracy of discrimination was 70%. This study aimed to prove that the discrimination reflects the behavioral difference of drivers. Twenty-four young drivers were requested to react to the visual stimuli (tests for subjective speed sense, simple visual reaction time, and left turning at own risk. The results showed no differences in subjective speed sense among the driver groups, which means drivers' excessive speeding behaviors occur due to intention based on personality and attitude, not because of sensory disorders. In addition, there were no differences in simple reaction time among driver groups. However, the results of the ‘Left turning at drivers’ own risk task” revealed significant group differences. All reckless drivers showed a greater degree of dangerous left turning behaviors than the normal group did.

Phoneme categorization and discrimination in younger and older adults: a comparative analysis of perceptual, lexical, and attentional factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattys, Sven L; Scharenborg, Odette

2014-03-01

This study investigates the extent to which age-related language processing difficulties are due to a decline in sensory processes or to a deterioration of cognitive factors, specifically, attentional control. Two facets of attentional control were examined: inhibition of irrelevant information and divided attention. Younger and older adults were asked to categorize the initial phoneme of spoken syllables ("Was it m or n?"), trying to ignore the lexical status of the syllables. The phonemes were manipulated to range in eight steps from m to n. Participants also did a discrimination task on syllable pairs ("Were the initial sounds the same or different?"). Categorization and discrimination were performed under either divided attention (concurrent visual-search task) or focused attention (no visual task). The results showed that even when the younger and older adults were matched on their discrimination scores: (1) the older adults had more difficulty inhibiting lexical knowledge than did younger adults, (2) divided attention weakened lexical inhibition in both younger and older adults, and (3) divided attention impaired sound discrimination more in older than younger listeners. The results confirm the independent and combined contribution of sensory decline and deficit in attentional control to language processing difficulties associated with aging. The relative weight of these variables and their mechanisms of action are discussed in the context of theories of aging and language. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Discrimination Factors and Incorporation Rates for Organic Matrix in Shark Teeth Based on a Captive Feeding Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeichner, S S; Colman, A S; Koch, P L; Polo-Silva, C; Galván-Magaña, F; Kim, S L

Sharks migrate annually over large distances and occupy a wide variety of habitats, complicating analysis of lifestyle and diet. A biogeochemical technique often used to reconstruct shark diet and environment preferences is stable isotope analysis, which is minimally invasive and integrates through time and space. There are previous studies that focus on isotopic analysis of shark soft tissues, but there are limited applications to shark teeth. However, shark teeth offer an advantage of multiple ecological snapshots and minimum invasiveness during removal because of their distinct conveyor belt tooth replacement system. In this study, we analyze δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of the organic matrix in leopard shark teeth (Triakis semifasciata) from a captive experiment and report discrimination factors as well as incorporation rates. We found differences in tooth discrimination factors for individuals fed different prey sources (mean ± SD; Δ 13 C squid = 4.7‰ ± 0.5‰, Δ 13 C tilapia = 3.1‰ ± 1.0‰, Δ 15 N squid = 2.0‰ ± 0.7‰, Δ 15 N tilapia = 2.8‰ ± 0.6‰). In addition, these values differed from previously published discrimination factors for plasma, red blood cells, and muscle of the same leopard sharks. Incorporation rates of shark teeth were similar for carbon and nitrogen (mean ± SE; λ C = 0.021 ± 0.009, λ N = 0.024 ± 0.007) and comparable to those of plasma. We emphasize the difference in biological parameters on the basis of tissue substrate and diet items to interpret stable isotope data and apply our results to stable isotope values from blue shark (Prionace glauca) teeth to illustrate the importance of biological parameters to interpret the complex ecology of a migratory shark.

A model of gender prejudice, power, and discrimination: How hierarchy-enhancing factors predominate over hierarchy-attenuating factors

OpenAIRE

Kleinlogel, E. P.; Dietz, J.

2015-01-01

Gender inequalities remain an issue in our society and particularly in the workplace. Several factors can explain this gender difference in top-level managerial positions such as career ambitions but also biases against women. In our chapter, we propose a model explaining why gender inequalities and particularly discrimination against women is still present in our societies despite social norms and existing legislation on gender equality. To this purpose, we review research on discrimination ...

Discriminant analysis of functional optical topography for schizophrenia diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Ching-Cheng; Nakagome, Kazuyuki; Pu, Shenghong; Lan, Tsuo-Hung; Lee, Chia-Yen; Sun, Chia-Wei

2014-01-01

Abnormal prefrontal function plays a central role in the cognition deficits of schizophrenic patients; however, the character of the relationship between discriminant analysis and prefrontal activation remains undetermined. Recently, evidence of low prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation in individuals with schizophrenia has also been found during verbal fluency tests (VFT) and other cognitive tests with several neuroimaging methods. The purpose of this study is to assess the hemodynamic changes of the PFC and discriminant analysis between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls during VFT task by utilizing functional optical topography. A total of 99 subjects including 53 schizophrenic patients and 46 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were studied. The results showed that the healthy group had larger activation in the right and left PFC than in the middle PFC. Besides, the schizophrenic group showed weaker task performance and lower activation in the whole PFC than the healthy group. The result of the discriminant analysis showed a significant difference with P value <0.001 in six channels (CH 23, 29, 31, 40, 42, 52) between the schizophrenic and healthy groups. Finally, 68.69% and 71.72% of subjects are correctly classified as being schizophrenic or healthy with all 52 channels and six significantly different channels, respectively. Our findings suggest that the left PFC can be a feature region for discriminant analysis of schizophrenic diagnosis.

A Large Dimensional Analysis of Regularized Discriminant Analysis Classifiers

KAUST Repository

Elkhalil, Khalil

2017-11-01

This article carries out a large dimensional analysis of standard regularized discriminant analysis classifiers designed on the assumption that data arise from a Gaussian mixture model with different means and covariances. The analysis relies on fundamental results from random matrix theory (RMT) when both the number of features and the cardinality of the training data within each class grow large at the same pace. Under mild assumptions, we show that the asymptotic classification error approaches a deterministic quantity that depends only on the means and covariances associated with each class as well as the problem dimensions. Such a result permits a better understanding of the performance of regularized discriminant analsysis, in practical large but finite dimensions, and can be used to determine and pre-estimate the optimal regularization parameter that minimizes the misclassification error probability. Despite being theoretically valid only for Gaussian data, our findings are shown to yield a high accuracy in predicting the performances achieved with real data sets drawn from the popular USPS data base, thereby making an interesting connection between theory and practice.

Fluid Dynamic Models for Bhattacharyya-Based Discriminant Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Noh, Yung-Kyun; Hamm, Jihun; Park, Frank Chongwoo; Zhang, Byoung-Tak; Lee, Daniel D

2018-01-01

Classical discriminant analysis attempts to discover a low-dimensional subspace where class label information is maximally preserved under projection. Canonical methods for estimating the subspace optimize an information-theoretic criterion that measures the separation between the class-conditional distributions. Unfortunately, direct optimization of the information-theoretic criteria is generally non-convex and intractable in high-dimensional spaces. In this work, we propose a novel, tractable algorithm for discriminant analysis that considers the class-conditional densities as interacting fluids in the high-dimensional embedding space. We use the Bhattacharyya criterion as a potential function that generates forces between the interacting fluids, and derive a computationally tractable method for finding the low-dimensional subspace that optimally constrains the resulting fluid flow. We show that this model properly reduces to the optimal solution for homoscedastic data as well as for heteroscedastic Gaussian distributions with equal means. We also extend this model to discover optimal filters for discriminating Gaussian processes and provide experimental results and comparisons on a number of datasets.

Comparison of cranial sex determination by discriminant analysis and logistic regression.

Science.gov (United States)

Amores-Ampuero, Anabel; Alemán, Inmaculada

2016-04-05

Various methods have been proposed for estimating dimorphism. The objective of this study was to compare sex determination results from cranial measurements using discriminant analysis or logistic regression. The study sample comprised 130 individuals (70 males) of known sex, age, and cause of death from San José cemetery in Granada (Spain). Measurements of 19 neurocranial dimensions and 11 splanchnocranial dimensions were subjected to discriminant analysis and logistic regression, and the percentages of correct classification were compared between the sex functions obtained with each method. The discriminant capacity of the selected variables was evaluated with a cross-validation procedure. The percentage accuracy with discriminant analysis was 78.2% for the neurocranium (82.4% in females and 74.6% in males) and 73.7% for the splanchnocranium (79.6% in females and 68.8% in males). These percentages were higher with logistic regression analysis: 85.7% for the neurocranium (in both sexes) and 94.1% for the splanchnocranium (100% in females and 91.7% in males).

Application of discriminant analysis and generalized distance measures to uranium exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beauchamp, J.J.; Begovich, C.L.; Kane, V.E.; Wolf, D.A.

1979-10-01

The National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Project has as its goal estimation of the nation's uranium resources. It is possible to use discriminant analysis methods on hydrogeochemical data collected in the NURE Program to aid in formulating geochemical models which can be used to identify the anomalous regions necessary for resource estimation. Discriminant analysis methods have been applied to data from the Plainview, Texas Quadrangle which has approximately 850 groundwater samples with more than 40 quantitative measurements per sample. Discriminant analysis topics involving estimation of misclassification probabilities, variable selection, and robust discrimination are applied. A method using generalized distance measures is given which enables assigning samples to a background population or a mineralized population whose parameters were estimated from separate studies. Each topic is related to its relevance in identifying areas of possible interest to uranium exploration

Linear discriminant analysis for welding fault detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, X.; Simpson, S.W.

2010-01-01

This work presents a new method for real time welding fault detection in industry based on Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). A set of parameters was calculated from one second blocks of electrical data recorded during welding and based on control data from reference welds under good conditions, as well as faulty welds. Optimised linear combinations of the parameters were determined with LDA and tested with independent data. Short arc welds in overlap joints were studied with various power sources, shielding gases, wire diameters, and process geometries. Out-of-position faults were investigated. Application of LDA fault detection to a broad range of welding procedures was investigated using a similarity measure based on Principal Component Analysis. The measure determines which reference data are most similar to a given industrial procedure and the appropriate LDA weights are then employed. Overall, results show that Linear Discriminant Analysis gives an effective and consistent performance in real-time welding fault detection.

Hard and soft age discrimination: the dual nature of workplace discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Stypinska, Justyna; Turek, Konrad

2017-03-01

The paper concentrates on the problem of age discrimination in the labour market and the way it can be conceptualised and measured in a multi-disciplinary way. The approach proposed here combines two understandings of age discrimination-a sociological and legal one, what allows for a fuller and expanded understanding of ageism in the workplace. At the heart of the study is a survey carried out in Poland with a sample of 1000 men and women aged 45-65 years. The study takes a deeper and innovative look into the issue of age discrimination in employment. Confirmatory factor analysis with WLSMV estimation and logistic regressions were used to test the hypotheses. The study shows that age discrimination in labour market can take on different forms: hard and soft, where the hard type of age discrimination mirrors the legally prohibited types of behaviours and those which relate to the actual decisions of employers which can impact on the employee's career development. The soft discrimination corresponds with those occurrences, which are not inscribed in the legal system per se, are occurring predominantly in the interpersonal sphere, but can nevertheless have negative consequences. Soft discrimination was experienced more often (28.6% of respondents) than hard discrimination (15.7%) with higher occurrences among women, persons in precarious job situation or residents of urban areas. The role of education was not confirmed to influence the levels of perceived age discrimination.

Multi spectral imaging analysis for meat spoilage discrimination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Asger Nyman; Carstensen, Jens Michael; Papadopoulou, Olga

classification methods: Naive Bayes Classifier as a reference model, Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA) and Support Vector Classification (SVC). As the final step, generalization of the models was performed using k-fold validation (k=10). Results showed that image analysis provided good discrimination of meat......In the present study, fresh beef fillets were purchased from a local butcher shop and stored aerobically and in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP, CO2 40%/O2 30%/N2 30%) at six different temperatures (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20°C). Microbiological analysis in terms of total viable counts (TVC......) was performed in parallel with videometer image snapshots and sensory analysis. Odour and colour characteristics of meat were determined by a test panel and attributed into three pre-characterized quality classes, namely Fresh; Semi Fresh and Spoiled during the days of its shelf life. So far, different...

Mass discrimination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Broeckman, A. [Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht (Netherlands)

1978-12-15

In thermal ionization mass spectrometry the phenomenon of mass discrimination has led to the use of a correction factor for isotope ratio-measurements. The correction factor is defined as the measured ratio divided by the true or accepted value of this ratio. In fact this factor corrects for systematic errors of the whole procedure; however mass discrimination is often associated just with the mass spectrometer.

Declining Bias and Gender Wage Discrimination? A Meta-Regression Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Jarrell, Stephen B.; Stanley, T. D.

2004-01-01

The meta-regression analysis reveals that there is a strong tendency for discrimination estimates to fall and wage discrimination exist against the woman. The biasing effect of researchers' gender of not correcting for selection bias has weakened and changes in labor market have made it less important.

Application of discriminant analysis and generalized distance measures to uranium exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beauchamp, J.J.; Begovich, C.L.; Kane, V.E.; Wolf, D.A.

1980-01-01

The National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Program has as its goal the estimation of the nation's uranium resources. It is possile to use discriminant analysis methods on hydrogeochemical data collected in the NURE Program to aid in fomulating geochemical models that can be used to identify the anomalous areas used in resource estimation. Discriminant' analysis methods have been applied to data from the Plainview, Texas Quadrangle which has approximately 850 groundwater samples with more than 40 quantitative measurements per sample. Discriminant analysis topics involving estimation of misclassification probabilities, variable selection, and robust discrimination are applied. A method using generalized distance measures is given which enables the assignment of samples to a background population or a mineralized population whose parameters were estimated from separate studies. Each topic is related to its relevance in identifying areas of possible interest to uranium exploration. However, the methodology presented here is applicable to the identification of regions associated with other types of resources. 8 figures, 3 tables

Sub-pattern based multi-manifold discriminant analysis for face recognition

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Jiangyan; Guo, Changlu; Zhou, Wei; Shi, Yanjiao; Cong, Lin; Yi, Yugen

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present a Sub-pattern based Multi-manifold Discriminant Analysis (SpMMDA) algorithm for face recognition. Unlike existing Multi-manifold Discriminant Analysis (MMDA) approach which is based on holistic information of face image for recognition, SpMMDA operates on sub-images partitioned from the original face image and then extracts the discriminative local feature from the sub-images separately. Moreover, the structure information of different sub-images from the same face image is considered in the proposed method with the aim of further improve the recognition performance. Extensive experiments on three standard face databases (Extended YaleB, CMU PIE and AR) demonstrate that the proposed method is effective and outperforms some other sub-pattern based face recognition methods.

Evaluation of hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis methods for discrimination of primary biological aerosol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Crawford

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper we present improved methods for discriminating and quantifying primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs by applying hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis to multi-parameter ultraviolet-light-induced fluorescence (UV-LIF spectrometer data. The methods employed in this study can be applied to data sets in excess of 1 × 106 points on a desktop computer, allowing for each fluorescent particle in a data set to be explicitly clustered. This reduces the potential for misattribution found in subsampling and comparative attribution methods used in previous approaches, improving our capacity to discriminate and quantify PBAP meta-classes. We evaluate the performance of several hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis linkages and data normalisation methods using laboratory samples of known particle types and an ambient data set. Fluorescent and non-fluorescent polystyrene latex spheres were sampled with a Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Spectrometer (WIBS-4 where the optical size, asymmetry factor and fluorescent measurements were used as inputs to the analysis package. It was found that the Ward linkage with z-score or range normalisation performed best, correctly attributing 98 and 98.1 % of the data points respectively. The best-performing methods were applied to the BEACHON-RoMBAS (Bio–hydro–atmosphere interactions of Energy, Aerosols, Carbon, H2O, Organics and Nitrogen–Rocky Mountain Biogenic Aerosol Study ambient data set, where it was found that the z-score and range normalisation methods yield similar results, with each method producing clusters representative of fungal spores and bacterial aerosol, consistent with previous results. The z-score result was compared to clusters generated with previous approaches (WIBS AnalysiS Program, WASP where we observe that the subsampling and comparative attribution method employed by WASP results in the overestimation of the fungal spore concentration by a factor of 1.5 and the

Study on discriminant analysis by military mental disorder prediction scale for mental disorder of new recruits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li-yi ZHANG

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Objective To examine the predictive role of the Military Mental Disorder Prediction Scale on the mental disorder of new recruits.Methods The present study examined 115 new recruits diagnosed with mental disorder and 115 healthy new recruits.The recruits were tested using the Military Mental Disorder Prediction Scale.The discriminant function was built by discriminant analysis method.The current study analyzed the predictive value of 11 factors(family medical record and past medical record(X1,growth experience(X2,introversion(X3,stressor(X4,poor mental defense(X5,social support(X6,psychosis(X7,depression(X8,mania(X9,neurosis(X10,and personality disorder(X11 aside from lie factor on the mental disorder of new recruits.Results The mental disorder group has higher total score and factor score in family medical record and past medical record,introversion,stressor,poor mental defense,social support,psychosis,depression,mania,neurosis,personality disorder,and lie than those of the contrast group(P < 0.01.For the score of growth experience factor,that of the mental disorder group is higher than the score of the contrast group(P < 0.05.All 11 factors except the lie factor in the Mental Disorder Prediction Scale are taken as independent variables by enforced introduction to obtain the Fisher linear discriminant function as follows: The mental disorder group=-7.014-0.278X1+1.556X2+1.563X3+0.878X4+0.183X5-0.845X6-0.562X7-0.353X8+1.246X9-0.505X10+1.029X11.The contrast group=-2.971+0.056X1+2.194X2+0.707X3+0.592X4-0.086X5-0.888X6-0.133X7-0.360X8+0.654X9-0.467X10+0.308X11.The discriminant function has an accuracy rate of 76.5% on the new recruits with mental disorders and 100% on the healthy new recruits.The total accurate discrimination rate is 88.3% and the total inaccurate discrimination rate is 11.7%.Conclusion The Military Mental Disorder Prediction Scale has a high accuracy rate on the prediction of mental disorder of new recruits and is worthy of

A comparison of two follow-up analyses after multiple analysis of variance, analysis of variance, and descriptive discriminant analysis: A case study of the program effects on education-abroad programs

Science.gov (United States)

Alvin H. Yu; Garry. Chick

2010-01-01

This study compared the utility of two different post-hoc tests after detecting significant differences within factors on multiple dependent variables using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). We compared the univariate F test (the Scheffé method) to descriptive discriminant analysis (DDA) using an educational-tour survey of university study-...

DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS OF BANK PROFITABILITY LEVELS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ante Rozga

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Discriminant analysis has been employed in this paper in order to identify and explain key features of bank profitability levels. Bank profitability is set up in the form of two categorical variables: profit or loss recorded and above or below average return on equity. Predictor variables are selected from various groups of financial indicators usually included in the empirical work on microeconomic determinants of bank profitability. The data from the Croatian banking sector is analyzed using the Enter method. General recommendations for a more profitable business of banking found in the bank management literature and existing empirical framework such as rationalization of overhead costs, asset growth, increase of non-interest income by expanding scale and scope of financial products proved to be important for classification of banks in different profitability levels. A higher market share may bring additional advantages. Classification results, canonical correlation and Wilks’ Lambda test confirm statistical significance of research results. Altogether, discriminant analysis turns out to be a suitable statistical method for solving presented research problem and moving forward from the bankruptcy, credit rating or default issues in finance.

Asymmetry and irregularity border as discrimination factor between melanocytic lesions

Science.gov (United States)

Sbrissa, David; Pratavieira, Sebastião.; Salvio, Ana Gabriela; Kurachi, Cristina; Bagnato, Vanderlei Salvadori; Costa, Luciano Da Fontoura; Travieso, Gonzalo

2015-06-01

Image processing tools have been widely used in systems supporting medical diagnosis. The use of mobile devices for the diagnosis of melanoma can assist doctors and improve their diagnosis of a melanocytic lesion. This study proposes a method of image analysis for melanoma discrimination from other types of melanocytic lesions, such as regular and atypical nevi. The process is based on extracting features related with asymmetry and border irregularity. It were collected 104 images, from medical database of two years. The images were obtained with standard digital cameras without lighting and scale control. Metrics relating to the characteristics of shape, asymmetry and curvature of the contour were extracted from segmented images. Linear Discriminant Analysis was performed for dimensionality reduction and data visualization. Segmentation results showed good efficiency in the process, with approximately 88:5% accuracy. Validation results presents sensibility and specificity 85% and 70% for melanoma detection, respectively.

Classification of astrocyto-mas and meningiomas using statistical discriminant analysis on MRI data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siromoney, Anna; Prasad, G.N.S.; Raghuram, Lakshminarayan; Korah, Ipeson; Siromoney, Arul; Chandrasekaran, R.

2001-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the usefulness of Multivariate Discriminant Analysis for classifying two groups of primary brain tumours, astrocytomas and meningiomas, from Magnetic Resonance Images. Discriminant analysis is a multivariate technique concerned with separating distinct sets of objects and with allocating new objects to previously defined groups. Allocation or classification rules are usually developed from learning examples in a supervised learning environment. Data from signal intensity measurements in the multiple scan performed on each patient in routine clinical scanning was analysed using Fisher's Classification, which is one method of discriminant analysis

Diet-tissue stable isotope (Δ(13)C and Δ(15)N) discrimination factors for multiple tissues from terrestrial reptiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinitz, Ronnie; Lemm, Jeffrey M; Pasachnik, Stesha A; Kurle, Carolyn M

2016-01-15

Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for reconstructing trophic interactions to better understand drivers of community ecology. Taxon-specific stable isotope discrimination factors contribute to the best use of this tool. We determined the first Δ(13)C and Δ(15)N values for Rock Iguanas (Cyclura spp.) to better understand isotopic fractionation and estimate wild reptile foraging ecology. The Δ(13)C and Δ(15)N values between diet and skin, blood, and scat were determined from juvenile and adult iguanas held for 1 year on a known diet. We measured relationships between iguana discrimination factors and size/age and quantified effects of lipid extraction and acid treatment on stable isotope values from iguana tissues. Isotopic and elemental compositions were determined by Dumas combustion using an elemental analyzer coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer using standards of known composition. The Δ(13)C and Δ(15)N values ranged from -2.5 to +6.5‰ and +2.2 to +7.5‰, respectively, with some differences among tissues and between juveniles and adults. The Δ(13)C values from blood and skin differed among species, but not the Δ(15)N values. The Δ(13)C values from blood and skin and Δ(15)N values from blood were positively correlated with size/age. The Δ(13)C values from scat were negatively correlated with size (not age). Treatment with HCl (scat) and lipid extraction (skin) did not affect the isotope values. These results should aid in the understanding of processes driving stable carbon and nitrogen isotope discrimination factors in reptiles. We provide estimates of Δ(13)C and Δ(15)N values and linear relationships between iguana size/age and discrimination factors for the best interpretation of wild reptile foraging ecology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Baseline drift effect on the performance of neutron and γ ray discrimination using frequency gradient analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Guofu; Luo Xiaoliang; Yang Jun; Lin Cunbao; Hu Qingqing; Peng Jinxian

2013-01-01

Frequency gradient analysis (FGA) effectively discriminates neutrons and γ rays by examining the frequency-domain features of the photomultiplier tube anode signal. This approach is insensitive to noise but is inevitably affected by the baseline drift similar to other pulse shape discrimination methods. The baseline drift effect is attributed to factors such as power line fluctuation, dark current, noise disturbances, hum, and pulse tail in front-end electronics. This effect needs to be elucidated and quantified before the baseline shift can be estimated and removed from the captured signal. Therefore, the effect of baseline shift on the discrimination performance of neutrons and γ rays with organic scintillation detectors using FGA is investigated in this paper. The relationship between the baseline shift and discrimination parameters of FGA is derived and verified by an experimental system consisting of an americium—beryllium source, a BC501A liquid scintillator detector, and a 5 GSample/s 8-bit oscilloscope. The theoretical and experimental results both show that the estimation of the baseline shift is necessary, and the removal of baseline drift from the pulse shapes can improve the discrimination performance of FGA. (authors)

Discrimination of Temperature and Strain in Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis Using a Multicore Optical Fiber.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaghloul, Mohamed A S; Wang, Mohan; Milione, Giovanni; Li, Ming-Jun; Li, Shenping; Huang, Yue-Kai; Wang, Ting; Chen, Kevin P

2018-04-12

Brillouin optical time domain analysis is the sensing of temperature and strain changes along an optical fiber by measuring the frequency shift changes of Brillouin backscattering. Because frequency shift changes are a linear combination of temperature and strain changes, their discrimination is a challenge. Here, a multicore optical fiber that has two cores is fabricated. The differences between the cores' temperature and strain coefficients are such that temperature (strain) changes can be discriminated with error amplification factors of 4.57 °C/MHz (69.11 μ ϵ /MHz), which is 2.63 (3.67) times lower than previously demonstrated. As proof of principle, using the multicore optical fiber and a commercial Brillouin optical time domain analyzer, the temperature (strain) changes of a thermally expanding metal cylinder are discriminated with an error of 0.24% (3.7%).

Discrimination of Temperature and Strain in Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis Using a Multicore Optical Fiber

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed A. S. Zaghloul

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Brillouin optical time domain analysis is the sensing of temperature and strain changes along an optical fiber by measuring the frequency shift changes of Brillouin backscattering. Because frequency shift changes are a linear combination of temperature and strain changes, their discrimination is a challenge. Here, a multicore optical fiber that has two cores is fabricated. The differences between the cores’ temperature and strain coefficients are such that temperature (strain changes can be discriminated with error amplification factors of 4.57 °C/MHz (69.11 μ ϵ /MHz, which is 2.63 (3.67 times lower than previously demonstrated. As proof of principle, using the multicore optical fiber and a commercial Brillouin optical time domain analyzer, the temperature (strain changes of a thermally expanding metal cylinder are discriminated with an error of 0.24% (3.7%.

Factors associated with self-reported discrimination against men who have sex with men in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laio Magno

2017-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To estimate self-reported discrimination due to sexual orientation among men who have sex with men (MSM in Brazil and to analyze associated factors. METHODS A cross-sectional study of 3,859 MSM recruited in 2008–2009 with respondent driven sampling. Data collection conducted in health centers in 10 Brazilian cities. A face-to-face questionnaire was used and rapid HIV and syphilis tests conducted. Aggregated data were weighted and adjusted odds ratio estimated to measure the association between selected factors and self-reported discrimination due to sexual orientation. RESULTS The sample was predominantly young, eight plus years of schooling, pardo (brown, single, low-income, and identified themselves as gay or homosexual. The prevalence of self-reported discrimination due to sexual orientation was 27.7% (95%CI 26.2–29.1. Discrimination was independently associated with: age < 30 years, more years of schooling, community involvement and support, history of sexual and physical violence, suicidal thoughts, and unprotected receptive anal intercourse. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of self-reported discrimination among MSM in Brazil is high. These results challenge the assumptions that MSM-specific prevention and support programs are not required or that health professionals do not need special training to address MSM needs.

Factors Associated with Medical Doctors' Intentions to Discriminate Against Transgender Patients in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Vijay, Aishwarya; Earnshaw, Valerie A.; Tee, Ying Chew; Pillai, Veena; White Hughto, Jaclyn M.; Clark, Kirsty; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L.

2018-01-01

Abstract Purpose: Transgender people are frequent targets of discrimination. Discrimination against transgender people in the context of healthcare can lead to poor health outcomes and facilitate the growth of health disparities. This study explores factors associated with medical doctors' intentions to discriminate against transgender people in Malaysia. Methods: A total of 436 physicians at two major university medical centers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, completed an online survey. Sociodemographic characteristics, stigma-related constructs, and intentions to discriminate against transgender people were measured. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression were used to evaluate independent covariates of discrimination intent. Results: Medical doctors who felt more fearful of transgender people and more personal shame associated with transgender people expressed greater intention to discriminate against transgender people, whereas doctors who endorsed the belief that transgender people deserve good care reported lower discrimination intent. Stigma-related constructs accounted for 42% of the variance and 8% was accounted for by sociodemographic characteristics. Conclusions: Constructs associated with transgender stigma play an important role in medical doctors' intentions to discriminate against transgender patients. Development of interventions to improve medical doctors' knowledge about and attitudes toward transgender people are necessary to reduce discriminatory intent in healthcare settings. PMID:29227183

Factors Associated with Medical Doctors' Intentions to Discriminate Against Transgender Patients in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijay, Aishwarya; Earnshaw, Valerie A; Tee, Ying Chew; Pillai, Veena; White Hughto, Jaclyn M; Clark, Kirsty; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba; Altice, Frederick L; Wickersham, Jeffrey A

2018-01-01

Transgender people are frequent targets of discrimination. Discrimination against transgender people in the context of healthcare can lead to poor health outcomes and facilitate the growth of health disparities. This study explores factors associated with medical doctors' intentions to discriminate against transgender people in Malaysia. A total of 436 physicians at two major university medical centers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, completed an online survey. Sociodemographic characteristics, stigma-related constructs, and intentions to discriminate against transgender people were measured. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression were used to evaluate independent covariates of discrimination intent. Medical doctors who felt more fearful of transgender people and more personal shame associated with transgender people expressed greater intention to discriminate against transgender people, whereas doctors who endorsed the belief that transgender people deserve good care reported lower discrimination intent. Stigma-related constructs accounted for 42% of the variance and 8% was accounted for by sociodemographic characteristics. Constructs associated with transgender stigma play an important role in medical doctors' intentions to discriminate against transgender patients. Development of interventions to improve medical doctors' knowledge about and attitudes toward transgender people are necessary to reduce discriminatory intent in healthcare settings.

Isotopic discrimination factors and nitrogen turnover rates in reared Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae (Thunnus thynnus: effects of maternal transmission

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amaya Uriarte

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The use of stable isotope analysis to study animal diets requires estimates of isotopic turnover rates (half time, t50 and discrimination factors (Δ for an accurate interpretation of trophic patterns. The stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were analysed for eggs and reared larvae of Thunnus thynnus, as well as for the different diets supplied during the experiment. The results showed high values of δ15N in eggs and larvae (n=646 until 4 DAH. After this time lapse, the stable isotope values declined progressively until 12 DAH, when notochord flexion began. The δ13C showed an inverse trend, suggesting that maternal inheritance of the stable isotopes is evident until pre-flexion stages. This study proposes a model for estimating maternal isotopic signatures of bluefin broodstock. After notochord flexion, larvae were fed with aquaculture-bred gilthead seabream, which resulted in a rapid increase of bluefin larvae δ15N values together with a rapid decrease in δ13C values. The estimated nitrogen half-time to reach the steady state from the diet was 2.5±0.3 days and the discrimination factor was 0.4±0.3(‰. These results represent the first data set that has allowed isotopic nitrogen turnover rates and discrimination factors of the larval stages of bluefin tuna to be estimated.

Racial and gender discrimination: risk factors for high blood pressure?

Science.gov (United States)

Krieger, N

1990-01-01

Despite controversy as to the biologic and/or social meaning of 'race' and 'sex', few public health studies have directly examined the impact of racial or gender discrimination on health. One plausible condition they might affect is hypertension, since stress and internalized anger may constitute important risk factors for this disease. The present investigation therefore sought to determine the feasibility of asking questions pertaining to race- and gender-biased treatment plus response to unfair treatment, and to assess their predictive value regarding self-reported high blood pressure. Using random-digit dialing, 51 black and 50 white women, ages 20-80, who resided in Alameda County, CA in 1987, were identified and interviewed by phone. Among black respondents, those who stated they usually accepted and kept quiet about unfair treatment were 4.4 times more likely to report hypertension than women who said they took action and talked to others (P = 0.01 for linear trend); no clear association existed among white respondents. The age-adjusted risk of high blood pressure among black respondents who recounted experiencing zero instances of race- and gender-biased treatment was 2.6 times greater than that of black women who reported one or more such instances (95% CI = 0.7, 10.5). Among white respondents, gender discrimination was not associated with hypertension. These results suggest that an internalized response to unfair treatment, plus non-reporting of race and gender discrimination, may constitute risk factors for high blood pressure among black women. They also bolster the view that subjective appraisal of stressors may be inversely associated with risk of hypertension.

Feature extraction with deep neural networks by a generalized discriminant analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Stuhlsatz, André; Lippel, Jens; Zielke, Thomas

2012-04-01

We present an approach to feature extraction that is a generalization of the classical linear discriminant analysis (LDA) on the basis of deep neural networks (DNNs). As for LDA, discriminative features generated from independent Gaussian class conditionals are assumed. This modeling has the advantages that the intrinsic dimensionality of the feature space is bounded by the number of classes and that the optimal discriminant function is linear. Unfortunately, linear transformations are insufficient to extract optimal discriminative features from arbitrarily distributed raw measurements. The generalized discriminant analysis (GerDA) proposed in this paper uses nonlinear transformations that are learnt by DNNs in a semisupervised fashion. We show that the feature extraction based on our approach displays excellent performance on real-world recognition and detection tasks, such as handwritten digit recognition and face detection. In a series of experiments, we evaluate GerDA features with respect to dimensionality reduction, visualization, classification, and detection. Moreover, we show that GerDA DNNs can preprocess truly high-dimensional input data to low-dimensional representations that facilitate accurate predictions even if simple linear predictors or measures of similarity are used.

[Comparison of Discriminant Analysis and Decision Trees for the Detection of Subclinical Keratoconus].

Science.gov (United States)

Kleinhans, Sonja; Herrmann, Eva; Kohnen, Thomas; Bühren, Jens

2017-08-15

Background Iatrogenic keratectasia is one of the most dreaded complications of refractive surgery. In most cases, keratectasia develops after refractive surgery of eyes suffering from subclinical stages of keratoconus with few or no signs. Unfortunately, there has been no reliable procedure for the early detection of keratoconus. In this study, we used binary decision trees (recursive partitioning) to assess their suitability for discrimination between normal eyes and eyes with subclinical keratoconus. Patients and Methods The method of decision tree analysis was compared with discriminant analysis which has shown good results in previous studies. Input data were 32 eyes of 32 patients with newly diagnosed keratoconus in the contralateral eye and preoperative data of 10 eyes of 5 patients with keratectasia after laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK). The control group was made up of 245 normal eyes after LASIK and 12-month follow-up without any signs of iatrogenic keratectasia. Results Decision trees gave better accuracy and specificity than did discriminant analysis. The sensitivity of decision trees was lower than the sensitivity of discriminant analysis. Conclusion On the basis of the patient population of this study, decision trees did not prove to be superior to linear discriminant analysis for the detection of subclinical keratoconus. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Perceived age discrimination in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Rippon, Isla; Kneale, Dylan; de Oliveira, Cesar; Demakakos, Panayotes; Steptoe, Andrew

2014-05-01

to examine perceived age discrimination in a large representative sample of older adults in England. this cross-sectional study of over 7,500 individuals used data from the fifth wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a longitudinal cohort study of men and women aged 52 years and older in England. Wave 5 asked respondents about the frequency of five everyday discriminatory situations. Participants who attributed any experiences of discrimination to their age were treated as cases of perceived age discrimination. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios of experiencing perceived age discrimination in relation to selected sociodemographic factors. approximately a third (33.3%) of all respondents experienced age discrimination, rising to 36.8% in those aged 65 and over. Perceived age discrimination was associated with older age, higher education, lower levels of household wealth and being retired or not in employment. The correlates of age discrimination across the five discriminatory situations were similar. understanding age discrimination is vital if we are to develop appropriate policies and to target future interventions effectively. These findings highlight the scale of the challenge of age discrimination for older adults in England and illustrate that those groups are particularly vulnerable to this form of discrimination.

Discrimination against Latina/os: A Meta-Analysis of Individual-Level Resources and Outcomes

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Lee, Debbiesiu L.; Ahn, Soyeon

2012-01-01

This meta-analysis synthesizes the findings of 60 independent samples from 51 studies examining racial/ethnic discrimination against Latina/os in the United States. The purpose was to identify individual-level resources and outcomes that most strongly relate to discrimination. Discrimination against Latina/os significantly results in outcomes…

Covariate-adjusted measures of discrimination for survival data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

White, Ian R; Rapsomaniki, Eleni; Frikke-Schmidt, Ruth

2015-01-01

by the study design (e.g. age and sex) influence discrimination and can make it difficult to compare model discrimination between studies. Although covariate adjustment is a standard procedure for quantifying disease-risk factor associations, there are no covariate adjustment methods for discrimination...... statistics in censored survival data. OBJECTIVE: To develop extensions of the C-index and D-index that describe the prognostic ability of a model adjusted for one or more covariate(s). METHOD: We define a covariate-adjusted C-index and D-index for censored survival data, propose several estimators......, and investigate their performance in simulation studies and in data from a large individual participant data meta-analysis, the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration. RESULTS: The proposed methods perform well in simulations. In the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration data, the age-adjusted C-index and D-index were...

Discriminant Function Analysis as a Proof for Sexual Dimorphism ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Forensic scientists study human skeleton in legal setting. Discriminant function analysis has become important in forensic anthropology. The aim of this study was to determine the sex of adolescent Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria using iscriminant function analysis. Methodology: One thousand (500 males and ...

Background reduction and noise discrimination in the proportional counting of tritium using pulse-shape analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hochel, R C; Hayes, D W [Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab.

1975-12-01

A pulse-shape analysis (PSA) unit of commercial design has been incorporated into a proportional counting system to determine the effectiveness of pulse-shape discrimination in increasing the sensitivity of tritium counting. It was found that a quantitative determination of tritium could be obtained directly from the PSA time spectrum eliminating the need for beta-ray energy selection used in the pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) technique. The performance of the proportional counting system was tested using the PSA unit and anticoincidence shielding, both singly and combined, under several types of background. A background reduction factor of 169 was obtained from the combined PSA-anticoincidence system with only a 2% loss in tritium counting efficiency. The PSA method was also found to offer significant reductions in noise background.

Principal Component Clustering Approach to Teaching Quality Discriminant Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Xian, Sidong; Xia, Haibo; Yin, Yubo; Zhai, Zhansheng; Shang, Yan

2016-01-01

Teaching quality is the lifeline of the higher education. Many universities have made some effective achievement about evaluating the teaching quality. In this paper, we establish the Students' evaluation of teaching (SET) discriminant analysis model and algorithm based on principal component clustering analysis. Additionally, we classify the SET…

Enamel surface topography analysis for diet discrimination. A methodology to enhance and select discriminative parameters

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Francisco, Arthur; Blondel, Cécile; Brunetière, Noël; Ramdarshan, Anusha; Merceron, Gildas

2018-03-01

Tooth wear and, more specifically, dental microwear texture is a dietary proxy that has been used for years in vertebrate paleoecology and ecology. DMTA, dental microwear texture analysis, relies on a few parameters related to the surface complexity, anisotropy and heterogeneity of the enamel facets at the micrometric scale. Working with few but physically meaningful parameters helps in comparing published results and in defining levels for classification purposes. Other dental microwear approaches are based on ISO parameters and coupled with statistical tests to find the more relevant ones. The present study roughly utilizes most of the aforementioned parameters in their more or less modified form. But more than parameters, we here propose a new approach: instead of a single parameter characterizing the whole surface, we sample the surface and thus generate 9 derived parameters in order to broaden the parameter set. The identification of the most discriminative parameters is performed with an automated procedure which is an extended and refined version of the workflows encountered in some studies. The procedure in its initial form includes the most common tools, like the ANOVA and the correlation analysis, along with the required mathematical tests. The discrimination results show that a simplified form of the procedure is able to more efficiently identify the desired number of discriminative parameters. Also highlighted are some trends like the relevance of working with both height and spatial parameters, as well as the potential benefits of dimensionless surfaces. On a set of 45 surfaces issued from 45 specimens of three modern ruminants with differences in feeding preferences (grazing, leaf-browsing and fruit-eating), it is clearly shown that the level of wear discrimination is improved with the new methodology compared to the other ones.

Workplace discrimination: experiences of practicing physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Coombs, Alice A Tolbert; King, Roderick K

2005-04-01

In response to a growing concern regarding physician discrimination in the workplace, this study was developed to: (1) describe the types of discrimination that exist for the practicing physician and (2) determine which groups of physicians are more likely to experience the various forms of discrimination. Surveys were mailed to 1930 practicing physicians in Massachusetts. Participants were asked if they had encountered discrimination, how significant the discrimination was against a specific group, the frequency of personal discrimination, and the type of discrimination. Factor analysis identified four types of discrimination: career advancement, punitive behaviors, practice barriers and hiring barriers. A total of 445 responses were received (a 24% response rate). Sixty-three percent of responding physicians had experienced some form of discrimination. Respondents were women (46%), racial/ethnic minorities (42%) and international medical graduates (IMGs) (40%). In addition, 26% of those classified as white were also IMGs. Over 60% of respondents believed discrimination against IMGs was very or somewhat significant. Almost 27% of males acknowledged that gender bias against females was very or somewhat significant. IMGs were more likely to indicate that discrimination against IMGs was significant in their current organization. Of U.S. medical graduates (USMGs) 44% reported that discrimination against IMGs in their current organization was significant. Nonwhites were more likely to report that discrimination based on race/ethnicity was significant. Nearly 29% of white respondents also believed that such discrimination was very or somewhat significant. Physicians practicing in academic, research, and private practice sectors experience discrimination based on gender, ethnic/racial, and IMG status.

Anti-discrimination Analysis Using Privacy Attack Strategies

KAUST Repository

Ruggieri, Salvatore

2014-09-15

Social discrimination discovery from data is an important task to identify illegal and unethical discriminatory patterns towards protected-by-law groups, e.g., ethnic minorities. We deploy privacy attack strategies as tools for discrimination discovery under hard assumptions which have rarely tackled in the literature: indirect discrimination discovery, privacy-aware discrimination discovery, and discrimination data recovery. The intuition comes from the intriguing parallel between the role of the anti-discrimination authority in the three scenarios above and the role of an attacker in private data publishing. We design strategies and algorithms inspired/based on Frèchet bounds attacks, attribute inference attacks, and minimality attacks to the purpose of unveiling hidden discriminatory practices. Experimental results show that they can be effective tools in the hands of anti-discrimination authorities.

Estimating the causes of traffic accidents using logistic regression and discriminant analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Karacasu, Murat; Ergül, Barış; Altin Yavuz, Arzu

2014-01-01

Factors that affect traffic accidents have been analysed in various ways. In this study, we use the methods of logistic regression and discriminant analysis to determine the damages due to injury and non-injury accidents in the Eskisehir Province. Data were obtained from the accident reports of the General Directorate of Security in Eskisehir; 2552 traffic accidents between January and December 2009 were investigated regarding whether they resulted in injury. According to the results, the effects of traffic accidents were reflected in the variables. These results provide a wealth of information that may aid future measures toward the prevention of undesired results.

Unifying generative and discriminative learning principles

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Strickert Marc

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The recognition of functional binding sites in genomic DNA remains one of the fundamental challenges of genome research. During the last decades, a plethora of different and well-adapted models has been developed, but only little attention has been payed to the development of different and similarly well-adapted learning principles. Only recently it was noticed that discriminative learning principles can be superior over generative ones in diverse bioinformatics applications, too. Results Here, we propose a generalization of generative and discriminative learning principles containing the maximum likelihood, maximum a posteriori, maximum conditional likelihood, maximum supervised posterior, generative-discriminative trade-off, and penalized generative-discriminative trade-off learning principles as special cases, and we illustrate its efficacy for the recognition of vertebrate transcription factor binding sites. Conclusions We find that the proposed learning principle helps to improve the recognition of transcription factor binding sites, enabling better computational approaches for extracting as much information as possible from valuable wet-lab data. We make all implementations available in the open-source library Jstacs so that this learning principle can be easily applied to other classification problems in the field of genome and epigenome analysis.

Aberrant functional connectivity for diagnosis of major depressive disorder: a discriminant analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Longlong; Guo, Shuixia; Xue, Zhimin; Hu, Yong; Liu, Haihong; Mwansisya, Tumbwene E; Pu, Weidan; Yang, Bo; Liu, Chang; Feng, Jianfeng; Chen, Eric Y H; Liu, Zhening

2014-02-01

Aberrant brain functional connectivity patterns have been reported in major depressive disorder (MDD). It is unknown whether they can be used in discriminant analysis for diagnosis of MDD. In the present study we examined the efficiency of discriminant analysis of MDD by individualized computer-assisted diagnosis. Based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data, a new approach was adopted to investigate functional connectivity changes in 39 MDD patients and 37 well-matched healthy controls. By using the proposed feature selection method, we identified significant altered functional connections in patients. They were subsequently applied to our analysis as discriminant features using a support vector machine classification method. Furthermore, the relative contribution of functional connectivity was estimated. After subset selection of high-dimension features, the support vector machine classifier reached up to approximately 84% with leave-one-out training during the discrimination process. Through summarizing the classification contribution of functional connectivities, we obtained four obvious contribution modules: inferior orbitofrontal module, supramarginal gyrus module, inferior parietal lobule-posterior cingulated gyrus module and middle temporal gyrus-inferior temporal gyrus module. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method is effective in discriminating MDD patients from healthy controls. Functional connectivities might be useful as new biomarkers to assist clinicians in computer auxiliary diagnosis of MDD. © 2013 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2013 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Applicability of supervised discriminant analysis models to analyze astigmatism clinical trial data

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Sedghipour MR

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Mohammad Reza Sedghipour,1 Homayoun Sadeghi-Bazargani2,31Nikoukari Ophthalmology University Hospital, Tabriz, Iran; 2Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Neuroscience Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 3Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, SwedenBackground: In astigmatism clinical trials where more complex measurements are common, especially in nonrandomized small sized clinical trials, there is a demand for the development and application of newer statistical methods.Methods: The source data belonged to a project on astigmatism treatment. Data were used regarding a total of 296 eyes undergoing different astigmatism treatment modalities: wavefront-guided photorefractive keratectomy, cross-cylinder photorefractive keratectomy, and monotoric (single photorefractive keratectomy. Astigmatism analysis was primarily done using the Alpins method. Prior to fitting partial least squares regression discriminant analysis, a preliminary principal component analysis was done for data overview. Through fitting the partial least squares regression discriminant analysis statistical method, various model validity and predictability measures were assessed.Results: The model found the patients treated by the wavefront method to be different from the two other treatments both in baseline and outcome measures. Also, the model found that patients treated with the cross-cylinder method versus the single method didn't appear to be different from each other. This analysis provided an opportunity to compare the three methods while including a substantial number of baseline and outcome variables.Conclusion: Partial least squares regression discriminant analysis had applicability for the statistical analysis of astigmatism clinical trials and it may be used as an adjunct or alternative analysis method in small sized clinical trials.Keywords: astigmatism, regression, partial least squares regression

Visual Tracking via Feature Tensor Multimanifold Discriminate Analysis

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Ting-quan Deng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the visual tracking scenarios, if there are multiple objects, due to the interference of similar objects, tracking may fail in the progress of occlusion to separation. To address this problem, this paper proposed a visual tracking algorithm with discrimination through multimanifold learning. Color-gradient-based feature tensor was used to describe object appearance for accommodation of partial occlusion. A prior multimanifold tensor dataset is established through the template matching tracking algorithm. For the purpose of discrimination, tensor distance was defined to determine the intramanifold and intermanifold neighborhood relationship in multimanifold space. Then multimanifold discriminate analysis was employed to construct multilinear projection matrices of submanifolds. Finally, object states were obtained by combining with sequence inference. Meanwhile, the multimanifold dataset and manifold learning embedded projection should be updated online. Experiments were conducted on two real visual surveillance sequences to evaluate the proposed algorithm with three state-of-the-art tracking methods qualitatively and quantitatively. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve effective and robust effect in multi-similar-object mutual occlusion scenarios.

Robust linear discriminant analysis with distance based estimators

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Yai-Fung; Yahaya, Sharipah Soaad Syed; Ali, Hazlina

2017-11-01

Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) is one of the supervised classification techniques concerning relationship between a categorical variable and a set of continuous variables. The main objective of LDA is to create a function to distinguish between populations and allocating future observations to previously defined populations. Under the assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity, the LDA yields optimal linear discriminant rule (LDR) between two or more groups. However, the optimality of LDA highly relies on the sample mean and pooled sample covariance matrix which are known to be sensitive to outliers. To alleviate these conflicts, a new robust LDA using distance based estimators known as minimum variance vector (MVV) has been proposed in this study. The MVV estimators were used to substitute the classical sample mean and classical sample covariance to form a robust linear discriminant rule (RLDR). Simulation and real data study were conducted to examine on the performance of the proposed RLDR measured in terms of misclassification error rates. The computational result showed that the proposed RLDR is better than the classical LDR and was comparable with the existing robust LDR.

Background reduction and noise discrimination in the proportional counting of tritium using pulse-shape analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hochel, R.C.; Hayes, D.W.

1975-01-01

A pulse-shape analysis (PSA) unit of commercial design has been incorporated into a proportional counting system to determine the effectiveness of pulse-shape discrimination in increasing the sensitivity of tritium counting. It was found that a quantitative determination of tritium could be obtained directly from the PSA time spectrum eliminating the need for beta-ray energy selection used in the pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) technique. The performance of the proportional counting system was tested using the PSA unit and anticoincidence shielding, both singly and combined, under several types of background. A background reduction factor of 169 was obtained from the combined PSA-anticoincidence system with only a 2% loss in tritium counting efficiency. The PSA method was also found to offer significant reductions in noise background. (Auth.)

Individual factors that influence experiences and perceptions of stigma and discrimination towards people with mental illness in Ghana.

Science.gov (United States)

Gyamfi, Sebastian; Hegadoren, Kathy; Park, Tanya

2018-02-01

People with a mental illness often encounter stigma and discrimination from a variety of sources, reinforcing negative self-perceptions and influencing their health and well-being. Even though support systems and attitudes of the general public act as powerful sources of stigma, views and perceptions held by people with mental illness also influence their sensitivity to the experiences they encounter. The aim of the present qualitative study was to examine perceptions of stigma and discrimination and self-stigma in individuals diagnosed with a mental illness. This study adopted a narrative, descriptive method, using a semistructured interview guide to elicit participant perceptions regarding sources of stigma, discrimination, and personal factors that might influence their experiences. Twelve outpatients attending a clinic in Ghana were interviewed. Thematic content analysis was completed and augmented by field notes. Participants' perceptions about personal impacts of stigma were found to be influenced by self-stigma, anticipated stigma and discrimination, perceived discrimination, and their knowledge about their illness. For many participants, their views served to augment societal views, and thus reinforce negative self-perceptions and their future. However, for other participants, their views served as a buffer in the face of environmental situations that reflect stigma and discrimination. Stigma is a complex, socially-sanctioned phenomenon that can seriously affect the health of people with mental illness. As such, it requires coordinated strategies among public policy makers, governmental bodies, and health-care providers to address stigma on a societal level, and to address its potential impacts on broad health outcomes for individuals with mental illness. © 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Use of linear discriminant function analysis in seed morphotype ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Use of linear discriminant function analysis in seed morphotype relationship study in 31 ... Data were collected on 100-seed weight, seed length and seed width. ... to the Mesoamerican gene pool, comprising the cultigroups Sieva-Big Lima, ...

Provider Factors and Patient-Reported Healthcare Discrimination in the Diabetes Study of California (DISTANCE)

Science.gov (United States)

Lyles, Courtney R.; Karter, Andrew J.; Young, Bessie A.; Spigner, Clarence; Grembowski, David; Schillinger, Dean; Adler, Nancy

2011-01-01

Objective We examined provider-level factors and reported discrimination in the healthcare setting. Methods With data from the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE)—a race-stratified survey of diabetes patients in Kaiser Permanente Northern California—we analyzed patient-reported racial/ethnic discrimination from providers. Primary exposures were characteristics of the primary care provider (PCP, who coordinates care in this system), including specialty/type, and patient-provider relationship variables including racial concordance. Results Subjects (n=12,151) included 20% black, 20% Latino, 23% Asian, 30% white, and 6% other patients, with 2% to 8% reporting discrimination by racial/ethnic group. Patients seeing nurse practitioners as their PCP (OR=0.09; 95% CI: 0.01–0.67), those rating their provider higher on communication (OR=0.70; 95% CI: 0.66–0.74) were less likely to report discrimination, while those with more visits (OR=1.10; 95% CI: 1.03–1.18) were more likely to report discrimination. Racial concordance was not significant once adjusting for patient race/ethnicity. Conclusions Among diverse diabetes patients in managed care, provider type and communication were significantly related to patient-reported discrimination. Practice Implications Given potential negative impacts on patient satisfaction and treatment decisions, future studies should investigate which interpersonal aspects of the provider-patient relationship reduce patient perceptions of unfair treatment. PMID:21605956

Multivariable Discriminant Analysis for the Differential Diagnosis of Microcytic Anemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eloísa Urrechaga

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Iron deficiency anemia and thalassemia are the most common causes of microcytic anemia. Powerful statistical computer programming enables sensitive discriminant analyses to aid in the diagnosis. We aimed at investigating the performance of the multiple discriminant analysis (MDA to the differential diagnosis of microcytic anemia. Methods. The training group was composed of 200 β-thalassemia carriers, 65 α-thalassemia carriers, 170 iron deficiency anemia (IDA, and 45 mixed cases of thalassemia and acute phase response or iron deficiency. A set of potential predictor parameters that could detect differences among groups were selected: Red Blood Cells (RBC, hemoglobin (Hb, mean cell volume (MCV, mean cell hemoglobin (MCH, and RBC distribution width (RDW. The functions obtained with MDA analysis were applied to a set of 628 consecutive patients with microcytic anemia. Results. For classifying patients into two groups (genetic anemia and acquired anemia, only one function was needed; 87.9% β-thalassemia carriers, and 83.3% α-thalassemia carriers, and 72.1% in the mixed group were correctly classified. Conclusion. Linear discriminant functions based on hemogram data can aid in differentiating between IDA and thalassemia, so samples can be efficiently selected for further analysis to confirm the presence of genetic anemia.

A Computational Discriminability Analysis on Twin Fingerprints

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yu; Srihari, Sargur N.

Sharing similar genetic traits makes the investigation of twins an important study in forensics and biometrics. Fingerprints are one of the most commonly found types of forensic evidence. The similarity between twins’ prints is critical establish to the reliability of fingerprint identification. We present a quantitative analysis of the discriminability of twin fingerprints on a new data set (227 pairs of identical twins and fraternal twins) recently collected from a twin population using both level 1 and level 2 features. Although the patterns of minutiae among twins are more similar than in the general population, the similarity of fingerprints of twins is significantly different from that between genuine prints of the same finger. Twins fingerprints are discriminable with a 1.5%~1.7% higher EER than non-twins. And identical twins can be distinguished by examine fingerprint with a slightly higher error rate than fraternal twins.

Perceived Discrimination in LGBTIQ Discourse: A Typology of Verbal Discrimination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sol Rojas Lizana

2014-08-01

Full Text Available New within the field of Discourse Analysis, Perceived Discrimination (PD is the study of discourse that focuses on the perspective of the victims of discrimination. This article explores the experiences of verbal discrimination as reported by eighteen LGBTIQ participants during semi-structured, co-constructed interviews. Data were classified in order to develop a taxonomy of discrimination based on Mellor’s (2003, 2004. This taxonomy foregrounds two types of discrimination: verbal and behavioural. In this paper, I exemplify the forms of verbal discrimination encountered and offer an analysis of the discourse used in the construction of the experiences and of the effects reported. The results show that verbal discrimination is an overt phenomenon and that participants are stressed by the ever present possibility of facing it. Verbal discrimination is mainly triggered by a perceived transgression to the normalised standards of people’s behaviour, movements and look in a heterosexist society. It presents three subtypes: name calling, abuse and remarks. These subtypes are described through the analysis of keywords, effects and expressions (such as faggot, gay, dyke, queer, the pronoun ‘it’, religious comments and other remarks. The type of discrimination used was associated with the level of acquaintance perpetrators have with the experiencers; that is, name calling was used by people unknown to the victims while abuse and remarks by acquaintances and family members. Participants resorted to several discursive strategies to convey their intentions. They used mitigation strategies when wanting to minimize the experience, hedging and repetition were used for emphasis, and to convey urgency and pervasiveness. Metaphorical expressions related to internal or external injuries were also used to express the powerful effect of verbal discrimination on people.

Vigilance in the discrimination-stress model for Black Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Himmelstein, Mary S; Young, Danielle M; Sanchez, Diana T; Jackson, James S

2015-01-01

Daily events of discrimination are important factors in understanding health disparities. Vigilant coping, or protecting against anticipated discrimination by monitoring and modifying behaviour, is an understudied mechanism that may link discrimination and health outcomes. This study investigates how responding to everyday discrimination with anticipatory vigilance relates to the health of Black men and women. Black adults (N = 221) from the Detroit area completed measures of discrimination, adverse life events, vigilance coping, stress, depressive symptoms and self-reported health. Vigilance coping strategies mediated the relationship between discrimination and stress. Multi-group path analysis revealed that stress in turn was associated with increased depression in men and women. Self-reported health consequences of stress differed between men and women. Vigilance coping mediates the link between discrimination and stress, and stress has consequences for health outcomes resulting from discrimination. More research is needed to understand other underlying contributors to discrimination, stress and poor health outcomes as well as to create potential interventions to ameliorate health outcomes in the face of discrimination-related stress.

ℓ2,1 Norm and Hessian Regularized Non-Negative Matrix Factorization with Discriminability for Data Representation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Luo

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Matrix factorization based methods have widely been used in data representation. Among them, Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF is a promising technique owing to its psychological and physiological interpretation of spontaneously occurring data. On one hand, although traditional Laplacian regularization can enhance the performance of NMF, it still suffers from the problem of its weak extrapolating ability. On the other hand, standard NMF disregards the discriminative information hidden in the data and cannot guarantee the sparsity of the factor matrices. In this paper, a novel algorithm called ℓ 2 , 1 norm and Hessian Regularized Non-negative Matrix Factorization with Discriminability (ℓ 2 , 1 HNMFD, is developed to overcome the aforementioned problems. In ℓ 2 , 1 HNMFD, Hessian regularization is introduced in the framework of NMF to capture the intrinsic manifold structure of the data. ℓ 2 , 1 norm constraints and approximation orthogonal constraints are added to assure the group sparsity of encoding matrix and characterize the discriminative information of the data simultaneously. To solve the objective function, an efficient optimization scheme is developed to settle it. Our experimental results on five benchmark data sets have demonstrated that ℓ 2 , 1 HNMFD can learn better data representation and provide better clustering results.

[External therapy of plasma cell mastitis by jiuyi powder using partial least-squares discriminant analysis: a safety analysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Mei-na; Yang, Ming; Cheng, Yi-qin; Wang, Bing; Zhu, Ying; Xia, Ya-ru; Meng, Tian; Chen, Hao; Chen, Li-ying; Cheng, Hong-feng

2015-04-01

To evaluate the safety and the clinical value of external use of jiuyi Powder (JP) in treating plasma cell mastitis using partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA). Totally 50 patients with plasma cell mastitis treated by external use of JP were observed and biochemical examinations of blood and urine detected before application, at day 4 after application, at day 1 and 14 after discontinuation. Blood mercury and urinary mercury were detected before application, at day 1, 4, and 7 after application, at day 1 and 14 after discontinuation. Urinary mercury was also detected at 28 after discontinuation and 3 months after discontinuation. The information of wound, days of external application and the total dosage of external application were recorded before application, at day 1, 4, and 7 after application, as well as at day 1 after discontinuation. Then a discriminant model covering potential safety factors was set up by PLSDA after screening safety indices with important effects. The applicability of the model was assessed using area under ROC curve. Potential safety factors were assessed using variable importance in the projection (VIP). Urinary β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), 24 h urinary protein, and urinary α1-microglobulin (α1-MG) were greatly affected by external use of JP in treating plasma cell mastitis. The accuracy rate of PLSDA discriminate model was 74. 00%. The sensitivity, specificity, and the area under ROC curve was 0. 7826, 0. 7037, and 0. 8084, respectively. Three factors with greater effect on the potential safety were screened as follows: pre-application volume of the sore cavity, days of external application, and the total dosage of external application. PLSDA method could be used in analyzing bioinformation of clinical Chinese medicine. Urinary β2-MG and urinary NAG were two main safety monitoring indices. Days of external application and the total dosage of external application were main

Discrimination based on HIV/AIDS status: A comparative analysis of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Discrimination based on HIV/AIDS status: A comparative analysis of the Nigerian court's decision in Festus Odaife & Ors v Attorney General of the Federation & Ors with other Commonwealth jurisdictions.

Non-Discrimination à la Cour: the ECJ’s (lack of) Comparability Analysis in Direct Tax Cases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wattel, P.

2015-01-01

The ECJ’s discrimination analysis in direct tax cases is inconsistent. It sometimes creates discrimination, condemns non-existent discrimination or fails to address discrimination. Only one comparability standard makes sense: to be (subject to tax) or not to be (subject to tax). The ECJ is not

Discriminant analysis of normal and malignant breast tissue based upon INAA investigation of elemental concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwanhoong Ng; Senghuat Ong; Bradley, D.A.; Laimeng Looi

1997-01-01

Discriminant analysis of six trace element concentrations measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in 26 paired-samples of malignant and histologically normal human breast tissues shows the technique to be a potentially valuable clinical tool for making malignant-normal classification. Nonparametric discriminant analysis is performed for the data obtained. Linear and quadratic discriminant analyses are also carried out for comparison. For this data set a formal analysis shows that the elements which may be useful in distinguishing between malignant and normal tissues are Ca, Rb and Br, providing correct classification for 24 out of 26 normal samples and 22 out of 26 malignant samples. (Author)

Trophic discrimination factor and the significance of mangrove litter to benthic detritivorous gastropod, Ellobium aurisjudae (Linnaeus)

Science.gov (United States)

Teoh, Hong Wooi; Sasekumar, A.; Ismail, Mohamad Hanif; Chong, Ving Ching

2018-01-01

In stable isotope analysis, the estimation of proportional contribution of carbon and nitrogen from mangrove to benthic invertebrates requires knowledge of the food-consumer trophic discrimination factor (Δ δ13C and Δ δ15N). This study tested the hypothesis that the mangrove gastropod Ellobium aurisjudae can assimilate low quality refractory mangrove litter and aimed to determine the trophic discrimination values (TDV) of C and N isotopes between gastropod and the mangrove producer. The mean Δ δ13C for gastropods fed senescent leaves of the mangrove Bruguiera parviflora (Roxb) Wight & Arn and decomposing mangrove (unknown species from the same site) wood were estimated at 5.3 ± 0.3‰ and 3.2 ± 0.5‰ respectively, whereas for Δ δ15N, these values were 4.2 ± 0.2‰ and 6.0 ± 0.2‰ respectively. The gastropod assimilated refractory carbon from mangrove leaf and wood litter with 49% and 18% efficiency respectively. Rearing experiment of gastropods (n = 25) fed only mangrove wood litter over 5months in the laboratory, showed mean weight increments of 14.8-74.4% depending on the initial animal weight. Significant deviation of the TDVs for E. aurisjudae from the generalized discrimination values for herbivory underscores the need to use specific TDV for the detritivory link.

Perceived Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Adjustment among Ethnically Diverse College Students: Family and Peer Support as Protective Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Juang, Linda; Ittel, Angela; Hoferichter, Frances; Gallarin, Miriam

2016-01-01

Adopting a risk and resilience perspective, the current study examined whether family cohesion and peer support functioned as protective factors against the negative effects of racial/ethnic discrimination by peers. The sample included 142 ethnically diverse college students. The results showed that while greater perceived discrimination was…

Applicability of supervised discriminant analysis models to analyze astigmatism clinical trial data.

Science.gov (United States)

Sedghipour, Mohammad Reza; Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun

2012-01-01

In astigmatism clinical trials where more complex measurements are common, especially in nonrandomized small sized clinical trials, there is a demand for the development and application of newer statistical methods. The source data belonged to a project on astigmatism treatment. Data were used regarding a total of 296 eyes undergoing different astigmatism treatment modalities: wavefront-guided photorefractive keratectomy, cross-cylinder photorefractive keratectomy, and monotoric (single) photorefractive keratectomy. Astigmatism analysis was primarily done using the Alpins method. Prior to fitting partial least squares regression discriminant analysis, a preliminary principal component analysis was done for data overview. Through fitting the partial least squares regression discriminant analysis statistical method, various model validity and predictability measures were assessed. The model found the patients treated by the wavefront method to be different from the two other treatments both in baseline and outcome measures. Also, the model found that patients treated with the cross-cylinder method versus the single method didn't appear to be different from each other. This analysis provided an opportunity to compare the three methods while including a substantial number of baseline and outcome variables. Partial least squares regression discriminant analysis had applicability for the statistical analysis of astigmatism clinical trials and it may be used as an adjunct or alternative analysis method in small sized clinical trials.

Social Status Correlates of Reporting Racial Discrimination and Gender Discrimination among Racially Diverse Women

Science.gov (United States)

Ro, Annie E.; Choi, Kyung-Hee

2009-01-01

The growing body of research on discrimination and health indicates a deleterious effect of discrimination on various health outcomes. However, less is known about the sociodemographic correlates of reporting racial discrimination and gender discrimination among racially diverse women. We examined the associations of social status characteristics with lifetime experiences of racial discrimination and gender discrimination using a racially-diverse sample of 754 women attending family planning clinics in Northern California (11.4% African American, 16.8% Latina, 10.1% Asian and 61.7% Caucasian). A multivariate analysis revealed that race, financial difficulty and marital status were significantly correlated with higher reports of racial discrimination, while race, education, financial difficulty and nativity were significantly correlated with gender discrimination scores. Our findings suggest that the social patterning of perceiving racial discrimination is somewhat different from that of gender discrimination. This has implications in the realm of discrimination research and applied interventions, as different forms of discrimination may have unique covariates that should be accounted for in research analysis or program design. PMID:19485231

Social status correlates of reporting gender discrimination and racial discrimination among racially diverse women.

Science.gov (United States)

Ro, Annie E; Choi, Kyung-Hee

2009-01-01

The growing body of research on discrimination and health indicates a deleterious effect of discrimination on various health outcomes. However, less is known about the sociodemographic correlates of reporting racial discrimination and gender discrimination among racially diverse women. We examined the associations of social status characteristics with lifetime experiences of racial discrimination and gender discrimination using a racially-diverse sample of 754 women attending family planning clinics in North California (11.4% African American, 16.8% Latina, 10.1% Asian and 61.7% Caucasian). A multivariate analysis revealed that race, financial difficulty and marital status were significantly correlated with higher reports of racial discrimination, while race, education, financial difficulty and nativity were significantly correlated with gender discrimination scores. Our findings suggest that the social patterning of perceiving racial discrimination is somewhat different from that of gender discrimination. This has implications in the realm of discrimination research and applied interventions, as different forms of discrimination may have unique covariates that should be accounted for in research analysis or program design.

Discrimination of handlebar grip samples by fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy analysis and statistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeyu Lin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the authors presented a study on the discrimination of handlebar grip samples, to provide effective forensic science service for hit and run traffic cases. 50 bicycle handlebar grip samples, 49 electric bike handlebar grip samples, and 96 motorcycle handlebar grip samples have been randomly collected by the local police in Beijing (China. Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR was utilized as analytical technology. Then, target absorption selection, data pretreatment, and discrimination of linked samples and unlinked samples were chosen as three steps to improve the discrimination of FTIR spectrums collected from different handlebar grip samples. Principal component analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve were utilized to evaluate different data selection methods and different data pretreatment methods, respectively. It is possible to explore the evidential value of handlebar grip residue evidence through instrumental analysis and statistical treatments. It will provide a universal discrimination method for other forensic science samples as well.

On discriminant analysis techniques and correlation structures in high dimensions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clemmensen, Line Katrine Harder

This paper compares several recently proposed techniques for performing discriminant analysis in high dimensions, and illustrates that the various sparse methods dier in prediction abilities depending on their underlying assumptions about the correlation structures in the data. The techniques...... the methods in two: Those who assume independence between the variables and thus use a diagonal estimate of the within-class covariance matrix, and those who assume dependence between the variables and thus use an estimate of the within-class covariance matrix, which also estimates the correlations between...... variables. The two groups of methods are compared and the pros and cons are exemplied using dierent cases of simulated data. The results illustrate that the estimate of the covariance matrix is an important factor with respect to choice of method, and the choice of method should thus be driven by the nature...

Quark/gluon jet discrimination: a reproducible analysis using R

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2017-01-01

The power to discriminate between light-quark jets and gluon jets would have a huge impact on many searches for new physics at CERN and beyond. This talk will present a walk-through of the development of a prototype machine learning classifier for differentiating between quark and gluon jets at experiments like those at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. A new fast feature selection method that combines information theory and graph analytics will be outlined. This method has found new variables that promise significant improvements in discrimination power. The prototype jet tagger is simple, interpretable, parsimonious, and computationally extremely cheap, and therefore might be suitable for use in trigger systems for real-time data processing. Nested stratified k-fold cross validation was used to generate robust estimates of model performance. The data analysis was performed entirely in the R statistical programming language, and is fully reproducible. The entire analysis workflow is data-driven, automated a...

Research on n-γ discrimination method based on spectrum gradient analysis of signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Xiaoliang; Liu Guofu; Yang Jun; Wang Yueke

2013-01-01

Having discovered that there are distinct differences between the spectrum gradient of the output neutron and γ-ray signal from liquid scintillator detectors, this paper presented a n-γ discrimination method called spectrum gradient analysis (SGA) based on frequency-domain features of the pulse signals. The basic principle and feasibility of SGA method were discussed and the validity of n-γ discrimination results of SGA was verified by the associated particle neutron flight experiment. The discrimination performance of SGA was evaluated under different conditions of sampling rates ranging from 5 G/s to 250 M/s. The results show that SGA method exhibits insensitivity to noise, strong anti-interference ability, stable discrimination performance and lower amount of calculation in contrast with time-domain n-γ discrimination methods. (authors)

Gas Classification Using Combined Features Based on a Discriminant Analysis for an Electronic Nose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang-Il Choi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a gas classification method for an electronic nose (e-nose system, for which combined features that have been configured through discriminant analysis are used. First, each global feature is extracted from the entire measurement section of the data samples, while the same process is applied to the local features of the section that corresponds to the stabilization, exposure, and purge stages. The discriminative information amounts in the individual features are then measured based on the discriminant analysis, and the combined features are subsequently composed by selecting the features that have a large amount of discriminative information. Regarding a variety of volatile organic compound data, the results of the experiment show that, in a noisy environment, the proposed method exhibits classification performance that is relatively excellent compared to the other feature types.

Structural Analysis of Correlated Factors: Lessons from the Verbal-Performance Dichotomy of the Wechsler Scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Macmann, Gregg M.; Barnett, David W.

1994-01-01

Describes exploratory and confirmatory analyses of verbal-performance procedures to illustrate concepts and procedures for analysis of correlated factors. Argues that, based on convergent and discriminant validity criteria, factors should have higher correlations with variables that they purport to measure than with other variables. Discusses…

A Bayesian Stepwise Discriminant Model for Predicting Risk Factors of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes: A Case-control Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li-Xia; Sun, Yang; Zhao, Hai; Zhu, Na; Sun, Xing-De; Jin, Xing; Zou, Ai-Min; Mi, Yang; Xu, Ji-Ru

2017-10-20

. This study established a Bayesian stepwise discriminant model to predict the incidence of PPROM. The UU, CT, and GBS infections were discriminant factors for PPROM according to a Bayesian stepwise discriminant analysis. This model could provide a new method for the early predicting of PPROM in pregnant women.

Discrimination of Transgenic Rice Based on Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares Regression Discriminant Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ZHANG Long

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS, a non-destructive measurement technique, was combined with partial least squares regression discrimiant analysis (PLS-DA to discriminate the transgenic (TCTP and mi166 and wild type (Zhonghua 11 rice. Furthermore, rice lines transformed with protein gene (OsTCTP and regulation gene (Osmi166 were also discriminated by the NIRS method. The performances of PLS-DA in spectral ranges of 4 000–8 000 cm-1 and 4 000–10 000 cm-1 were compared to obtain the optimal spectral range. As a result, the transgenic and wild type rice were distinguished from each other in the range of 4 000–10 000 cm-1, and the correct classification rate was 100.0% in the validation test. The transgenic rice TCTP and mi166 were also distinguished from each other in the range of 4 000–10 000 cm-1, and the correct classification rate was also 100.0%. In conclusion, NIRS combined with PLS-DA can be used for the discrimination of transgenic rice.

Identification of roselle varieties through simple discriminating physicochemical characteristics using multivariate analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alé KANE

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The objective of this work is to study the feasibility of a more objective and rigorous classification of the calices of Hibiscus sabdariffa based on their physicochemical profile. To do so, 19 analyses were carried out on 4 varieties of calices cultivated in Senegal: Vimto, Koor, Thaï and CLT92. Principal component analysis results showed that 15 physicochemical and biochemical parameters could be potentially used to discriminate the varieties of calices. Polyphenolic and anthocyanin contents were anti-correlated to protein content and could be used to differentiate the Vimto/CLT92 and the Koor/Thaï varieties. Within these two clusters, pH and lipid content could discriminate each variety. Finally, factorial discriminant analysis showed that total anthocyanin content, lipid content and chromaticity C* were the 3 parameters enabling the most efficient classification of calices according to variety and led to 100% classification accuracy.

An Application of Monte-Carlo-Based Sensitivity Analysis on the Overlap in Discriminant Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Razmyan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Discriminant analysis (DA is used for the measurement of estimates of a discriminant function by minimizing their group misclassifications to predict group membership of newly sampled data. A major source of misclassification in DA is due to the overlapping of groups. The uncertainty in the input variables and model parameters needs to be properly characterized in decision making. This study combines DEA-DA with a sensitivity analysis approach to an assessment of the influence of banks’ variables on the overall variance in overlap in a DA in order to determine which variables are most significant. A Monte-Carlo-based sensitivity analysis is considered for computing the set of first-order sensitivity indices of the variables to estimate the contribution of each uncertain variable. The results show that the uncertainties in the loans granted and different deposit variables are more significant than uncertainties in other banks’ variables in decision making.

Dimensional Analysis with space discrimination applied to Fickian difussion phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Sanchidrian, C.; Castans, M.

1989-01-01

Dimensional Analysis with space discrimination is applied to Fickian difussion phenomena in order to transform its partial differen-tial equations into ordinary ones, and also to obtain in a dimensionl-ess fom the Ficks second law. (Author)

Fish otoliths analysis by PIXE: application to stock discrimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, Nobuaki; Takai, Noriyuki; Sakamoto, Wataru; Yoshida, Koji; Maeda, Kuniko.

1996-01-01

Fish otoliths are continuously deposited from fish birth to its death along with encoding environmental information. In order to decode the information, PIXE was adopted as trace elemental analysis of the otoliths. Strontium to calcium concentration ratios of red sea bream otoliths varied among rearing stations. The Sr/Ca ratios of Lake Biwa catfishes also varied between male and female and among fishing grounds. The PIXE analysis was applied to the fish stock discrimination. (author)

The intersectionality of discrimination attributes and bullying among youth: an applied latent class analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Garnett, Bernice Raveche; Masyn, Katherine E; Austin, S Bryn; Miller, Matthew; Williams, David R; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula

2014-08-01

Discrimination is commonly experienced among adolescents. However, little is known about the intersection of multiple attributes of discrimination and bullying. We used a latent class analysis (LCA) to illustrate the intersections of discrimination attributes and bullying, and to assess the associations of LCA membership to depressive symptoms, deliberate self harm and suicidal ideation among a sample of ethnically diverse adolescents. The data come from the 2006 Boston Youth Survey where students were asked whether they had experienced discrimination based on four attributes: race/ethnicity, immigration status, perceived sexual orientation and weight. They were also asked whether they had been bullied or assaulted for these attributes. A total of 965 (78%) students contributed to the LCA analytic sample (45% Non-Hispanic Black, 29% Hispanic, 58% Female). The LCA revealed that a 4-class solution had adequate relative and absolute fit. The 4-classes were characterized as: low discrimination (51%); racial discrimination (33%); sexual orientation discrimination (7%); racial and weight discrimination with high bullying (intersectional class) (7%). In multivariate models, compared to the low discrimination class, individuals in the sexual orientation discrimination class and the intersectional class had higher odds of engaging in deliberate self-harm. Students in the intersectional class also had higher odds of suicidal ideation. All three discrimination latent classes had significantly higher depressive symptoms compared to the low discrimination class. Multiple attributes of discrimination and bullying co-occur among adolescents. Research should consider the co-occurrence of bullying and discrimination.

HIV-Related discrimination in European health care settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Nöstlinger, Christiana; Rojas Castro, Daniela; Platteau, Tom; Dias, Sonia; Le Gall, Jean

2014-03-01

This cross-sectional European study assessed self-reported HIV-related discrimination and its associated factors in health care settings. Socio-demographics, health status, support needs relating to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and self-reported HIV-related discrimination were measured using an anonymous survey in a sample of 1549 people living with HIV from 14 countries. Thirty-two per cent of the participants had experienced HIV-related discrimination during the previous 3 years; almost half of them felt discriminated against by health care providers. For this type of discrimination, logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations with not being a migrant (OR: 2.0; IC 1.0-3.7; psex practices (OR: 1.8; IC 1.0-3.2; pgender had a protective effect (OR: 0.2; IC 0.0-0.9; pdiscrimination. Improving health care providers' communication skills, and fostering openness about SRH topics in HIV care could contribute to destigmatization of PLHIV.

Linear discriminant analysis of structure within African eggplant 'Shum'

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A MANOVA preceded linear discriminant analysis, to model each of 61 variables, as predicted by clusters and experiment to filter out non-significant traits. Four distinct clusters emerged, with a cophenetic relation coefficient of 0.87 (P<0.01). Canonical variates that best predicted the observed clusters include petiole length, ...

Interactive Effect of Immigration-Related Factors with Legal and Discrimination Acculturative Stress in Predicting Depression Among Asian American Immigrants.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Shipra; Schulz, Amy Jo; Neighbors, Harold W; Griffith, Derek M

2017-08-01

This study examined the impact of discrimination and legal acculturative stress on Major Depression Episode lifetime among Asian American immigrants. It further examined the role of immigration related-factors (age at immigration, reason for immigration, and years spent in the U.S.) on the relationship of acculturative stress and Major Depression Episode lifetime. The National Latino and Asian American Study 2002-2003 dataset was used. The study findings were: (1) high discrimination and legal acculturative stress were associated with Major Depression Episode lifetime; (2) age at immigration buffered the relationship of discrimination acculturative stress and Major Depression Episode lifetime as well as the relationship of legal acculturative stress and Major Depression Episode lifetime; and (3) years spent in the U.S. buffered the relationship of discrimination acculturative stress and Major Depression Episode lifetime only. These findings highlight the complex relationship of factors that impact the mental health of the Asian American immigrants.

Combined approach based on principal component analysis and canonical discriminant analysis for investigating hyperspectral plant response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Maria Stellacci

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Hyperspectral (HS data represents an extremely powerful means for rapidly detecting crop stress and then aiding in the rational management of natural resources in agriculture. However, large volume of data poses a challenge for data processing and extracting crucial information. Multivariate statistical techniques can play a key role in the analysis of HS data, as they may allow to both eliminate redundant information and identify synthetic indices which maximize differences among levels of stress. In this paper we propose an integrated approach, based on the combined use of Principal Component Analysis (PCA and Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA, to investigate HS plant response and discriminate plant status. The approach was preliminary evaluated on a data set collected on durum wheat plants grown under different nitrogen (N stress levels. Hyperspectral measurements were performed at anthesis through a high resolution field spectroradiometer, ASD FieldSpec HandHeld, covering the 325-1075 nm region. Reflectance data were first restricted to the interval 510-1000 nm and then divided into five bands of the electromagnetic spectrum [green: 510-580 nm; yellow: 581-630 nm; red: 631-690 nm; red-edge: 705-770 nm; near-infrared (NIR: 771-1000 nm]. PCA was applied to each spectral interval. CDA was performed on the extracted components to identify the factors maximizing the differences among plants fertilised with increasing N rates. Within the intervals of green, yellow and red only the first principal component (PC had an eigenvalue greater than 1 and explained more than 95% of total variance; within the ranges of red-edge and NIR, the first two PCs had an eigenvalue higher than 1. Two canonical variables explained cumulatively more than 81% of total variance and the first was able to discriminate wheat plants differently fertilised, as confirmed also by the significant correlation with aboveground biomass and grain yield parameters. The combined

Chemometric analysis for discrimination of extra virgin olive oils from whole and stoned olive pastes.

Science.gov (United States)

De Luca, Michele; Restuccia, Donatella; Clodoveo, Maria Lisa; Puoci, Francesco; Ragno, Gaetano

2016-07-01

Chemometric discrimination of extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) from whole and stoned olive pastes was carried out by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) data and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS1-DA) approach. Four Italian commercial EVOO brands, all in both whole and stoned version, were considered in this study. The adopted chemometric methodologies were able to describe the different chemical features in phenolic and volatile compounds contained in the two types of oil by using unspecific IR spectral information. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed in cluster analysis to capture data patterns and to highlight differences between technological processes and EVOO brands. The PLS1-DA algorithm was used as supervised discriminant analysis to identify the different oil extraction procedures. Discriminant analysis was extended to the evaluation of possible adulteration by addition of aliquots of oil from whole paste to the most valuable oil from stoned olives. The statistical parameters from external validation of all the PLS models were very satisfactory, with low root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and relative error (RE%). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Workplace discrimination and health among Filipinos in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

de Castro, Arnold B; Gee, Gilbert C; Takeuchi, David T

2008-03-01

We examined the association between work discrimination and morbidity among Filipinos in the United States, independent of more-global measures of discrimination. Data were collected from the Filipino American Community Epidemiological Survey. Our analysis focused on 1652 participants who were employed at the time of data collection, and we used negative binomial regression to determine the association between work discrimination and health conditions. The report of workplace discrimination specific to being Filipino was associated with an increased number of health conditions. This association persisted even after we controlled for everyday discrimination, a general assessment of discrimination; job concerns, a general assessment of unpleasant work circumstances; having immigrated for employment reasons; job category; income; education; gender; and other sociodemographic factors. Racial discrimination in the workplace was positively associated with poor health among Filipino Americans after we controlled for reports of everyday discrimination and general concerns about one's job. This finding shows the importance of considering the work setting as a source of discrimination and its effect on morbidity among racial minorities.

L1-norm kernel discriminant analysis via Bayes error bound optimization for robust feature extraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Wenming; Lin, Zhouchen; Wang, Haixian

2014-04-01

A novel discriminant analysis criterion is derived in this paper under the theoretical framework of Bayes optimality. In contrast to the conventional Fisher's discriminant criterion, the major novelty of the proposed one is the use of L1 norm rather than L2 norm, which makes it less sensitive to the outliers. With the L1-norm discriminant criterion, we propose a new linear discriminant analysis (L1-LDA) method for linear feature extraction problem. To solve the L1-LDA optimization problem, we propose an efficient iterative algorithm, in which a novel surrogate convex function is introduced such that the optimization problem in each iteration is to simply solve a convex programming problem and a close-form solution is guaranteed to this problem. Moreover, we also generalize the L1-LDA method to deal with the nonlinear robust feature extraction problems via the use of kernel trick, and hereafter proposed the L1-norm kernel discriminant analysis (L1-KDA) method. Extensive experiments on simulated and real data sets are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method in comparing with the state-of-the-art methods.

Pinpointing the classifiers of English language writing ability: A discriminant function analysis approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Ali Shams

2013-02-01

Full Text Available     The major aim of this paper was to investigate the validity of language and intelligence factors for classifying Iranian English learners` writing performance. Iranian participants of the study took three tests for grammar, breadth, and depth of vocabulary, and two tests for verbal and narrative intelligence. They also produced a corpus of argumentative writings in answer to IELTS specimen. Several runs of discriminant function analyses were used to examine the classifying power of the five variables for discriminating between low and high ability L2 writers. The results revealed that among language factors, depth of vocabulary (collocational knowledge produces the best discriminant function. In general, narrative intelligence was found to be the most reliable predictor for membership in low or high groups. It was also found that, among the five sub-abilities of narrative intelligence, emplotment carries the highest classifying value. Finally, the applications and implications of the results for second language researchers, cognitive scientists, and applied linguists were discussed.Â

Association of Discrimination and Stress With Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Ethnic Minority Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Cha-Nam; Soltero, Erica; Mama, Scherezade K; Sunseri, Christopher; Lee, Rebecca E

2017-12-01

Psychological stressors can contribute to adverse health outcomes and lead to health disparities. To examine associations among psychological stressors, coping, blood pressure, body mass index, and body fat in ethnic minority women, we conducted a secondary analysis using data from 178 African American and Hispanic/Latina women who completed measures of perceived racial discrimination and stress, coping, blood pressure, and body composition. The mean age of participants was 45.3 (±9.3 years), and most were obese (74.2%) and had prehypertensive systolic blood pressure (125.7 ± 14.6 mmHg). Hierarchical multiple regression models indicated a significant negative relationship between racial discrimination and percent body fat, and positive associations between stress and blood pressure. Coping did not moderate the association between racial discrimination and blood pressure or body composition. Health care providers should consider psychological stressors as underlying causes for hypertension and address tailored stress-reduction coping strategies when treating African American and Hispanic/Latina women with hypertension.

NBLDA: negative binomial linear discriminant analysis for RNA-Seq data.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Kai; Zhao, Hongyu; Tong, Tiejun; Wan, Xiang

2016-09-13

RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) has become a powerful technology to characterize gene expression profiles because it is more accurate and comprehensive than microarrays. Although statistical methods that have been developed for microarray data can be applied to RNA-Seq data, they are not ideal due to the discrete nature of RNA-Seq data. The Poisson distribution and negative binomial distribution are commonly used to model count data. Recently, Witten (Annals Appl Stat 5:2493-2518, 2011) proposed a Poisson linear discriminant analysis for RNA-Seq data. The Poisson assumption may not be as appropriate as the negative binomial distribution when biological replicates are available and in the presence of overdispersion (i.e., when the variance is larger than or equal to the mean). However, it is more complicated to model negative binomial variables because they involve a dispersion parameter that needs to be estimated. In this paper, we propose a negative binomial linear discriminant analysis for RNA-Seq data. By Bayes' rule, we construct the classifier by fitting a negative binomial model, and propose some plug-in rules to estimate the unknown parameters in the classifier. The relationship between the negative binomial classifier and the Poisson classifier is explored, with a numerical investigation of the impact of dispersion on the discriminant score. Simulation results show the superiority of our proposed method. We also analyze two real RNA-Seq data sets to demonstrate the advantages of our method in real-world applications. We have developed a new classifier using the negative binomial model for RNA-seq data classification. Our simulation results show that our proposed classifier has a better performance than existing works. The proposed classifier can serve as an effective tool for classifying RNA-seq data. Based on the comparison results, we have provided some guidelines for scientists to decide which method should be used in the discriminant analysis of RNA-Seq data

Rotation and Noise Invariant Near-Infrared Face Recognition by means of Zernike Moments and Spectral Regression Discriminant Analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Farokhi, S.; Shamsuddin, S. M.; Flusser, Jan; Sheikh, U. U.; Khansari, M.; Jafari-Khouzani, K.

2013-01-01

Roč. 22, č. 1 (2013), s. 1-11 ISSN 1017-9909 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP103/11/1552 Keywords : face recognition * infrared imaging * image moments Subject RIV: JD - Computer Applications, Robotics Impact factor: 0.850, year: 2013 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2013/ZOI/flusser-rotation and noise invariant near-infrared face recognition by means of zernike moments and spectral regression discriminant analysis.pdf

Hierarchical Discriminant Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Di Lu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Internet of Things (IoT generates lots of high-dimensional sensor intelligent data. The processing of high-dimensional data (e.g., data visualization and data classification is very difficult, so it requires excellent subspace learning algorithms to learn a latent subspace to preserve the intrinsic structure of the high-dimensional data, and abandon the least useful information in the subsequent processing. In this context, many subspace learning algorithms have been presented. However, in the process of transforming the high-dimensional data into the low-dimensional space, the huge difference between the sum of inter-class distance and the sum of intra-class distance for distinct data may cause a bias problem. That means that the impact of intra-class distance is overwhelmed. To address this problem, we propose a novel algorithm called Hierarchical Discriminant Analysis (HDA. It minimizes the sum of intra-class distance first, and then maximizes the sum of inter-class distance. This proposed method balances the bias from the inter-class and that from the intra-class to achieve better performance. Extensive experiments are conducted on several benchmark face datasets. The results reveal that HDA obtains better performance than other dimensionality reduction algorithms.

Discriminant analysis in Polish manufacturing sector performance assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Józef Dziechciarz

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This is a presentation of the preliminary results of a larger project on the determination of the attractiveness of manufacturing branches. Results of the performance assessment of Polish manufacturing branches in 2000 (section D „Manufacturing” – based on NACE – Nomenclatures des Activites de Communite Europeene are shown. In the research, the classical (Fisher’s linear discriminant analysis technique was used for the analysis of the profit generation ability by the firms belonging to a certain production branch. For estimation, the data describing group level was used – for cross-validation, the classes data.

Pathologic Nodal Classification Is the Most Discriminating Prognostic Factor for Disease-Free Survival in Rectal Cancer Patients Treated With Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy and Curative Resection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Tae Hyun; Chang, Hee Jin; Kim, Dae Yong

2010-01-01

Purpose: We retrospectively evaluated the effects of clinical and pathologic factors on disease-free survival (DFS) with the aim of identifying the most discriminating factor predicting DFS in rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and curative resection. Methods and Materials: The study involved 420 patients who underwent preoperative CRT and curative resection between August 2001 and October 2006. Gender, age, distance from the anal verge, histologic type, histologic grade, pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, cT, cN, cStage, circumferential resection margin, type of surgery, preoperative chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy, ypT, ypN, ypStage, and tumor regression grade (TRG) were analyzed to identify prognostic factors associated with DFS. To compare the discriminatory prognostic ability of four tumor response-related pathologic factors (ypT, ypN, ypStage, and TRG), the Akaike information criteria were calculated. Results: The 5-year DFS rate was 75.4%. On univariate analysis, distance from the anal verge, histologic type, histologic grade, pretreatment CEA level, cT, circumferential resection margin, type of surgery, preoperative chemotherapeutic regimen, ypT, ypN, ypStage, and TRG were significantly associated with DFS. Multivariate analysis showed that the four parameters ypT, ypN, ypStage, and TRG were, consistently, significant prognostic factors for DFS. The ypN showed the lowest Akaike information criteria value for DFS, followed by ypStage, ypT, and TRG, in that order. Conclusion: In our study, ypT, ypN, ypStage, and TRG were important prognostic factors for DFS, and ypN was the most discriminating factor.

Tensor Rank Preserving Discriminant Analysis for Facial Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Dapeng; Guo, Yanan; Li, Yaotang; Gao, Xinbo

2017-10-12

Facial recognition, one of the basic topics in computer vision and pattern recognition, has received substantial attention in recent years. However, for those traditional facial recognition algorithms, the facial images are reshaped to a long vector, thereby losing part of the original spatial constraints of each pixel. In this paper, a new tensor-based feature extraction algorithm termed tensor rank preserving discriminant analysis (TRPDA) for facial image recognition is proposed; the proposed method involves two stages: in the first stage, the low-dimensional tensor subspace of the original input tensor samples was obtained; in the second stage, discriminative locality alignment was utilized to obtain the ultimate vector feature representation for subsequent facial recognition. On the one hand, the proposed TRPDA algorithm fully utilizes the natural structure of the input samples, and it applies an optimization criterion that can directly handle the tensor spectral analysis problem, thereby decreasing the computation cost compared those traditional tensor-based feature selection algorithms. On the other hand, the proposed TRPDA algorithm extracts feature by finding a tensor subspace that preserves most of the rank order information of the intra-class input samples. Experiments on the three facial databases are performed here to determine the effectiveness of the proposed TRPDA algorithm.

Anti-discrimination Analysis Using Privacy Attack Strategies

KAUST Repository

Ruggieri, Salvatore; Hajian, Sara; Kamiran, Faisal; Zhang, Xiangliang

2014-01-01

Social discrimination discovery from data is an important task to identify illegal and unethical discriminatory patterns towards protected-by-law groups, e.g., ethnic minorities. We deploy privacy attack strategies as tools for discrimination

Classification of Fusarium-Infected Korean Hulled Barley Using Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jongguk Lim

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to use near-infrared reflectance (NIR spectroscopy equipment to nondestructively and rapidly discriminate Fusarium-infected hulled barley. Both normal hulled barley and Fusarium-infected hulled barley were scanned by using a NIR spectrometer with a wavelength range of 1175 to 2170 nm. Multiple mathematical pretreatments were applied to the reflectance spectra obtained for Fusarium discrimination and the multivariate analysis method of partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA was used for discriminant prediction. The PLS-DA prediction model developed by applying the second-order derivative pretreatment to the reflectance spectra obtained from the side of hulled barley without crease achieved 100% accuracy in discriminating the normal hulled barley and the Fusarium-infected hulled barley. These results demonstrated the feasibility of rapid discrimination of the Fusarium-infected hulled barley by combining multivariate analysis with the NIR spectroscopic technique, which is utilized as a nondestructive detection method.

Phylogenetic comparative methods complement discriminant function analysis in ecomorphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Barr, W Andrew; Scott, Robert S

2014-04-01

In ecomorphology, Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) has been used as evidence for the presence of functional links between morphometric variables and ecological categories. Here we conduct simulations of characters containing phylogenetic signal to explore the performance of DFA under a variety of conditions. Characters were simulated using a phylogeny of extant antelope species from known habitats. Characters were modeled with no biomechanical relationship to the habitat category; the only sources of variation were body mass, phylogenetic signal, or random "noise." DFA on the discriminability of habitat categories was performed using subsets of the simulated characters, and Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares (PGLS) was performed for each character. Analyses were repeated with randomized habitat assignments. When simulated characters lacked phylogenetic signal and/or habitat assignments were random, ecomorphology. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Perceived Discrimination Is an Independent Risk Factor for Suicidal Ideation among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Nepal.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohlbrenner, Verena; Deuba, Keshab; Karki, Deepak Kumar; Marrone, Gaetano

2016-01-01

Sexual and gender minorities experience an elevated burden of suicidality compared with the general population. Still, little is known about that burden and the factors generating it in the context of low- and middle-income countries. The present study assessed the prevalence of suicidal ideation, planned suicide, and attempted suicide among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people (TG) in Nepal, and examined the association of perceived discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation with suicidal ideation and with attempted suicide. Data were obtained from a surveillance survey among MSM and TG in Nepal in 2012. A sample of 400 MSM and TG, recruited using respondent-driven sampling, completed a structured face-to-face interview. Throughout their lifetime, 26.8% of the participants had experienced suicidal ideation, 12.0% had made a suicide plan, and 9.0% had attempted suicide. In particular, more TG than MSM had experienced suicidal ideation (39.8% vs. 21.3%), had made a suicide plan (19.5% vs. 8.9%), and had attempted suicide (15.3% vs. 6.4%). Overall, the odds of having experienced suicidal ideation was significantly higher among the 38.3% of participants who had perceived discrimination based on their sexual orientation (AOR: 3.17; 95% CI: 1.83-5.48). Moreover, the odds of suicidal ideation was significantly higher as the extent of perceived discrimination increased (AOR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.15-1.60). However, the odds of attempted suicide was not significantly associated with perceived discrimination (AOR: 1.40; 95% CI: 0.62-3.15). The findings highlight perceived discrimination as an independent risk factor for suicidal ideation. Future suicide prevention programs should target sexual and gender minorities and include elements focusing on discrimination.

Perceived Discrimination Is an Independent Risk Factor for Suicidal Ideation among Sexual and Gender Minorities in Nepal.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verena Kohlbrenner

Full Text Available Sexual and gender minorities experience an elevated burden of suicidality compared with the general population. Still, little is known about that burden and the factors generating it in the context of low- and middle-income countries. The present study assessed the prevalence of suicidal ideation, planned suicide, and attempted suicide among men who have sex with men (MSM and transgender people (TG in Nepal, and examined the association of perceived discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation with suicidal ideation and with attempted suicide. Data were obtained from a surveillance survey among MSM and TG in Nepal in 2012. A sample of 400 MSM and TG, recruited using respondent-driven sampling, completed a structured face-to-face interview. Throughout their lifetime, 26.8% of the participants had experienced suicidal ideation, 12.0% had made a suicide plan, and 9.0% had attempted suicide. In particular, more TG than MSM had experienced suicidal ideation (39.8% vs. 21.3%, had made a suicide plan (19.5% vs. 8.9%, and had attempted suicide (15.3% vs. 6.4%. Overall, the odds of having experienced suicidal ideation was significantly higher among the 38.3% of participants who had perceived discrimination based on their sexual orientation (AOR: 3.17; 95% CI: 1.83-5.48. Moreover, the odds of suicidal ideation was significantly higher as the extent of perceived discrimination increased (AOR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.15-1.60. However, the odds of attempted suicide was not significantly associated with perceived discrimination (AOR: 1.40; 95% CI: 0.62-3.15. The findings highlight perceived discrimination as an independent risk factor for suicidal ideation. Future suicide prevention programs should target sexual and gender minorities and include elements focusing on discrimination.

Analysis of Financial Ratio to Distinguish Indonesia Joint Venture General Insurance Company Performance using Discriminant Analysis

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Subiakto Soekarno

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Insurance industry stands as a service business that plays a significant role in Indonesiaeconomical condition. The development of insurance industry in Indonesia, both of generalinsurance and life insurance, has increased very fast. The general insurance industry itselfdivided into two major players which are local private company and Joint Venture Company.Lately, the use of statistical techniques and financial ratios models to asses financial institutionsuch as insurance company have been used as one of the appropriate combination inpredicting the performance of an industry. This research aims to distinguish between JointVenture General Insurance Companies that have a good performance and those who are lessperforming well using Discriminant Analysis. Further, the findings led that DiscriminantAnalysis is able to distinguish Joint Venture General Insurance Companies that have a goodperformance and those who are not performing well. There are also six ratios which are RBC,Technical Reserve to Investment Ratio, Debt Ratio, Return on Equity, Loss Ratio, and ExpenseRatio that stand as the most influential ratios to distinguish the performance of joint venturegeneral insurance companies. In addition, the result suggest business people to be concernedtoward those six ratios, to increase their companies’ performance.Key words: general insurance, financial ratio, discriminant analysis

Quantization of liver tissue in dual kVp computed tomography using linear discriminant analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tkaczyk, J. Eric; Langan, David; Wu, Xiaoye; Xu, Daniel; Benson, Thomas; Pack, Jed D.; Schmitz, Andrea; Hara, Amy; Palicek, William; Licato, Paul; Leverentz, Jaynne

2009-02-01

Linear discriminate analysis (LDA) is applied to dual kVp CT and used for tissue characterization. The potential to quantitatively model both malignant and benign, hypo-intense liver lesions is evaluated by analysis of portal-phase, intravenous CT scan data obtained on human patients. Masses with an a priori classification are mapped to a distribution of points in basis material space. The degree of localization of tissue types in the material basis space is related to both quantum noise and real compositional differences. The density maps are analyzed with LDA and studied with system simulations to differentiate these factors. The discriminant analysis is formulated so as to incorporate the known statistical properties of the data. Effective kVp separation and mAs relates to precision of tissue localization. Bias in the material position is related to the degree of X-ray scatter and partial-volume effect. Experimental data and simulations demonstrate that for single energy (HU) imaging or image-based decomposition pixel values of water-like tissues depend on proximity to other iodine-filled bodies. Beam-hardening errors cause a shift in image value on the scale of that difference sought between in cancerous and cystic lessons. In contrast, projection-based decomposition or its equivalent when implemented on a carefully calibrated system can provide accurate data. On such a system, LDA may provide novel quantitative capabilities for tissue characterization in dual energy CT.

Comparative analysis of targeted metabolomics: dominance-based rough set approach versus orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Blasco, H; Błaszczyński, J; Billaut, J C; Nadal-Desbarats, L; Pradat, P F; Devos, D; Moreau, C; Andres, C R; Emond, P; Corcia, P; Słowiński, R

2015-02-01

Metabolomics is an emerging field that includes ascertaining a metabolic profile from a combination of small molecules, and which has health applications. Metabolomic methods are currently applied to discover diagnostic biomarkers and to identify pathophysiological pathways involved in pathology. However, metabolomic data are complex and are usually analyzed by statistical methods. Although the methods have been widely described, most have not been either standardized or validated. Data analysis is the foundation of a robust methodology, so new mathematical methods need to be developed to assess and complement current methods. We therefore applied, for the first time, the dominance-based rough set approach (DRSA) to metabolomics data; we also assessed the complementarity of this method with standard statistical methods. Some attributes were transformed in a way allowing us to discover global and local monotonic relationships between condition and decision attributes. We used previously published metabolomics data (18 variables) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and non-ALS patients. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Orthogonal Partial Least Square-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) allowed satisfactory discrimination (72.7%) between ALS and non-ALS patients. Some discriminant metabolites were identified: acetate, acetone, pyruvate and glutamine. The concentrations of acetate and pyruvate were also identified by univariate analysis as significantly different between ALS and non-ALS patients. DRSA correctly classified 68.7% of the cases and established rules involving some of the metabolites highlighted by OPLS-DA (acetate and acetone). Some rules identified potential biomarkers not revealed by OPLS-DA (beta-hydroxybutyrate). We also found a large number of common discriminating metabolites after Bayesian confirmation measures, particularly acetate, pyruvate, acetone and ascorbate, consistent with the pathophysiological pathways involved in ALS. DRSA provides

Regularized generalized eigen-decomposition with applications to sparse supervised feature extraction and sparse discriminant analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Han, Xixuan; Clemmensen, Line Katrine Harder

2015-01-01

We propose a general technique for obtaining sparse solutions to generalized eigenvalue problems, and call it Regularized Generalized Eigen-Decomposition (RGED). For decades, Fisher's discriminant criterion has been applied in supervised feature extraction and discriminant analysis, and it is for...

Discriminative Nonlinear Analysis Operator Learning: When Cosparse Model Meets Image Classification.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Zaidao; Hou, Biao; Jiao, Licheng

2017-05-03

Linear synthesis model based dictionary learning framework has achieved remarkable performances in image classification in the last decade. Behaved as a generative feature model, it however suffers from some intrinsic deficiencies. In this paper, we propose a novel parametric nonlinear analysis cosparse model (NACM) with which a unique feature vector will be much more efficiently extracted. Additionally, we derive a deep insight to demonstrate that NACM is capable of simultaneously learning the task adapted feature transformation and regularization to encode our preferences, domain prior knowledge and task oriented supervised information into the features. The proposed NACM is devoted to the classification task as a discriminative feature model and yield a novel discriminative nonlinear analysis operator learning framework (DNAOL). The theoretical analysis and experimental performances clearly demonstrate that DNAOL will not only achieve the better or at least competitive classification accuracies than the state-of-the-art algorithms but it can also dramatically reduce the time complexities in both training and testing phases.

Experienced discrimination amongst European old citizens

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Heuvel, Wim J. A.; van Santvoort, Marc M.

2011-01-01

This study analyses the experienced age discrimination of old European citizens and the factors related to this discrimination. Differences in experienced discrimination between old citizens of different European countries are explored. Data from the 2008 ESS survey are used. Old age is defined as

Measuring the effect of ethnic and non-ethnic discrimination on Europeans' self-rated health.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez-Galvez, Javier

2016-04-01

The study of perceived discrimination based on race and ethnic traits belongs to a long-held tradition in this field, but recent studies have found that non-ethnic discrimination based on factors such as gender, disability or age is also a crucial predictor of health outcomes. Using data from the European Social Survey (2010), and applying Boolean Factor Analysis and Ordered Logistic Regression models, this study is aimed to compare how ethnic and non-ethnic types of discrimination might affect self-rated health in the European context. We found that non-ethnic types of discrimination produce stronger differences on health outcomes. This result indicates that the probabilities of presenting a poor state of health are significantly higher when individuals feel they are being discriminated against for social or demographic conditions (gender, age, sexuality or disability) rather than for ethnic reasons (nationality, race, ethnicity, language or religiosity). This study offers a clear comparison of health inequalities based on ethnic and non-ethnic types of discrimination in the European context, overcoming analytical based on binary indicators and simple measures of discrimination.

Differentiation of free-ranging chicken using discriminant analysis of phenotypic traits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raed M. Al-Atiyat

Full Text Available ABSTRACT In this study, we investigated the differentiation of five different chicken ecotypes - Center, North, South, West, and East - of Saudi Arabia using discriminate analysis. The analysis was based on nine important morphological and phenotypic traits: body color, beak color, earlobe color, eye color, shank color, comb color, comb type, comb size, and feather distribution. There was a strong significant relationship between the phenotype and effect of geographic height in terms of comb type and earlobe color in males as well as body, beak, eye, and shank color. In particular, the comb type and earlobe color differentiated the ecotypes of males. Among the females, the beak, earlobe, eye, shank color, and feather distribution had more differentiating power. Moreover, the discriminant analysis revealed that the five ecotypes were grouped into three clusters; the Center and the North in one cluster, the West and the South ecotypes in the second for males, and the East ecotype in the last cluster. The female dendogram branching was similar to the male dendrogram branching, except that the Center ecotype was grouped with the North instead of the South. The East ecotype was highly discriminated from the other ecotypes. Nevertheless, the potential of recent individual migration between ecotypes was also noted. Accordingly, the results of the utilized traits in this study might be effective in characterization and conservation of the genetic resources of the Saudi chicken.

The Discriminant Analysis Flare Forecasting System (DAFFS)

Science.gov (United States)

Leka, K. D.; Barnes, Graham; Wagner, Eric; Hill, Frank; Marble, Andrew R.

2016-05-01

The Discriminant Analysis Flare Forecasting System (DAFFS) has been developed under NOAA/Small Business Innovative Research funds to quantitatively improve upon the NOAA/SWPC flare prediction. In the Phase-I of this project, it was demonstrated that DAFFS could indeed improve by the requested 25% most of the standard flare prediction data products from NOAA/SWPC. In the Phase-II of this project, a prototype has been developed and is presently running autonomously at NWRA.DAFFS uses near-real-time data from NOAA/GOES, SDO/HMI, and the NSO/GONG network to issue both region- and full-disk forecasts of solar flares, based on multi-variable non-parametric Discriminant Analysis. Presently, DAFFS provides forecasts which match those provided by NOAA/SWPC in terms of thresholds and validity periods (including 1-, 2-, and 3- day forecasts), although issued twice daily. Of particular note regarding DAFFS capabilities are the redundant system design, automatically-generated validation statistics and the large range of customizable options available. As part of this poster, a description of the data used, algorithm, performance and customizable options will be presented, as well as a demonstration of the DAFFS prototype.DAFFS development at NWRA is supported by NOAA/SBIR contracts WC-133R-13-CN-0079 and WC-133R-14-CN-0103, with additional support from NASA contract NNH12CG10C, plus acknowledgment to the SDO/HMI and NSO/GONG facilities and NOAA/SWPC personnel for data products, support, and feedback. DAFFS is presently ready for Phase-III development.

DISCRIMINATION OF WOMEN IN THE LABOUR MARKET OF SR AND MODELS OF DISCRIMINATION

OpenAIRE

Ján Vravec; Radovan Baèík

2012-01-01

IThe paper deals with the problem of women’s discrimination in the labour market. Significant differences, among women and men in the labour market, are especially in unemployment rate in reward system, and high horizontal and vertical segregation of women. The aspects of discrimination arise despite of existing legislation, which gender discrimination strictly prohibits. An analysis of arguments, consequences and models of women’s discrimination in the labour market can significantly help to...

WOMEN RESISTANCE TOWARD DISCRIMINATIONS: A MODERN LITERARY WORK ANALYSIS ON FEMINISM REVIEW IN BEKISAR MERAH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mujiono .

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted to discover the discriminations against women in the Bekisar Merah novel and how they formulate resistance to those discriminations. To address the above objective, this study used descriptive qualitative research design with a feminism approach. Source of the data in this study was the second edition of Bekisar Merah novel written by Ahmad Tohari. The data included were words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs on Bekisar Merah which portray womens discrimination toward Lasi, the women figure in the novel, and power types formulated by her who resisted the discrimination. To analyze the data, content analysis was applied. Triangulation was used to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. The result of the study showed eight forms of discriminations and three resistances. The discriminations were domestic abuse, molestation, gender harassment, seduction behavior, imposition, coercion, bribery, and subordination. The resistances were physically, mentally, and verbally.

Discrimination of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus and Fructus Poniciri Trifoliatae Immaturus by Flow Injection UV Spectroscopy (FIUV) and 1H NMR using Partial Least-squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA)

Science.gov (United States)

Two simple fingerprinting methods, flow-injection UV spectroscopy (FIUV) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), for discrimination of Aurantii FructusImmaturus and Fructus Poniciri TrifoliataeImmaturususing were described. Both methods were combined with partial least-squares discriminant analysis...

Women ministers' experiences of gender discrimination in the Lutheran Church : a discourse analysis

OpenAIRE

2011-01-01

M.A. The aim of this psychological study was to uncover women minister’s experiences of gender discrimination in the Lutheran Church by using a discourse analysis. Three female participants, who are involved in ministry in the Lutheran Church, were interviewed about their experiences and perceptions of gender discrimination. The resultant texts were analysed using Parker’s (2005) steps to discourse analytic reading. The discourses that were discovered indicate that power struggles are prev...

Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Five Factor Form and the Sliderbar Inventory.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas, Stephanie L; Widiger, Thomas A

2018-03-01

Existing measures of the five factor model (FFM) of personality are generally, if not exclusively, unipolar in their assessment of maladaptive variants of the FFM domains. However, two recently developed measures, the Five Factor Form (FFF) and the Sliderbar Inventory (SI), include items that assess for maladaptive variants at both poles of each item. This structure is unique among existing measures of personality and personality disorder, although there is a historical, infrequently used Stone Personality Trait Schema (SPTS) that had also included this item structure. To facilitate an exploration of their convergent and discriminant validity, the SI and SPTS items were reorganized into FFM scales. The convergent and discriminant validity of the FFF, SI-FFM, and SPTS-FFM scales was considered in a sample of 450 adults with current or a history of mental health treatment. The FFF, SI-FFM, and SPTS-FFM were also compared with respect to their relationship with FFM domains. Finally, the FFF items and SI-FFM scales were tested with respect to their relationship with measures of maladaptive variants of both high and low agreeableness and conscientiousness. The implications of the results are discussed with respect to the assessment of maladaptive personality functioning, and suggestions for future research are provided.

A new kernel discriminant analysis framework for electronic nose recognition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Lei; Tian, Feng-Chun

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • This paper proposes a new discriminant analysis framework for feature extraction and recognition. • The principle of the proposed NDA is derived mathematically. • The NDA framework is coupled with kernel PCA for classification. • The proposed KNDA is compared with state of the art e-Nose recognition methods. • The proposed KNDA shows the best performance in e-Nose experiments. - Abstract: Electronic nose (e-Nose) technology based on metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor array is widely studied for detection of gas components. This paper proposes a new discriminant analysis framework (NDA) for dimension reduction and e-Nose recognition. In a NDA, the between-class and the within-class Laplacian scatter matrix are designed from sample to sample, respectively, to characterize the between-class separability and the within-class compactness by seeking for discriminant matrix to simultaneously maximize the between-class Laplacian scatter and minimize the within-class Laplacian scatter. In terms of the linear separability in high dimensional kernel mapping space and the dimension reduction of principal component analysis (PCA), an effective kernel PCA plus NDA method (KNDA) is proposed for rapid detection of gas mixture components by an e-Nose. The NDA framework is derived in this paper as well as the specific implementations of the proposed KNDA method in training and recognition process. The KNDA is examined on the e-Nose datasets of six kinds of gas components, and compared with state of the art e-Nose classification methods. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed KNDA method shows the best performance with average recognition rate and total recognition rate as 94.14% and 95.06% which leads to a promising feature extraction and multi-class recognition in e-Nose

Meta-analysis of field experiments shows no change in racial discrimination in hiring over time.

Science.gov (United States)

Quillian, Lincoln; Pager, Devah; Hexel, Ole; Midtbøen, Arnfinn H

2017-10-10

This study investigates change over time in the level of hiring discrimination in US labor markets. We perform a meta-analysis of every available field experiment of hiring discrimination against African Americans or Latinos ( n = 28). Together, these studies represent 55,842 applications submitted for 26,326 positions. We focus on trends since 1989 ( n = 24 studies), when field experiments became more common and improved methodologically. Since 1989, whites receive on average 36% more callbacks than African Americans, and 24% more callbacks than Latinos. We observe no change in the level of hiring discrimination against African Americans over the past 25 years, although we find modest evidence of a decline in discrimination against Latinos. Accounting for applicant education, applicant gender, study method, occupational groups, and local labor market conditions does little to alter this result. Contrary to claims of declining discrimination in American society, our estimates suggest that levels of discrimination remain largely unchanged, at least at the point of hire.

Subjective Socioeconomic Status Moderates the Association between Discrimination and Depression in African American Youth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shervin Assari

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Most of the literature on the association between socioeconomic status (SES and health is focused on the protective effects of SES. However, a growing literature suggests that high SES may also operate as a vulnerability factor. Aims: Using a national sample of African American youth, this study compared the effects of perceived discrimination on major depressive disorder (MDD based on SES. Methods: The current cross-sectional study included 810 African American youth who participated in the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent supplement. The independent variable was perceived discrimination. Lifetime, 12-month, and 30-day MDD were the dependent variables. Age and gender were covariates. Three SES indicators (subjective SES, income, and poverty index were moderators. We used logistic regressions for data analysis. Results: Perceived discrimination was associated with higher risk of lifetime, 12-month, and 30-day MDD. Interactions were found between subjective SES and perceived discrimination on lifetime, 12-month, and 30-day MDD, suggesting a stronger effect of perceived discrimination in youth with high subjective SES. Objective measures of SES (income and poverty index did not interact with perceived discrimination on MDD. Conclusion: While perceived discrimination is a universally harmful risk factor for MDD, its effect may depend on the SES of the individual. Findings suggest that high subjective SES may operate as a vulnerability factor for African American youth.

Stable isotope discrimination factors and between-tissue isotope comparisons for bone and skin from captive and wild green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas).

Science.gov (United States)

Turner Tomaszewicz, Calandra N; Seminoff, Jeffrey A; Price, Mike; Kurle, Carolyn M

2017-11-30

The ecological application of stable isotope analysis (SIA) relies on taxa- and tissue-specific stable carbon (Δ 13 C) and nitrogen (Δ 15 N) isotope discrimination factors, determined with captive animals reared on known diets for sufficient time to reflect dietary isotope ratios. However, captive studies often prohibit lethal sampling, are difficult with endangered species, and reflect conditions not experienced in the wild. We overcame these constraints and determined the Δ 13 C and Δ 15 N values for skin and cortical bone from green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) that died in captivity and evaluated the utility of a mathematical approach to predict discrimination factors. Using stable carbon (δ 13 C values) and nitrogen (δ 15 N values) isotope ratios from captive and wild turtles, we established relationships between bone stable isotope (SI) ratios and those from skin, a non-lethally sampled tissue, to facilitate comparisons of SI ratios among studies using multiple tissues. The mean (±SD) Δ 13 C and Δ 15 N values (‰) between skin and bone from captive turtles and their diet (non-lipid-extracted) were 2.3 ± 0.3 and 4.1 ± 0.4 and 2.1 ± 0.6 and 5.1 ± 1.1, respectively. The mathematically predicted Δ 13 C and Δ 15 N values were similar (to within 1‰) to the experimentally derived values. The mean δ 15 N values from bone were higher than those from skin for captive (+1.0 ± 0.9‰) and wild (+0.8 ± 1.0‰) turtles; the mean δ 13 C values from bone were lower than those from skin for wild turtles (-0.6 ± 0.9‰), but the same as for captive turtles. We used linear regression equations to describe bone vs skin relationships and create bone-to-skin isotope conversion equations. For sea turtles, we provide the first (a) bone-diet SI discrimination factors, (b) comparison of SI ratios from individual-specific bone and skin, and (c) evaluation of the application of a mathematical approach to predict stable isotope discrimination factors. Our approach

Factor Xa generation by computational modeling: an additional discriminator to thrombin generation evaluation.

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Kathleen E Brummel-Ziedins

Full Text Available Factor (fXa is a critical enzyme in blood coagulation that is responsible for the initiation and propagation of thrombin generation. Previously we have shown that analysis of computationally generated thrombin profiles is a tool to investigate hemostasis in various populations. In this study, we evaluate the potential of computationally derived time courses of fXa generation as another approach for investigating thrombotic risk. Utilizing the case (n = 473 and control (n = 426 population from the Leiden Thrombophilia Study and each individual's plasma protein factor composition for fII, fV, fVII, fVIII, fIX, fX, antithrombin and tissue factor pathway inhibitor, tissue factor-initiated total active fXa generation was assessed using a mathematical model. FXa generation was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC, the maximum rate (MaxR and level (MaxL and the time to reach these, TMaxR and TMaxL, respectively. FXa generation was analyzed in the entire populations and in defined subgroups (by sex, age, body mass index, oral contraceptive use. The maximum rates and levels of fXa generation occur over a 10- to 12- fold range in both cases and controls. This variation is larger than that observed with thrombin (3-6 fold in the same population. The greatest risk association was obtained using either MaxR or MaxL of fXa generation; with an ∼2.2 fold increased risk for individuals exceeding the 90(th percentile. This risk was similar to that of thrombin generation(MaxR OR 2.6. Grouping defined by oral contraceptive (OC use in the control population showed the biggest differences in fXa generation; a >60% increase in the MaxR upon OC use. FXa generation can distinguish between a subset of individuals characterized by overlapping thrombin generation profiles. Analysis of fXa generation is a phenotypic characteristic which may prove to be a more sensitive discriminator than thrombin generation among all individuals.

Discrimination analysis of ononis repens and ononis spinosa of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Discrimination analysis of ononis repens and ononis spinosa of the British Isles. CE Stephens. Abstract. No Abstract. Journal of the Ghana Association Vol. 2 (3) 1999: pp.88-94. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT · http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jgsa.v2i3.17997.

Discrimination of honeys using colorimetric sensor arrays, sensory analysis and gas chromatography techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Tahir, Haroon Elrasheid; Xiaobo, Zou; Xiaowei, Huang; Jiyong, Shi; Mariod, Abdalbasit Adam

2016-09-01

Aroma profiles of six honey varieties of different botanical origins were investigated using colorimetric sensor array, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and descriptive sensory analysis. Fifty-eight aroma compounds were identified, including 2 norisoprenoids, 5 hydrocarbons, 4 terpenes, 6 phenols, 7 ketones, 9 acids, 12 aldehydes and 13 alcohols. Twenty abundant or active compounds were chosen as key compounds to characterize honey aroma. Discrimination of the honeys was subsequently implemented using multivariate analysis, including hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Honeys of the same botanical origin were grouped together in the PCA score plot and HCA dendrogram. SPME-GC/MS and colorimetric sensor array were able to discriminate the honeys effectively with the advantages of being rapid, simple and low-cost. Moreover, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was applied to indicate the relationship between sensory descriptors and aroma compounds. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrimination of chicken seasonings and beef seasonings using electronic nose and sensory evaluation.

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Tian, Huaixiang; Li, Fenghua; Qin, Lan; Yu, Haiyan; Ma, Xia

2014-11-01

This study examines the feasibility of electronic nose as a method to discriminate chicken and beef seasonings and to predict sensory attributes. Sensory evaluation showed that 8 chicken seasonings and 4 beef seasonings could be well discriminated and classified based on 8 sensory attributes. The sensory attributes including chicken/beef, gamey, garlic, spicy, onion, soy sauce, retention, and overall aroma intensity were generated by a trained evaluation panel. Principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant factor analysis (DFA), and cluster analysis (CA) combined with electronic nose were used to discriminate seasoning samples based on the difference of the sensor response signals of chicken and beef seasonings. The correlation between sensory attributes and electronic nose sensors signal was established using partial least squares regression (PLSR) method. The results showed that the seasoning samples were all correctly classified by the electronic nose combined with PCA, DFA, and CA. The electronic nose gave good prediction results for all the sensory attributes with correlation coefficient (r) higher than 0.8. The work indicated that electronic nose is an effective method for discriminating different seasonings and predicting sensory attributes. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

Z-score linear discriminant analysis for EEG based brain-computer interfaces.

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Rui Zhang

Full Text Available Linear discriminant analysis (LDA is one of the most popular classification algorithms for brain-computer interfaces (BCI. LDA assumes Gaussian distribution of the data, with equal covariance matrices for the concerned classes, however, the assumption is not usually held in actual BCI applications, where the heteroscedastic class distributions are usually observed. This paper proposes an enhanced version of LDA, namely z-score linear discriminant analysis (Z-LDA, which introduces a new decision boundary definition strategy to handle with the heteroscedastic class distributions. Z-LDA defines decision boundary through z-score utilizing both mean and standard deviation information of the projected data, which can adaptively adjust the decision boundary to fit for heteroscedastic distribution situation. Results derived from both simulation dataset and two actual BCI datasets consistently show that Z-LDA achieves significantly higher average classification accuracies than conventional LDA, indicating the superiority of the new proposed decision boundary definition strategy.

Global classification of human facial healthy skin using PLS discriminant analysis and clustering analysis.

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Guinot, C; Latreille, J; Tenenhaus, M; Malvy, D J

2001-04-01

Today's classifications of healthy skin are predominantly based on a very limited number of skin characteristics, such as skin oiliness or susceptibility to sun exposure. The aim of the present analysis was to set up a global classification of healthy facial skin, using mathematical models. This classification is based on clinical, biophysical skin characteristics and self-reported information related to the skin, as well as the results of a theoretical skin classification assessed separately for the frontal and the malar zones of the face. In order to maximize the predictive power of the models with a minimum of variables, the Partial Least Square (PLS) discriminant analysis method was used. The resulting PLS components were subjected to clustering analyses to identify the plausible number of clusters and to group the individuals according to their proximities. Using this approach, four PLS components could be constructed and six clusters were found relevant. So, from the 36 hypothetical combinations of the theoretical skin types classification, we tended to a strengthened six classes proposal. Our data suggest that the association of the PLS discriminant analysis and the clustering methods leads to a valid and simple way to classify healthy human skin and represents a potentially useful tool for cosmetic and dermatological research.

Occupational factors contributing to low self-esteem in registered nurses and licensed practical nurses: a multivariate analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Imai, K

2001-03-01

The present study examines job-related factors leading to low self-esteem in nurses. The lowering of self-esteem suggests that such nurses had difficulty in fully accepting themselves and their circumstances. Subjects were registered nurses (RN) and licensed practical nurses (LPN) at hospitals, and unemployed registered nurses (UEN) seeking employment. Questionnaires were provided at 53 hospitals and a Nurse Bank in Kanagawa Prefecture. The responses of 552 RN, 146 LPN and 433 UEN were analyzed. Questions were asked about personal life, past or present nursing experience, working conditions, nursing skills, satisfaction with work performance and self-esteem. Factors giving rise to low self-esteem were determined using logistic regression analysis and logistic discriminant analysis. Employment status and qualifications were determined to be the most important factors determining the self-esteem of nurses. The next most important factors were 'a limited number of years of experience (less than five years)' and 'dissatisfaction with discretion and responsibility as a nurse' (P self-esteem for LPN was 4.07 times higher than for UEN, and 2.2 times higher than for RN by logistic regression analysis. LPN are treated as unskilled workers, and thus significant differences were apparent in their performance of certain job tasks. These differences were analyzed using discriminant analysis, and were referred to as follows, 1: Advanced assessment skills, 2: Advanced technical skills, 3: Advanced communication skills, and 4: Nursing plan and documentation (positive discrimination rate was 70.8%). Job dissatisfaction is closely associated with the level of professional training. Continuous education and a feedback system for various levels of nurses are needed.

IL-1β a potential factor for discriminating between thyroid carcinoma and atrophic thyroiditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kammoun-Krichen, Maha; Bougacha-Elleuch, Noura; Mnif, Mouna; Bougacha, Fadia; Charffedine, Ilhem; Rebuffat, Sandra; Rebai, Ahmed; Glasson, Emilie; Abid, Mohamed; Ayadi, Fatma; Péraldi-Roux, Sylvie; Ayadi, Hammadi

2012-01-01

Interactions between cytokines and others soluble factors (hormones, antibodies...) can play an important role in the development of thyroid pathogenesis. The purpose of the present study was to examine the possible correlation between serum cytokine concentrations, thyroid hormones (FT4 and TSH) and auto-antibodies (Tg and TPO), and their usefulness in discriminating between different thyroid conditions. In this study, we investigated serum from 115 patients affected with a variety of thyroid conditions (44 Graves' disease, 17 Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 11 atrophic thyroiditis, 28 thyroid nodular goitre and 15 papillary thyroid cancer), and 30 controls. Levels of 17 cytokines in serum samples were measured simultaneously using a multiplexed human cytokine assay. Thyroid hormones and auto-antibodies were measured using ELISA. Our study showed that IL-1β serum concentrations allow the discrimination between atrophic thyroiditis and papillary thyroid cancer groups (p = 0.027).

Robust Nonnegative Matrix Factorization via Joint Graph Laplacian and Discriminative Information for Identifying Differentially Expressed Genes

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Ling-Yun Dai

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Differential expression plays an important role in cancer diagnosis and classification. In recent years, many methods have been used to identify differentially expressed genes. However, the recognition rate and reliability of gene selection still need to be improved. In this paper, a novel constrained method named robust nonnegative matrix factorization via joint graph Laplacian and discriminative information (GLD-RNMF is proposed for identifying differentially expressed genes, in which manifold learning and the discriminative label information are incorporated into the traditional nonnegative matrix factorization model to train the objective matrix. Specifically, L2,1-norm minimization is enforced on both the error function and the regularization term which is robust to outliers and noise in gene data. Furthermore, the multiplicative update rules and the details of convergence proof are shown for the new model. The experimental results on two publicly available cancer datasets demonstrate that GLD-RNMF is an effective method for identifying differentially expressed genes.

Comprehensive analysis of the related factors of early hypothyroidism occurring in patients with Graves' disease after 131I treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan Jian; Wang Peng; Zhang Lijuan; He Yajing; Wang Renfei

2005-01-01

Objective: To make a comprehensive analysis of the related factors of early hypothyroidism occurring in patients with Graves' disease after 131 I treatment. Methods: The information of 131 I treated Graves' disease was collected including general data, clinical observation, laboratory data, thyroid function test, etc. Then a retrospective statistical analysis was carried out, using cluster analysis, factor analysis, discriminant analysis, multivariate regression analysis, etc. Results: 1) Cluster analysis and factor analysis showed that among clinical observation such as clinical course, treatment course, patients' state and disease occurrance, the first three factors correlated highly; among laboratory data such as thyrotrophin receptor antibody (TRAb), thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSI), thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) and thyroid microsomal antibody (TMAb), both the first two and the last two correlated highly, each two factors had the similar effect. 2) Fsher discriminant analysis showed that among the thyroid weight, the effective half life, the maximum 131 I uptake percentage, total dose of 131 I and the average dose of 131 I per gram of thyroid, the last one had the most predicting value for incidence of early hypothyroidism. 3) Logistic regression analysis showed that among all the related factors of early hypothyroidism occurred after 131 I treated Graves' disease, thyroid weight, average dose of 131 I per gram of thyroid, the maximum 131 I uptake percentage and the level of TSI were effective factors. Conclusions: The occurrence of early hypothyroidism for 131 I-treated Graves' disease is probably affected by many factors. If more factors are taken into consideration before therapy and the theraputic dose is well adjusted accordingly, it can reduce the incidence of early hypothroidism to a certain extent. (authors)

Isokinetic evaluation of knee muscles in soccer players: discriminant analysis

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Bruno Fles Mazuquin

2015-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTIntroduction:Muscle activity in soccer players can be measured by isokinetic dynamometer, which is a reliable tool for assessing human performance.Objectives:To perform isokinetic analyses and to determine which variables differentiate the under-17 (U17 soccer category from the professional (PRO.Methods:Thirty four players were assessed (n=17 for each category. The isokinetic variables used for the knee extension-flexion analysis were: peak torque (Nm, total work (J, average power (W, angle of peak torque (deg., agonist/ antagonist ratio (%, measured for three velocities (60°/s, 120°/s and 300°/s, with each series containing five repetitions. Three Wilks' Lambda discriminant analyses were performed, to identify which variables were more significant for the definition of each of the categories.Results:The discriminative variables at 60°/s in the PRO category were: extension peak torque, flexion total work, extension average power and agonist/antagonist ratio; and for the U17s were: extension total work, flexion peak torque and flexion average power. At 120°/s for the PRO category the discriminant variables were: flexion peak torque and extension average power; for the U17s they were: extension total work and flexion average power. Finally at 300°/s, the variables found in the PRO and U17 categories respectively were: extension average power and extension total work.Conclusion:Isokinetic variables for flexion and extension knee muscles were able to significantly discriminate between PRO and U17 soccer players.

Selecting predictors for discriminant analysis of species performance: an example from an amphibious softwater plant.

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Vanderhaeghe, F; Smolders, A J P; Roelofs, J G M; Hoffmann, M

2012-03-01

Selecting an appropriate variable subset in linear multivariate methods is an important methodological issue for ecologists. Interest often exists in obtaining general predictive capacity or in finding causal inferences from predictor variables. Because of a lack of solid knowledge on a studied phenomenon, scientists explore predictor variables in order to find the most meaningful (i.e. discriminating) ones. As an example, we modelled the response of the amphibious softwater plant Eleocharis multicaulis using canonical discriminant function analysis. We asked how variables can be selected through comparison of several methods: univariate Pearson chi-square screening, principal components analysis (PCA) and step-wise analysis, as well as combinations of some methods. We expected PCA to perform best. The selected methods were evaluated through fit and stability of the resulting discriminant functions and through correlations between these functions and the predictor variables. The chi-square subset, at P < 0.05, followed by a step-wise sub-selection, gave the best results. In contrast to expectations, PCA performed poorly, as so did step-wise analysis. The different chi-square subset methods all yielded ecologically meaningful variables, while probable noise variables were also selected by PCA and step-wise analysis. We advise against the simple use of PCA or step-wise discriminant analysis to obtain an ecologically meaningful variable subset; the former because it does not take into account the response variable, the latter because noise variables are likely to be selected. We suggest that univariate screening techniques are a worthwhile alternative for variable selection in ecology. © 2011 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Insight into the Stigma of Suicide Loss Survivors: Factor Analyses of Family Stereotypes, Prejudices, and Discriminations.

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Corrigan, Patrick W; Sheehan, Lindsay; Al-Khouja, Maya A; Lewy, Stanley; Major, Deborah R; Mead, Jessica; Redmon, Megghun; Rubey, Charles T; Weber, Stephanie

2018-01-01

Families of individuals who die by suicide report public stigma that threatens their well-being. This study used a community-based participatory (CBPR) approach to describe a factor structure for the family stigma of suicide. Candidate items (n = 82) from a previous qualitative study were presented in an online survey format. Members of the public (n = 232) indicated how much they thought items represented public views and behaviors towards family members who lost a loved one to suicide. Factor analyses revealed two factors for stereotypes (dysfunctional, blameworthy), one factor for prejudice (fear and distrust), and three factors for discrimination (exclusion, secrecy, and avoidance).

Penalized discriminant analysis for the detection of wild-grown and cultivated Ganoderma lucidum using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Ying; Tan, Tuck Lee

2016-04-15

An effective and simple analytical method using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to distinguish wild-grown high-quality Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) from cultivated one is of essential importance for its quality assurance and medicinal value estimation. Commonly used chemical and analytical methods using full spectrum are not so effective for the detection and interpretation due to the complex system of the herbal medicine. In this study, two penalized discriminant analysis models, penalized linear discriminant analysis (PLDA) and elastic net (Elnet),using FTIR spectroscopy have been explored for the purpose of discrimination and interpretation. The classification performances of the two penalized models have been compared with two widely used multivariate methods, principal component discriminant analysis (PCDA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA). The Elnet model involving a combination of L1 and L2 norm penalties enabled an automatic selection of a small number of informative spectral absorption bands and gave an excellent classification accuracy of 99% for discrimination between spectra of wild-grown and cultivated G. lucidum. Its classification performance was superior to that of the PLDA model in a pure L1 setting and outperformed the PCDA and PLSDA models using full wavelength. The well-performed selection of informative spectral features leads to substantial reduction in model complexity and improvement of classification accuracy, and it is particularly helpful for the quantitative interpretations of the major chemical constituents of G. lucidum regarding its anti-cancer effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Penalized discriminant analysis for the detection of wild-grown and cultivated Ganoderma lucidum using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Ying; Tan, Tuck Lee

2016-04-01

An effective and simple analytical method using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to distinguish wild-grown high-quality Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) from cultivated one is of essential importance for its quality assurance and medicinal value estimation. Commonly used chemical and analytical methods using full spectrum are not so effective for the detection and interpretation due to the complex system of the herbal medicine. In this study, two penalized discriminant analysis models, penalized linear discriminant analysis (PLDA) and elastic net (Elnet),using FTIR spectroscopy have been explored for the purpose of discrimination and interpretation. The classification performances of the two penalized models have been compared with two widely used multivariate methods, principal component discriminant analysis (PCDA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA). The Elnet model involving a combination of L1 and L2 norm penalties enabled an automatic selection of a small number of informative spectral absorption bands and gave an excellent classification accuracy of 99% for discrimination between spectra of wild-grown and cultivated G. lucidum. Its classification performance was superior to that of the PLDA model in a pure L1 setting and outperformed the PCDA and PLSDA models using full wavelength. The well-performed selection of informative spectral features leads to substantial reduction in model complexity and improvement of classification accuracy, and it is particularly helpful for the quantitative interpretations of the major chemical constituents of G. lucidum regarding its anti-cancer effects.

Is it really organic? – Multi-isotopic analysis as a tool to discriminate between organic and conventional plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, K.H.; Mihailova, A.; Kelly, S.D.

2013-01-01

for discrimination of organically and conventionally grown plants. The study was based on wheat, barley, faba bean and potato produced in rigorously controlled long-term field trials comprising 144 experimental plots. Nitrogen isotope analysis revealed the use of animal manure, but was unable to discriminate between......Novel procedures for analytical authentication of organic plant products are urgently needed. Here we present the first study encompassing stable isotopes of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, magnesium and sulphur as well as compound-specific nitrogen and oxygen isotope analysis of nitrate...... plants that were fertilised with synthetic nitrogen fertilisers or green manures from atmospheric nitrogen fixing legumes. This limitation was bypassed using oxygen isotope analysis of nitrate in potato tubers, while hydrogen isotope analysis allowed complete discrimination of organic and conventional...

Cross coherence independent component analysis in resting and action states EEG discrimination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almurshedi, A; Ismail, A K

2014-01-01

Cross Coherence time frequency transform and independent component analysis (ICA) method were used to analyse the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in resting and action states during open and close eyes conditions. From the topographical scalp distributions of delta, theta, alpha, and beta power spectrum can clearly discriminate between the signal when the eyes were open or closed, but it was difficult to distinguish between resting and action states when the eyes were closed. In open eyes condition, the frontal area (Fp1, Fp2) was activated (higher power) in delta and theta bands whilst occipital (O1, O2) and partial (P3, P4, Pz) area of brain was activated alpha band in closed eyes condition. The cross coherence method of time frequency analysis is capable of discrimination between rest and action brain signals in closed eyes condition

Morphological evaluation of common bean diversity in Bosnia and Herzegovina using the discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC multivariate method

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Grahić Jasmin

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In order to analyze morphological characteristics of locally cultivated common bean landraces from Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H, thirteen quantitative and qualitative traits of 40 P. vulgaris accessions, collected from four geographical regions (Northwest B&H, Northeast B&H, Central B&H and Sarajevo and maintained at the Gene bank of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences in Sarajevo, were examined. Principal component analysis (PCA showed that the proportion of variance retained in the first two principal components was 54.35%. The first principal component had high contributing factor loadings from seed width, seed height and seed weight, whilst the second principal component had high contributing factor loadings from the analyzed traits seed per pod and pod length. PCA plot, based on the first two principal components, displayed a high level of variability among the analyzed material. The discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC created 3 discriminant functions (DF, whereby the first two discriminant functions accounted for 90.4% of the variance retained. Based on the retained DFs, DAPC provided group membership probabilities which showed that 70% of the accessions examined were correctly classified between the geographically defined groups. Based on the taxonomic distance, 40 common bean accessions analyzed in this study formed two major clusters, whereas two accessions Acc304 and Acc307 didn’t group in any of those. Acc360 and Acc362, as well as Acc324 and Acc371 displayed a high level of similarity and are probably the same landrace. The present diversity of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s common been landraces could be useful in future breeding programs.

Place of birth effects on self-reported discrimination: Variations by type of discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Brondolo, Elizabeth; Rahim, Reanne; Grimaldi, Stephanie; Ashraf, Amina; Bui, Nini; Schwartz, Joseph

2015-11-01

Researchers have suggested that perceptions of discrimination may vary depending on place of birth and the length of time spent living in the U.S., variables related to acculturation. However, the existing literature provides a mixed picture, with data suggesting that the effects of acculturation on perceptions of discrimination vary by race and other sociodemographic factors. This study evaluated the role of place of birth (POB: defined as U.S.-born vs. foreign-born), age at immigration, and length of residence in the U.S. on self-reported discrimination in a sample of urban-dwelling Asian and Black adults (n= 1454). Analyses examined POB effects on different types of discrimination including race-related stigmatization, exclusion, threat, and workplace discrimination. Sociodemographic variables (including age, gender, employment status and education level) were tested as potential moderators of the relationship between POB and discrimination. The results revealed a significant main effect for POB on discrimination, with U.S.-born individuals reporting significantly more discrimination than foreign-born individuals, although the effect was reduced when sociodemographic variables were controlled. Across the sample, POB effects were seen only for race-related stigmatization and exclusion, not for threat and workplace discrimination. With the exception of limited effects for gender, sociodemographic variables did not moderate these effects. Younger age at immigration and greater years of residence in the U.S. were also positively associated with higher levels of perceived discrimination. These findings suggest increasing acculturation may shape the experience and perception of racial and ethnic discrimination.

Place of birth effects on self-reported discrimination: Variations by type of discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

Brondolo, Elizabeth; Rahim, Reanne; Grimaldi, Stephanie; Ashraf, Amina; Bui, Nini; Schwartz, Joseph

2016-01-01

Researchers have suggested that perceptions of discrimination may vary depending on place of birth and the length of time spent living in the U.S., variables related to acculturation. However, the existing literature provides a mixed picture, with data suggesting that the effects of acculturation on perceptions of discrimination vary by race and other sociodemographic factors. This study evaluated the role of place of birth (POB: defined as U.S.-born vs. foreign-born), age at immigration, and length of residence in the U.S. on self-reported discrimination in a sample of urban-dwelling Asian and Black adults (n= 1454). Analyses examined POB effects on different types of discrimination including race-related stigmatization, exclusion, threat, and workplace discrimination. Sociodemographic variables (including age, gender, employment status and education level) were tested as potential moderators of the relationship between POB and discrimination. The results revealed a significant main effect for POB on discrimination, with U.S.-born individuals reporting significantly more discrimination than foreign-born individuals, although the effect was reduced when sociodemographic variables were controlled. Across the sample, POB effects were seen only for race-related stigmatization and exclusion, not for threat and workplace discrimination. With the exception of limited effects for gender, sociodemographic variables did not moderate these effects. Younger age at immigration and greater years of residence in the U.S. were also positively associated with higher levels of perceived discrimination. These findings suggest increasing acculturation may shape the experience and perception of racial and ethnic discrimination. PMID:27647943

Theoretical remarks on the statistics of three discriminants in Piety's automated signature analysis of PSD [Power Spectral Density] data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behringer, K.; Spiekerman, G.

1984-01-01

Piety (1977) proposed an automated signature analysis of power spectral density data. Eight statistical decision discriminants are introduced. For nearly all the discriminants, improved confidence statements can be made. The statistical characteristics of the last three discriminants, which are applications of non-parametric tests, are considered. (author)

Impact of social factors on labour discrimination of disabled women.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondéjar-Jiménez, José; Vargas-Vargas, Manuel; Meseguer-Santamaría, María-Leticia; Mondéjar-Jiménez, Juan-Antonio

2009-01-01

Disabled women suffer from a double labour discrimination due to their gender and their disability. In rural areas, in addition, they also suffer from a lack of specific services, the isolation of the disabled associations, problems with public transport, the dispersion of population centres, and a limited access to information that could improve their chances of entering the labour market. The current work adopts a constructivist perspective on disability and offers a preliminary examination of the influence of social factors, such as the rural or urban nature of the disabled women's place of residence, the assistance they receive from their family or outside the family, the quantity of information they receive about the labour market, and their educational level, on the activity and employment status of this group of people.

Discriminant cognitive factors in responder and non-responder patients with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Stip, E; Lussier, I; Ngan, E; Mendrek, A; Liddle, P

1999-12-01

To identify which improvements in cognitive function are associated with symptom resolution in schizophrenic patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. a prospective open trial with atypical neuroleptics (risperidone, clozapine, quetiapine). Inpatient and outpatient units, Institute of Psychiatry. Thirty-nine patients with schizophrenia according to DSM-IV criteria were included. Clinical and cognitive assessment were done at baseline (T0) and again after six months of treatment (T2). Twenty-five patients completed the trial. New-generation antipsychotics during six months. Patients were considered as responders if their PANSS score decreased at least 20% (n = 15) and non-responders if it did not (n = 10). a computerized cognitive assessment comprised tests of short-term-memory (digit span), explicit long-term memory (word pair learning), divided attention, selective attention and verbal fluency (orthographic and semantic). Clinical assessment included PANSS and ESRS. A discriminant function analysis was performed to determine which changes in cognitive performance predicted symptomatic response status. Semantic fluency and orthographic fluency were significant predictors. Together they correctly predicted responder status in 88% of cases. Memory was not a significant predictor of symptomatic response. Verbal fluency discriminated the responder from the non-responder group during a pharmacological treatment.

Studies in genetic discrimination. Final progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-06-01

We have screened 1006 respondents in a study of genetic discrimination. Analysis of these responses has produced evidence of the range of institutions engaged in genetic discrimination and demonstrates the impact of this discrimination on the respondents to the study. We have found that both ignorance and policy underlie genetic discrimination and that anti-discrimination laws are being violated.

Discrimination, work and health in immigrant populations in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Agudelo-Suárez, Andrés; Gil-González, Diana; Ronda-Pérez, Elena; Porthé, Victoria; Paramio-Pérez, Gema; García, Ana M; Garí, Aitana

2009-05-01

One of the most important social phenomena in the global context is the flow of immigration from developing countries, motivated by economic and employment related issues. Discrimination can be approached as a health risk factor within the immigrant population's working environment, especially for those immigrants at greater risk from social exclusion and marginalisation. The aim of this study is to research perceptions of discrimination and the specific relationship between discrimination in the workplace and health among Spain's immigrant population. A qualitative study was performed by means of 84 interviews and 12 focus groups held with immigrant workers in five cities in Spain receiving a large influx of immigrants (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Huelva), covering representative immigrant communities in Spain (Romanians, Moroccans, Ecuadorians, Colombians and Sub-Saharan Africans). Discourse narrative content analysis was performed using pre-established categories and gradually incorporating other emerging categories from the immigrant interviewees themselves. The participants reported instances of discrimination in their community and working life, characterised by experiences of racism, mistreatment and precarious working conditions in comparison to the Spanish-born population. They also talked about limitations in terms of accessible occupations (mainly construction, the hotel and restaurant trade, domestic service and agriculture), and described major difficulties accessing other types of work (for example public administration). They also identified political and legal structural barriers related with social institutions. Experiences of discrimination can affect their mental health and are decisive factors regarding access to healthcare services. Our results suggest the need to adopt integration policies in both the countries of origin and the host country, to acknowledge labour and social rights, and to conduct further research into individual

General tensor discriminant analysis and gabor features for gait recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Dacheng; Li, Xuelong; Wu, Xindong; Maybank, Stephen J

2007-10-01

The traditional image representations are not suited to conventional classification methods, such as the linear discriminant analysis (LDA), because of the under sample problem (USP): the dimensionality of the feature space is much higher than the number of training samples. Motivated by the successes of the two dimensional LDA (2DLDA) for face recognition, we develop a general tensor discriminant analysis (GTDA) as a preprocessing step for LDA. The benefits of GTDA compared with existing preprocessing methods, e.g., principal component analysis (PCA) and 2DLDA, include 1) the USP is reduced in subsequent classification by, for example, LDA; 2) the discriminative information in the training tensors is preserved; and 3) GTDA provides stable recognition rates because the alternating projection optimization algorithm to obtain a solution of GTDA converges, while that of 2DLDA does not. We use human gait recognition to validate the proposed GTDA. The averaged gait images are utilized for gait representation. Given the popularity of Gabor function based image decompositions for image understanding and object recognition, we develop three different Gabor function based image representations: 1) the GaborD representation is the sum of Gabor filter responses over directions, 2) GaborS is the sum of Gabor filter responses over scales, and 3) GaborSD is the sum of Gabor filter responses over scales and directions. The GaborD, GaborS and GaborSD representations are applied to the problem of recognizing people from their averaged gait images.A large number of experiments were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness (recognition rate) of gait recognition based on first obtaining a Gabor, GaborD, GaborS or GaborSD image representation, then using GDTA to extract features and finally using LDA for classification. The proposed methods achieved good performance for gait recognition based on image sequences from the USF HumanID Database. Experimental comparisons are made with nine

Discrimination of the rare medicinal plant Dendrobium officinale based on naringenin, bibenzyl, and polysaccharides.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiaomei; Wang, Fangfei; Wang, Yunqiang; Li, Xuelan; Wang, Airong; Wang, Chunlan; Guo, Shunxing

2012-12-01

The aim of this study was to establish a method for discriminating Dendrobium officinale from four of its close relatives Dendrobium chrysanthum, Dendrobium crystallinum, Dendrobium aphyllum and Dendrobium devonianum based on chemical composition analysis. We analyzed 62 samples of 24 Dendrobium species. High performance liquid chromatography analysis confirmed that the four low molecular weight compounds 4',5,7-trihydroxyflavanone (naringenin), 3,4-dihydroxy-4',5-dime-thoxybibenzyl (DDB-2), 3',4-dihydroxy-3,5'-dimethoxybibenzyl (gigantol), and 4,4'-dihydroxy-3,3',5-trimethoxybibenzy (moscatilin), were common in the genus. The phenol-sulfuric acid method was used to quantify polysaccharides, and the monosaccharide composition of the polysaccharides was determined by gas chromatography. Stepwise discriminant analysis was used to differentiate among the five closely related species based on the chemical composition analysis. This proved to be a simple and accurate approach for discriminating among these species. The results also showed that the polysaccharide content, the amounts of the four low molecular weight compounds, and the mannose to glucose ratio, were important factors for species discriminant. Therefore, we propose that a chemical analysis based on quantification of naringenin, bibenzyl, and polysaccharides is effective for identifying D. officinale.

Spike detection, characterization, and discrimination using feature analysis software written in LabVIEW.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, C M; Newlands, S D; Perachio, A A

2004-12-01

Rapid and accurate discrimination of single units from extracellular recordings is a fundamental process for the analysis and interpretation of electrophysiological recordings. We present an algorithm that performs detection, characterization, discrimination, and analysis of action potentials from extracellular recording sessions. The program was entirely written in LabVIEW (National Instruments), and requires no external hardware devices or a priori information about action potential shapes. Waveform events are detected by scanning the digital record for voltages that exceed a user-adjustable trigger. Detected events are characterized to determine nine different time and voltage levels for each event. Various algebraic combinations of these waveform features are used as axis choices for 2-D Cartesian plots of events. The user selects axis choices that generate distinct clusters. Multiple clusters may be defined as action potentials by manually generating boundaries of arbitrary shape. Events defined as action potentials are validated by visual inspection of overlain waveforms. Stimulus-response relationships may be identified by selecting any recorded channel for comparison to continuous and average cycle histograms of binned unit data. The algorithm includes novel aspects of feature analysis and acquisition, including higher acquisition rates for electrophysiological data compared to other channels. The program confirms that electrophysiological data may be discriminated with high-speed and efficiency using algebraic combinations of waveform features derived from high-speed digital records.

Diet-tissue stable isotope (Δ¹³C and Δ¹⁵N) discrimination factors for multiple tissues from terrestrial reptiles

OpenAIRE

Steinitz, R; Lemm, JM; Pasachnik, SA; Kurle, CM

2016-01-01

Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Rationale Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for reconstructing trophic interactions to better understand drivers of community ecology. Taxon-specific stable isotope discrimination factors contribute to the best use of this tool. We determined the first Δ 13 C and Δ 15 N values for Rock Iguanas (Cyclura spp.) to better understand isotopic fractionation and estimate wild reptile foraging ecology. Methods The Δ 13 C and Δ 15 N values between di...

Factor Analysis for Finding Invariant Neural Descriptors of Human Emotions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vitor Pereira

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A major challenge in decoding human emotions from electroencephalogram (EEG data is finding representations that are invariant to inter- and intrasubject differences. Most of the previous studies are focused in building an individual discrimination model for every subject (subject dependent model. Building subject-independent models is a harder problem due to the high data variability between different subjects and different experiments with the same subject. This paper explores, for the first time, the Factor Analysis as an efficient technique to extract temporal and spatial EEG features suitable to build brain-computer interface for decoding human emotions across various subjects. Our findings show that early waves (temporal window of 200–400 ms after the stimulus onset carry more information about the valence of the emotion. Also, spatial location of features, with a stronger impact on the emotional valence, occurs in the parietal and occipital regions of the brain. All discrimination models (NN, SVM, kNN, and RF demonstrate better discrimination rate of the positive valence. These results match closely experimental psychology hypothesis that, during early periods after the stimulus presentation, the brain response—to images with highly positive valence—is stronger.

Determinants of Experience of Discrimination in Minorities in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurt Salentin

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This study examines perceived ethnic discrimination (as opposed to “objective” discrimination. It includes a discussion of definitions of discrimination and attempts to measure it, and a review of findings on the distribution of discrimination experiences among minorities. The aim of the study is to determine the influence of factors that increase the risk of exposure to situations in which discrimination can take place (exposure hypothesis, and those that sensitize perceptions and give rise to different frequencies of subjective feelings of discrimination (sensitization hypothesis. A standardized questionnaire was adminis- tered to a random sample of German-born persons of Turkish and Greek origin and Aussiedler (ethnic Germans born in the former Soviet Union (total N = 301. Minorities of non-German, especially of Turkish origin reported significantly more discrimination than Aussiedler in a set of nineteen everyday situations. A bivari- ate correlation was found between number of incidents reported and employment status with homemakers reporting the fewest incidents. However, multiple regression analysis yielded no significant effect, thus lending no clear support to the exposure hypothesis. Frequency of contacts with German friends has no effect and seems not to entail an increase in exposure opportunities, but may lead to a desensitization to discrimination due to the erosion of the relevance of ethnic categories. On the other hand, an influence through intra-ethnic contacts clearly occurs, as frequency of contact with co-ethnic friends exerts a strong positive effect on experienced discrimination. A similar effect was found for ethnic self-awareness. The latter finding confirms the sensitization hypothesis.

Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV by healthcare providers, Southwest Ethiopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feyissa Garumma T

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Stigma and discrimination against people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV are obstacles in the way of effective responses to HIV. Understanding the extent of stigma / discrimination and the underlying causes is necessary for developing strategies to reduce them. This study was conducted to explore stigma and discrimination against PLHIV amongst healthcare providers in Jimma zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study, employing quantitative and qualitative methods, was conducted in 18 healthcare institutions of Jimma zone, during March 14 to April 14, 2011. A total of 255 healthcare providers responded to questionnaires asking about sociodemographic characteristics, HIV knowledge, perceived institutional support and HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Factor analysis was employed to create measurement scales for stigma and factor scores were used in one way analysis of variance (ANOVA, T-tests, Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression analyses. Qualitative data collected using key-informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs were employed to triangulate with the findings from the quantitative survey. Results Mean stigma scores (as the percentages of maximum scale scores were: 66.4 for the extra precaution scale, 52.3 for the fear of work-related HIV transmission, 49.4 for the lack of feelings of safety, 39.0 for the value-driven stigma, 37.4 for unethical treatment of PLHIV, 34.4 for discomfort around PLHIV and 31.1 for unofficial disclosure. Testing and disclosing test results without consent, designating HIV clients and unnecessary referral to other healthcare institutions and refusal to treat clients were identified. Having in-depth HIV knowledge, the perception of institutional support, attending training on stigma and discrimination, educational level of degree or higher, high HIV case loads, the presence of ART service in the healthcare facility and claiming to be

Discrimination of whisky brands and counterfeit identification by UV-Vis spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Angélica Rocha; Talhavini, Márcio; Vieira, Maurício Leite; Zacca, Jorge Jardim; Braga, Jez Willian Batista

2017-08-15

The discrimination of whisky brands and counterfeit identification were performed by UV-Vis spectroscopy combined with partial least squares for discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). In the proposed method all spectra were obtained with no sample preparation. The discrimination models were built with the employment of seven whisky brands: Red Label, Black Label, White Horse, Chivas Regal (12years), Ballantine's Finest, Old Parr and Natu Nobilis. The method was validated with an independent test set of authentic samples belonging to the seven selected brands and another eleven brands not included in the training samples. Furthermore, seventy-three counterfeit samples were also used to validate the method. Results showed correct classification rates for genuine and false samples over 98.6% and 93.1%, respectively, indicating that the method can be helpful for the forensic analysis of whisky samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discriminant forest classification method and system

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Barry Y.; Hanley, William G.; Lemmond, Tracy D.; Hiller, Lawrence J.; Knapp, David A.; Mugge, Marshall J.

2012-11-06

A hybrid machine learning methodology and system for classification that combines classical random forest (RF) methodology with discriminant analysis (DA) techniques to provide enhanced classification capability. A DA technique which uses feature measurements of an object to predict its class membership, such as linear discriminant analysis (LDA) or Andersen-Bahadur linear discriminant technique (AB), is used to split the data at each node in each of its classification trees to train and grow the trees and the forest. When training is finished, a set of n DA-based decision trees of a discriminant forest is produced for use in predicting the classification of new samples of unknown class.

A novel electroencephalographic analysis method discriminates alcohol effects from those of other sedative/hypnotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Steffensen, Scott C; Lee, Rong-Sheng; Henriksen, Steven J; Packer, Thomas L; Cook, Daniel R

2002-04-15

Here we describe a mathematical and statistical signal processing strategy termed event resolution imaging (ERI). Our principal objective was to determine if the acute intoxicating effects of ethanol on spontaneous EEG activity could be discriminated from those of other sedative/hypnotics. We employed ERI to combine and integrate standard analysis methods to learn multiple signal features of time-varying EEG signals. We recorded cortical EEG, electromyographic activity, and motor activity during intravenous administration of saline, ethanol (1.0 g/kg), chlordiazepoxide (10 mg/kg), pentobarbital (6 mg/kg), heroin (0.3 mg/kg), and methamphetamine (2 mg/kg) administered on separate days in six rats. A blind treatment of one of the drugs was readministered to validate the efficacy of ERI analysis. Significant changes in spontaneous EEG activity produced by all five drugs were detected by ERI analysis with a time resolution of 5-10 s. ERI analysis of spontaneous EEG activity also discriminated, with 90-95% accuracy, an ataxic dose of ethanol versus equivalent ataxic doses of chlordiazepoxide or pentobarbital, as well as the effects of saline, a reinforcing dose of heroin, or a locomotor activating dose of methamphetamine. ERI correctly matched the 'blind drug' as ethanol. These findings indicate that ERI analysis can detect the central nervous system effects of various psychoactive drugs and accurately discriminate the electrocortical effects of select sedative/hypnotics, with similar behavioral endpoints, but with dissimilar mechanisms of action.

From discrimination to internalized mental illness stigma: The mediating roles of anticipated discrimination and anticipated stigma.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Diane M; Williams, Michelle K; Weisz, Bradley M

2015-06-01

Internalizing mental illness stigma is related to poorer well-being, but less is known about the factors that predict levels of internalized stigma. This study explored how experiences of discrimination relate to greater anticipation of discrimination and devaluation in the future and how anticipation of stigma in turn predicts greater stigma internalization. Participants were 105 adults with mental illness who self-reported their experiences of discrimination based on their mental illness, their anticipation of discrimination and social devaluation from others in the future, and their level of internalized stigma. Participants were approached in several locations and completed surveys on laptop computers. Correlational analyses indicated that more experiences of discrimination due to one's mental illness were related to increased anticipated discrimination in the future, increased anticipated social stigma from others, and greater internalized stigma. Multiple serial mediator analyses showed that the effect of experiences of discrimination on internalized stigma was fully mediated by increased anticipated discrimination and anticipated stigma. Experiences of discrimination over one's lifetime may influence not only how much future discrimination people with mental illness are concerned with but also how much they internalize negative feelings about the self. Mental health professionals may need to address concerns with future discrimination and devaluation in order to decrease internalized stigma. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Dimensionality Reduction of Hyperspectral Image with Graph-Based Discriminant Analysis Considering Spectral Similarity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fubiao Feng

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Recently, graph embedding has drawn great attention for dimensionality reduction in hyperspectral imagery. For example, locality preserving projection (LPP utilizes typical Euclidean distance in a heat kernel to create an affinity matrix and projects the high-dimensional data into a lower-dimensional space. However, the Euclidean distance is not sufficiently correlated with intrinsic spectral variation of a material, which may result in inappropriate graph representation. In this work, a graph-based discriminant analysis with spectral similarity (denoted as GDA-SS measurement is proposed, which fully considers curves changing description among spectral bands. Experimental results based on real hyperspectral images demonstrate that the proposed method is superior to traditional methods, such as supervised LPP, and the state-of-the-art sparse graph-based discriminant analysis (SGDA.

Manifold regularized discriminative nonnegative matrix factorization with fast gradient descent.

Science.gov (United States)

Guan, Naiyang; Tao, Dacheng; Luo, Zhigang; Yuan, Bo

2011-07-01

Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) has become a popular data-representation method and has been widely used in image processing and pattern-recognition problems. This is because the learned bases can be interpreted as a natural parts-based representation of data and this interpretation is consistent with the psychological intuition of combining parts to form a whole. For practical classification tasks, however, NMF ignores both the local geometry of data and the discriminative information of different classes. In addition, existing research results show that the learned basis is unnecessarily parts-based because there is neither explicit nor implicit constraint to ensure the representation parts-based. In this paper, we introduce the manifold regularization and the margin maximization to NMF and obtain the manifold regularized discriminative NMF (MD-NMF) to overcome the aforementioned problems. The multiplicative update rule (MUR) can be applied to optimizing MD-NMF, but it converges slowly. In this paper, we propose a fast gradient descent (FGD) to optimize MD-NMF. FGD contains a Newton method that searches the optimal step length, and thus, FGD converges much faster than MUR. In addition, FGD includes MUR as a special case and can be applied to optimizing NMF and its variants. For a problem with 165 samples in R(1600), FGD converges in 28 s, while MUR requires 282 s. We also apply FGD in a variant of MD-NMF and experimental results confirm its efficiency. Experimental results on several face image datasets suggest the effectiveness of MD-NMF.

Semi-supervised learning for ordinal Kernel Discriminant Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Ortiz, M; Gutiérrez, P A; Carbonero-Ruz, M; Hervás-Martínez, C

2016-12-01

Ordinal classification considers those classification problems where the labels of the variable to predict follow a given order. Naturally, labelled data is scarce or difficult to obtain in this type of problems because, in many cases, ordinal labels are given by a user or expert (e.g. in recommendation systems). Firstly, this paper develops a new strategy for ordinal classification where both labelled and unlabelled data are used in the model construction step (a scheme which is referred to as semi-supervised learning). More specifically, the ordinal version of kernel discriminant learning is extended for this setting considering the neighbourhood information of unlabelled data, which is proposed to be computed in the feature space induced by the kernel function. Secondly, a new method for semi-supervised kernel learning is devised in the context of ordinal classification, which is combined with our developed classification strategy to optimise the kernel parameters. The experiments conducted compare 6 different approaches for semi-supervised learning in the context of ordinal classification in a battery of 30 datasets, showing (1) the good synergy of the ordinal version of discriminant analysis and the use of unlabelled data and (2) the advantage of computing distances in the feature space induced by the kernel function. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Racial/Ethnic Workplace Discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

Chavez, Laura J.; Ornelas, India J.; Lyles, Courtney R.; Williams, Emily C.

2014-01-01

Background Experiences of discrimination are associated with tobacco and alcohol use, and work is a common setting where individuals experience racial/ethnic discrimination. Few studies have evaluated the association between workplace discrimination and these behaviors, and none have described associations across race/ethnicity. Purpose To examine the association between workplace discrimination and tobacco and alcohol use in a large, multistate sample of U.S. adult respondents to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey Reactions to Race Module (2004–2010). Methods Multivariable logistic regression analyses evaluated cross-sectional associations between self-reported workplace discrimination and tobacco (current and daily smoking) and alcohol use (any and heavy use, and binge drinking) among all participants and stratified by race/ethnicity, adjusting for relevant covariates. Data were analyzed in 2013. Results Among respondents, 70,080 completed the workplace discrimination measure. Discrimination was more common among black non-Hispanic (21%), Hispanic (12%), and other race respondents (11%) than white non-Hispanics (4%) (pdiscrimination was associated with current smoking (risk ratio [RR]=1.32, 95% CI=1.19, 1.47), daily smoking (RR=1.41, 95% CI=1.24, 1.61), and heavy drinking (RR=1.11, 95% CI=1.01, 1.22), but not binge or any drinking. Among Hispanics, workplace discrimination was associated with increased heavy and binge drinking, but not any alcohol use or smoking. Workplace discrimination among black non-Hispanics and white Non-Hispanics was associated with increased current and daily smoking, but not alcohol outcomes. Conclusions Workplace discrimination is common, associated with smoking and alcohol use, and merits further policy attention given the impact of these behaviors on morbidity and mortality. PMID:25441232

Fast differential pulse discriminator-counter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shelevoj, K.D.

1985-01-01

The flowsheet of a differential pulse discriminator counter is described; the result of discrimination here is independent from the shape of the input pulse. Rate of the analysis of input pulses with minimum amplitude up to 0.3 mV coming out from the photomultiplier makes up 220 MHz. The flowsheet of the discriminator used in the system of photon counting for atmosphere probing is presented

An Analysis of Discrimination by Real Estate Brokers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yinger, John

This paper focuses on designing policies to eliminate discrimination in the sale of single-family houses by analyzing the behavior of the agents who actually do most of the discriminating, namely real estate agents. Discriminatory practices are said to be supported by policies of house builders, lending institutions, and government, and by the…

Liquid contrabands classification based on energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and hybrid discriminant analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

YangDai, Tianyi; Zhang, Li

2016-01-01

Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) combined with hybrid discriminant analysis (HDA) has been utilized for classifying the liquid materials for the first time. The XRD spectra of 37 kinds of liquid contrabands and daily supplies were obtained using an EDXRD test bed facility. The unique spectra of different samples reveal XRD's capability to distinguish liquid contrabands from daily supplies. In order to create a system to detect liquid contrabands, the diffraction spectra were subjected to HDA which is the combination of principal components analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Experiments based on the leave-one-out method demonstrate that HDA is a practical method with higher classification accuracy and lower noise sensitivity than the other methods in this application. The study shows the great capability and potential of the combination of XRD and HDA for liquid contrabands classification.

Liquid contrabands classification based on energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and hybrid discriminant analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

YangDai, Tianyi [Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Key Laboratory of Particle & Radiation Imaging (Tsinghua University), Ministry of Education (China); Zhang, Li, E-mail: zhangli@nuctech.com [Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Key Laboratory of Particle & Radiation Imaging (Tsinghua University), Ministry of Education (China)

2016-02-01

Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) combined with hybrid discriminant analysis (HDA) has been utilized for classifying the liquid materials for the first time. The XRD spectra of 37 kinds of liquid contrabands and daily supplies were obtained using an EDXRD test bed facility. The unique spectra of different samples reveal XRD's capability to distinguish liquid contrabands from daily supplies. In order to create a system to detect liquid contrabands, the diffraction spectra were subjected to HDA which is the combination of principal components analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Experiments based on the leave-one-out method demonstrate that HDA is a practical method with higher classification accuracy and lower noise sensitivity than the other methods in this application. The study shows the great capability and potential of the combination of XRD and HDA for liquid contrabands classification.

Liquid contrabands classification based on energy dispersive X-ray diffraction and hybrid discriminant analysis

Science.gov (United States)

YangDai, Tianyi; Zhang, Li

2016-02-01

Energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) combined with hybrid discriminant analysis (HDA) has been utilized for classifying the liquid materials for the first time. The XRD spectra of 37 kinds of liquid contrabands and daily supplies were obtained using an EDXRD test bed facility. The unique spectra of different samples reveal XRD's capability to distinguish liquid contrabands from daily supplies. In order to create a system to detect liquid contrabands, the diffraction spectra were subjected to HDA which is the combination of principal components analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Experiments based on the leave-one-out method demonstrate that HDA is a practical method with higher classification accuracy and lower noise sensitivity than the other methods in this application. The study shows the great capability and potential of the combination of XRD and HDA for liquid contrabands classification.

A multi-group path analysis of the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and self-rated stress: how does it vary across racial/ethnic groups?

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tse-Chuan; Chen, Danhong

2018-04-01

The objective of this study was to answer three questions: (1) Is perceived discrimination adversely related to self-rated stress via the social capital and health care system distrust pathways? (2) Does the relationship between perceived discrimination and self-rated stress vary across race/ethnicity groups? and (3) Do the two pathways differ by one's race/ethnicity background? Using the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation's Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Survey, we classified 9831 respondents into 4 race/ethnicity groups: non-Hispanic White (n = 6621), non-Hispanic Black (n = 2359), Hispanic (n = 505), and non-Hispanic other races (n = 346). Structural equation modeling was employed to simultaneously estimate five sets of equations, including the confirmatory factor analysis for both social capital and health care distrust and both direct and indirect effects from perceived discrimination to self-rated stress. The key findings drawn from the analysis include the following: (1) in general, people who experienced racial discrimination have higher distrust and weaker social capital than those without perceived discrimination and both distrust and social capital are ultimately related to self-rated stress. (2) The direct relationship between perceived discrimination and self-rated stress is found for all race/ethnicity groups (except non-Hispanic other races) and it does not vary across groups. (3) The two pathways can be applied to non-Hispanic White and Black, but for Hispanic and non-Hispanic other races, we found little evidence for the social capital pathway. For non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic, perceived discrimination is negatively related to self-rated stress. This finding highlights the importance of reducing interpersonal discriminatory behavior even for non-Hispanic White. The health care system distrust pathway can be used to address the racial health disparity in stress as it holds true for all four race

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Bases of Leader Power: First-Order Factor Model and Its Invariance Across Groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahim, M A; Magner, N R

1996-10-01

Confirmatory factor analyses of data (from five samples: N = 308 accountants and finance professionals, N = 578 management and non-management employees, and N = 588 employed management students in the U.S.; N = 728 management and non-management employees in S. Korea, N = 250 management and non-management bank employees in Bangladesh) on the 29 items of the Rahim Leader Power Inventory were performed with LISREL 7. The results provided support for the convergent and discriminant validities of the subscales measuring the five bases of leader power (coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, and referent), and the invariance of factor pattern and factor loadings across organizational levels and the three American samples. Additional analysis indicated that leader power profiles differed across the three national cultures represented in the study.

Frontotemporal Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Discriminant Function Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nidos, Andreas; Kasselimis, Dimitrios S; Simos, Panagiotis G; Rentzos, Michael; Alexakis, Theodoros; Zalonis, Ioannis; Zouvelou, Vassiliki; Potagas, Constantin; Evdokimidis, Ioannis; Woolley, Susan C

2016-01-01

There is growing evidence for extramotor dysfunction (EMd) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with a reported prevalence of up to 52%. In the present study, we explore the clinical utility of a brief neuropsychological battery for the investigation of cognitive, behavioral, and language deficits in patients with ALS. Thirty-four consecutive ALS patients aged 44-89 years were tested with a brief neuropsychological battery, including executive, behavioral, and language measures. Patients were initially classified as EMd or non-EMd based on their scores on the frontal assessment battery (FAB). Between-group comparisons revealed significant differences in all measures (p < 0.01). Discriminant analysis resulted in a single canonical function, with all tests serving as significant predictors. This function agreed with the FAB in 13 of 17 patients screened as EMd and identified extramotor deficits in 2 additional patients. Overall sensitivity and specificity estimates against FAB were 88.2%. We stress the importance of discriminant function analysis in clinical neuropsychological assessment and argue that the proposed neuropsychological battery may be of clinical value, especially when the option of extensive and comprehensive neuropsychological testing is limited. The psychometric validity of an ALS-frontotemporal dementia diagnosis using neuropsychological tests is also discussed. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Discriminability of personality profiles in isolated and Co-morbid marijuana and nicotine users.

Science.gov (United States)

Ketcherside, Ariel; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Baine, Jessica L; Filbey, Francesca M

2016-04-30

Specific personality traits have been linked with substance use disorders (SUDs), genetic mechanisms, and brain systems. Thus, determining the specificity of personality traits to types of SUD can advance the field towards defining SUD endophenotypes as well as understanding the brain systems involved for the development of novel treatments. Disentangling these factors is particularly important in highly co morbid SUDs, such as marijuana and nicotine use, so treatment can occur effectively for both. This study evaluated personality traits that distinguish isolated and co-morbid use of marijuana and nicotine. To that end, we collected the NEO Five Factor Inventory in participants who used marijuana-only (n=59), nicotine-only (n=27), both marijuana and nicotine (n=28), and in non-using controls (n=28). We used factor analyses to identify personality profiles, which are linear combinations of the five NEO Factors. We then conducted Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis to test accuracy of the personality factors in discriminating isolated and co-morbid marijuana and nicotine users from each other. ROC curve analysis distinguished the four groups based on their NEO personality patterns. Results showed that NEO Factor 2 (openness, extraversion, agreeableness) discriminated marijuana and marijuana+nicotine users from controls and nicotine-only users with high predictability. Additional ANOVA results showed that the openness dimension discriminated marijuana users from nicotine users. These findings suggest that personality dimensions distinguish marijuana users from nicotine users and should be considered in prevention strategies. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Gender discrimination in the elderly and its impact on the elderly health.

Science.gov (United States)

Keskinoglu, Pembe; Ucuncu, Tugba; Yildirim, Idris; Gurbuz, Turgut; Ur, Ismail; Ergor, Gul

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine gender discrimination and risk factors in the elderly population and to assess the impact of that discrimination on elderly health. One hundred and sixty-eight elderly individuals who were selected from the records by simple randomized sampling were enrolled in the study. Data were obtained by face-to-face interviews at the residence of the elderly individuals. Chi(2)-Analysis, t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and logistic regression were used for data analysis. 81.1% of the elderly were married and 40.5% were middle or high school graduates, and 93.9% of the subjects had at least one living child. It was determined that 51.7% of the females, and 21.3% of the males were exposed to negative gender discrimination. This discrimination was higher among women in all sub-groups. In fact, older women and elderly individuals with only primary school education or less were significantly more exposed to gender discrimination (p=0.008 and p=0.043, respectively). It was found that only economical variables were related to poor health status, without gender discrimination. Despite the fact that the freedom has been obtained in some areas such as participation in household decision-making and dressing, the patriarchal family structure and sexual inequality continue in older age.

The context of discrimination: workplace conditions, institutional environments, and sex and race discrimination charges.

Science.gov (United States)

Hirsh, C Elizabeth; Kornrich, Sabino

2008-03-01

This article explores the organizational conditions under which discrimination charges occur. Drawing on structural and organizational theories of the workplace, the authors demonstrate how organizational conditions affect workers' and regulatory agents' understandings of unlawful discrimination. Using a national sample of work establishments, matched to discrimination-charge data obtained from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the authors examine how characteristics of the workplace and institutional environment affect variation in the incidence of workers' charges of sex and race discrimination and in the subset of discrimination claims that are verified by EEOC investigators. The findings indicate that workplace conditions, including size, composition, and minority management, affect workers' charges as well as verified claims; the latter are also affected by institutional factors, such as affirmative action requirements, subsidiary status, and industrial sector. These results suggest that internal workplace conditions affect both workers' and regulatory agents' interpretations of potentially discriminatory experiences, while institutional conditions matter only for regulatory agents' interpretations of those events.

From Discrimination to Internalized Mental Illness Stigma: The Mediating Roles of Anticipated Discrimination and Anticipated Stigma

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Quinn, Diane M.; Williams, Michelle K.; Weisz, Bradley M.

2015-01-01

Objective Internalizing mental illness stigma is related to poorer well-being, but less is known about the factors that predict levels of internalized stigma. This study explored how experiences of discrimination relate to greater anticipation of discrimination and devaluation in the future, and how anticipation of stigma, in turn predicts greater stigma internalization. Method Participants were 105 adults with mental illness who self-reported their experiences of discrimination based on their mental illness, their anticipation of discrimination and social devaluation from others in the future, and their level of internalized stigma. Participants were approached in several locations and completed surveys on laptop computers. Results Correlational analyses indicated that more experiences of discrimination due to one’s mental illness were related to increased anticipated discrimination in the future, increased anticipated social stigma from others, and greater internalized stigma. Multiple serial mediator analyses showed that the effect of experiences of discrimination on internalized stigma was fully mediated by increased anticipated discrimination and anticipated stigma. Conclusion and Implications for Practice Experiences of discrimination over the lifetime may influence not only how much future discrimination people with mental illness are concerned with but also how much they internalize negative feelings about the self. Mental health professionals may need to address concerns with future discrimination and devaluation in order to decrease internalized stigma. PMID:25844910

Machinery fault diagnosis using joint global and local/nonlocal discriminant analysis with selective ensemble learning

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Yu, Jianbo

2016-11-01

The vibration signals of faulty machine are generally non-stationary and nonlinear under those complicated working conditions. Thus, it is a big challenge to extract and select the effective features from vibration signals for machinery fault diagnosis. This paper proposes a new manifold learning algorithm, joint global and local/nonlocal discriminant analysis (GLNDA), which aims to extract effective intrinsic geometrical information from the given vibration data. Comparisons with other regular methods, principal component analysis (PCA), local preserving projection (LPP), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and local LDA (LLDA), illustrate the superiority of GLNDA in machinery fault diagnosis. Based on the extracted information by GLNDA, a GLNDA-based Fisher discriminant rule (FDR) is put forward and applied to machinery fault diagnosis without additional recognizer construction procedure. By importing Bagging into GLNDA score-based feature selection and FDR, a novel manifold ensemble method (selective GLNDA ensemble, SE-GLNDA) is investigated for machinery fault diagnosis. The motivation for developing ensemble of manifold learning components is that it can achieve higher accuracy and applicability than single component in machinery fault diagnosis. The effectiveness of the SE-GLNDA-based fault diagnosis method has been verified by experimental results from bearing full life testers.

Diet-to-female and female-to-pup isotopic discrimination in South American sea lions.

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Drago, Massimiliano; Franco-Trecu, Valentina; Cardona, Luis; Inchausti, Pablo

2015-08-30

The use of accurate, species-specific diet-tissue discrimination factors is a critical requirement when applying stable isotope mixing models to predict consumer diet composition. Thus, diet-to-female and female-to-pup isotopic discrimination factors in several tissues for both captive and wild South American sea lions were estimated to provide appropriate values for quantifying feeding preferences at different timescales in the wild populations of this species. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in the blood components of two female-pup pairs and females' prey muscle from captive individuals were determined by elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA/IRMS) to calculate the respective isotopic discrimination factors. The same analysis was carried out in both blood components, and skin and hair tissues for eight female-pup pairs from wild individuals. Mean diet-to-female Δ(13) C and Δ(15) N values were higher than the female-to-pup ones. Pup tissues were more (15) N-enriched than their mothers but (13) C-depleted in serum and plasma tissues. In most of the tissue comparisons, we found differences in both Δ(15) N and Δ(13) C values, supporting tissue-specific discrimination. We found no differences between captive and wild female-to-pup discrimination factors either in Δ(13) C or Δ(15) N values of blood components. Only the stable isotope ratios in pup blood are good proxies of the individual lactating females. Thus, we suggest that blood components are more appropriate to quantify the feeding habits of wild individuals of this species. Furthermore, because female-to-pup discrimination factors for blood components did not differ between captive and wild individuals, we suggest that results for captive experiments can be extrapolated to wild South American sea lion populations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Non-negative factor analysis supporting the interpretation of elemental distribution images acquired by XRF

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Alfeld, Matthias; Falkenberg, Gerald; Wahabzada, Mirwaes; Bauckhage, Christian; Kersting, Kristian; Wellenreuther, Gerd

2014-01-01

Stacks of elemental distribution images acquired by XRF can be difficult to interpret, if they contain high degrees of redundancy and components differing in their quantitative but not qualitative elemental composition. Factor analysis, mainly in the form of Principal Component Analysis (PCA), has been used to reduce the level of redundancy and highlight correlations. PCA, however, does not yield physically meaningful representations as they often contain negative values. This limitation can be overcome, by employing factor analysis that is restricted to non-negativity. In this paper we present the first application of the Python Matrix Factorization Module (pymf) on XRF data. This is done in a case study on the painting Saul and David from the studio of Rembrandt van Rijn. We show how the discrimination between two different Co containing compounds with minimum user intervention and a priori knowledge is supported by Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF).

Using discriminant analysis for credit decision

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Gheorghiţa DINCĂ

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper follows to highlight the link between the results obtained applying discriminant analysis and lending decision. For this purpose, we have carried out the research on a sample of 24 Romanian private companies, pertaining to 12 different economic sectors, from I and II categories of Bucharest Stock Exchange, for the period 2010-2012. Our study works with two popular bankruptcy risk’s prediction models, the Altman model and the Anghel model. We have double-checked and confirmed the results of our research by comparing the results from applying the two fore-mentioned models as well as by checking existing debt commitments of each analyzed company to credit institutions during the 2010-2012 period. The aim of this paper was the classification of studied companies into potential bankrupt and non-bankrupt, to assist credit institutions in their decision to grant credit, understanding the approval or rejection algorithm of loan applications and even help potential investors in these ompanies.

Discrimination, gender and self-reported aesthetic problems among Brazilian Adults.

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Baumgarten, Alexandre; Bastos, João Luiz; Toassi, Ramona Fernanda Ceriotti; Hilgert, Juliana Balbinot; Hugo, Fernando Neves; Celeste, Roger Keller

2018-02-01

To explore factors associated with discrimination in healthcare services and to assess whether discrimination based on dental aesthetics differs by sex. Cross-sectional analysis based on a household survey carried out in a city in Southern Brazil. Fifteen primary health care (PHC) units with a dental team were randomly selected, and individuals who used the public services in the catchment areas of the PHC units were interviewed. The survey questionnaire included experiences with discrimination related to health services, sociodemographic and dental characteristics. Multiple logistic regressions were estimated with dental appearance as outcome. The final sample was composed of 433 individuals, with 15.2% reporting being discriminated in health services. Participants with ≥20 teeth were significantly more likely to report discrimination than those with <20 teeth (16.6% vs 9.1%, respectively), and people with twisted and stained teeth reported more discrimination than those with white and aligned teeth (23.2% vs 9.9%, respectively). Overall, individuals with twisted and stained teeth were more likely to report discrimination (OR=3.13; 95% CI: 1.46-6.71). When the analyses were stratified by sex, women with twisted and stained teeth showed an OR=3.62 (95% CI: 1.55-8.46) and men OR=0.54 (95% CI: 0.05-6.18). Dental appearance may lead to discrimination in healthcare services, but this seems to be more important for women than men. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Perceived discrimination and sexual precursor behaviors in Mexican American preadolescent girls: The role of psychological distress, sexual attitudes, and marianismo beliefs.

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Sanchez, Delida; Whittaker, Tiffany A; Hamilton, Emma; Zayas, Luis H

2016-07-01

This study explored the relation between perceived discrimination and sexual precursor behaviors among 205 Mexican American preadolescent middle school girls. In addition, this study examined whether psychological distress and sexual attitudes mediated and whether marianismo beliefs moderated this relation. A categorical confirmatory factor analysis (CCFA) of the Marianismo Beliefs Scale (MBS) was conducted to test the factor structure with a preadolescent Mexican American population (ages 11-14). A path analysis of analytic models was then performed to examine the hypothesized relations between perceived discrimination, psychological distress, sexual attitudes, marianismo beliefs, and sexual precursor behaviors. Results of the CCFA did not support the original 5-factor structure of the MBS for preadolescent Latina girls. However, a revised version of the MBS indicated an acceptable model fit, and findings from the path analysis indicated that perceived discrimination was both directly and indirectly linked to sexual precursor behaviors via psychological distress. Marianismo was not found to moderate the relation between perceived discrimination and sexual risk behaviors, however certain marianismo pillars were significantly negatively linked with sexual attitudes and precursor behaviors. This study underscores the importance of psychological distress in the perceived discrimination and sexual precursor link as well as the compensatory aspects of marianismo against sexual precursor behaviors in Mexican American preadolescent girls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The application of sparse estimation of covariance matrix to quadratic discriminant analysis.

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Sun, Jiehuan; Zhao, Hongyu

2015-02-18

Although Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) is commonly used for classification, it may not be directly applied in genomics studies due to the large p, small n problem in these studies. Different versions of sparse LDA have been proposed to address this significant challenge. One implicit assumption of various LDA-based methods is that the covariance matrices are the same across different classes. However, rewiring of genetic networks (therefore different covariance matrices) across different diseases has been observed in many genomics studies, which suggests that LDA and its variations may be suboptimal for disease classifications. However, it is not clear whether considering differing genetic networks across diseases can improve classification in genomics studies. We propose a sparse version of Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (SQDA) to explicitly consider the differences of the genetic networks across diseases. Both simulation and real data analysis are performed to compare the performance of SQDA with six commonly used classification methods. SQDA provides more accurate classification results than other methods for both simulated and real data. Our method should prove useful for classification in genomics studies and other research settings, where covariances differ among classes.

Measuring HIV- and AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in Nicaragua: results from a community-based study.

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Ugarte, William J; Högberg, Ulf; Valladares, Eliette C; Essén, Birgitta

2013-04-01

Psychometric properties of external HIV-related stigma and discrimination scales and their predictors were investigated. A cross-sectional community-based study was carried out among 520 participants using an ongoing health and demographic surveillance system in León, Nicaragua. Participants completed an 18-item HIV stigma scale and 19 HIV and AIDS discrimination-related statements. A factor analysis found that 15 of the 18 items in the stigma scale and 18 of the 19 items in the discrimination scale loaded clearly into five- and four-factor structures, respectively. Overall Cronbach's alpha of .81 for the HIV stigma scale and .91 for the HIV discrimination scale provided evidence of internal consistency. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis identified that females, rural residents, people with insufficient HIV-related transmission knowledge, those not tested for HIV, those reporting an elevated self-perception of HIV risk, and those unwilling to disclose their HIV status were associated with higher stigmatizing attitudes and higher discriminatory actions towards HIV-positive people. This is the first community-based study in Nicaragua that demonstrates that overall HIV stigma and discrimination scales were reliable and valid in a community-based sample comprised of men and women of reproductive age. Stigma and discrimination were reported high in the general population, especially among sub-groups. The findings in the current study suggest community-based strategies, including the monitoring of stigma and discrimination, and designing and implementing stigma reduction interventions, are greatly needed to reduce inequities and increase acceptance of persons with HIV.

Perceived discrimination, psychological distress, and current smoking status: results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Reactions to Race module, 2004-2008.

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Purnell, Jason Q; Peppone, Luke J; Alcaraz, Kassandra; McQueen, Amy; Guido, Joseph J; Carroll, Jennifer K; Shacham, Enbal; Morrow, Gary R

2012-05-01

We examined the association between perceived discrimination and smoking status and whether psychological distress mediated this relationship in a large, multiethnic sample. We used 2004 through 2008 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Reactions to Race module to conduct multivariate logistic regression analyses and tests of mediation examining associations between perceived discrimination in health care and workplace settings, psychological distress, and current smoking status. Regardless of race/ethnicity, perceived discrimination was associated with increased odds of current smoking. Psychological distress was also a significant mediator of the discrimination-smoking association. Our results indicate that individuals who report discriminatory treatment in multiple domains may be more likely to smoke, in part, because of the psychological distress associated with such treatment.

Analysis of pulse-shape discrimination techniques for BC501A using GHz digital signal processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rooney, B.D.; Dinwiddie, D.R.; Nelson, M.A.; Rawool-Sullivan, Mohini W.

2001-01-01

A comparison study of pulse-shape analysis techniques was conducted for a BC501A scintillator using digital signal processing (DSP). In this study, output signals from a preamplifier were input directly into a 1 GHz analog-to-digital converter. The digitized data obtained with this method was post-processed for both pulse-height and pulse-shape information. Several different analysis techniques were evaluated for neutron and gamma-ray pulse-shape discrimination. It was surprising that one of the simplest and fastest techniques resulted in some of the best pulse-shape discrimination results. This technique, referred to here as the Integral Ratio technique, was able to effectively process several thousand detector pulses per second. This paper presents the results and findings of this study for various pulse-shape analysis techniques with digitized detector signals.

Darker Skin Tone Increases Perceived Discrimination among Male but Not Female Caribbean Black Youth

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Shervin Assari

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Among most minority groups, males seem to report higher levels of exposure and vulnerability to racial discrimination. Although darker skin tone may increase exposure to racial discrimination, it is yet unknown whether skin tone similarly influences perceived discrimination among male and female Caribbean Black youth. Objective: The current cross-sectional study tests the role of gender on the effects of skin tone on perceived discrimination among Caribbean Black youth. Methods: Data came from the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent Supplement (NSAL-A, 2003–2004, which included 360 Caribbean Black youth (ages 13 to 17. Demographic factors (age and gender, socioeconomic status (SES; family income, income to needs ratio, and subjective SES, skin tone, and perceived everyday discrimination were measured. Linear regressions were used for data analysis. Results: In the pooled sample, darker skin tone was associated with higher levels of perceived discrimination among Caribbean Black youth (b = 0.48; 95% Confidence Interval (CI = 0.07–0.89. A significant interaction was found between gender and skin tone (b = 1.17; 95% CI = 0.49–1.86, suggesting a larger effect of skin tone on perceived discrimination for males than females. In stratified models, darker skin tone was associated with more perceived discrimination for males (b = 1.20; 95% CI = 0.69–0.72 but not females (b = 0.06; 95% CI = −0.42–0.55. Conclusion: Similar to the literature documenting male gender as a vulnerability factor to the effects of racial discrimination, we found that male but not female Caribbean Black youth with darker skin tones perceive more discrimination.

Self-reported Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Chinese Adults in Chicago.

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Li, Lydia W; Dong, XinQi

2017-07-01

Discrimination is part of life for many Americans, especially ethnic minorities. Focusing on older Chinese Americans, this study examines the association between self-reported discrimination and depressive symptoms and identifies subgroups that are more likely to report experiencing discrimination. We conducted cross-sectional analysis of data collected from adults (age 60+ years) of Chinese origin residing in the Greater Chicago area (N = 3,004). Self-reported discrimination was assessed by the Experiences of Discrimination instrument and was dichotomized (yes vs no). Depressive symptoms were measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Logistic regression of self-reported discrimination and negative binominal regression of depressive symptoms were conducted. About 21.5% of the sample reported having experienced discrimination. The odds of reporting discrimination are higher for those who are younger, have higher education and income, are more acculturated, have been in the United States longer, live outside Chinatown, and have higher levels of neuroticism and conscientiousness. Self-reported discrimination is significantly and positively associated with depressive symptoms, independent of sociodemographic characteristics, migration-related variables, and personality factors. Findings suggest a robust relationship between self-reported discrimination and depressive symptoms in older Chinese Americans. They further suggest that the relatively advantaged groups-younger, higher socioeconomic status, more acculturated, and living outside Chinatown-are more likely to report experiencing discrimination. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Spectroscopic Discrimination of Wines Reflects Genetic Homology of Several Different Grape (V. vinifera L.) Cultivars

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Zhu, Yong; Wen, Wen; Zhang, Fengmin; Hardie, Jim W.

2015-01-01

Background and Aims Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy coupled multivariate analysis (1H NMR-PCA/PLS-DA) is an important tool for the discrimination of wine products. Although 1H NMR has been shown to discriminate wines of different cultivars, a grape genetic component of the discrimination has been inferred only from discrimination of cultivars of undefined genetic homology and in the presence of many confounding environmental factors. We aimed to confirm the influence of grape genotypes in the absence of those factors. Methods and Results We applied 1H NMR-PCA/PLS-DA and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to wines from five, variously genetically-related grapevine (V. vinifera) cultivars; all grown similarly on the same site and vinified similarly. We also compared the semi-quantitative profiles of the discriminant metabolites of each cultivar with previously reported chemical analyses. The cultivars were clearly distinguishable and there was a general correlation between their grouping and their genetic homology as revealed by recent genomic studies. Between cultivars, the relative amounts of several of the cultivar-related discriminant metabolites conformed closely with reported chemical analyses. Conclusions Differences in grape-derived metabolites associated with genetic differences alone are a major source of 1H NMR-based discrimination of wines and 1H NMR has the capacity to discriminate between very closely related cultivars. Significance of the Study The study confirms that genetic variation among grape cultivars alone can account for the discrimination of wine by 1H NMR-PCA/PLS and indicates that 1H NMR spectra of wine of single grape cultivars may in future be used in tandem with hierarchical cluster analysis to elucidate genetic lineages and metabolomic relations of grapevine cultivars. In the absence of genetic information, for example, where predecessor varieties are no longer extant, this may be a particularly useful approach. PMID

How discriminating are discriminative instruments?

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Hankins, Matthew

2008-05-27

The McMaster framework introduced by Kirshner & Guyatt is the dominant paradigm for the development of measures of health status and health-related quality of life (HRQL). The framework defines the functions of such instruments as evaluative, predictive or discriminative. Evaluative instruments are required to be sensitive to change (responsiveness), but there is no corresponding index of the degree to which discriminative instruments are sensitive to cross-sectional differences. This paper argues that indices of validity and reliability are not sufficient to demonstrate that a discriminative instrument performs its function of discriminating between individuals, and that the McMaster framework would be augmented by the addition of a separate index of discrimination. The coefficient proposed by Ferguson (Delta) is easily adapted to HRQL instruments and is a direct, non-parametric index of the degree to which an instrument distinguishes between individuals. While Delta should prove useful in the development and evaluation of discriminative instruments, further research is required to elucidate the relationship between the measurement properties of discrimination, reliability and responsiveness.

How discriminating are discriminative instruments?

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Hankins Matthew

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract The McMaster framework introduced by Kirshner & Guyatt is the dominant paradigm for the development of measures of health status and health-related quality of life (HRQL. The framework defines the functions of such instruments as evaluative, predictive or discriminative. Evaluative instruments are required to be sensitive to change (responsiveness, but there is no corresponding index of the degree to which discriminative instruments are sensitive to cross-sectional differences. This paper argues that indices of validity and reliability are not sufficient to demonstrate that a discriminative instrument performs its function of discriminating between individuals, and that the McMaster framework would be augmented by the addition of a separate index of discrimination. The coefficient proposed by Ferguson (Delta is easily adapted to HRQL instruments and is a direct, non-parametric index of the degree to which an instrument distinguishes between individuals. While Delta should prove useful in the development and evaluation of discriminative instruments, further research is required to elucidate the relationship between the measurement properties of discrimination, reliability and responsiveness.

Using discriminant analysis as a nucleation event classification method

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S. Mikkonen

2006-01-01

Full Text Available More than three years of measurements of aerosol size-distribution and different gas and meteorological parameters made in Po Valley, Italy were analysed for this study to examine which of the meteorological and trace gas variables effect on the emergence of nucleation events. As the analysis method, we used discriminant analysis with non-parametric Epanechnikov kernel, included in non-parametric density estimation method. The best classification result in our data was reached with the combination of relative humidity, ozone concentration and a third degree polynomial of radiation. RH appeared to have a preventing effect on the new particle formation whereas the effects of O3 and radiation were more conductive. The concentration of SO2 and NO2 also appeared to have significant effect on the emergence of nucleation events but because of the great amount of missing observations, we had to exclude them from the final analysis.

Using discriminant analysis to detect intrusions in external communication for self-driving vehicles

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Khattab M.Ali Alheeti

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Security systems are a necessity for the deployment of smart vehicles in our society. Security in vehicular ad hoc networks is crucial to the reliable exchange of information and control data. In this paper, we propose an intelligent Intrusion Detection System (IDS to protect the external communication of self-driving and semi self-driving vehicles. This technology has the ability to detect Denial of Service (DoS and black hole attacks on vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs. The advantage of the proposed IDS over existing security systems is that it detects attacks before they causes significant damage. The intrusion prediction technique is based on Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA and Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA which are used to predict attacks based on observed vehicle behavior. We perform simulations using Network Simulator 2 to demonstrate that the IDS achieves a low rate of false alarms and high accuracy in detection.

Optical spectroscopic analysis for the discrimination of extra-virgin olive-oil (Conference Presentation)

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McReynolds, Naomi; Auñón Garcia, Juan M.; Guengerich, Zoe; Smith, Terry K.; Dholakia, Kishan

2017-02-01

We present an optical spectroscopic technique, making use of both Raman signals and fluorescence spectroscopy, for the identification of five brands of commercially available extra-virgin olive-oil (EVOO). We demonstrate our technique on both a `bulk-optics' free-space system and a compact device. Using the compact device, which is capable of recording both Raman and fluorescence signals, we achieved an average sensitivity and specificity of 98.4% and 99.6% for discrimination, respectively. Our approach demonstrates that both Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy can be used for portable discrimination of EVOOs which obviates the need to use centralised laboratories and opens up the prospect of in-field testing. This technique may enable detection of EVOO that has undergone counterfeiting or adulteration. One of the main challenges facing Raman spectroscopy for use in quality control of EVOOs is that the oxidation of EVOO, which naturally occurs due to aging, causes shifts in Raman spectra with time, which implies regular retraining would be necessary. We present a potential method of analysis to minimize the effect that aging has on discrimination efficiency; we show that by discarding the first principal component, which contains information on the variations due to oxidation, we can improve discrimination efficiency thus improving the robustness of our technique.

Perceived weight discrimination and obesity.

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Angelina R Sutin

Full Text Available Weight discrimination is prevalent in American society. Although associated consistently with psychological and economic outcomes, less is known about whether weight discrimination is associated with longitudinal changes in obesity. The objectives of this research are (1 to test whether weight discrimination is associated with risk of becoming obese (Body Mass Index≥30; BMI by follow-up among those not obese at baseline, and (2 to test whether weight discrimination is associated with risk of remaining obese at follow-up among those already obese at baseline. Participants were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative longitudinal survey of community-dwelling US residents. A total of 6,157 participants (58.6% female completed the discrimination measure and had weight and height available from the 2006 and 2010 assessments. Participants who experienced weight discrimination were approximately 2.5 times more likely to become obese by follow-up (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.58-4.08 and participants who were obese at baseline were three times more likely to remain obese at follow up (OR = 3.20, 95% CI = 2.06-4.97 than those who had not experienced such discrimination. These effects held when controlling for demographic factors (age, sex, ethnicity, education and when baseline BMI was included as a covariate. These effects were also specific to weight discrimination; other forms of discrimination (e.g., sex, race were unrelated to risk of obesity at follow-up. The present research demonstrates that, in addition to poorer mental health outcomes, weight discrimination has implications for obesity. Rather than motivating individuals to lose weight, weight discrimination increases risk for obesity.

Analysis of the discriminative methods for diagnosis of benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules based on serum markers.

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Wang, Wanping; Liu, Mingyue; Wang, Jing; Tian, Rui; Dong, Junqiang; Liu, Qi; Zhao, Xianping; Wang, Yuanfang

2014-01-01

Screening indexes of tumor serum markers for benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) were analyzed to find the optimum method for diagnosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, an automatic immune analyzer and radioimmunoassay methods were used to examine the levels of 8 serum markers in 164 SPN patients, and the sensitivity for differential diagnosis of malignant or benign SPN was compared for detection using a single plasma marker or a combination of markers. The results for serological indicators that closely relate to benign and malignant SPNs were screened using the Fisher discriminant analysis and a non-conditional logistic regression analysis method, respectively. The results were then verified by the k-means clustering analysis method. The sensitivity when using a combination of serum markers to detect SPN was higher than that using a single marker. By Fisher discriminant analysis, cytokeratin 19 fragments (CYFRA21-1), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) and breast cancer antigen (CA153), which relate to the benign and malignant SPNs, were screened. Through non-conditional logistic regression analysis, CYFRA21-1, SCC and CA153 were obtained. Using the k-means clustering analysis, the cophenetic correlation coefficient (0.940) obtained by the Fisher discriminant analysis was higher than that obtained with logistic regression analysis (0.875). This study indicated that the Fisher discriminant analysis functioned better in screening out serum markers to recognize the benign and malignant SPN. The combined detection of CYFRA21-1, CA125, SCC and CA153 is an effective way to distinguish benign and malignant SPN, and will find an important clinical application in the early diagnosis of SPN. © 2014 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Evaluation of sensory panels of consumers of specialty coffee beverages using the boosting method in discriminant analysis

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Gilberto Rodrigues Liska

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Automatic classification methods have been widely used in numerous situations and the boosting method has become known for use of a classification algorithm, which considers a set of training data and, from that set, constructs a classifier with reweighted versions of the training set. Given this characteristic, the aim of this study is to assess a sensory experiment related to acceptance tests with specialty coffees, with reference to both trained and untrained consumer groups. For the consumer group, four sensory characteristics were evaluated, such as aroma, body, sweetness, and final score, attributed to four types of specialty coffees. In order to obtain a classification rule that discriminates trained and untrained tasters, we used the conventional Fisher’s Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA and discriminant analysis via boosting algorithm (AdaBoost. The criteria used in the comparison of the two approaches were sensitivity, specificity, false positive rate, false negative rate, and accuracy of classification methods. Additionally, to evaluate the performance of the classifiers, the success rates and error rates were obtained by Monte Carlo simulation, considering 100 replicas of a random partition of 70% for the training set, and the remaining for the test set. It was concluded that the boosting method applied to discriminant analysis yielded a higher sensitivity rate in regard to the trained panel, at a value of 80.63% and, hence, reduction in the rate of false negatives, at 19.37%. Thus, the boosting method may be used as a means of improving the LDA classifier for discrimination of trained tasters.

Detection of non-milk fat in milk fat by gas chromatography and linear discriminant analysis.

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Gutiérrez, R; Vega, S; Díaz, G; Sánchez, J; Coronado, M; Ramírez, A; Pérez, J; González, M; Schettino, B

2009-05-01

Gas chromatography was utilized to determine triacylglycerol profiles in milk and non-milk fat. The values of triacylglycerol were subjected to linear discriminant analysis to detect and quantify non-milk fat in milk fat. Two groups of milk fat were analyzed: A) raw milk fat from the central region of Mexico (n = 216) and B) ultrapasteurized milk fat from 3 industries (n = 36), as well as pork lard (n = 2), bovine tallow (n = 2), fish oil (n = 2), peanut (n = 2), corn (n = 2), olive (n = 2), and soy (n = 2). The samples of raw milk fat were adulterated with non-milk fats in proportions of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% to form 5 groups. The first function obtained from the linear discriminant analysis allowed the correct classification of 94.4% of the samples with levels <10% of adulteration. The triacylglycerol values of the ultrapasteurized milk fats were evaluated with the discriminant function, demonstrating that one industry added non-milk fat to its product in 80% of the samples analyzed.

Factors associated with health care discrimination experiences among a national sample of female-to-male transgender individuals.

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Shires, Deirdre A; Jaffee, Kim

2015-05-01

Transgender individuals experience harassment, violence, and discrimination in a number of settings. Although health care discrimination against transgender people has been documented, this issue is understudied. Using a national cross-sectional survey data set (N = 1,711), the authors sought to determine how gender identity and presentation predict health care discrimination experiences among female-to-male (FTM) transgender people after demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are controlled. Analyses were conducted using chi-square tests and a two-step logistic regression. The majority of participants were white (73.9 percent) and between 25 and 44 years old (65.2 percent). Overall, 41.8 percent of FTM participants reported verbal harassment, physical assault, or denial of equal treatment in a doctor's office or hospital. When other factors were controlled, being Native American or multiracial, identifying as queer or asexual/other, having a graduate degree, living full-time as nonbirth gender, using hormones or surgery for medical transition, and having identification documents that list one's preferred gender were associated with increased reporting of health care discrimination experiences; being 45 years or older and reporting an annual income of $60,000 or more were associated with decreased risk. The study's findings can be useful to social workers, who play a role in educating health care providers and advocating for policies that improve health care experiences for FTM and other transgender patients.

Statistics that learn: can logistic discriminant analysis improve diagnosis in brain SPECT?

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Behin-Ain, S.; Barnden, L.; Kwiatek, R.; Del Fante, P.; Casse, R.; Burnet, R.; Chew, G.; Kitchener, M.; Boundy, K.; Unger, S.

2002-01-01

Full text: Logistic discriminant analysis (LDA) is a statistical technique capable of discriminating individuals within a diseased group against normals. It also enables classification of various diseases within a group of patients. This technique provides a quantitative, automated and non-subjective clinical diagnostic tool. Based on a population known to have the disease and a normal control group, an algorithm was developed and trained to identify regions in the human brain responsible for the disease in question. The algorithm outputs a statistical map representing diseased or normal probability on a voxel or cluster basis from which an index is generated for each subject. The algorithm also generates a set of coefficients which is used to generate an index for the purpose of classification of new subjects. The results are comparable and complement those of Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) which employs a more common linear discriminant technique. The results are presented for brain SPECT studies of two diseases: chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM). A 100% specificity and 94% sensitivity is achieved for the CFS study (similar to SPM results) and for the FM study 82% specificity and 94% sensitivity is achieved with corresponding SPM results showing 90% specificity and 82% sensitivity. The results encourages application of LDA for discrimination of new single subjects as well as of diseased and normal groups. Copyright (2002) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

Mnemonic discrimination relates to perforant path integrity: An ultra-high resolution diffusion tensor imaging study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Ilana J; Stark, Craig E L

2016-03-01

Pattern separation describes the orthogonalization of similar inputs into unique, non-overlapping representations. This computational process is thought to serve memory by reducing interference and to be mediated by the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Using ultra-high in-plane resolution diffusion tensor imaging (hrDTI) in older adults, we previously demonstrated that integrity of the perforant path, which provides input to the dentate gyrus from entorhinal cortex, was associated with mnemonic discrimination, a behavioral outcome designed to load on pattern separation. The current hrDTI study assessed the specificity of this perforant path integrity-mnemonic discrimination relationship relative to other cognitive constructs (identified using a factor analysis) and white matter tracts (hippocampal cingulum, fornix, corpus callosum) in 112 healthy adults (20-87 years). Results revealed age-related declines in integrity of the perforant path and other medial temporal lobe (MTL) tracts (hippocampal cingulum, fornix). Controlling for global effects of brain aging, perforant path integrity related only to the factor that captured mnemonic discrimination performance. Comparable integrity-mnemonic discrimination relationships were also observed for the hippocampal cingulum and fornix. Thus, whereas perforant path integrity specifically relates to mnemonic discrimination, mnemonic discrimination may be mediated by a broader MTL network. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hyperplane distance neighbor clustering based on local discriminant analysis for complex chemical processes monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Chunhong; Xiao, Shaoqing; Gu, Xiaofeng [Jiangnan University, Wuxi (China)

2014-11-15

The collected training data often include both normal and faulty samples for complex chemical processes. However, some monitoring methods, such as partial least squares (PLS), principal component analysis (PCA), independent component analysis (ICA) and Fisher discriminant analysis (FDA), require fault-free data to build the normal operation model. These techniques are applicable after the preliminary step of data clustering is applied. We here propose a novel hyperplane distance neighbor clustering (HDNC) based on the local discriminant analysis (LDA) for chemical process monitoring. First, faulty samples are separated from normal ones using the HDNC method. Then, the optimal subspace for fault detection and classification can be obtained using the LDA approach. The proposed method takes the multimodality within the faulty data into account, and thus improves the capability of process monitoring significantly. The HDNC-LDA monitoring approach is applied to two simulation processes and then compared with the conventional FDA based on the K-nearest neighbor (KNN-FDA) method. The results obtained in two different scenarios demonstrate the superiority of the HDNC-LDA approach in terms of fault detection and classification accuracy.

Hyperplane distance neighbor clustering based on local discriminant analysis for complex chemical processes monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Chunhong; Xiao, Shaoqing; Gu, Xiaofeng

2014-01-01

The collected training data often include both normal and faulty samples for complex chemical processes. However, some monitoring methods, such as partial least squares (PLS), principal component analysis (PCA), independent component analysis (ICA) and Fisher discriminant analysis (FDA), require fault-free data to build the normal operation model. These techniques are applicable after the preliminary step of data clustering is applied. We here propose a novel hyperplane distance neighbor clustering (HDNC) based on the local discriminant analysis (LDA) for chemical process monitoring. First, faulty samples are separated from normal ones using the HDNC method. Then, the optimal subspace for fault detection and classification can be obtained using the LDA approach. The proposed method takes the multimodality within the faulty data into account, and thus improves the capability of process monitoring significantly. The HDNC-LDA monitoring approach is applied to two simulation processes and then compared with the conventional FDA based on the K-nearest neighbor (KNN-FDA) method. The results obtained in two different scenarios demonstrate the superiority of the HDNC-LDA approach in terms of fault detection and classification accuracy

[Development of Tianma HPLC fingerprint and discriminant analysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Jia-Jia; Huang, Hong; Lei, You-Cheng; Lin, Ting-Wen; Ma, Yue; Zhang, Jing; Zhang, Xing-Guo; Zhang, Da-Quan; Lv, Guang-Hua

2017-07-01

Tianma(the tuber of Gastrodia eleta) is a widely used and pricy Chinese herb. Its counterfeits are often found in herbal markets, which are the plant materials with similar macroscopic characteristics of Tianma. Moreover, the prices of Winter Tianma(cultivated Tianma) and Spring Tianma(mostly wild Tianma) have significant difference. However, it is difficult to identify the true or false, good or bad quality of Tianma samples. Thus, a total of 48 Tianma samples with different characteristics(including Winter Tianma, Spring Tianma, slice, powder, etc.) and 9 plant species 10 samples of Tianma counterfeits were collected and analyzed by HPLC-DAD-MS techniques. After optimizing the procedure of sample preparation, chromatographic and mass-spectral conditions, the HPLC chromatograms of all those samples were collected and compared. The similarities and Fisher discriminant analysis were further conducted between the HPLC chromatograms of Tianma and counterfeit, Winter Tianma and Spring Tianma. The results showed the HPLC chromatograms of 48 Tianma samples were similar at the correlation coefficient more than 0.848(n=48). Their mean chromatogram was simulated and used as Tianma HPLC fingerprint. There were 11 common peaks on the HPLC chromatograms of Tianma, in which 6 main peaks were chosen as characteristic peaks and identified as gastrodin, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, parishin A, parishin B, parishin C, parishin E, respectively by comparison of the retention time, UV and MS data with those of standard chemical compounds. All the six chemical compounds are bioactive in Tianma. However, the HPLC chromatograms of the 10 counterfeit samples were significantly different from Tianma fingerprint. The correlation coefficients between HPLC fingerprints of Tianma with the HPLC chromatograms of counterfeits were less than 0.042 and the characteristic peaks were not observed on the HPLC chromatograms of these counterfeit samples. It indicated the true or false Tianma can be

Linear discriminant analysis of character sequences using occurrences of words

KAUST Repository

Dutta, Subhajit; Chaudhuri, Probal; Ghosh, Anil

2014-01-01

Classification of character sequences, where the characters come from a finite set, arises in disciplines such as molecular biology and computer science. For discriminant analysis of such character sequences, the Bayes classifier based on Markov models turns out to have class boundaries defined by linear functions of occurrences of words in the sequences. It is shown that for such classifiers based on Markov models with unknown orders, if the orders are estimated from the data using cross-validation, the resulting classifier has Bayes risk consistency under suitable conditions. Even when Markov models are not valid for the data, we develop methods for constructing classifiers based on linear functions of occurrences of words, where the word length is chosen by cross-validation. Such linear classifiers are constructed using ideas of support vector machines, regression depth, and distance weighted discrimination. We show that classifiers with linear class boundaries have certain optimal properties in terms of their asymptotic misclassification probabilities. The performance of these classifiers is demonstrated in various simulated and benchmark data sets.

Linear discriminant analysis of character sequences using occurrences of words

KAUST Repository

Dutta, Subhajit

2014-02-01

Classification of character sequences, where the characters come from a finite set, arises in disciplines such as molecular biology and computer science. For discriminant analysis of such character sequences, the Bayes classifier based on Markov models turns out to have class boundaries defined by linear functions of occurrences of words in the sequences. It is shown that for such classifiers based on Markov models with unknown orders, if the orders are estimated from the data using cross-validation, the resulting classifier has Bayes risk consistency under suitable conditions. Even when Markov models are not valid for the data, we develop methods for constructing classifiers based on linear functions of occurrences of words, where the word length is chosen by cross-validation. Such linear classifiers are constructed using ideas of support vector machines, regression depth, and distance weighted discrimination. We show that classifiers with linear class boundaries have certain optimal properties in terms of their asymptotic misclassification probabilities. The performance of these classifiers is demonstrated in various simulated and benchmark data sets.

Contributions to sensitivity analysis and generalized discriminant analysis; Contributions a l'analyse de sensibilite et a l'analyse discriminante generalisee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacques, J

2005-12-15

Two topics are studied in this thesis: sensitivity analysis and generalized discriminant analysis. Global sensitivity analysis of a mathematical model studies how the output variables of this last react to variations of its inputs. The methods based on the study of the variance quantify the part of variance of the response of the model due to each input variable and each subset of input variables. The first subject of this thesis is the impact of a model uncertainty on results of a sensitivity analysis. Two particular forms of uncertainty are studied: that due to a change of the model of reference, and that due to the use of a simplified model with the place of the model of reference. A second problem was studied during this thesis, that of models with correlated inputs. Indeed, classical sensitivity indices not having significance (from an interpretation point of view) in the presence of correlation of the inputs, we propose a multidimensional approach consisting in expressing the sensitivity of the output of the model to groups of correlated variables. Applications in the field of nuclear engineering illustrate this work. Generalized discriminant analysis consists in classifying the individuals of a test sample in groups, by using information contained in a training sample, when these two samples do not come from the same population. This work extends existing methods in a Gaussian context to the case of binary data. An application in public health illustrates the utility of generalized discrimination models thus defined. (author)

Discriminant analysis of maintaining a vertical position in the water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bratuša Zoran

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Water polo is the only sports game that takes place in the water. During the outplay, a vertical body position with the two basic mechanisms of the leg work - a breaststroke leg kick and an eggbeater leg kick, prevails. Starting from the significance of a vertical position during the game play, the methods of assessing physical preparedness of the athletes of all the categories also include the evaluation of maintaining a vertical position and consequently the load of the leg muscles. The measurements are performed during the maintenance of a vertical position (swimming in place through one of the specified mechanisms of leg work, i.e. a vertical position technique. The aim of this paper was to determine the application of different mechanisms of the leg kicks in maintaining a vertical position with young water polo players in relation to their position. The study included 29 selected junior water polo players (age_15.8 ± 0.8 years; BH_185.2 ± 5.3cm and BW_81.7 ± 7.7kg. The measurements were performed during the tests of swimming in place at the maximum intensity lasting 10 seconds, by the breaststroke and eggbeater leg kicks. The isometric tensiometry tests were used for the measurements. The results were analysed by the application of descriptive statistics, and the kinetic selection characteristic was defined by the application of discriminant analysis. Higher average values were achieved with the breaststroke leg kick technique Fmax, ImpF and RFD (avgFmaxLEGGBK =157.46±19.93N; avgImpF_LEGGBK =45.43±10.64Ns; avgRFD_LEGGBK=337.85±80.73N/s; avgFmaxLBKICK=227.18±49.17N; avgImpF_LBKICK=55.99±14.59Ns; avgRFD_LBKICK=545.47±159.15N/s. After discriminant analysis, the results have shown that the eggbeater leg kick is a selection technique, whereas the force - Fmax is a kinetic selection variable. Based on the obtained results and the analyses performed it may be concluded that a training factor dominant for maintaining a vertical position by

Sex assessment from carpals bones: discriminant function analysis in a contemporary Mexican sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Mastrangelo, Paola; De Luca, Stefano; Sánchez-Mejorada, Gabriela

2011-06-15

Sex assessment is one of the first essential steps in human identification, in both medico-legal cases and bio-archaeological contexts. Fragmentary human remains compromised by different types of burial or physical insults may frustrate the use of the traditional sex estimation methods, such as the analysis of the skull and pelvis. Currently, the application of discriminant functions to sex unidentified skeletal remains is steadily increasing. However, several studies have demonstrated that, due to variation in size and patterns of sexual dimorphism, discriminant functions are population-specific. In this study, in order to improve sex assessment from skeletal remains and to establish population-specific discriminant functions, the diagnostic values of the carpal bones were considered. A sample of 136 individuals (78 males, 58 females) of known sex and age was analyzed. They belong to a contemporary identified collection from the Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City). The age of the individuals ranged between 25 and 85 years. Between four and nine measurements of each carpal bone were taken. Independent t-tests confirm that all carpals are sexually dimorphic. Univariate measurements produce accuracy levels that range from 61.8% to 90.8%. Classification accuracies ranged between 81.3% and 92.3% in the multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis. In addition, intra- and inter-observer error tests were performed. These indicated that replication of measurements was satisfactory for the same observer over time and between observers. These results suggest that carpal bones can be used for assessing sex in both forensic and bio-archaeological identification procedures and that bone dimensions are population specific. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asymptotic performance of regularized quadratic discriminant analysis based classifiers

KAUST Repository

Elkhalil, Khalil

2017-12-13

This paper carries out a large dimensional analysis of the standard regularized quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) classifier designed on the assumption that data arise from a Gaussian mixture model. The analysis relies on fundamental results from random matrix theory (RMT) when both the number of features and the cardinality of the training data within each class grow large at the same pace. Under some mild assumptions, we show that the asymptotic classification error converges to a deterministic quantity that depends only on the covariances and means associated with each class as well as the problem dimensions. Such a result permits a better understanding of the performance of regularized QDA and can be used to determine the optimal regularization parameter that minimizes the misclassification error probability. Despite being valid only for Gaussian data, our theoretical findings are shown to yield a high accuracy in predicting the performances achieved with real data sets drawn from popular real data bases, thereby making an interesting connection between theory and practice.

Life satisfaction and trauma in clinical and non-clinical children living in a war-torn environment: A discriminant analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Veronese, Guido; Pepe, Alessandro

2017-07-01

The aim of this work was to discriminate between healthy children and children at risk of developing mental impairments by evaluating the impact on contextual and individual factors of a context characterized by war. We tested the hypothesis that a linear discriminant function composed of trauma, life satisfaction, and affect balance has the power to classify the children as community or clinical referred. Membership of the clinical-referred group was associated with poorer life satisfaction and higher levels of trauma. Community-referred profiles were associated with lesser trauma. Perceived life satisfaction regarding family and school was the main contributor to the discriminant function.

Racial Discrimination and Low Household Education Predict Higher Body Mass Index in African American Youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Devin S; Gerras, Julia M; McGlumphy, Kellye C; Shaver, Erika R; Gill, Amaanat K; Kanneganti, Kamala; Ajibewa, Tiwaloluwa A; Hasson, Rebecca E

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between environmental factors, including household education, community violence exposure, racial discrimination, and cultural identity, and BMI in African American adolescents. A community-based sample of 198 African American youth (120 girls, 78 boys; ages 11-19 years) from Washtenaw County, Michigan, were included in this analysis. Violence exposure was assessed by using the Survey of Children's Exposure to Community Violence; racial discrimination by using the Adolescent Discrimination Distress Index; cultural identity by using the Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents; and household education by using a seven-category variable. Measured height and body weight were used to calculate BMI. Racial discrimination was positively associated with BMI, whereas household education was inversely associated with BMI in African American adolescents (discrimination: β = 0.11 ± 0.04, p = 0.01; education: β = -1.13 ± 0.47, p = 0.02). These relationships were significant when accounting for the confounding effects of stress, activity, diet, and pubertal development. Significant gender interactions were observed with racial discrimination and low household education associated with BMI in girls only (discrimination: β = 0.16 ± 0.05, p = 0.003; education: β = -1.12 ± 0.55, p = 0.045). There were no significant relationships between culture, community violence exposure, and BMI (all p's > 0.05). Environmental factors, including racial discrimination and low household education, predicted higher BMI in African American adolescents, particularly among girls. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms by which these environmental factors increase obesity risk in African American youth.

Microaggressions, Discrimination, and Phenotype among African Americans: A Latent Class Analysis of the Impact of Skin Tone and BMI.

Science.gov (United States)

Keith, Verna M; Nguyen, Ann W; Taylor, Robert Joseph; Mouzon, Dawne M; Chatters, Linda M

2017-05-01

Data from the 2001-2003National Survey of American Life are used to investigate the effects of phenotype on everyday experiences with discrimination among African Americans (N=3343). Latent class analysis is used to identify four classes of discriminatory treatment: 1) low levels of discrimination, 2) disrespect and condescension, 3) character-based discrimination, and 4) high levels of discrimination. We then employ latent class multinomial logistic regression to evaluate the association between skin tone and body weight and these four classes of discrimination. Designating the low level discrimination class as the reference group, findings revealed that respondents with darker skin were more likely to be classified into the disrespect/condescension and the high level microaggression types. BMI was unrelated to the discrimination type, although there was a significant interaction effect between gender and BMI. BMI was strongly and positively associated with membership in the disrespect and condescension type among men but not among women. These findings indicate that skin tone and body weight are two phenotypic characteristics that influence the type and frequency of discrimination experienced by African Americans.

Workplace Discrimination Outcomes and Their Predictive Factors for Adults with Multiple Sclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Roessler, Richard T.; Neath, Jeanne; McMahon, Brian T.; Rumrill, Phillip D.

2007-01-01

Because employment is a significant predictor of the quality of life of people with disabilities (Rumrill, Roessler, & Fitzgerald, 2004; Viermo & Krause, 1998), discrimination in the workplace that interferes with successful job acquisition or retention is a serious matter. Unfortunately, this type of discrimination is all too prevalent.…

Revealing discriminating power of the elements in edible sea salts: Line-intensity correlation analysis from laser-induced plasma emission spectra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yonghoon, E-mail: yhlee@mokpo.ac.kr [Department of Chemistry, Mokpo National University, Jeonnam 534-729 (Korea, Republic of); Ham, Kyung-Sik [Department of Food Engineering, Mokpo National University, Jeonnam 534-729 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Song-Hee [Division of Maritime Transportation System, Mokpo National Maritime University, Jeonnam 530-729 (Korea, Republic of); Yoo, Jonghyun, E-mail: jyoo@appliedspectra.com [Applied Spectra, Inc., 46665 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94538 (United States); Jeong, Sungho [School of Mechatronics, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500-712 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-11-01

We have investigated the discriminating power of the elements in edible sea salts using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). For the ten different sea salts from South Korea, China, Japan, France, Mexico and New Zealand, LIBS spectra were recorded in the spectral range between 190 and 1040 nm, identifying the presence of Na, Cl, K, Ca, Mg, Li, Sr, Al, Si, Ti, Fe, C, O, N, and H. Intensity correlation analysis of the observed emission lines provided a valuable insight into the discriminating power of the different elements in the sea salts. The correlation analysis suggests that the elements with independent discrimination power can be categorized into three groups; those that represent dissolved ions in seawater (K, Li, and Mg), those that are associated with calcified particles (Ca and Sr), and those that are present in soils contained in the sea salts (Al, Si, Ti, and Fe). Classification models using a few emission lines selected based on the results from intensity correlation analysis and full broadband LIBS spectra were developed based on Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) and their performances were compared. Our results indicate that effective combination of a few emission lines can provide a dependable model for discriminating the edible sea salts and the performance is not much degraded from that based on the full broadband spectra. This can be rationalized by the intensity correlation results. - Highlights: • Broadband LIBS spectra of various edible sea salts were obtained. • Intensity correlation of emission lines of the elements in edible sea salts was analyzed. • The elements were categorized into three groups with independent discriminating power. • The effective combination of a few lines can provide dependable classification models.

Discrimination among adults with craniofacial conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Rachel M

2014-01-01

The primary goal of this study was to establish the level of perceived discrimination experienced by adults with congenital craniofacial conditions in Australia and to examine predictors of discrimination. Specifically, this study tested whether social support mediates the relationship between discrimination and health. Adults (n = 93) who had been treated at the Australian Craniofacial Unit, Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide for congenital craniofacial conditions (not including cleft lip and/or palate) completed questionnaires examining satisfaction with life, quality of life, anxiety and depression, self-esteem, satisfaction with social support, and satisfaction with appearance. A substantial minority of adults with congenital craniofacial conditions reported that they experience discrimination almost every day in a range of areas. Higher reports of discrimination were related to older age, being male, and less education. Other factors related to higher discrimination included lower levels of satisfaction with life, self-esteem, satisfaction with appearance and mental quality of life, as well as higher levels of anxiety and depression. Social support partially mediated the relationship between discrimination and mental health outcomes. The current study shows that discrimination experiences continue into adulthood confirming the importance of ensuring patients are well supported both by psychosocial services as well as within their own social support networks.

Phonological experience modulates voice discrimination: Evidence from functional brain networks analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xueping; Wang, Xiangpeng; Gu, Yan; Luo, Pei; Yin, Shouhang; Wang, Lijun; Fu, Chao; Qiao, Lei; Du, Yi; Chen, Antao

2017-10-01

Numerous behavioral studies have found a modulation effect of phonological experience on voice discrimination. However, the neural substrates underpinning this phenomenon are poorly understood. Here we manipulated language familiarity to test the hypothesis that phonological experience affects voice discrimination via mediating the engagement of multiple perceptual and cognitive resources. The results showed that during voice discrimination, the activation of several prefrontal regions was modulated by language familiarity. More importantly, the same effect was observed concerning the functional connectivity from the fronto-parietal network to the voice-identity network (VIN), and from the default mode network to the VIN. Our findings indicate that phonological experience could bias the recruitment of cognitive control and information retrieval/comparison processes during voice discrimination. Therefore, the study unravels the neural substrates subserving the modulation effect of phonological experience on voice discrimination, and provides new insights into studying voice discrimination from the perspective of network interactions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Image analysis of food particles can discriminate deficient mastication of mixed foodstuffs simulating daily meal.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugimoto, K; Hashimoto, Y; Fukuike, C; Kodama, N; Minagi, S

2014-03-01

Because food texture is regarded as an important factor for smooth deglutition, identification of objective parameters that could provide a basis for food texture selection for elderly or dysphagic patients is of great importance. We aimed to develop an objective evaluation method of mastication using a mixed test food comprising foodstuffs, simulating daily dietary life. The particle size distribution (>2 mm in diameter) in a bolus was analysed using a digital image under dark-field illumination. Ten female participants (mean age ± s.d., 27·6 ± 2·6 years) masticated a mixed test food comprising prescribed amounts of rice, sausage, hard omelette, raw cabbage and raw cucumber with 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of the number of their masticatory strokes. A single set of coefficient thresholds of 0·10 for the homogeneity index and 1·62 for the particle size index showed excellent discrimination of deficient masticatory conditions with high sensitivity (0·90) and specificity (0·77). Based on the results of this study, normal mastication was discriminated from deficient masticatory conditions using a large particle analysis of mixed foodstuffs, thus showing the possibility of future application of this method for objective decision-making regarding the properties of meals served to dysphagic patients. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spatial discrimination and visual discrimination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haagensen, Annika M. J.; Grand, Nanna; Klastrup, Signe

2013-01-01

Two methods investigating learning and memory in juvenile Gottingen minipigs were evaluated for potential use in preclinical toxicity testing. Twelve minipigs were tested using a spatial hole-board discrimination test including a learning phase and two memory phases. Five minipigs were tested...... in a visual discrimination test. The juvenile minipigs were able to learn the spatial hole-board discrimination test and showed improved working and reference memory during the learning phase. Performance in the memory phases was affected by the retention intervals, but the minipigs were able to remember...... the concept of the test in both memory phases. Working memory and reference memory were significantly improved in the last trials of the memory phases. In the visual discrimination test, the minipigs learned to discriminate between the three figures presented to them within 9-14 sessions. For the memory test...

[Etiological analysis and establishment of a discriminant model for lower respiratory tract infections in hospitalized patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Y S; Lin, X H; Li, H R; Hua, Z D; Lin, M Q; Huang, W S; Yu, T; Lyu, H Y; Mao, W P; Liang, Y Q; Peng, X R; Chen, S J; Zheng, H; Lian, S Q; Hu, X L; Yao, X Q

2017-12-12

Objective: To analyze the pathogens of lower respiratory tract infection(LRTI) including bacterial, viral and mixed infection, and to establish a discriminant model based on clinical features in order to predict the pathogens. Methods: A total of 243 hospitalized patients with lower respiratory tract infections were enrolled in Fujian Provincial Hospital from April 2012 to September 2015. The clinical data and airway (sputum and/or bronchoalveolar lavage) samples were collected. Microbes were identified by traditional culture (for bacteria), loop-mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP) and gene sequencing (for bacteria and atypical pathogen), or Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR)for viruses. Finally, a discriminant model was established by using the discriminant analysis methods to help to predict bacterial, viral and mixed infections. Results: Pathogens were detected in 53.9% (131/243) of the 243 cases.Bacteria accounted for 23.5%(57/243, of which 17 cases with the virus, 1 case with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and virus), mainly Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Klebsiella Pneumonia. Atypical pathogens for 4.9% (12/243, of which 3 cases with the virus, 1 case of bacteria and viruses), all were mycoplasma pneumonia. Viruses for 34.6% (84/243, of which 17 cases of bacteria, 3 cases with Mycoplasma pneumoniae, 1 case with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and bacteria) of the cases, mainly Influenza A virus and Human Cytomegalovirus, and other virus like adenovirus, human parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, human boca virus were also detected fewly. Seven parameters including mental status, using antibiotics prior to admission, complications, abnormal breath sounds, neutrophil alkaline phosphatase (NAP) score, pneumonia severity index (PSI) score and CRUB-65 score were enrolled after univariate analysis, and discriminant analysis was used to establish the discriminant model by applying the identified pathogens as the

Diet-tissue stable isotope (delta¹³C and delta¹⁵N) discrimination factors for multiple tissues from terrestrial reptiles (rock iguanas, Cyclura species)

OpenAIRE

Steinitz, Ronnie

2015-01-01

Trophic interactions can drive community structure; therefore, studying food webs is key in understanding ecological communities. Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for reconstructing foraging patterns. However, stable isotope discrimination factors (delta¹³C and delta¹⁵N) are needed to best use this tool. We determined the first delta¹³C and delta¹⁵N values for Rock Iguanas (Cyclura spp.) to better understand isotope fractionation patterns in reptiles and estimate wild reptile diets....

Variations in students' perceived reasons for, sources of, and forms of in-school discrimination: A latent class analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrd, Christy M; Carter Andrews, Dorinda J

2016-08-01

Although there exists a healthy body of literature related to discrimination in schools, this research has primarily focused on racial or ethnic discrimination as perceived and experienced by students of color. Few studies examine students' perceptions of discrimination from a variety of sources, such as adults and peers, their descriptions of the discrimination, or the frequency of discrimination in the learning environment. Middle and high school students in a Midwestern school district (N=1468) completed surveys identifying whether they experienced discrimination from seven sources (e.g., peers, teachers, administrators), for seven reasons (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, religion), and in eight forms (e.g., punished more frequently, called names, excluded from social groups). The sample was 52% White, 15% Black/African American, 14% Multiracial, and 17% Other. Latent class analysis was used to cluster individuals based on reported sources of, reasons for, and forms of discrimination. Four clusters were found, and ANOVAs were used to test for differences between clusters on perceptions of school climate, relationships with teachers, perceptions that the school was a "good school," and engagement. The Low Discrimination cluster experienced the best outcomes, whereas an intersectional cluster experienced the most discrimination and the worst outcomes. The results confirm existing research on the negative effects of discrimination. Additionally, the paper adds to the literature by highlighting the importance of an intersectional approach to examining students' perceptions of in-school discrimination. Copyright © 2016 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustainable Production and Trade Discrimination: An Analysis of the WTO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Alejandra Calle Saldarriaga

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This article aims to examine the legality of trade measures addressing environmental conditions of production (PPMs in the context of non-discrimination provisions under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT  and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement.  It shows that the notion of de facto discrimination is still a sensitive subject in the analysis of origin-neutral measures, including those based on environmental PPMs. Much of the discussion regarding PPMs focuses on the issue of ‘like products’. The interpretation of ‘likeness’ has also served to classify PPMs into the two categories of product related and non-product related. Such distinction rests on how the PPM affects the final product. However, it is important to analyse to what extent these measures can accord less favourable treatment to like products. The author argues that this requires a competition analysis. This article also elucidates how depending upon the applicable law (the TBT Agreement or the GATT PPMs are likely to face different legal challenges, particularly in terms of less favourable treatment. The author also assesses the possibility of transposing concepts such as ‘legitimate regulatory distinctions’ stemming from the TBT jurisprudence into GATT cases involving PPMs, and whether there will be an additional ‘test’ for PPMs characterised as TBT measures. This article is based on an extensive literature review and doctrinal legal research

Statistical analysis of Thematic Mapper Simulator data for the geobotanical discrimination of rock types in southwest Oregon

Science.gov (United States)

Morrissey, L. A.; Weinstock, K. J.; Mouat, D. A.; Card, D. H.

1984-01-01

An evaluation of Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) data for the geobotanical discrimination of rock types based on vegetative cover characteristics is addressed in this research. A methodology for accomplishing this evaluation utilizing univariate and multivariate techniques is presented. TMS data acquired with a Daedalus DEI-1260 multispectral scanner were integrated with vegetation and geologic information for subsequent statistical analyses, which included a chi-square test, an analysis of variance, stepwise discriminant analysis, and Duncan's multiple range test. Results indicate that ultramafic rock types are spectrally separable from nonultramafics based on vegetative cover through the use of statistical analyses.

MARKETING MIX FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE DESIRE TO PURCHASE FRUIT BEVERAGES IN THE CITY OF BOGOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iffatul Ulfah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The objectives of this research were 1 to analyze marketing mix factors that influence the desire to purchase fruit beverages, 2 to formulate the marketing strategies of fruit beverages at restaurant based on fruit beverages in the city of Bogor. This research was conducted by using descriptive methods through survey approach. Data was collected in questionnaires, using non probability sample approach with convenience sampling technique. Variables measured  were 7P’s marketing mix factors, namely product, place, price, promotion, physical evidence, process and people. The analysis that were used were descriptive analysis and discriminant analysis. The result of this research shows that price and physical evidence were two factors that discriminate consumer behaviour. This means that the purchase intention (desire between consumers who buy and consumers who do not buy fruit beverages were affected by price and physical evidence factors. The discriminant function that discriminate consumers purchase intention is D = -3,339+0,619Physical+0,899Price and cut-off value -0,18624. This means that if discriminant value (Dis higher than -0,18624, the consumer belongs to the group of consumer who will buy the fruit beverages and vice versa.Keywords: consumer behaviour, purchase intention, marketing mix, discriminant analysis

Principal component analysis for neural electron/jet discrimination in highly segmented calorimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vassali, M.R.; Seixas, J.M.

2001-01-01

A neural electron/jet discriminator based on calorimetry is developed for the second-level trigger system of the ATLAS detector. As preprocessing of the calorimeter information, a principal component analysis is performed on each segment of the two sections (electromagnetic and hadronic) of the calorimeter system, in order to reduce significantly the dimension of the input data space and fully explore the detailed energy deposition profile, which is provided by the highly-segmented calorimeter system. It is shown that projecting calorimeter data onto 33 segmented principal components, the discrimination efficiency of the neural classifier reaches 98.9% for electrons (with only 1% of false alarm probability). Furthermore, restricting data projection onto only 9 components, an electron efficiency of 99.1% is achieved (with 3% of false alarm), which confirms that a fast triggering system may be designed using few components

Textural Maturity Analysis and Sedimentary Environment Discrimination Based on Grain Shape Data

Science.gov (United States)

Tunwal, M.; Mulchrone, K. F.; Meere, P. A.

2017-12-01

Morphological analysis of clastic sedimentary grains is an important source of information regarding the processes involved in their formation, transportation and deposition. However, a standardised approach for quantitative grain shape analysis is generally lacking. In this contribution we report on a study where fully automated image analysis techniques were applied to loose sediment samples collected from glacial, aeolian, beach and fluvial environments. A range of shape parameters are evaluated for their usefulness in textural characterisation of populations of grains. The utility of grain shape data in ranking textural maturity of samples within a given sedimentary environment is evaluated. Furthermore, discrimination of sedimentary environment on the basis of grain shape information is explored. The data gathered demonstrates a clear progression in textural maturity in terms of roundness, angularity, irregularity, fractal dimension, convexity, solidity and rectangularity. Textural maturity can be readily categorised using automated grain shape parameter analysis. However, absolute discrimination between different depositional environments on the basis of shape parameters alone is less certain. For example, the aeolian environment is quite distinct whereas fluvial, glacial and beach samples are inherently variable and tend to overlap each other in terms of textural maturity. This is most likely due to a collection of similar processes and sources operating within these environments. This study strongly demonstrates the merit of quantitative population-based shape parameter analysis of texture and indicates that it can play a key role in characterising both loose and consolidated sediments. This project is funded by the Irish Petroleum Infrastructure Programme (www.pip.ie)

Age and Workplace Discrimination in Lithuania

OpenAIRE

Braziene, Ruta

2017-01-01

This paper aims to disclose an expression of age and workplace discrimination in the Lithuanian labor market. The paper is discussing theoretical aspects of age discrimination and presents the results of the sociological survey research results carried out in 2014. The purpose of this paper is to disclose age and workplace discrimination at the Lithuanian labor market. Analysis of scientific literature and quantitative research results allows to state that older adults are experiencing discri...

Rapid direct analysis to discriminate geographic origin of extra virgin olive oils by flash gas chromatography electronic nose and chemometrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Melucci, Dora; Bendini, Alessandra; Tesini, Federica; Barbieri, Sara; Zappi, Alessandro; Vichi, Stefania; Conte, Lanfranco; Gallina Toschi, Tullia

2016-08-01

At present, the geographical origin of extra virgin olive oils can be ensured by documented traceability, although chemical analysis may add information that is useful for possible confirmation. This preliminary study investigated the effectiveness of flash gas chromatography electronic nose and multivariate data analysis to perform rapid screening of commercial extra virgin olive oils characterized by a different geographical origin declared in the label. A comparison with solid phase micro extraction coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry was also performed. The new method is suitable to verify the geographic origin of extra virgin olive oils based on principal components analysis and discriminant analysis applied to the volatile profile of the headspace as a fingerprint. The selected variables were suitable in discriminating between "100% Italian" and "non-100% Italian" oils. Partial least squares discriminant analysis also allowed prediction of the degree of membership of unknown samples to the classes examined. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Clinical and Radiological Discrimination of Solitary Pulmonary Lesions in Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohtaki, Yoichi; Shimizu, Kimihiro; Nagashima, Toshiteru; Nakazawa, Seshiru; Obayashi, Kai; Azuma, Yoko; Iijima, Misaki; Kosaka, Takayuki; Yajima, Toshiki; Ogawa, Hiroomi; Tsutsumi, Soichi; Arai, Motohiro; Mogi, Akira; Kuwano, Hiroyuki

2018-04-01

The lung is one of the most common organs of metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC), and we have encountered lung cancer patients with a history of CRC. There have been few studies regarding methods used to discriminate between primary lung cancer (PLC) and pulmonary metastasis from CRC (PM-CRC) based only on preoperative findings. We retrospectively investigated predictive factors discriminating between these lesions in patients with a history of CRC. Between 2006 and 2015, 117 patients with a history of CRC (44 patients with 47 PLC and 73 patients with 102 PM-CRC) underwent subsequent or concurrent resection of pulmonary lesions. We compared the clinical and radiological characteristics of 100 patients with solitary lesions (43 PLC and 57 PM-CRC). Using univariate and multivariate analyses, we examined predictive factors for discrimination of these two lesions. All tumors with findings of ground-glass opacity (GGO) were PLC (n = 19). In a multivariate analysis of 81 radiologically solid tumors, two factors were found to be significant independent predictors of PLC: a history of stage I CRC and presence of pleural indentation. All tumors in 26 patients with either GGO or both a stage I CRC history and pleural indentation were PLC, while most tumors in patients without all three factors were PM-CRC (43/44; 97.7%). The presence or absence of GGO, pathological CRC stage, and pleural indentation could be useful factors to distinguish between PLC and PM-CRC.

Discrimination of bromodeoxyuridine labelled and unlabelled mitotic cells in flow cytometric bromodeoxyuridine/DNA analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, P O; Larsen, J K; Christensen, I J

1994-01-01

Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) labelled and unlabelled mitotic cells, respectively, can be discriminated from interphase cells using a new method, based on immunocytochemical staining of BrdUrd and flow cytometric four-parameter analysis of DNA content, BrdUrd incorporation, and forward and orthogona...

Application of otolith shape analysis for stock discrimination and species identification of five goby species (Perciformes: Gobiidae) in the northern Chinese coastal waters

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xin; Cao, Liang; Liu, Jinhu; Zhao, Bo; Shan, Xiujuan; Dou, Shuozeng

2014-09-01

We tested the use of otolith shape analysis to discriminate between species and stocks of five goby species ( Ctenotrypauchen chinensis, Odontamblyopus lacepedii, Amblychaeturichthys hexanema, Chaeturichthys stigmatias, and Acanthogobius hasta) found in northern Chinese coastal waters. The five species were well differentiated with high overall classification success using shape indices (83.7%), elliptic Fourier coefficients (98.6%), or the combination of both methods (94.9%). However, shape analysis alone was only moderately successful at discriminating among the four stocks (Liaodong Bay, LD; Bohai Bay, BH; Huanghe (Yellow) River estuary HRE, and Jiaozhou Bay, JZ stocks) of A. hasta (50%-54%) and C. stigmatias (65.7%-75.8%). For these two species, shape analysis was moderately successful at discriminating the HRE or JZ stocks from other stocks, but failed to effectively identify the LD and BH stocks. A large number of otoliths were misclassified between the HRE and JZ stocks, which are geographically well separated. The classification success for stock discrimination was higher using elliptic Fourier coefficients alone (70.2%) or in combination with shape indices (75.8%) than using only shape indices (65.7%) in C. stigmatias whereas there was little difference among the three methods for A. hasta. Our results supported the common belief that otolith shape analysis is generally more effective for interspecific identification than intraspecific discrimination. Moreover, compared with shape indices analysis, Fourier analysis improves classification success during inter- and intra-species discrimination by otolith shape analysis, although this did not necessarily always occur in all fish species.

Applying linear discriminant analysis to predict groundwater redox conditions conducive to denitrification

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, S. R.; Close, M. E.; Abraham, P.

2018-01-01

Diffuse nitrate losses from agricultural land pollute groundwater resources worldwide, but can be attenuated under reducing subsurface conditions. In New Zealand, the ability to predict where groundwater denitrification occurs is important for understanding the linkage between land use and discharges of nitrate-bearing groundwater to streams. This study assesses the application of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) for predicting groundwater redox status for Southland, a major dairy farming region in New Zealand. Data cases were developed by assigning a redox status to samples derived from a regional groundwater quality database. Pre-existing regional-scale geospatial databases were used as training variables for the discriminant functions. The predictive accuracy of the discriminant functions was slightly improved by optimising the thresholds between sample depth classes. The models predict 23% of the region as being reducing at shallow depths (water table, and low-permeability clastic sediments. The coastal plains are an area of widespread groundwater discharge, and the soil and hydrology characteristics require the land to be artificially drained to render the land suitable for farming. For the improvement of water quality in coastal areas, it is therefore important that land and water management efforts focus on understanding hydrological bypassing that may occur via artificial drainage systems.

Early discrimination of nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on tissue deoxyribose nucleic acid surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Sufang; Li, Chao; Lin, Jinyong; Xu, Yuanji; Lu, Jun; Huang, Qingting; Zou, Changyan; Chen, Chao; Xiao, Nanyang; Lin, Duo; Chen, Rong; Pan, Jianji; Feng, Shangyuan

2016-12-01

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was employed to detect deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) variations associated with the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Significant SERS spectral differences between the DNA extracted from early NPC, advanced NPC, and normal nasopharyngeal tissue specimens were observed at 678, 729, 788, 1337, 1421, 1506, and 1573 cm-1, which reflects the genetic variations in NPC. Principal component analysis combined with discriminant function analysis for early NPC discrimination yielded a diagnostic accuracy of 86.8%, 92.3%, and 87.9% for early NPC, advanced NPC, and normal nasopharyngeal tissue DNA, respectively. In this exploratory study, we demonstrated the potential of SERS for early detection of NPC based on the DNA molecular study of biopsy tissues.

Experienced discrimination in home mortgage lending

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Secchi, Davide; Seri, Raffaello

2017-01-01

This article proposes a framework for the analysis of experienced discrimination in home mortgages. It addresses the problem of home mortgage lending discrimination in one of the richest areas of northern Italy. Employees of a local hospital were interviewed to study their perception (or experien...

Investigation on n/γ discrimination methods for liquid scintillator detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Kuinian; Li Yang; Zhang Mei; Zhang Zhongbing; Li Binkang; Zhang Xiaodong; Liu Jun; Zhang Xianpeng

2014-01-01

To obtain the n/γ discrimination ability of different digital pulse shape discrimination methods, four methods (rising time method, charge comparison method, pulse gradient analysis and frequency gradient analysis) in americium-beryllium mixed radiation fields were demonstrated. The signals from EJ-301 and BC501A scintillator detectors were digitized using oscilloscope. A comparison was taken among the four discrimination methods. The discrimination results of the four methods in liquid scintillator detectors show that the rising time method is the best and it provides a good choice in real-time n/γ discrimination system. (authors)

Discrimination and Anti-discrimination in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Tore Vincents

The purpose of this report is to describe and analyse Danish anti-discrimination legislation and the debate about discrimination in Denmark in order to identify present and future legal challenges. The main focus is the implementation of the EU anti-discrimination directives in Danish law...

Statistical analysis for discrimination of prompt gamma ray peak induced by high energy neutron: Monte Carlo simulation study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Do-Kun Yoon; Joo-Young Jung; Tae Suk Suh; Seong-Min Han

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research is a statistical analysis for discrimination of prompt gamma ray peak induced by the 14.1 MeV neutron particles from spectra using Monte Carlo simulation. For the simulation, the information of 18 detector materials was used to simulate spectra by the neutron capture reaction. The discrimination of nine prompt gamma ray peaks from the simulation of each detector material was performed. We presented the several comparison indexes of energy resolution performance depending on the detector material using the simulation and statistics for the prompt gamma activation analysis. (author)

Identifying Plant Part Composition of Forest Logging Residue Using Infrared Spectral Data and Linear Discriminant Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gifty E. Acquah

2016-08-01

Full Text Available As new markets, technologies and economies evolve in the low carbon bioeconomy, forest logging residue, a largely untapped renewable resource will play a vital role. The feedstock can however be variable depending on plant species and plant part component. This heterogeneity can influence the physical, chemical and thermochemical properties of the material, and thus the final yield and quality of products. Although it is challenging to control compositional variability of a batch of feedstock, it is feasible to monitor this heterogeneity and make the necessary changes in process parameters. Such a system will be a first step towards optimization, quality assurance and cost-effectiveness of processes in the emerging biofuel/chemical industry. The objective of this study was therefore to qualitatively classify forest logging residue made up of different plant parts using both near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS together with linear discriminant analysis (LDA. Forest logging residue harvested from several Pinus taeda (loblolly pine plantations in Alabama, USA, were classified into three plant part components: clean wood, wood and bark and slash (i.e., limbs and foliage. Five-fold cross-validated linear discriminant functions had classification accuracies of over 96% for both NIRS and FTIRS based models. An extra factor/principal component (PC was however needed to achieve this in FTIRS modeling. Analysis of factor loadings of both NIR and FTIR spectra showed that, the statistically different amount of cellulose in the three plant part components of logging residue contributed to their initial separation. This study demonstrated that NIR or FTIR spectroscopy coupled with PCA and LDA has the potential to be used as a high throughput tool in classifying the plant part makeup of a batch of forest logging residue feedstock. Thus, NIR/FTIR could be employed as a tool to rapidly probe/monitor the variability

Sexuality and maternity as additional factors of discrimination (and violence in women with disabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María del Pilar Gomiz Pascual

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Two of the numerous variables that affect women with disabilities, exposing them to processes intersectional discrimination, are associated with the still prevailing traditional patriarchal society models: sexuality and motherhood. Sometimes these factors are so severe that violate the fundamental rights of the persons in this social group, threatening their status as full citizens and contributing occasionally to their social exclusion. In this paper we present some of the findings related to these aspects, from an empirical study that analyzed the existing violence against women with disabilities, in order to visualize the specific vulnerability of the members of this social group.

Predicting Insolvency : A comparison between discriminant analysis and logistic regression using principal components

OpenAIRE

Geroukis, Asterios; Brorson, Erik

2014-01-01

In this study, we compare the two statistical techniques logistic regression and discriminant analysis to see how well they classify companies based on clusters – made from the solvency ratio ­– using principal components as independent variables. The principal components are made with different financial ratios. We use cluster analysis to find groups with low, medium and high solvency ratio of 1200 different companies found on the NASDAQ stock market and use this as an apriori definition of ...

Discrimination of Geographical Origin of Asian Garlic Using Isotopic and Chemical Datasets under Stepwise Principal Component Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tsang-Sen; Lin, Jhen-Nan; Peng, Tsung-Ren

2018-01-16

Isotopic compositions of δ 2 H, δ 18 O, δ 13 C, and δ 15 N and concentrations of 22 trace elements from garlic samples were analyzed and processed with stepwise principal component analysis (PCA) to discriminate garlic's country of origin among Asian regions including South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China. Results indicate that there is no single trace-element concentration or isotopic composition that can accomplish the study's purpose and the stepwise PCA approach proposed does allow for discrimination between countries on a regional basis. Sequentially, Step-1 PCA distinguishes garlic's country of origin among Taiwanese, South Korean, and Vietnamese samples; Step-2 PCA discriminates Chinese garlic from South Korean garlic; and Step-3 and Step-4 PCA, Chinese garlic from Vietnamese garlic. In model tests, countries of origin of all audit samples were correctly discriminated by stepwise PCA. Consequently, this study demonstrates that stepwise PCA as applied is a simple and effective approach to discriminating country of origin among Asian garlics. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Logistic discriminant analysis of breast cancer using ultrasound measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdolmaleki, P.; Mokhtari Dizaji, M.; Vahead, M.R.; Gity, M.

2004-01-01

Background: Logistic discriminant method was applied to differentiate malignant from benign in a group of patients with proved breast lesions of the basis of ultrasonic parameters. Materials and methods: Our database include 273 patients' ultrasonographic pictures consisting of 14 quantitative variables. The measured variables were ultrasound propagation velocity, acoustic impedance and attenuation coefficient at 10 MHz in breast lesions at 20, 25, 30 and 35 d ig c temperature, physical density and age. This database was randomly divided into the estimation of 201 and validation of 72 samples. The estimation samples were used to build the logistic discriminant model, and validation samples were used to validate the performance. Finally important criteria such as sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were evaluated. Results: Our results showed that the logistic discriminant method was able to classify correctly 67 out of 72 cases presented in the validation sample. The results indicate a remarkable diagnostic accuracy of 93%. Conclusion: A logistic discriminator approach is capable of predicting the probability of malignancy of breast cancer. Features from ultrasonic measurement on ultrasound imaging is used in this approach

Discrimination and Delayed Health Care Among Transgender Women and Men: Implications for Improving Medical Education and Health Care Delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaffee, Kim D; Shires, Deirdre A; Stroumsa, Daphna

2016-11-01

The transgender community experiences health care discrimination and approximately 1 in 4 transgender people were denied equal treatment in health care settings. Discrimination is one of the many factors significantly associated with health care utilization and delayed care. We assessed factors associated with delayed medical care due to discrimination among transgender patients, and evaluated the relationship between perceived provider knowledge and delayed care using Anderson's behavioral model of health services utilization. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to test whether predisposing, enabling, and health system factors were associated with delaying needed care for transgender women and transgender men. A sample of 3486 transgender participants who took part in the National Transgender Discrimination Survey in 2008 and 2009. Predisposing, enabling, and health system environment factors, and delayed needed health care. Overall, 30.8% of transgender participants delayed or did not seek needed health care due to discrimination. Respondents who had to teach health care providers about transgender people were 4 times more likely to delay needed health care due to discrimination. Transgender patients who need to teach their providers about transgender people are significantly more likely to postpone or not seek needed care. Systemic changes in provider education and training, along with health care system adaptations to ensure appropriate, safe, and respectful care, are necessary to close the knowledge and treatment gaps and prevent delayed care with its ensuing long-term health implications.

Origin Discrimination of Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii Flowers using GC-MS and UPLC-PDA Combined with Multivariable Analysis Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Fei; Zhao, Yajing; Peng, Jiyu; Jiang, Yirong; Li, Maiquan; Jiang, Yuan; Lu, Baiyi

2017-07-01

Osmanthus fragrans flowers are used as folk medicine and additives for teas, beverages and foods. The metabolites of O. fragrans flowers from different geographical origins were inconsistent in some extent. Chromatography and mass spectrometry combined with multivariable analysis methods provides an approach for discriminating the origin of O. fragrans flowers. To discriminate the Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii flowers from different origins with the identified metabolites. GC-MS and UPLC-PDA were conducted to analyse the metabolites in O. fragrans var. thunbergii flowers (in total 150 samples). Principal component analysis (PCA), soft independent modelling of class analogy analysis (SIMCA) and random forest (RF) analysis were applied to group the GC-MS and UPLC-PDA data. GC-MS identified 32 compounds common to all samples while UPLC-PDA/QTOF-MS identified 16 common compounds. PCA of the UPLC-PDA data generated a better clustering than PCA of the GC-MS data. Ten metabolites (six from GC-MS and four from UPLC-PDA) were selected as effective compounds for discrimination by PCA loadings. SIMCA and RF analysis were used to build classification models, and the RF model, based on the four effective compounds (caffeic acid derivative, acteoside, ligustroside and compound 15), yielded better results with the classification rate of 100% in the calibration set and 97.8% in the prediction set. GC-MS and UPLC-PDA combined with multivariable analysis methods can discriminate the origin of Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii flowers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The contribution of cluster and discriminant analysis to the classification of complex aquifer systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Panagopoulos, G P; Angelopoulou, D; Tzirtzilakis, E E; Giannoulopoulos, P

2016-10-01

This paper presents an innovated method for the discrimination of groundwater samples in common groups representing the hydrogeological units from where they have been pumped. This method proved very efficient even in areas with complex hydrogeological regimes. The proposed method requires chemical analyses of water samples only for major ions, meaning that it is applicable to most of cases worldwide. Another benefit of the method is that it gives a further insight of the aquifer hydrogeochemistry as it provides the ions that are responsible for the discrimination of the group. The procedure begins with cluster analysis of the dataset in order to classify the samples in the corresponding hydrogeological unit. The feasibility of the method is proven from the fact that the samples of volcanic origin were separated into two different clusters, namely the lava units and the pyroclastic-ignimbritic aquifer. The second step is the discriminant analysis of the data which provides the functions that distinguish the groups from each other and the most significant variables that define the hydrochemical composition of the aquifer. The whole procedure was highly successful as the 94.7 % of the samples were classified to the correct aquifer system. Finally, the resulted functions can be safely used to categorize samples of either unknown or doubtful origin improving thus the quality and the size of existing hydrochemical databases.

Predicting The Type Of Pregnancy Using Flexible Discriminate Analysis And Artificial Neural Networks: A Comparison Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooman, A.; Mohammadzadeh, M.

2008-01-01

Some medical and epidemiological surveys have been designed to predict a nominal response variable with several levels. With regard to the type of pregnancy there are four possible states: wanted, unwanted by wife, unwanted by husband and unwanted by couple. In this paper, we have predicted the type of pregnancy, as well as the factors influencing it using three different models and comparing them. Regarding the type of pregnancy with several levels, we developed a multinomial logistic regression, a neural network and a flexible discrimination based on the data and compared their results using tow statistical indices: Surface under curve (ROC) and kappa coefficient. Based on these tow indices, flexible discrimination proved to be a better fit for prediction on data in comparison to other methods. When the relations among variables are complex, one can use flexible discrimination instead of multinomial logistic regression and neural network to predict the nominal response variables with several levels in order to gain more accurate predictions

Demographic Consequences of Gender Discrimination in China: Simulation Analysis of Policy Options.

Science.gov (United States)

Quanbao, Jiang; Shuzhuo, Li; Marcus W, Feldman

2011-08-01

The large number of missing females in China, a consequence of gender discrimination, is having and will continue to have a profound effect on the country's population development. In this paper, we analyze the causes of this gender discrimination in terms of institutions, culture and, economy, and suggest public policies that might help eliminate gender discrimination. Using a population simulation model, we study the effect of public policies on the sex ratio at birth and excess female child mortality, and the effect of gender discrimination on China's population development. We find that gender discrimination will decrease China's population size, number of births, and working age population, accelerate population aging and exacerbate the male marriage squeeze. These results provide theoretical support for suggesting that the government enact and implement public policies aimed at eliminating gender discrimination.

Historical Factors, Discrimination and Oral Health among Aboriginal Australians.

Science.gov (United States)

Steffens, Margie; Jamieson, Lisa; Kapellas, Kostas

2016-01-01

Discrimination is a very real facet of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) life. Paradies has detailed the strong links between racism and chronic stress and the influence this may have on general health, confounding the pre-supposed notion that ATSI populations are more genetically predisposed to chronic diseases. For example a genetic predisposition promoting central adipose storage in populations with recent (in evolutionary terms) changes to hunter-gatherer dietary patterns is thought to contribute to the higher rates of diabetes seen in ATSI and other Native populations. This relationship, however, is far from causal in any straight-forward way. In support of the work by Paradies, research from the U.S. also shows that racism, both explicit and subtle, contributes to chronic disease and suffering among ethnic minorities. While the exploration of the perceived or self-reported racial discrimination is recent, this concept has increasing evidence to support its relationship to poor health outcomes.

Attractor structure discriminates sleep states: recurrence plot analysis applied to infant breathing patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Terrill, Philip Ian; Wilson, Stephen James; Suresh, Sadasivam; Cooper, David M; Dakin, Carolyn

2010-05-01

Breathing patterns are characteristically different between infant active sleep (AS) and quiet sleep (QS), and statistical quantifications of interbreath interval (IBI) data have previously been used to discriminate between infant sleep states. It has also been identified that breathing patterns are governed by a nonlinear controller. This study aims to investigate whether nonlinear quantifications of infant IBI data are characteristically different between AS and QS, and whether they may be used to discriminate between these infant sleep states. Polysomnograms were obtained from 24 healthy infants at six months of age. Periods of AS and QS were identified, and IBI data extracted. Recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) was applied to each period, and recurrence calculated for a fixed radius in the range of 0-8 in steps of 0.02, and embedding dimensions of 4, 6, 8, and 16. When a threshold classifier was trained, the RQA variable recurrence was able to correctly classify 94.3% of periods in a test dataset. It was concluded that RQA of IBI data is able to accurately discriminate between infant sleep states. This is a promising step toward development of a minimal-channel automatic sleep state classification system.

Comparing Linear Discriminant Function with Logistic Regression for the Two-Group Classification Problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xitao; Wang, Lin

The Monte Carlo study compared the performance of predictive discriminant analysis (PDA) and that of logistic regression (LR) for the two-group classification problem. Prior probabilities were used for classification, but the cost of misclassification was assumed to be equal. The study used a fully crossed three-factor experimental design (with…

Racial/Ethnic Workplace Discrimination: Association with Tobacco and Alcohol Use

OpenAIRE

Chavez, Laura J.; Ornelas, India J.; Lyles, Courtney R.; Williams, Emily C.

2014-01-01

Experiences of discrimination are associated with tobacco and alcohol use, and work is a common setting where individuals experience racial/ethnic discrimination. Few studies have evaluated the association between workplace discrimination and these behaviors, and none have described associations across race/ethnicity.To examine the association between workplace discrimination and tobacco and alcohol use in a large, multistate sample of U.S. adult respondents to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surv...

Animal-habitat relationships in the Knysna Forest, South Africa: discrimination between forest types by birds and invertebrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Koen, J H; Crowe, T M

1987-06-01

Effects of forest plant species composition and physiognomy on bird and invertebrate communities were investigated in three discrete, relatively undisturbed forest types along a dry-wet soil moisture gradient. Using discriminant function analysis, a 100% floristic and a 78% vegetation structural discrimination were obtained between the three forest types. However, the bird communities of these different forest types were very similar in species composition, and had much lower densities than those normally encountered in other, superficially similar forests. Although an 81% discrimination between forest types was attained through analysis of ground surface invertebrates, measures of litter and aerial invertebrate abundance were also of limited use as discriminators. Historical and biogeographic factors, as well as the low nutritional levels in the soil and vegetation may be the causes of low bird and invertebrate density and diversity. It is concluded that floristics and vegetation structure have, at best, a minor influence on bird community structure, and possibly also on invertebrate community structure in the Knysna Forest.

The Role of Discrimination in Care Postponement Among Trans-Feminine Individuals in the U.S. National Transgender Discrimination Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Glick, Jennifer L; Theall, Katherine P; Andrinopoulos, Katherine M; Kendall, Carl

2018-04-01

This study examines the associations between discrimination experiences (types and locations) and care postponement among trans-feminine individuals in the United States. This secondary, cross-sectional study utilized a subset of the data from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (n = 2248), specifically for trans-feminine individuals. In this analysis, we examined the relationship between discrimination and primary care postponement. Twenty-six percent (26.25%) of the study sample reported delaying preventive care due to fear of discrimination; 23.98%-46.66% of respondents reported past experiences of discrimination (setting dependent). Discrimination in health and non-health settings and different types of discrimination-being denied services, verbally harassed, or physically assaulted-were all significantly associated with delaying care; respondents reporting discrimination were up to 20 times more likely to postpone care. While discrimination at a health location had the strongest association with care postponement (adjusted odds ratio = 9.65, confidence interval = 7.60-12.24), discrimination in all non-health-related locations was also important. Individuals reporting discrimination in greater numbers of locations and multiple types of discrimination were more likely to postpone care. To promote preventive care-seeking, these results affirm the importance of interventions that promote discrimination-free environments for gender minorities.

Item validity vs. item discrimination index: a redundancy?

Science.gov (United States)

Panjaitan, R. L.; Irawati, R.; Sujana, A.; Hanifah, N.; Djuanda, D.

2018-03-01

In several literatures about evaluation and test analysis, it is common to find that there are calculations of item validity as well as item discrimination index (D) with different formula for each. Meanwhile, other resources said that item discrimination index could be obtained by calculating the correlation between the testee’s score in a particular item and the testee’s score on the overall test, which is actually the same concept as item validity. Some research reports, especially undergraduate theses tend to include both item validity and item discrimination index in the instrument analysis. It seems that these concepts might overlap for both reflect the test quality on measuring the examinees’ ability. In this paper, examples of some results of data processing on item validity and item discrimination index were compared. It would be discussed whether item validity and item discrimination index can be represented by one of them only or it should be better to present both calculations for simple test analysis, especially in undergraduate theses where test analyses were included.

Development and Validation of Discriminant Analysis Models for Student Loan Defaultees and Non-Defaultees.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, Greeley; Siera, Steven

1980-01-01

Default on guaranteed student loans has been increasing. The use of discriminant analysis as a technique to identify "good" v "bad" student loans based on information available from the loan application is discussed. Research to test the ability of models to such predictions is reported. (Author/MLW)

Perceived Discrimination and Health: A Meta-Analytic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Pascoe, Elizabeth A.; Richman, Laura Smart

2009-01-01

Perceived discrimination has been studied with regard to its impact on several types of health effects. This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive account of the relationships between multiple forms of perceived discrimination and both mental and physical health outcomes. In addition, this meta-analysis examines potential mechanisms by which…

Social Determinants of Perceived Discrimination among Black Youth: Intersection of Ethnicity and Gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Assari, Shervin; Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard

2018-02-15

Most of the existing sociological and epidemiological literature has focused on the protective effects of high socioeconomic status (SES) on population health through reducing exposure to risk factors and increasing human and material resources that can mitigate adversities. Recent studies, however, have documented poor mental health of high SES Blacks, particularly African American males and Caribbean Black females. The literature also shows a link between perceived discrimination and poor mental health. To better understand the extra costs of upward social mobility for minority populations, this study explored ethnic by gender variations in the associations between SES indicators and perceived discrimination in an ethnically diverse national sample of Black youth. This study included 810 African American and 360 Caribbean Black youth who were sampled in the National Survey of American Life-Adolescent supplement (NSAL-A). Three SES indicators (financial hardship, family income, and income to needs ratio) were the independent variables. The dependent variable was perceived (daily) discrimination. Age was the covariate. Ethnicity and gender were the focal moderators. Linear regressions were used for data analysis in the pooled sample and also based on the intersection of ethnicity and gender. Considerable gender by ethnicity variations were found in the patterns of the associations between SES indicators and perceived discrimination. Financial hardship was a risk factor for perceived discrimination in African American males only. High family income and income to needs ratio were associated with high (but not low) perceived discrimination in African American males and Caribbean Black females. SES indicators were not associated with perceived discrimination for African American females or Caribbean Black males. When it comes to Black youth, high SES is not always protective. Whether SES reduces or increases perceived discrimination among Black youth depends on the

Social Determinants of Perceived Discrimination among Black Youth: Intersection of Ethnicity and Gender

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shervin Assari

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Most of the existing sociological and epidemiological literature has focused on the protective effects of high socioeconomic status (SES on population health through reducing exposure to risk factors and increasing human and material resources that can mitigate adversities. Recent studies, however, have documented poor mental health of high SES Blacks, particularly African American males and Caribbean Black females. The literature also shows a link between perceived discrimination and poor mental health. To better understand the extra costs of upward social mobility for minority populations, this study explored ethnic by gender variations in the associations between SES indicators and perceived discrimination in an ethnically diverse national sample of Black youth. This study included 810 African American and 360 Caribbean Black youth who were sampled in the National Survey of American Life—Adolescent supplement (NSAL-A. Three SES indicators (financial hardship, family income, and income to needs ratio were the independent variables. The dependent variable was perceived (daily discrimination. Age was the covariate. Ethnicity and gender were the focal moderators. Linear regressions were used for data analysis in the pooled sample and also based on the intersection of ethnicity and gender. Considerable gender by ethnicity variations were found in the patterns of the associations between SES indicators and perceived discrimination. Financial hardship was a risk factor for perceived discrimination in African American males only. High family income and income to needs ratio were associated with high (but not low perceived discrimination in African American males and Caribbean Black females. SES indicators were not associated with perceived discrimination for African American females or Caribbean Black males. When it comes to Black youth, high SES is not always protective. Whether SES reduces or increases perceived discrimination among Black youth

The effect of perceived discrimination on the health of immigrant workers in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Agudelo-Suárez, Andrés A; Ronda-Pérez, Elena; Gil-González, Diana; Vives-Cases, Carmen; García, Ana M; Ruiz-Frutos, Carlos; Felt, Emily; Benavides, Fernando G

2011-08-17

Discrimination is an important determinant of health inequalities, and immigrants may be more vulnerable to certain types of discrimination than the native-born. This study analyses the relationship between immigrants' perceived discrimination and various self-reported health indicators. A cross-sectional survey was conducted (2008) amongst a non-random sample of 2434 immigrants from Ecuador, Morocco, Romania and Colombia in four Spanish cities: Barcelona, Huelva, Madrid and Valencia. A factorial analysis of variables revealed three dimensions of perceived discrimination (due to immigrant status, due to physical appearance, and workplace-related). The association of these dimensions with self-rated health, mental health (GHQ-12), change in self-rated health between origin and host country, and other self-reported health outcomes was analysed. Logistic regression was used adjusting for potential confounders (aOR-95%CI). Subjects with worsening self-reported health status potentially attributable to perceived discrimination was estimated (population attributable proportion, PAP %). 73.3% of men and 69.3% of women immigrants reported discrimination due to immigrant status. Moroccans showed the highest prevalence of perceived discrimination. Immigrants reporting discrimination were at significantly higher risk of reporting health problems than those not reporting discrimination. Workplace-related discrimination was associated with poor mental health (aOR 2.97 95%CI 2.45-3.60), and the worsening of self-rated health (aOR 2.20 95%CI 1.73- 2.80). 40% (95% CI 24-53) PAP of those reporting worse self-rated health could be attributable to discrimination due to immigrant status. Discrimination may constitute a risk factor for health in immigrant workers in Spain and could explain some health inequalities among immigrant populations in Spanish society.

Demographic Consequences of Gender Discrimination in China: Simulation Analysis of Policy Options

Science.gov (United States)

Quanbao, Jiang; Marcus W., Feldman

2013-01-01

The large number of missing females in China, a consequence of gender discrimination, is having and will continue to have a profound effect on the country's population development. In this paper, we analyze the causes of this gender discrimination in terms of institutions, culture and, economy, and suggest public policies that might help eliminate gender discrimination. Using a population simulation model, we study the effect of public policies on the sex ratio at birth and excess female child mortality, and the effect of gender discrimination on China's population development. We find that gender discrimination will decrease China's population size, number of births, and working age population, accelerate population aging and exacerbate the male marriage squeeze. These results provide theoretical support for suggesting that the government enact and implement public policies aimed at eliminating gender discrimination. PMID:24363477

Reassessment of the psychometric characteristics and factor structure of the 'Perceived Stress Questionnaire' (PSQ: analysis in a sample of dental students.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús Montero-Marin

Full Text Available The training to become a dentist can create psychological distress. The present study evaluates the structure of the 'Perceived Stress Questionnaire' (PSQ, its internal consistency model and interrelatedness with burnout, anxiety, depression and resilience among dental students.The study employed a cross-sectional design. A sample of Spanish dental students (n = 314 completed the PSQ, the 'Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale' (GADS, 'Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale' (10-item CD-RISC and 'Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey' (MBI-SS. The structure was estimated using Parallel Analysis from polychoric correlations. Unweighted Least Squares was the method for factor extraction, using the Item Response Theory to evaluate the discriminative power of items. Internal consistency was assessed by squaring the correlation between the latent true variable and the observed variable. The relationships between the PSQ and the other constructs were analysed using Spearman's coefficient.The results showed a PSQ structure through two sub-factors ('frustration' and 'tenseness' with regard to one general factor ('perceived stress'. Items that did not satisfy discriminative capacity were rejected. The model fit were acceptable (GFI = 0.98; RSMR = 0.06; AGFI = 0.98; NFI = 0.98; RFI = 0.98. All the factors showed adequate internal consistency as measured by the congeneric model (≥0.91. High and significant associations were observed between perceived stress and burnout, anxiety, depression and resilience.The PSQ showed a hierarchical bi-factor structure among Spanish dental students. Using the questionnaire as a uni-dimensional scale may be useful in perceived stress level discrimination, while the sub-factors could help us to refine perceived stress analysis and improve therapeutic processes.

Discriminant analysis to predict the occurrence of ELMs in H-mode discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kardaun, O.J.W.F.; Itoh, S.; Itoh, K.; Kardaun, J.W.P.F.

1993-08-01

After an exposition of its theoretical background, discriminant analysis is applied to the H-mode confinement database to find the region in plasma parameter space in which H-mode with small ELMs (Edge Localized Modes) is likely to occur. The boundary of this region is determined by the condition that the probability of appearance of such a type of H-mode, as a function of the plasma parameters, should be (1) larger than some threshold value and (2) larger than the corresponding probability for other types of H-mode (i.e., H-mode without ELMs or with giant ELMs). In practice, the discrimination has been performed for the ASDEX, JET and JFT-2M tokamaks (a) using four instantaneous plasma parameters (injected power P inj , magnetic field B t , plasma current I p and line averaged electron density (n-bar e ) and (b) taking also memory effects of the plasma and the distance between the plasma and the wall into account, while using variables that are normalised with respect to machine size. Generally speaking, it is found that there is a substantial overlap between the region of H-mode with small ELMs and the region of the two other types of H-mode. However, the ELM-free and the giant ELM H-modes relatively rarely appear in the region, that, according to the analysis, is allocated to small ELMs. A reliable production of H-mode with only small ELMs seems well possible by choosing this regime in parameter space. In the present study, it was not attempted to arrive at a unified discrimination across the machines. So, projection from one machine to another remains difficult, and a reliable determination of the region where small ELMs occur still requires a training sample from the device under consideration. (author) 53 refs

Discrimination Issues in the Process of Personnel Selection

OpenAIRE

Krinitsyna, Zoya Vasilievna; Menshikova, Ekaterina Valentinovna

2015-01-01

The paper discusses the concept of employment discrimination and its types, depending on the causes. The analysis of problems of social (gender and age) and psychological (racial and religious affiliation, disability) discrimination is given. The consequences of discrimination from the perspective of the employee and the employer are considered. The unfavorable situation in Russia in terms of high levels of discrimination is shown. The main objective trend, which will lead inevitably to the r...

Bayes-Based Fault Discrimination in Wide Area Backup Protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WANG, Z.

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Multivariate statistical analysis is an effective tool to finish the fault location for electric power system. In Bayesian discriminant analysis as a subbranch, by the research of several populations, one can calculate the conditional probability that some samples belong to these populations, and compare the corresponding probability. The sample will be classified as population with maximum probability. In this paper, based on Bayesian discriminant analysis principle, a great number of simulation examples have confirmed that the results of Bayesian fault discriminant in wide area backup protection are accurate and reliable.

Rapid discrimination of bergamot essential oil by paper spray mass spectrometry and chemometric analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Taverna, Domenico; Di Donna, Leonardo; Mazzotti, Fabio; Tagarelli, Antonio; Napoli, Anna; Furia, Emilia; Sindona, Giovanni

2016-09-01

A novel approach for the rapid discrimination of bergamot essential oil from other citrus fruits oils is presented. The method was developed using paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS) allowing for a rapid molecular profiling coupled with a statistic tool for a precise and reliable discrimination between the bergamot complex matrix and other similar matrices, commonly used for its reconstitution. Ambient mass spectrometry possesses the ability to record mass spectra of ordinary samples, in their native environment, without sample preparation or pre-separation by creating ions outside the instrument. The present study reports a PS-MS method for the determination of oxygen heterocyclic compounds such as furocoumarins, psoralens and flavonoids present in the non-volatile fraction of citrus fruits essential oils followed by chemometric analysis. The volatile fraction of Bergamot is one of the most known and fashionable natural products, which found applications in flavoring industry as ingredient in beverages and flavored foodstuff. The development of the presented method employed bergamot, sweet orange, orange, cedar, grapefruit and mandarin essential oils. PS-MS measurements were carried out in full scan mode for a total run time of 2 min. The capability of PS-MS profiling to act as marker for the classification of bergamot essential oils was evaluated by using multivariate statistical analysis. Two pattern recognition techniques, linear discriminant analysis and soft independent modeling of class analogy, were applied to MS data. The cross-validation procedure has shown excellent results in terms of the prediction ability because both models have correctly classified all samples for each category. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rapid classification of turmeric based on DNA fingerprint by near-infrared spectroscopy combined with moving window partial least squares-discrimination analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasemsumran, Sumaporn; Suttiwijitpukdee, Nattaporn; Keeratinijakal, Vichein

2017-01-01

In this research, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in combination with moving window partial least squares-discrimination analysis (MWPLS-DA) was utilized to discriminate the variety of turmeric based on DNA markers, which correlated to the quantity of curcuminoid. Curcuminoid was used as a marker compound in variety identification due to the most pharmacological properties of turmeric possessed from it. MWPLS-DA optimized informative NIR spectral regions for the fitting and prediction to {-1/1}-coded turmeric varieties, indicating variables in the development of latent variables in discrimination analysis. Consequently, MWPLS-DA benefited in the selection of combined informative NIR spectral regions of 1100 – 1260, 1300 – 1500 and 1880 – 2500 nm for classification modeling of turmeric variety with 148 calibration samples, and yielded the results better than that obtained from a partial least squares-discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) model built by using the whole NIR spectral region. An effective and rapid strategy of using NIR in combination with MWPLS-DA provided the best variety identification results of 100% in both specificity and total accuracy for 48 test samples. (author)

Associations of racial discrimination and parental discrimination coping messages with African American adolescent racial identity.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Bridget L; Macon, Tamarie A; Mustafaa, Faheemah N; Bogan, Erin D; Cole-Lewis, Yasmin; Chavous, Tabbye M

2015-06-01

Research links racial identity to important developmental outcomes among African American adolescents, but less is known about the contextual experiences that shape youths' racial identity. In a sample of 491 African American adolescents (48% female), associations of youth-reported experiences of racial discrimination and parental messages about preparation for racial bias with adolescents' later racial identity were examined. Cluster analysis resulted in four profiles of adolescents varying in reported frequency of racial discrimination from teachers and peers at school and frequency of parental racial discrimination coping messages during adolescents' 8th grade year. Boys were disproportionately over-represented in the cluster of youth experiencing more frequent discrimination but receiving fewer parental discrimination coping messages, relative to the overall sample. Also examined were clusters of adolescents' 11th grade racial identity attitudes about the importance of race (centrality), personal group affect (private regard), and perceptions of societal beliefs about African Americans (public regard). Girls and boys did not differ in their representation in racial identity clusters, but 8th grade discrimination/parent messages clusters were associated with 11th grade racial identity cluster membership, and these associations varied across gender groups. Boys experiencing more frequent discrimination but fewer parental coping messages were over-represented in the racial identity cluster characterized by low centrality, low private regard, and average public regard. The findings suggest that adolescents who experience racial discrimination but receive fewer parental supports for negotiating and coping with discrimination may be at heightened risk for internalizing stigmatizing experiences. Also, the findings suggest the need to consider the context of gender in adolescents' racial discrimination and parental racial socialization.

Contributions to sensitivity analysis and generalized discriminant analysis; Contributions a l'analyse de sensibilite et a l'analyse discriminante generalisee

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacques, J

2005-12-15

Two topics are studied in this thesis: sensitivity analysis and generalized discriminant analysis. Global sensitivity analysis of a mathematical model studies how the output variables of this last react to variations of its inputs. The methods based on the study of the variance quantify the part of variance of the response of the model due to each input variable and each subset of input variables. The first subject of this thesis is the impact of a model uncertainty on results of a sensitivity analysis. Two particular forms of uncertainty are studied: that due to a change of the model of reference, and that due to the use of a simplified model with the place of the model of reference. A second problem was studied during this thesis, that of models with correlated inputs. Indeed, classical sensitivity indices not having significance (from an interpretation point of view) in the presence of correlation of the inputs, we propose a multidimensional approach consisting in expressing the sensitivity of the output of the model to groups of correlated variables. Applications in the field of nuclear engineering illustrate this work. Generalized discriminant analysis consists in classifying the individuals of a test sample in groups, by using information contained in a training sample, when these two samples do not come from the same population. This work extends existing methods in a Gaussian context to the case of binary data. An application in public health illustrates the utility of generalized discrimination models thus defined. (author)

Gender discrimination and the Nigerian scenario: a review ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper explores sexism discrimination as a major factor that impoverishes the female sex in Nigeria. It is often observed that the female sex is usually discriminated and alienated in all areas of life in a patriarchal society like Nigeria, creating unbalanced property relations which affect economic growth and development ...

Calculation of neutron activation discriminating the chemical weapons underground using Monte Carlo methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Chunxia; Qian Jianfu; Zhang Wenzhong

2003-01-01

This paper mainly calculate neutron activation discriminating the chemical weapons underground, and analyses the factors that soil influence discrimination, finally we conclude soil can not influence discrimination. (authors)

Effect of abiotic and biotic stress factors analysis using machine learning methods in zebrafish.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutha, Rajasekar; Yarrappagaari, Suresh; Thopireddy, Lavanya; Reddy, Kesireddy Sathyavelu; Saddala, Rajeswara Reddy

2018-03-01

In order to understand the mechanisms underlying stress responses, meta-analysis of transcriptome is made to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their biological, molecular and cellular mechanisms in response to stressors. The present study is aimed at identifying the effect of abiotic and biotic stress factors, and it is found that several stress responsive genes are common for both abiotic and biotic stress factors in zebrafish. The meta-analysis of micro-array studies revealed that almost 4.7% i.e., 108 common DEGs are differentially regulated between abiotic and biotic stresses. This shows that there is a global coordination and fine-tuning of gene regulation in response to these two types of challenges. We also performed dimension reduction methods, principal component analysis, and partial least squares discriminant analysis which are able to segregate abiotic and biotic stresses into separate entities. The supervised machine learning model, recursive-support vector machine, could classify abiotic and biotic stresses with 100% accuracy using a subset of DEGs. Beside these methods, the random forests decision tree model classified five out of 8 stress conditions with high accuracy. Finally, Functional enrichment analysis revealed the different gene ontology terms, transcription factors and miRNAs factors in the regulation of stress responses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Auditory Phoneme Discrimination in Illiterates: Mismatch Negativity--A Question of Literacy?

Science.gov (United States)

Schaadt, Gesa; Pannekamp, Ann; van der Meer, Elke

2013-01-01

These days, illiteracy is still a major problem. There is empirical evidence that auditory phoneme discrimination is one of the factors contributing to written language acquisition. The current study investigated auditory phoneme discrimination in participants who did not acquire written language sufficiently. Auditory phoneme discrimination was…

Two-Stage Regularized Linear Discriminant Analysis for 2-D Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jianhua; Shi, Lei; Zhu, Ji

2015-08-01

Fisher linear discriminant analysis (LDA) involves within-class and between-class covariance matrices. For 2-D data such as images, regularized LDA (RLDA) can improve LDA due to the regularized eigenvalues of the estimated within-class matrix. However, it fails to consider the eigenvectors and the estimated between-class matrix. To improve these two matrices simultaneously, we propose in this paper a new two-stage method for 2-D data, namely a bidirectional LDA (BLDA) in the first stage and the RLDA in the second stage, where both BLDA and RLDA are based on the Fisher criterion that tackles correlation. BLDA performs the LDA under special separable covariance constraints that incorporate the row and column correlations inherent in 2-D data. The main novelty is that we propose a simple but effective statistical test to determine the subspace dimensionality in the first stage. As a result, the first stage reduces the dimensionality substantially while keeping the significant discriminant information in the data. This enables the second stage to perform RLDA in a much lower dimensional subspace, and thus improves the two estimated matrices simultaneously. Experiments on a number of 2-D synthetic and real-world data sets show that BLDA+RLDA outperforms several closely related competitors.

Rapid neural discrimination of communicative gestures.

Science.gov (United States)

Redcay, Elizabeth; Carlson, Thomas A

2015-04-01

Humans are biased toward social interaction. Behaviorally, this bias is evident in the rapid effects that self-relevant communicative signals have on attention and perceptual systems. The processing of communicative cues recruits a wide network of brain regions, including mentalizing systems. Relatively less work, however, has examined the timing of the processing of self-relevant communicative cues. In the present study, we used multivariate pattern analysis (decoding) approach to the analysis of magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study the processing dynamics of social-communicative actions. Twenty-four participants viewed images of a woman performing actions that varied on a continuum of communicative factors including self-relevance (to the participant) and emotional valence, while their brain activity was recorded using MEG. Controlling for low-level visual factors, we found early discrimination of emotional valence (70 ms) and self-relevant communicative signals (100 ms). These data offer neural support for the robust and rapid effects of self-relevant communicative cues on behavior. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The application of sparse estimation of covariance matrix to quadratic discriminant analysis

OpenAIRE

Sun, Jiehuan; Zhao, Hongyu

2015-01-01

Background Although Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) is commonly used for classification, it may not be directly applied in genomics studies due to the large p, small n problem in these studies. Different versions of sparse LDA have been proposed to address this significant challenge. One implicit assumption of various LDA-based methods is that the covariance matrices are the same across different classes. However, rewiring of genetic networks (therefore different covariance matrices) acros...

Otolith shape analysis for stock discrimination of two Collichthys genus croaker (Pieces: Sciaenidae,) from the northern Chinese coast

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Bo; Liu, Jinhu; Song, Junjie; Cao, Liang; Dou, Shuozeng

2017-08-01

The otolith morphology of two croaker species (Collichthys lucidus and Collichthys niveatus) from three areas (Liaodong Bay, LD; Huanghe (Yellow) River estuary, HRE; Jiaozhou Bay, JZ) along the northern Chinese coast were investigated for species identification and stock discrimination. The otolith contour shape described by elliptic Fourier coefficients (EFC) were analysed using principal components analysis (PCA) and stepwise canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) to identify species and stocks. The two species were well differentiated, with an overall classification success rate of 97.8%. And variations in the otolith shapes were significant enough to discriminate among the three geographical samples of C. lucidus (67.7%) or C. niveatus (65.2%). Relatively high mis-assignment occurred between the geographically adjacent LD and HRE samples, which implied that individual mixing may exist between the two samples. This study yielded information complementary to that derived from genetic studies and provided information for assessing the stock structure of C. lucidus and C. niveatus in the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea.

The NWRA Classification Infrastructure: description and extension to the Discriminant Analysis Flare Forecasting System (DAFFS)

Science.gov (United States)

Leka, K. D.; Barnes, Graham; Wagner, Eric

2018-04-01

A classification infrastructure built upon Discriminant Analysis (DA) has been developed at NorthWest Research Associates for examining the statistical differences between samples of two known populations. Originating to examine the physical differences between flare-quiet and flare-imminent solar active regions, we describe herein some details of the infrastructure including: parametrization of large datasets, schemes for handling "null" and "bad" data in multi-parameter analysis, application of non-parametric multi-dimensional DA, an extension through Bayes' theorem to probabilistic classification, and methods invoked for evaluating classifier success. The classifier infrastructure is applicable to a wide range of scientific questions in solar physics. We demonstrate its application to the question of distinguishing flare-imminent from flare-quiet solar active regions, updating results from the original publications that were based on different data and much smaller sample sizes. Finally, as a demonstration of "Research to Operations" efforts in the space-weather forecasting context, we present the Discriminant Analysis Flare Forecasting System (DAFFS), a near-real-time operationally-running solar flare forecasting tool that was developed from the research-directed infrastructure.

An automated land-use mapping comparison of the Bayesian maximum likelihood and linear discriminant analysis algorithms

Science.gov (United States)

Tom, C. H.; Miller, L. D.

1984-01-01

The Bayesian maximum likelihood parametric classifier has been tested against the data-based formulation designated 'linear discrimination analysis', using the 'GLIKE' decision and "CLASSIFY' classification algorithms in the Landsat Mapping System. Identical supervised training sets, USGS land use/land cover classes, and various combinations of Landsat image and ancilliary geodata variables, were used to compare the algorithms' thematic mapping accuracy on a single-date summer subscene, with a cellularized USGS land use map of the same time frame furnishing the ground truth reference. CLASSIFY, which accepts a priori class probabilities, is found to be more accurate than GLIKE, which assumes equal class occurrences, for all three mapping variable sets and both levels of detail. These results may be generalized to direct accuracy, time, cost, and flexibility advantages of linear discriminant analysis over Bayesian methods.

Discrimination of surface wear on obsidian tools using LSCM and RelA: pilot study results (area-scale analysis of obsidian tool surfaces).

Science.gov (United States)

Stemp, W James; Chung, Steven

2011-01-01

This pilot study tests the reliability of laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) to quantitatively measure wear on experimental obsidian tools. To our knowledge, this is the first use of confocal microscopy to study wear on stone flakes made from an amorphous silicate like obsidian. Three-dimensional surface roughness or texture area scans on three obsidian flakes used on different contact materials (hide, shell, wood) were documented using the LSCM to determine whether the worn surfaces could be discriminated using area-scale analysis, specifically relative area (RelA). When coupled with the F-test, this scale-sensitive fractal analysis could not only discriminate the used from unused surfaces on individual tools, but was also capable of discriminating the wear histories of tools used on different contact materials. Results indicate that such discriminations occur at different scales. Confidence levels for the discriminations at different scales were established using the F-test (mean square ratios or MSRs). In instances where discrimination of surface roughness or texture was not possible above the established confidence level based on MSRs, photomicrographs and RelA assisted in hypothesizing why this was so. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The 95% confidence intervals of error rates and discriminant coefficients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuichi Shinmura

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Fisher proposed a linear discriminant function (Fisher’s LDF. From 1971, we analysed electrocardiogram (ECG data in order to develop the diagnostic logic between normal and abnormal symptoms by Fisher’s LDF and a quadratic discriminant function (QDF. Our four years research was inferior to the decision tree logic developed by the medical doctor. After this experience, we discriminated many data and found four problems of the discriminant analysis. A revised Optimal LDF by Integer Programming (Revised IP-OLDF based on the minimum number of misclassification (minimum NM criterion resolves three problems entirely [13, 18]. In this research, we discuss fourth problem of the discriminant analysis. There are no standard errors (SEs of the error rate and discriminant coefficient. We propose a k-fold crossvalidation method. This method offers a model selection technique and a 95% confidence intervals (C.I. of error rates and discriminant coefficients.

The effect of perceived discrimination on the health of immigrant workers in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gil-González Diana

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Discrimination is an important determinant of health inequalities, and immigrants may be more vulnerable to certain types of discrimination than the native-born. This study analyses the relationship between immigrants' perceived discrimination and various self-reported health indicators. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted (2008 amongst a non-random sample of 2434 immigrants from Ecuador, Morocco, Romania and Colombia in four Spanish cities: Barcelona, Huelva, Madrid and Valencia. A factorial analysis of variables revealed three dimensions of perceived discrimination (due to immigrant status, due to physical appearance, and workplace-related. The association of these dimensions with self-rated health, mental health (GHQ-12, change in self-rated health between origin and host country, and other self-reported health outcomes was analysed. Logistic regression was used adjusting for potential confounders (aOR-95%CI. Subjects with worsening self-reported health status potentially attributable to perceived discrimination was estimated (population attributable proportion, PAP %. Results 73.3% of men and 69.3% of women immigrants reported discrimination due to immigrant status. Moroccans showed the highest prevalence of perceived discrimination. Immigrants reporting discrimination were at significantly higher risk of reporting health problems than those not reporting discrimination. Workplace-related discrimination was associated with poor mental health (aOR 2.97 95%CI 2.45-3.60, and the worsening of self-rated health (aOR 2.20 95%CI 1.73- 2.80. 40% (95% CI 24-53 PAP of those reporting worse self-rated health could be attributable to discrimination due to immigrant status. Conclusions Discrimination may constitute a risk factor for health in immigrant workers in Spain and could explain some health inequalities among immigrant populations in Spanish society.

Discrimination in relation to parenthood reported by community psychiatric service users in the UK: a framework analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffery, Debra; Clement, Sarah; Corker, Elizabeth; Howard, Louise M; Murray, Joanna; Thornicroft, Graham

2013-04-20

Experienced discrimination refers to an individual's perception that they have been treated unfairly due to an attribute and is an important recent focus within stigma research. A significant proportion of mental health service users report experiencing mental illness-based discrimination in relation to parenthood. Existing studies in this area have not gone beyond prevalence, therefore little is known about the nature of experienced discrimination in relation to parenthood, and how is it constituted. This study aims to generate a typology of community psychiatric service users' reports of mental illness-based discrimination in relation to becoming or being a parent. A secondary aim is to assess the prevalence of these types of experienced discrimination. In a telephone survey 2026 community psychiatric service users in ten UK Mental Health service provider organisations (Trusts) were asked about discrimination experienced in the previous 12 months using the Discrimination and Stigma Scale (DISC). The sample were asked if, due to their mental health problem, they had been treated unfairly in starting a family, or in their role as a parent, and gave examples of this. Prevalence is reported and the examples of experienced discrimination in relation to parenthood were analysed using the framework method of qualitative analysis. Three hundred and four participants (73% female) reported experienced discrimination, with prevalences of 22.5% and 28.3% for starting a family and for the parenting role respectively. Participants gave 89 examples of discrimination about starting a family and 228 about parenting, and these occurred in social and professional contexts. Ten themes were identified. These related to being seen as an unfit parent; people not being understanding; being stopped from having children; not being allowed to see their children; not getting the support needed; children being affected; children avoiding their parents; children's difficulties being blamed

Perceived Discrimination, Psychological Distress, and Current Smoking Status: Results From the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Reactions to Race Module, 2004–2008

Science.gov (United States)

Peppone, Luke J.; Alcaraz, Kassandra; McQueen, Amy; Guido, Joseph J.; Carroll, Jennifer K.; Shacham, Enbal; Morrow, Gary R.

2012-01-01

Objectives. We examined the association between perceived discrimination and smoking status and whether psychological distress mediated this relationship in a large, multiethnic sample. Methods. We used 2004 through 2008 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Reactions to Race module to conduct multivariate logistic regression analyses and tests of mediation examining associations between perceived discrimination in health care and workplace settings, psychological distress, and current smoking status. Results. Regardless of race/ethnicity, perceived discrimination was associated with increased odds of current smoking. Psychological distress was also a significant mediator of the discrimination–smoking association. Conclusions. Our results indicate that individuals who report discriminatory treatment in multiple domains may be more likely to smoke, in part, because of the psychological distress associated with such treatment. PMID:22420821

Differential discriminator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dukhanov, V.I.; Mazurov, I.B.

1981-01-01

A principal flowsheet of a differential discriminator intended for operation in a spectrometric circuit with statistical time distribution of pulses is described. The differential discriminator includes four integrated discriminators and a channel of piled-up signal rejection. The presence of the rejection channel enables the discriminator to operate effectively at loads of 14x10 3 pulse/s. The temperature instability of the discrimination thresholds equals 250 μV/ 0 C. The discrimination level changes within 0.1-5 V, the level shift constitutes 0.5% for the filling ratio of 1:10. The rejection coefficient is not less than 90%. Alpha spectrum of the 228 Th source is presented to evaluate the discriminator operation with the rejector. The rejector provides 50 ns time resolution

Structural Discrimination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorsen, Mira Skadegård

discrimination as two ways of articulating particular, opaque forms of racial discrimination that occur in everyday Danish (and other) contexts, and have therefore become normalized. I present and discuss discrimination as it surfaces in data from my empirical studies of discrimination in Danish contexts...

Discrimination of Xihulongjing tea grade using an electronic tongue ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Five grades of Xihulongjing tea (grade: AAA, AA, A, B and C, from the same region and processed with the same processing method) were discriminated using -Astree II electronic tongue (e-tongue) coupled with pattern recognition methods including principal component analysis (PCA), canonical discriminant analysis ...

The influence of school demographic factors and perceived student discrimination on delinquency trajectory in adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Thao N; Stockdale, Gary

2011-10-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of school demographic factors and youth's perception of discrimination on delinquency in adolescence and into young adulthood for African American, Asian, Hispanic, and white racial/ethnic groups. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), models testing the effect of school-related variables on delinquency trajectories were evaluated for the four racial/ethnic groups using Mplus 5.21 statistical software. Results revealed that greater student ethnic diversity and perceived discrimination, but not teacher ethnic diversity, resulted in higher initial delinquency estimates at 13 years of age for all groups. However, except for African Americans, having a greater proportion of female teachers in the school decreased initial delinquency estimates. For African Americans and whites, a larger school size also increased the initial estimates. Additionally, lower social-economic status increased the initial estimates for whites, and being born in the United States increased the initial estimates for Asians and Hispanics. Finally, regardless of the initial delinquency estimate at age 13 and the effect of the school variables, all groups eventually converged to extremely low delinquency in young adulthood, at the age of 21 years. Educators and public policy makers seeking to prevent and reduce delinquency can modify individual risks by modifying characteristics of the school environment. Policies that promote respect for diversity and intolerance toward discrimination, as well as training to help teachers recognize the precursors and signs of aggression and/or violence, may also facilitate a positive school environment, resulting in lower delinquency. Copyright © 2011 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combined use of correlation dimension and entropy as discriminating measures for time series analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Harikrishnan, K. P.; Misra, R.; Ambika, G.

2009-09-01

We show that the combined use of correlation dimension (D2) and correlation entropy (K2) as discriminating measures can extract a more accurate information regarding the different types of noise present in a time series data. For this, we make use of an algorithmic approach for computing D2 and K2 proposed by us recently [Harikrishnan KP, Misra R, Ambika G, Kembhavi AK. Physica D 2006;215:137; Harikrishnan KP, Ambika G, Misra R. Mod Phys Lett B 2007;21:129; Harikrishnan KP, Misra R, Ambika G. Pramana - J Phys, in press], which is a modification of the standard Grassberger-Proccacia scheme. While the presence of white noise can be easily identified by computing D2 of data and surrogates, K2 is a better discriminating measure to detect colored noise in the data. Analysis of time series from a real world system involving both white and colored noise is presented as evidence. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such a combined analysis is undertaken on a real world data.

[Discrimination of Rice Syrup Adulterant of Acacia Honey Based Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yan-nan; Chen, Lan-zhen; Xue, Xiao-feng; Wu, Li-ming; Li, Yi; Yang, Juan

2015-09-01

At present, the rice syrup as a low price of the sweeteners was often adulterated into acacia honey and the adulterated honeys were sold in honey markets, while there is no suitable and fast method to identify honey adulterated with rice syrup. In this study, Near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) combined with chemometric methods were used to discriminate authenticity of honey. 20 unprocessed acacia honey samples from the different honey producing areas, mixed? with different proportion of rice syrup, were prepared of seven different concentration gradient? including 121 samples. The near infrared spectrum (NIR) instrument and spectrum processing software have been applied in the? spectrum? scanning and data conversion on adulterant samples, respectively. Then it was analyzed by Principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical discriminant analysis methods in order to discriminating adulterated honey. The results showed that after principal components analysis, the first two principal components accounted for 97.23% of total variation, but the regionalism of the score plot of the first two PCs was not obvious, so the canonical discriminant analysis was used to make the further discrimination, all samples had been discriminated correctly, the first two discriminant functions accounted for 91.6% among the six canonical discriminant functions, Then the different concentration of adulterant samples can be discriminated correctly, it illustrate that canonical discriminant analysis method combined with NIR spectroscopy is not only feasible but also practical for rapid and effective discriminate of the rice syrup adulterant of acacia honey.

Genetic pleiotropy explains associations between musical auditory discrimination and intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosing, Miriam A; Pedersen, Nancy L; Madison, Guy; Ullén, Fredrik

2014-01-01

Musical aptitude is commonly measured using tasks that involve discrimination of different types of musical auditory stimuli. Performance on such different discrimination tasks correlates positively with each other and with intelligence. However, no study to date has explored these associations using a genetically informative sample to estimate underlying genetic and environmental influences. In the present study, a large sample of Swedish twins (N = 10,500) was used to investigate the genetic architecture of the associations between intelligence and performance on three musical auditory discrimination tasks (rhythm, melody and pitch). Phenotypic correlations between the tasks ranged between 0.23 and 0.42 (Pearson r values). Genetic modelling showed that the covariation between the variables could be explained by shared genetic influences. Neither shared, nor non-shared environment had a significant effect on the associations. Good fit was obtained with a two-factor model where one underlying shared genetic factor explained all the covariation between the musical discrimination tasks and IQ, and a second genetic factor explained variance exclusively shared among the discrimination tasks. The results suggest that positive correlations among musical aptitudes result from both genes with broad effects on cognition, and genes with potentially more specific influences on auditory functions.

Diagnosing basal cell carcinoma in vivo by near-infrared Raman spectroscopy: a Principal Components Analysis discrimination algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Silveira, Landulfo, Jr.; Silveira, Fabrício L.; Bodanese, Benito; Pacheco, Marcos Tadeu T.; Zângaro, Renato A.

2012-02-01

This work demonstrated the discrimination among basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and normal human skin in vivo using near-infrared Raman spectroscopy. Spectra were obtained in the suspected lesion prior resectional surgery. After tissue withdrawn, biopsy fragments were submitted to histopathology. Spectra were also obtained in the adjacent, clinically normal skin. Raman spectra were measured using a Raman spectrometer (830 nm) with a fiber Raman probe. By comparing the mean spectra of BCC with the normal skin, it has been found important differences in the 800-1000 cm-1 and 1250-1350 cm-1 (vibrations of C-C and amide III, respectively, from lipids and proteins). A discrimination algorithm based on Principal Components Analysis and Mahalanobis distance (PCA/MD) could discriminate the spectra of both tissues with high sensitivity and specificity.

Quantitative analysis of the clinical data on leukemia, 5. Specificity of clinical features in acute myelocytic leukemia with 8; 21 translocation by multiple logistic discriminant analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueoka, Hiroshi; Kamada, Nanao; Yamamoto, Hisashi; Ohtaki, Megu; Takimoto, Yasuo; Kuramoto, Atsushi; Munaka, Masaki

1984-11-01

In order to determine the necessity of chromosome analysis required for the evaluation of 8;21 translocation, multiple logistic discriminant analysis was made on 124 patients with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia experienced in the authors' institution. Variables which showed positive correlation with the presence of 8;21 translocation were the presence of Auer body and granular abnormality of the cells, numbers of peripheral promyelocytes, myelocytes and metamyelocytes, and bone marrow promyelocytes, myelocytes, and the sum of rods and segments. Those which showed negative correlation with 8;21 translocation were peripheral platelet count, neutrocytealkaline phosphatase (N-AP) score, numbers of eosinocytes, monocytes and erythroblasts, and erythroblasts on myelogram. Auer body, four peripheral hematological features (platelet count, N-AP score, metamyelocytes and monocytes), and three myelogram features (myelocytes, reticular cells and granulocytes/eosionocytes) were used for the multiple logistic discriminant analysis. By the analysis, 2 of the 22 patients (9.1%) with translocation were judged not to have 8;21 translocation and 3 of the 102 patients (2.9%) without translocation were judged to have it. Therefore, this multiple logistic discriminant method has proved to be simple and useful in clinically evaluating acute non-lymphocytic leukemia. (Namekawa, K.).

Genetic Discrimination: A Legal Or Biological Issue?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bárbara Augusta de Paula Araujo Myssior

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This essay debates the technological evolution that, from the decoding of the human genome has opened up many scientific benefits, and yet brings up a new kind of segregation: genetic discrimination. Based on the right to privacy, as well as the concept of genetic identity, as well as data protection and information, worked up the genetic discrimination. Therefore, documentary research and critical analysis of scientific papers were taken, using up of the inductive reasoning method. As a result, elucidate how such discrimination affects individuals, it is possible to conclude that regardless of the type of discrimination, all should be restrained by law.

Tunnel Diode Discriminator with Fixed Dead Time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diamond, J. M.

1965-01-01

A solid state discriminator for the range 0.4 to 10 V is described. Tunnel diodes are used for the discriminator element and in a special fixed dead time circuit. An analysis of temperature stability is presented. The regulated power supplies are described, including a special negative resistance...

Use of discriminant analysis to determine black shales of the Lesser Carpathian crystal field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khun, M.

1980-01-01

Discriminant analysis of results from geochemical testing was used to separate black shales of the ore level from the nonproductive deposits. Based on a large number of experiments, the accuracy of isolating the black shales according to content of vandium, copper and nickel reached 78%. These elements have basic importance for separation of productive shales from nonproductive.

Numerical experiment on different validation cases of water coolant flow in supercritical pressure test sections assisted by discriminated dimensional analysis part I: the dimensional analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiss, A.; Aszodi, A.

2011-01-01

As recent studies prove in contrast to 'classical' dimensional analysis, whose application is widely described in heat transfer textbooks despite its poor results, the less well known and used discriminated dimensional analysis approach can provide a deeper insight into the physical problems involved and much better results in all cases where it is applied. As a first step of this ongoing research discriminated dimensional analysis has been performed on supercritical pressure water pipe flow heated through the pipe solid wall to identify the independent dimensionless groups (which play an independent role in the above mentioned thermal hydraulic phenomena) in order to serve a theoretical base to comparison between well known supercritical pressure water pipe heat transfer experiments and results of their validated CFD simulations. (author)

Discrimination and chemical phylogenetic study of seven species of Dendrobium using infrared spectroscopy combined with cluster analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Congpei; He, Tao; Chun, Ze

2013-04-01

Dendrobium is a commonly used and precious herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The high biodiversity of Dendrobium and the therapeutic needs require tools for the correct and fast discrimination of different Dendrobium species. This study investigates Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy followed by cluster analysis for discrimination and chemical phylogenetic study of seven Dendrobium species. Despite the general pattern of the IR spectra, different intensities, shapes, peak positions were found in the IR spectra of these samples, especially in the range of 1800-800 cm-1. The second derivative transformation and alcoholic extracting procedure obviously enlarged the tiny spectral differences among these samples. The results indicated each Dendrobium species had a characteristic IR spectra profile, which could be used to discriminate them. The similarity coefficients among the samples were analyzed based on their second derivative IR spectra, which ranged from 0.7632 to 0.9700, among the seven Dendrobium species, and from 0.5163 to 0.9615, among the ethanol extracts. A dendrogram was constructed based on cluster analysis the IR spectra for studying the chemical phylogenetic relationships among the samples. The results indicated that D. denneanum and D. crepidatum could be the alternative resources to substitute D. chrysotoxum, D. officinale and D. nobile which were officially recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In conclusion, with the advantages of high resolution, speediness and convenience, the experimental approach can successfully discriminate and construct the chemical phylogenetic relationships of the seven Dendrobium species.

Prediction of unwanted pregnancies using logistic regression, probit regression and discriminant analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimzadeh, Farzad; Hajizadeh, Ebrahim; Vahabi, Nasim; Almasian, Mohammad; Bakhteyar, Katayoon

2015-01-01

Unwanted pregnancy not intended by at least one of the parents has undesirable consequences for the family and the society. In the present study, three classification models were used and compared to predict unwanted pregnancies in an urban population. In this cross-sectional study, 887 pregnant mothers referring to health centers in Khorramabad, Iran, in 2012 were selected by the stratified and cluster sampling; relevant variables were measured and for prediction of unwanted pregnancy, logistic regression, discriminant analysis, and probit regression models and SPSS software version 21 were used. To compare these models, indicators such as sensitivity, specificity, the area under the ROC curve, and the percentage of correct predictions were used. The prevalence of unwanted pregnancies was 25.3%. The logistic and probit regression models indicated that parity and pregnancy spacing, contraceptive methods, household income and number of living male children were related to unwanted pregnancy. The performance of the models based on the area under the ROC curve was 0.735, 0.733, and 0.680 for logistic regression, probit regression, and linear discriminant analysis, respectively. Given the relatively high prevalence of unwanted pregnancies in Khorramabad, it seems necessary to revise family planning programs. Despite the similar accuracy of the models, if the researcher is interested in the interpretability of the results, the use of the logistic regression model is recommended.

Discrimination Against State and Local Government LGBT Employees: An Analysis of Administrative Complaints

OpenAIRE

Mallory, Christy; Sears, Brad

2014-01-01

This article documents evidence of recent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) public sector workers by analyzing employment discrimination complaints filed with state and local administrative agencies. We present information about 589 complaints of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination filed by public sector workers in 123 jurisdictions. We find that discrimination against LGBT people in the public sector is pervasive and occurs nearly as freq...

From Equal to Equivalent Pay: Salary Discrimination in Academia

Science.gov (United States)

Greenfield, Ester

1977-01-01

Examines the federal statutes barring sex discrimination in employment and argues that the work of any two professors is comparable but not equal. Suggests using regression analysis to prove salary discrimination and discusses the legal justification for adopting regression analysis and the standard of comparable pay for comparable work.…

Discrimination and adjustment among Chinese American adolescents: family conflict and family cohesion as vulnerability and protective factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Juang, Linda P; Alvarez, Alvin A

2010-12-01

We examined racial/ethnic discrimination experiences of Chinese American adolescents to determine how discrimination is linked to poor adjustment (i.e., loneliness, anxiety, and somatization) and how the context of the family can buffer or exacerbate these links. We collected survey data from 181 Chinese American adolescents and their parents in Northern California. We conducted hierarchical regression analyses to examine main effects and 2-way interactions of perceived discrimination with family conflict and family cohesion. Discrimination was related to poorer adjustment in terms of loneliness, anxiety, and somatization, but family conflict and cohesion modified these relations. Greater family conflict exacerbated the negative effects of discrimination, and greater family cohesion buffered the negative effects of discrimination. Our findings highlight the importance of identifying family-level moderators to help adolescents and their families handle experiences of discrimination.

Examining Workplace Discrimination in a Discrimination-Free Environment

OpenAIRE

Braxton, Shawn Lamont

2010-01-01

Examining Workplace Discrimination in a Discrimination-Free Environment Shawn L. Braxton Abstract The purpose of this study is to explore how racial and gender discrimination is reproduced in concrete workplace settings even when anti-discrimination policies are present, and to understand the various reactions utilized by those who commonly experience it. I have selected a particular medical center, henceforth referred to by a pseudonym, â The Bliley Medical Centerâ as my case ...

On the strategy of prevention and protection against discrimination as the basic document of the state’s anti-discrimination policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mršević Zorica

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents legal and political aspects of the Strategy of prevention of and protection against discrimination. This is a binding commitment from the state given to its citizens in relation to reaching certain goals, principally towards eliminating discrimination in social life. The main aim of the presentation is to highlight factors which are necessary to ensure the Strategy is efficient in combating a culture of intolerance; in identifying what is necessary in practice to tackle discrimination, particularly discrimination against unpopular groups; so that a culture of intolerance among state agencies and organizations of civil society would be replaced by culture of mutual respect and equal opportunities. The article considers all categories that may be protected against discrimination, such as women, LGBT persons, people with disabilities, Roma people, elderly people, children, refugees, national minorities, internally displaced persons and people whose health condition might be the ground of discrimination. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije: br. III 47010: Društvene transformacije u procesu evropskih integracija - multidisciplinarni pristup

A rapid method to screen for cell-wall mutants using discriminant analysis of Fourier transform infrared spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen LiMei; Carpita, N.C.; Reiter, W.D.; Wilson, R.H.; Jeffries, C.; McCann, M.C.

1998-01-01

We have developed a rapid method to screen large numbers of mutant plants for a broad range of cell wall phenotypes using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy of leaves. We established and validated a model that can discriminate between the leaves of wild-type and a previously defined set of cell-wall mutants of Arabidopsis. Exploratory principal component analysis indicated that mutants deficient in different cell-wall sugars can be distinguished from each other. Discrimination of cell-wall mutants from wild-type was independent of variability in starch content or additional unrelated mutations that might be present in a heavily mutagenised population. We then developed an analysis of FTIR spectra of leaves obtained from over 1000 mutagenised flax plants, and selected 59 plants whose spectral variation from wild-type was significantly out of the range of a wild-type population, determined by Mahalanobis distance. Cell wall sugars from the leaves of selected putative mutants were assayed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and 42 showed significant differences in neutral sugar composition. The FTIR spectra indicated that six of the remaining 17 plants have altered ester or protein content. We conclude that linear discriminant analysis of FTIR spectra is a robust method to identify a broad range of structural and architectural alterations in cell walls, appearing as a consequence of developmental regulation, environmental adaptation or genetic modification. (author)

Sexual orientation- and race-based discrimination and sexual HIV risk behavior among urban MSM.

Science.gov (United States)

Frye, Victoria; Nandi, Vijay; Egan, James; Cerda, Magdalena; Greene, Emily; Van Tieu, Hong; Ompad, Danielle C; Hoover, Donald R; Lucy, Debbie; Baez, Eduardo; Koblin, Beryl A

2015-02-01

Understanding what social factors are associated with risk of HIV acquisition and transmission among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) is a critical public health goal. Experiencing discrimination may increase risk of HIV infection among MSM. This analysis assessed relations between experiences of sexual orientation- and race-based discrimination and sexual HIV risk behavior among MSM in New York City. 1,369 MSM completed a self-administered computerized assessment of past 3-month sexual behavior, experience of social discrimination and other covariates. Regression models assessed relations between recent experience of discrimination and sexual HIV risk behavior. Mean age was 32 years; 32 % were white; 32 % Latino/Hispanic; 25 % African American/Black. Of MSM who self-reported HIV-positive or unknown status (377), 7 % (N = 27) reported having unprotected insertive anal intercourse with an HIV-negative or unknown status partner ("HIV transmission risk"). Of MSM who self-reported HIV-negative status (992), 11 % (110) reported unprotected receptive anal intercourse with an HIV-positive or unknown status partner ("HIV acquisition risk"). HIV acquisition risk was positively associated with sexual orientation-based discrimination in home or social neighborhoods, but not race-based discrimination. We observed that sexual orientation-based discrimination was associated with sexual HIV risk behavior among urban-dwelling MSM. Addressing environmental sources of this form of discrimination, as well as the psychological distress that may result, should be prioritized in HIV prevention efforts.

Sexual Orientation- and Race-Based Discrimination and Sexual HIV Risk Behavior Among Urban MSM

Science.gov (United States)

Frye, Victoria; Nandi, Vijay; Egan, James; Cerda, Magdalena; Greene, Emily; Van Tieu, Hong; Ompad, Danielle C.; Hoover, Donald R.; Lucy, Debbie; Baez, Eduardo; Koblin, Beryl A.

2014-01-01

Understanding what social factors are associated with risk of HIV acquisition and transmission among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) is a critical public health goal. Experiencing discrimination may increase risk of HIV infection among MSM. This analysis assessed relations between experiences of sexual orientation- and race-based discrimination and sexual HIV risk behavior among MSM in New York City. 1,369 MSM completed a self-administered computerized assessment of past 3-month sexual behavior, experience of social discrimination and other covariates. Regression models assessed relations between recent experience of discrimination and sexual HIV risk behavior. Mean age was 32 years; 32 % were white; 32 % Latino/Hispanic; 25 % African American/Black. Of MSM who self-reported HIV-positive or unknown status (377), 7 % (N = 27) reported having unprotected insertive anal intercourse with an HIV-negative or unknown status partner (“HIV transmission risk”). Of MSM who self-reported HIV-negative status (992), 11 % (110) reported unprotected receptive anal intercourse with an HIV-positive or unknown status partner (“HIV acquisition risk”). HIV acquisition risk was positively associated with sexual orientation-based discrimination in home or social neighborhoods, but not race-based discrimination. We observed that sexual orientation-based discrimination was associated with sexual HIV risk behavior among urban-dwelling MSM. Addressing environmental sources of this form of discrimination, as well as the psychological distress that may result, should be prioritized in HIV prevention efforts. PMID:25381561

Application of Nonnegative Tensor Factorization for neutron-gamma discrimination of Monte Carlo simulated fission chamber’s output signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mounia Laassiri

Full Text Available For efficient exploitation of research reactors, it is important to discern neutron flux distribution inside the reactor with the best possible precision. For this reason, fission and ionization chambers are used to measure the neutron field. In these arrays, the sequences of the neutron interaction points in the fission chamber can correctly be identified in order to obtain true neutron energies emitted by nuclei of interest. However, together with the neutrons, gamma-rays are also emitted from nuclei and thereby affect neutron spectra. The originality of this study consists in the application of tensor based blind source separation methods to extract independent components from signals recorded at the fission chamber preamplifier’s output. The objective is to achieve software neutron-gamma discrimination using Nonnegative Tensor Factorization tools. For reasons of nuclear safety, we first simulate the neutron flux inside the TRIGA Mark II Reactor using Monte Carlo methods under Geant4 platform linked to Garfield++. Geant4 simulations allow the fission chamber construction whereas linking the model to Garfield++ permits to simulate drift parameters from the ionization of the filling gas, which is not possible otherwise. Keywords: Fission chamber (FC, Geant4, Garfield++, Neutron-gamma discrimination, Nonnegative Tensor Factorization (NTF

Perceived Discrimination and Heavy Episodic Drinking Among African-American Youth: Differences by Age and Reason for Discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Madkour, Aubrey Spriggs; Jackson, Kristina; Wang, Heng; Miles, Thomas T; Mather, Frances; Shankar, Arti

2015-11-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether associations between perceived discrimination and heavy episodic drinking (HED) vary by age and by discrimination type (e.g., racial, age, physical appearance) among African-American youth. National data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transition to Adulthood Study were analyzed. Youth participated in up to four interviews (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011; n = 657) between ages 18 and 25 years. Respondents reported past-year engagement in HED (four or more drinks for females, five or more drinks for males) and frequency of discriminatory acts experienced (e.g., receiving poor service, being treated with less courtesy). Categorical latent growth curve models, including perceived discrimination types (racial, age, and physical appearance) as a time-varying predictors of HED, were run. Controls for gender, birth cohort, living arrangement in adolescence, familial wealth, parental alcohol use, and college attendance were explored. The average HED trajectory was curvilinear (increasing followed by flattening), whereas perceived discrimination remained flat with age. In models including controls, odds of HED were significantly higher than average around ages 20-21 years with greater frequency of perceived racial discrimination; associations were not significant at other ages. Discrimination attributed to age or physical appearance was not associated with HED at any age. Perceived racial discrimination may be a particularly salient risk factor for HED around the ages of transition to legal access to alcohol among African-American youth. Interventions to reduce discrimination or its impact could be targeted before this transition to ameliorate the negative outcomes associated with HED. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Discriminative learning for speech recognition

CERN Document Server

He, Xiadong

2008-01-01

In this book, we introduce the background and mainstream methods of probabilistic modeling and discriminative parameter optimization for speech recognition. The specific models treated in depth include the widely used exponential-family distributions and the hidden Markov model. A detailed study is presented on unifying the common objective functions for discriminative learning in speech recognition, namely maximum mutual information (MMI), minimum classification error, and minimum phone/word error. The unification is presented, with rigorous mathematical analysis, in a common rational-functio

On the ability to discriminate Gaussian-noise tokens or random tone-burst complexes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goossens, T.L.J.; Par, van de S.L.J.D.E.; Kohlrausch, A.G.

2008-01-01

This study investigated factors that influence a listeners' ability to discriminate Gaussian-noise stimuli in a same-different discrimination paradigm. The first experiment showed that discrimination ability increased with bandwidth for noise durations up to 100 ms. Duration had a nonmonotonic

An Application of Discriminant Analysis to Pattern Recognition of Selected Contaminated Soil Features in Thin Sections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ribeiro, Alexandra B.; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg

1997-01-01

qualitative microprobe results: present elements Al, Si, Cr, Fe, As (associated with others). Selected groups of calibrated images (same light conditions and magnification) submitted to discriminant analysis, in order to find a pattern of recognition in the soil features corresponding to contamination already...

[Discrimination at the workplace among immigrants in Italy].

Science.gov (United States)

Salvatore, M A; Baglio, G; Cacciani, Laura; Spagnolo, A; Rosano, A

2012-01-01

Discrimination at the workplace can be considered a risk factor for immigrants' health. In this study we compared the occurrence of episodes of arrogance or discrimination perceived at the workplace between documented immigrants coming from countries with high migration pressure and Italians, and evaluated the role of selected risk factors among immigrants. Using data from the 2007 Labour Force Survey conducted by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for socio-demographic and occupational variables were estimated among a nationally representative sample of 61,214 employed persons aged 15 years or more. The occurrence of perceived arrogance or discrimination was higher among immigrant compared to Italian males for all geographical areas of origin considered. Adjusted ORs were 4.6 (95% CI: 3.6-5.8) for Africans, 3.4 (95% CI: 2.5-4.6) for Asians, 2.1 (95% CI :1.6-2.8) for Eastern Europeans, and 2.0 (95% CI: 1.0-3.7) for Latin Americans. Among male immigrants a higher occurrence of arrogance or discrimination was found for construction and other industrial workers and for those residing in central-southern regions of Italy. Among female workers only Latin Americans and Africans showed a higher occurrence of perceived arrogance or discrimination compared to Italians: adjusted ORs were respectively 3.9 (95% CI: 2.6-5.7) and 2.6 (95% CI:1.5-4.5). Female immigrants with a medium-to-high level of education or a highly skilled job, and those residing in the central-southern regions of ltaly perceived the highest occurrence of arrogance or discrimination. The study highlighted the need for policies to protect the wellbeing of immigrants that seem to be particularly exposed to patterns of discrimination at the workplace.

The discrimination of (non-denim) blue cotton.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Ray; Hutchinson, William; Fryer, Verity

2009-03-01

This study was conducted to determine the degree of discrimination obtained between non-denim blue cotton fibres using visible-UV range microspectrophotometry alone. To this end, samples of fibres were taken from 100, nondenim, blue cotton, outer garments, including t-shirts, trousers and jumpers and subjected to analysis by both visible and UV range microspectrophotometry. The results obtained from the samples of each garment were compared to determine if they 'matched' or not. From an initial visual comparison of the garments it was possible to subdivide the samples into two populations consisting of 73 'dark blue' garments and 27 'mid-blue' garments. It was found that of the 73 'dark blue' garments, 22 distinct sub-populations could be distinguished using visible range MSP, this figure being increased to 43 when the analysis was extended into the UVW range. In the case of the 27 'mid-blue' garments, 9 distinct sub-populations were discriminated using visible range MSP, this figure being increased to 17 when the analysis was extended into the UV range. The discriminating power (i.e., the number of discriminated pairs divided by the number of possible pairs) of visible range microspectrophotometry was calculated as 0.89 for 'mid-blue' garments and 0.87 for 'dark blue' garments. Extending microspectrophotometry into the UV range increased discrimination by 7%, giving a discriminating power of 0.96 for both mid and dark blue cotton fibres which was similar to that reported by a previous study where this method was combined with light and fluorescence microscopy. Intra-garment variation was found to be negligible. The implications of this study for casework are discussed and a revised analytical pathway for the comparison of this fibre type/colour combination using microspectrophotometry as a primary screening tool, is proposed.

Soybean varieties discrimination using non-imaging hyperspectral sensor

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva Junior, Carlos Antonio; Nanni, Marcos Rafael; Shakir, Muhammad; Teodoro, Paulo Eduardo; de Oliveira-Júnior, José Francisco; Cezar, Everson; de Gois, Givanildo; Lima, Mendelson; Wojciechowski, Julio Cesar; Shiratsuchi, Luciano Shozo

2018-03-01

Infrared region of electromagnetic spectrum has remarkable applications in crop studies. Infrared along with Red band has been used to develop certain vegetation indices. These indices like NDVI, EVI provide important information on any crop physiological stages. The main objective of this research was to discriminate 4 different soybean varieties (BMX Potência, NA5909, FT Campo Mourão and Don Mario) using non-imaging hyperspectral sensor. The study was conducted in four agricultural areas in the municipality of Deodápolis (MS), Brazil. For spectral analysis, 2400 field samples were taken from soybean leaves by means of FieldSpec 3 JR spectroradiometer in the range from 350 to 2500 nm. The data were evaluated through multivariate analysis with the whole set of spectral curves isolated by blue, green, red and near infrared wavelengths along with the addition of vegetation indices like (Enhanced Vegetation Index - EVI, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - NDVI, Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - GNDVI, Soil-adjusted Vegetation Index - SAVI, Transformed Vegetation Index - TVI and Optimized Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index - OSAVI). A number of the analysis performed where, discriminant (60 and 80% of the data), simulated discriminant (40 and 20% of data), principal component (PC) and cluster analysis (CA). Discriminant and simulated discriminant analyze presented satisfactory results, with average global hit rates of 99.28 and 98.77%, respectively. The results obtained by PC and CA revealed considerable associations between the evaluated variables and the varieties, which indicated that each variety has a variable that discriminates it more effectively in relation to the others. There was great variation in the sample size (number of leaves) for estimating the mean of variables. However, it was possible to observe that 200 leaves allow to obtain a maximum error of 2% in relation to the mean.

BMD T-score discriminates trochanteric fractures from unfractured controls, whereas geometry discriminates cervical fracture cases from unfractured controls of similar BMD.

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Pulkkinen, P; Partanen, J; Jalovaara, P; Jämsä, T

2010-07-01

The ability of bone mineral density (BMD) to discriminate cervical and trochanteric hip fractures was studied. Since the majority of fractures occur among people who are not diagnosed as having osteoporosis, we also examined this population to elucidate whether geometrical risk factors can yield additional information on hip fracture risk beside BMD. The study showed that the T-score criterion was able to discriminate fracture patients from controls in the cases of trochanteric fractures, whereas geometrical measures may discriminate cervical fracture cases in patients with T-score >-2.5. Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a well-established risk factor for hip fracture. However, majority of fractures occur among people not diagnosed as having osteoporosis. We studied the ability of BMD to discriminate cervical and trochanteric hip fractures. Furthermore, we examined whether geometrical measures can yield additional information on the assessment of hip fracture risk in the fracture cases in subjects with T-score >-2.5. Study group consisted of postmenopausal females with non-pathologic cervical (n = 39) or trochanteric (n = 18) hip fracture (mean age 74.2 years) and 40 age-matched controls. BMD was measured at femoral neck, and femoral neck axis length, femoral neck and shaft cortex thicknesses (FNC and FSC), and femoral neck-shaft angle (NSA) were measured from radiographs. BMD T-score threshold of -2.5 was able to discriminate trochanteric fractures from controls (p trochanteric fractures occurred in individuals with T-score fractures. Twenty of these fractures (51.3%) occurred in individuals with BMD in osteoporotic range and 19 (48.7%) in individuals with T-score >-2.5. Within these non-osteoporotic cervical fracture patients (N = 19) and non-osteoporotic controls (N = 35), 83.3% were classified correctly based on a model including NSA and FNC (p trochanteric fractures could be discriminated based on a BMD T-score fracture cases would remain under-diagnosed if

Perceived discrimination and self-rated health in Europe: evidence from the European Social Survey (2010.

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Javier Alvarez-Galvez

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Studies have shown that perceived discrimination has an impact on our physical and mental health. A relevant part of literature has highlighted the influence of discrimination based on race or ethnicity on mental and physical health outcomes. However, the influence of other types of discrimination on health has been understudied. This study is aimed to explore how different types of discrimination are related to our subjective state of health, and so to compare the intensity of these relationships in the European context. METHODS: We have performed a multilevel ordered analysis on the fifth wave of the European Social Survey (ESS 2010. This dataset has 52,458 units at individual level that are grouped in 26 European countries. In this study, the dependent variable is self-rated health (SRH that is analyzed in relationship to ten explanatory variables of perceived discrimination: color or race, nationality, religion, language, ethnic group, age, gender, sexuality, disability and others. RESULTS: The model identifies statistically significant differences in the effect that diverse types of perceived discrimination can generate on the self-rated health of Europeans. Specifically, this study identifies three well-defined types of perceived discrimination that can be related to poor health outcomes: (1 age discrimination; (2 disability discrimination; and (3 sexuality discrimination. In this sense, the effect on self-rated health of perceived discrimination related to aging and disabilities seems to be more relevant than other types of discrimination in the European context with a longer tradition in literature (e.g. ethnic and/or race-based. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that the relationship between perceived discrimination and health inequities in Europe are not random, but systematically distributed depending on factors such as age, sexuality and disabilities. Therefore the future orientation of EU social policies should aim

Perceived discrimination and self-rated health in Europe: evidence from the European Social Survey (2010).

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez-Galvez, Javier; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2013-01-01

Studies have shown that perceived discrimination has an impact on our physical and mental health. A relevant part of literature has highlighted the influence of discrimination based on race or ethnicity on mental and physical health outcomes. However, the influence of other types of discrimination on health has been understudied. This study is aimed to explore how different types of discrimination are related to our subjective state of health, and so to compare the intensity of these relationships in the European context. We have performed a multilevel ordered analysis on the fifth wave of the European Social Survey (ESS 2010). This dataset has 52,458 units at individual level that are grouped in 26 European countries. In this study, the dependent variable is self-rated health (SRH) that is analyzed in relationship to ten explanatory variables of perceived discrimination: color or race, nationality, religion, language, ethnic group, age, gender, sexuality, disability and others. The model identifies statistically significant differences in the effect that diverse types of perceived discrimination can generate on the self-rated health of Europeans. Specifically, this study identifies three well-defined types of perceived discrimination that can be related to poor health outcomes: (1) age discrimination; (2) disability discrimination; and (3) sexuality discrimination. In this sense, the effect on self-rated health of perceived discrimination related to aging and disabilities seems to be more relevant than other types of discrimination in the European context with a longer tradition in literature (e.g. ethnic and/or race-based). The present study shows that the relationship between perceived discrimination and health inequities in Europe are not random, but systematically distributed depending on factors such as age, sexuality and disabilities. Therefore the future orientation of EU social policies should aim to reduce the impact of these social determinants on health

Discrimination of Rock Fracture and Blast Events Based on Signal Complexity and Machine Learning

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Zilong Zhou

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The automatic discrimination of rock fracture and blast events is complex and challenging due to the similar waveform characteristics. To solve this problem, a new method based on the signal complexity analysis and machine learning has been proposed in this paper. First, the permutation entropy values of signals at different scale factors are calculated to reflect complexity of signals and constructed into a feature vector set. Secondly, based on the feature vector set, back-propagation neural network (BPNN as a means of machine learning is applied to establish a discriminator for rock fracture and blast events. Then to evaluate the classification performances of the new method, the classifying accuracies of support vector machine (SVM, naive Bayes classifier, and the new method are compared, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves are also analyzed. The results show the new method obtains the best classification performances. In addition, the influence of different scale factor q and number of training samples n on discrimination results is discussed. It is found that the classifying accuracy of the new method reaches the highest value when q = 8–15 or 8–20 and n=140.

Gender discrimination and job characteristics

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Dubbelt, L.; Rispens, S.; Demerouti, E.

2016-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between gender discrimination and the perceived job demands and job resources of women and men. This is important because it may provide insight into what factors contribute to women’s disadvantaged position at work.

Demographic Consequences of Gender Discrimination in China: Simulation Analysis of Policy Options

OpenAIRE

Quanbao, Jiang; Shuzhuo, Li; Marcus W., Feldman

2011-01-01

The large number of missing females in China, a consequence of gender discrimination, is having and will continue to have a profound effect on the country's population development. In this paper, we analyze the causes of this gender discrimination in terms of institutions, culture and, economy, and suggest public policies that might help eliminate gender discrimination. Using a population simulation model, we study the effect of public policies on the sex ratio at birth and excess female chil...

Accurate palm vein recognition based on wavelet scattering and spectral regression kernel discriminant analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Elnasir, Selma; Shamsuddin, Siti Mariyam; Farokhi, Sajad

2015-01-01

Palm vein recognition (PVR) is a promising new biometric that has been applied successfully as a method of access control by many organizations, which has even further potential in the field of forensics. The palm vein pattern has highly discriminative features that are difficult to forge because of its subcutaneous position in the palm. Despite considerable progress and a few practical issues, providing accurate palm vein readings has remained an unsolved issue in biometrics. We propose a robust and more accurate PVR method based on the combination of wavelet scattering (WS) with spectral regression kernel discriminant analysis (SRKDA). As the dimension of WS generated features is quite large, SRKDA is required to reduce the extracted features to enhance the discrimination. The results based on two public databases-PolyU Hyper Spectral Palmprint public database and PolyU Multi Spectral Palmprint-show the high performance of the proposed scheme in comparison with state-of-the-art methods. The proposed approach scored a 99.44% identification rate and a 99.90% verification rate [equal error rate (EER)=0.1%] for the hyperspectral database and a 99.97% identification rate and a 99.98% verification rate (EER=0.019%) for the multispectral database.

Workplace Victimization and Discrimination in China: A Nationwide Survey.

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Zhang, Huiping

2017-09-01

Workplace victimization and discrimination have been intensively studied in the West, especially on the antecedents and consequences of this phenomenon. Surprisingly, little is known about the incidence and associated health problems of workplace victimization and discrimination in contemporary China. Using a representative nationwide sample of 1,138 Chinese employees conducted in 2015, this study attempted to estimate the prevalence, risk factors, and associated consequences of workplace victimization and discrimination in China. It is found that the prevalence rate of preceding 5-year workplace discrimination and victimization was 33% and 12.9%, respectively. Male employees who perceived higher work gains were less likely to experience workplace victimization and those who had higher career efficacy and unemployment anxiety were more likely to experience job discrimination or victimization. Female employees who received tertiary education were less likely to experience job discrimination and being married tended not to experience workplace victimization. Perceived job discrimination had negative impact on male employees' job satisfaction as well as on female employees' happiness. The implications of these findings are finally discussed in the Chinese context.

Cognitive Strategies and Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Discriminant Analysis

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Nathalie André

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Although a number of studies have examined sociodemographic, psychosocial, and environmental determinants of the level of physical activity (PA for older people, little attention has been paid to the predictive power of cognitive strategies for independently living older adults. However, cognitive strategies have recently been considered to be critical in the management of day-to-day living. Methods. Data were collected from 243 men and women aged 55 years and older living in France using face-to-face interviews between 2011 and 2013. Results. A stepwise discriminant analysis selected five predictor variables (age, perceived health status, barriers’ self-efficacy, internal memory, and attentional control strategies of the level of PA. The function showed that the rate of correct prediction was 73% for the level of PA. The calculated discriminant function based on the five predictor variables is useful for detecting individuals at high risk of lapses once engaged in regular PA. Conclusions. This study highlighted the need to consider cognitive functions as a determinant of the level of PA and, more specifically, those cognitive functions related to executive functions (internal memory and attentional control, to facilitate the maintenance of regular PA. These results are discussed in relation to successful aging.

Análisis del fracaso empresarial por sectores: factores diferenciadores = Cross-industry analysis of business failure: differential factors

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María Jesús Mures Quintana

2012-12-01

Full Text Available El objetivo de este trabajo se centra en el análisis del fracaso empresarial por sectores, a fin de identificar los factores explicativos y predictivos de este fenómeno que son diferentes en tres de los principales sectores que se distinguen en toda economía: industria, construcción y servicios. Para cada uno de estos sectores, seguimos el mismo procedimiento. En primer lugar, aplicamos un análisis de componentes principales con el que identificamos los factores explicativos del fracaso empresarial en los tres sectores. A continuación, consideramos dichos factores como variables independientes en un análisis discriminante, que aplicamos para predecir el fracaso de una muestra de empresas, utilizando no sólo información financiera en forma de ratios, sino también otras variables no financieras relativas a las empresas, así como información externa a las mismas que refleja las condiciones macroeconómicas bajo las que desarrollan su actividad. This paper focuses on a cross-industry analysis of business failure, in order to identify the explanatory and predictor factors of this event that are different in three of the main industries in every economy: manufacturing, building and service. For each one of these industries, the same procedure is followed. First, a principal components analysis is applied in order to identify the explanatory factors of business failure in the three industries. Next, these factors are considered as independent variables in a discriminant analysis, so as to predict the firms’ failure, using not only financial information expressed by ratios, but also other non-financial variables related to the firms, as well as external information that reflects macroeconomic conditions under which they develop their activity.

ANALYSIS ON WOMEN DISCRIMINATION IN THE LABOUR MARKET IN ROMANIA

OpenAIRE

Victoria-Mihaela Brînzea

2011-01-01

Eliminating gender-based discrimination is one of the important prerequisite for building a fair society; this can be achieved only through the active involvement of the authorities and of each person. Although during recent years there have been positive changes in the relationships between men and women, improving women's situation to some extent, it can be said that discrimination based on social gender was reduced but not eliminated entirely, equality of chances having not been achieved e...

On the Threshold of Discrimination: the Burden of Sex and Race Attributes in Brazil (1989- 1999

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Ciro Biderman

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Brazil is characterized by high levels of income inequality between blacks and whites, men and women. To undertake a solid analysis of the level of discrimination which prevails in the labor market, we sought, in this paper, to control the effects of individual attributes (such as age and schooling and of workplace characteristics (formal labor relations, geographical location and job ladder position. Based on a comparison between two microdata sources provided by PNAD (National Research by Domicile Sampling, relative to the years of 1989 and 1999, it was possible to establish three different results. In the first place, it was perceived that, in relation to women, market discrimination is even higher than that measured by the mere difference between their income and the income of men; in relation to black men and women, the net effect which could be attributed to income discrimination does not appear as high, since other, and at times more important, factors act simultaneously, explaining the significant salary differences which distinguish them from white workers. In the second place, it was observed that the 1990’s usher a reduction in the intensity with which factors connected to race and sex discrimination affect such inequalities; this reduction, however, is still small, deriving mainly from the important losses in the average salary of men, especially white men. In the third place, when observed in relation to the different positions in income distribution, inequality determinants vary in importantce, and factors related to sex and color discrimination appear as the most decisive, especially among women and blacks who may reach top positions in the social ladder.

Impact of Social Factors on Labour Discrimination of Disabled Women

Science.gov (United States)

Mondejar-Jimenez, Jose; Vargas-Vargas, Manuel; Meseguer-Santamaria, Maria-Leticia; Mondejar-Jimenez, Juan-Antonio

2009-01-01

Disabled women suffer from a double labour discrimination due to their gender and their disability. In rural areas, in addition, they also suffer from a lack of specific services, the isolation of the disabled associations, problems with public transport, the dispersion of population centres, and a limited access to information that could improve…

Unambiguous discrimination among oracle operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chefles, Anthony; Kitagawa, Akira; Takeoka, Masahiro; Sasaki, Masahide; Twamley, Jason

2007-01-01

We address the problem of unambiguous discrimination among oracle operators. The general theory of unambiguous discrimination among unitary operators is extended with this application in mind. We prove that entanglement with an ancilla cannot assist any discrimination strategy for commuting unitary operators. We also obtain a simple, practical test for the unambiguous distinguishability of an arbitrary set of unitary operators on a given system. Using this result, we prove that the unambiguous distinguishability criterion is the same for both standard and minimal oracle operators. We then show that, except in certain trivial cases, unambiguous discrimination among all standard oracle operators corresponding to integer functions with fixed domain and range is impossible. However, we find that it is possible to unambiguously discriminate among the Grover oracle operators corresponding to an arbitrarily large unsorted database. The unambiguous distinguishability of standard oracle operators corresponding to totally indistinguishable functions, which possess a strong form of classical indistinguishability, is analysed. We prove that these operators are not unambiguously distinguishable for any finite set of totally indistinguishable functions on a Boolean domain and with arbitrary fixed range. Sets of such functions on a larger domain can have unambiguously distinguishable standard oracle operators, and we provide a complete analysis of the simplest case, that of four functions. We also examine the possibility of unambiguous oracle operator discrimination with multiple parallel calls and investigate an intriguing unitary superoperator transformation between standard and entanglement-assisted minimal oracle operators

A longitudinal analysis of Hispanic youth acculturation and cigarette smoking: the roles of gender, culture, family, and discrimination.

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Lorenzo-Blanco, Elma I; Unger, Jennifer B; Ritt-Olson, Anamara; Soto, Daniel; Baezconde-Garbanati, Lourdes

2013-05-01

Risk for smoking initiation increases as Hispanic youth acculturate to U.S. society, and this association seems to be stronger for Hispanic girls than boys. To better understand the influence of culture, family, and everyday discrimination on cigarette smoking, we tested a process-oriented model of acculturation and cigarette smoking. Data came from Project RED (Reteniendo y Entendiendo Diversidad para Salud), which included 1,436 Hispanic students (54% girls) from Southern California. We used data from 9th to 11th grade (85% were 14 years old, and 86% were U.S. born) to test the influence of acculturation-related experiences on smoking over time. Multigroup structural equation analysis suggested that acculturation was associated with increased familismo and lower traditional gender roles, and enculturation was linked more with familismo and respeto. Familismo, respeto, and traditional gender roles were linked with lower family conflict and increased family cohesion, and these links were stronger for girls. Familismo and respeto were further associated with lower discrimination. Conversely, fatalismo was linked with worse family functioning (especially for boys) and increased discrimination in both the groups. Discrimination was the only predictor of smoking for boys and girls. In all, the results of the current study indicate that reducing discrimination and helping youth cope with discrimination may prevent or reduce smoking in Hispanic boys and girls. This may be achieved by promoting familismo and respeto and by discouraging fatalistic beliefs.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Hispanic Youth Acculturation and Cigarette Smoking: The Roles of Gender, Culture, Family, and Discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Introduction: Risk for smoking initiation increases as Hispanic youth acculturate to U.S. society, and this association seems to be stronger for Hispanic girls than boys. To better understand the influence of culture, family, and everyday discrimination on cigarette smoking, we tested a process-oriented model of acculturation and cigarette smoking. Methods: Data came from Project RED (Reteniendo y Entendiendo Diversidad para Salud), which included 1,436 Hispanic students (54% girls) from Southern California. We used data from 9th to 11th grade (85% were 14 years old, and 86% were U.S. born) to test the influence of acculturation-related experiences on smoking over time. Results: Multigroup structural equation analysis suggested that acculturation was associated with increased familismo and lower traditional gender roles, and enculturation was linked more with familismo and respeto. Familismo, respeto, and traditional gender roles were linked with lower family conflict and increased family cohesion, and these links were stronger for girls. Familismo and respeto were further associated with lower discrimination. Conversely, fatalismo was linked with worse family functioning (especially for boys) and increased discrimination in both the groups. Discrimination was the only predictor of smoking for boys and girls. Conclusions: In all, the results of the current study indicate that reducing discrimination and helping youth cope with discrimination may prevent or reduce smoking in Hispanic boys and girls. This may be achieved by promoting familismo and respeto and by discouraging fatalistic beliefs. PMID:23109671

Foundations of factor analysis

CERN Document Server

Mulaik, Stanley A

2009-01-01

Introduction Factor Analysis and Structural Theories Brief History of Factor Analysis as a Linear Model Example of Factor AnalysisMathematical Foundations for Factor Analysis Introduction Scalar AlgebraVectorsMatrix AlgebraDeterminants Treatment of Variables as Vectors Maxima and Minima of FunctionsComposite Variables and Linear Transformations Introduction Composite Variables Unweighted Composite VariablesDifferentially Weighted Composites Matrix EquationsMulti

A Recurrent Probabilistic Neural Network with Dimensionality Reduction Based on Time-series Discriminant Component Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Hideaki; Shibanoki, Taro; Shima, Keisuke; Kurita, Yuichi; Tsuji, Toshio

2015-12-01

This paper proposes a probabilistic neural network (NN) developed on the basis of time-series discriminant component analysis (TSDCA) that can be used to classify high-dimensional time-series patterns. TSDCA involves the compression of high-dimensional time series into a lower dimensional space using a set of orthogonal transformations and the calculation of posterior probabilities based on a continuous-density hidden Markov model with a Gaussian mixture model expressed in the reduced-dimensional space. The analysis can be incorporated into an NN, which is named a time-series discriminant component network (TSDCN), so that parameters of dimensionality reduction and classification can be obtained simultaneously as network coefficients according to a backpropagation through time-based learning algorithm with the Lagrange multiplier method. The TSDCN is considered to enable high-accuracy classification of high-dimensional time-series patterns and to reduce the computation time taken for network training. The validity of the TSDCN is demonstrated for high-dimensional artificial data and electroencephalogram signals in the experiments conducted during the study.

Examining the Effects of Transphobic Discrimination and Race on HIV Risk Among Transwomen in San Francisco.

Science.gov (United States)

Arayasirikul, Sean; Wilson, Erin C; Raymond, Henry F

2017-09-01

Transwomen, in particular transwomen of color (TWOC), are among the most vulnerable populations at risk for HIV. This secondary analysis is organized using a gender minority stress framework to examine the effects of transphobic discrimination and race on HIV risk factors. We describe the sample of 149 HIV- adult transwomen in San Francisco and use binary logistic regression to examine the relationship between levels of transphobic discrimination and TWOC status on binge drinking and condomless receptive anal intercourse (CRAI), controlling for potential confounders. Those with high levels of transphobic discrimination had 3.59 fold greater odds of engaging in binge drinking compared to those who reported a low level of transphobic discrimination (95% CI 1.284-10.034; P = 0.015). TWOC had nearly threefold greater odds of CRAI compared to white transwomen (95% CI 1.048-8.464; P = 0.040). We discuss implications for gender minority stress research and future interventions for this population.

DIFFERENTIATION OF AURANTII FRUCTUS IMMATURUS AND FRUCTUS PONICIRI TRIFOLIATAE IMMATURUS BY FLOW-INJECTION WITH ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROSCOPIC DETECTION AND PROTON NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE USING PARTIAL LEAST-SQUARES DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mengliang; Zhao, Yang; Harrington, Peter de B; Chen, Pei

2016-03-01

Two simple fingerprinting methods, flow-injection coupled to ultraviolet spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance, were used for discriminating between Aurantii fructus immaturus and Fructus poniciri trifoliatae immaturus . Both methods were combined with partial least-squares discriminant analysis. In the flow-injection method, four data representations were evaluated: total ultraviolet absorbance chromatograms, averaged ultraviolet spectra, absorbance at 193, 205, 225, and 283 nm, and absorbance at 225 and 283 nm. Prediction rates of 100% were achieved for all data representations by partial least-squares discriminant analysis using leave-one-sample-out cross-validation. The prediction rate for the proton nuclear magnetic resonance data by partial least-squares discriminant analysis with leave-one-sample-out cross-validation was also 100%. A new validation set of data was collected by flow-injection with ultraviolet spectroscopic detection two weeks later and predicted by partial least-squares discriminant analysis models constructed by the initial data representations with no parameter changes. The classification rates were 95% with the total ultraviolet absorbance chromatograms datasets and 100% with the other three datasets. Flow-injection with ultraviolet detection and proton nuclear magnetic resonance are simple, high throughput, and low-cost methods for discrimination studies.

Unsupervised spike sorting based on discriminative subspace learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Keshtkaran, Mohammad Reza; Yang, Zhi

2014-01-01

Spike sorting is a fundamental preprocessing step for many neuroscience studies which rely on the analysis of spike trains. In this paper, we present two unsupervised spike sorting algorithms based on discriminative subspace learning. The first algorithm simultaneously learns the discriminative feature subspace and performs clustering. It uses histogram of features in the most discriminative projection to detect the number of neurons. The second algorithm performs hierarchical divisive clustering that learns a discriminative 1-dimensional subspace for clustering in each level of the hierarchy until achieving almost unimodal distribution in the subspace. The algorithms are tested on synthetic and in-vivo data, and are compared against two widely used spike sorting methods. The comparative results demonstrate that our spike sorting methods can achieve substantially higher accuracy in lower dimensional feature space, and they are highly robust to noise. Moreover, they provide significantly better cluster separability in the learned subspace than in the subspace obtained by principal component analysis or wavelet transform.

Perceived ethnic discrimination, acculturation, and psychological distress in women of Turkish origin in Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Aichberger, Marion C; Bromand, Zohra; Rapp, Michael A; Yesil, Rahsan; Montesinos, Amanda Heredia; Temur-Erman, Selver; Heinz, Andreas; Schouler-Ocak, Meryam

2015-11-01

Discrimination is linked to various health problems, including mental disorders like depression and also has a negative effect on the access to mental health care services. Little is known about factors mitigating the association between ethnic discrimination and mental distress. The present study examined the extent of the relationship between perceived ethnic discrimination and psychological distress among women of Turkish origin residing in Berlin, and explored whether this association is moderated by acculturation strategies while controlling for known predictors of distress in migrant populations. A total of 205 women of Turkish origin participated in the study. 55.1% of the participants reported some degree of ethnic discrimination. The degree of reported discrimination varied according to acculturation. The highest level of ethnic discrimination was found in the second generation separated group and both generations of the marginalized group. Further, the results indicate an association between ethnic discrimination and distress while adjusting for known socio-demographic predictors of distress, migration-related factors, and neuroticism (B = 5.56, 95% CI 2.44-8.68, p acculturation strategy, showing an association only in the separated group. The findings highlight the effects of ethnic discrimination beyond the influence of known risk factor for psychological distress in migrants, such as unemployment, being single, having a limited residence permit or the presence of personality structures that may increase vulnerability for stress responses and mental disorders.

Study on non-linear bistable dynamics model based EEG signal discrimination analysis method.

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Xiaoguo; Lin, Han; Hui, Guohua

2015-01-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp. EEG measures voltage fluctuations generating from ionic current flows within the neurons of the brain. EEG signal is looked as one of the most important factors that will be focused in the next 20 years. In this paper, EEG signal discrimination based on non-linear bistable dynamical model was proposed. EEG signals were processed by non-linear bistable dynamical model, and features of EEG signals were characterized by coherence index. Experimental results showed that the proposed method could properly extract the features of different EEG signals.

MOBBING PHENOMENON - FACTORS OF DISCRIMINATION AND STRESS

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ROMANESCU MARCEL LAURENTIU

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on exemplifying the features of discrimination phenomenon in the workplace, a phenomenon that has appeared in the Romanian social studies only in the last 4 years. Mobbing phenomenon has been analyzed by several countries in Europe such as England, France, Germany; after these analyzes it has been found that this phenomenon refers only to actions of intense psychological pressure. Actions are geared to a single employee, in order to cause it to leave its job. Without these measures, dismissal of the employee would lead to numerous legal problems on the employer. In conclusion, employee who is the subject of mobbing phenomenon must endure a long period of time a series of injustices focused on himself, but also extremely high humiliation, which determines him to mentally give up and take the decision to resign.

Gadolinium-Based GaN for Neutron Detection with Gamma Discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

Gadolinium-Based GaN for Neutron Detection with Gamma Discrimination Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release; distribution is...Final Technical Report BRBAA08-Per5-Y-1-2-0030 Title: “Gadolinium-Based GaN for Neutron Detection with Gamma Discrimination ” Grant...Analysis  .............................................................................................  23   6.   Gamma-ray Discrimination

A Fisher’s Criterion-Based Linear Discriminant Analysis for Predicting the Critical Values of Coal and Gas Outbursts Using the Initial Gas Flow in a Borehole

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaowei Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The risk of coal and gas outbursts can be predicted using a method that is linear and continuous and based on the initial gas flow in the borehole (IGFB; this method is significantly superior to the traditional point prediction method. Acquiring accurate critical values is the key to ensuring accurate predictions. Based on ideal rock cross-cut coal uncovering model, the IGFB measurement device was developed. The present study measured the data of the initial gas flow over 3 min in a 1 m long borehole with a diameter of 42 mm in the laboratory. A total of 48 sets of data were obtained. These data were fuzzy and chaotic. Fisher’s discrimination method was able to transform these spatial data, which were multidimensional due to the factors influencing the IGFB, into a one-dimensional function and determine its critical value. Then, by processing the data into a normal distribution, the critical values of the outbursts were analyzed using linear discriminant analysis with Fisher’s criterion. The weak and strong outbursts had critical values of 36.63 L and 80.85 L, respectively, and the accuracy of the back-discriminant analysis for the weak and strong outbursts was 94.74% and 92.86%, respectively. Eight outburst tests were simulated in the laboratory, the reverse verification accuracy was 100%, and the accuracy of the critical value was verified.

Transferability between Hospitals of Hypercalcaemia Discriminant Functions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frølich, Anne; McNair, Peter; Nielsen, Bo Friis

1996-01-01

Transferability of discriminant functions is potentially useful both from an economical point of view and because, in general, medical knowledge, in this case discriminant functions, should be transferable. In the present study we have evaluated the transferability of discriminant functions......, estimated from routine laboratory analysis, age and sex in two consecutively recorded populations with hypercalcemia including 162 and 257 patients with hypercalcemia. Discriminant functions were developed for each sex to distinguish between hypercalcemia associated with malignancy and hypercalcemia...... associated with other medical diseases. The total diagnostic accuracy in Herlev was 82 and 78%, in women and men, and increased to 87 and 86% in both sexes considering cases classified with posterior probability levels of 60%. In Hvidovre the total diagnostic accuracy was 81 and 84% in women and men...

Classification of root canal microorganisms using electronic-nose and discriminant analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Özbilge Hatice

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Root canal treatment is a debridement process which disrupts and removes entire microorganisms from the root canal system. Identification of microorganisms may help clinicians decide on treatment alternatives such as using different irrigants, intracanal medicaments and antibiotics. However, the difficulty in cultivation and the complexity in isolation of predominant anaerobic microorganisms make clinicians resort to empirical medical treatments. For this reason, identification of microorganisms is not a routinely used procedure in root canal treatment. In this study, we aimed at classifying 7 different standard microorganism strains which are frequently seen in root canal infections, using odor data collected using an electronic nose instrument. Method Our microorganism odor data set consisted of 5 repeated samples from 7 different classes at 4 concentration levels. For each concentration, 35 samples were classified using 3 different discriminant analysis methods. In order to determine an optimal setting for using electronic-nose in such an application, we have tried 3 different approaches in evaluating sensor responses. Moreover, we have used 3 different sensor baseline values in normalizing sensor responses. Since the number of sensors is relatively large compared to sample size, we have also investigated the influence of two different dimension reduction methods on classification performance. Results We have found that quadratic type dicriminant analysis outperforms other varieties of this method. We have also observed that classification performance decreases as the concentration decreases. Among different baseline values used for pre-processing the sensor responses, the model where the minimum values of sensor readings in the sample were accepted as the baseline yields better classification performance. Corresponding to this optimal choice of baseline value, we have noted that among different sensor response model and

Pulse duration discriminator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosakovskij, L.F.

1980-01-01

Basic circuits of a discriminator for discrimination of pulses with the duration greater than the preset one, and of a multifunctional discriminator allowing to discriminate pulses with the duration greater (tsub(p)>tsub(s)) and lesser (tsub(p) tsub(s) and with the duration tsub(p) [ru

Sparse Regression by Projection and Sparse Discriminant Analysis

KAUST Repository

Qi, Xin

2015-04-03

© 2015, © American Statistical Association, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and Interface Foundation of North America. Recent years have seen active developments of various penalized regression methods, such as LASSO and elastic net, to analyze high-dimensional data. In these approaches, the direction and length of the regression coefficients are determined simultaneously. Due to the introduction of penalties, the length of the estimates can be far from being optimal for accurate predictions. We introduce a new framework, regression by projection, and its sparse version to analyze high-dimensional data. The unique nature of this framework is that the directions of the regression coefficients are inferred first, and the lengths and the tuning parameters are determined by a cross-validation procedure to achieve the largest prediction accuracy. We provide a theoretical result for simultaneous model selection consistency and parameter estimation consistency of our method in high dimension. This new framework is then generalized such that it can be applied to principal components analysis, partial least squares, and canonical correlation analysis. We also adapt this framework for discriminant analysis. Compared with the existing methods, where there is relatively little control of the dependency among the sparse components, our method can control the relationships among the components. We present efficient algorithms and related theory for solving the sparse regression by projection problem. Based on extensive simulations and real data analysis, we demonstrate that our method achieves good predictive performance and variable selection in the regression setting, and the ability to control relationships between the sparse components leads to more accurate classification. In supplementary materials available online, the details of the algorithms and theoretical proofs, and R codes for all simulation studies are provided.

Signal Detection Methods and Discriminant Analysis Applied to Categorization of Newspaper and Government Documents: A Preliminary Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Kwong Bor; Rieh, Soo Young; Kantor, Paul

2000-01-01

Discussion of natural language processing focuses on experiments using linear discriminant analysis to distinguish "Wall Street Journal" texts from "Federal Register" tests using information about the frequency of occurrence of word boundaries, sentence boundaries, and punctuation marks. Displays and interprets results in terms…

Statistical methods of discrimination and classification advances in theory and applications

CERN Document Server

Choi, Sung C

1986-01-01

Statistical Methods of Discrimination and Classification: Advances in Theory and Applications is a collection of papers that tackles the multivariate problems of discriminating and classifying subjects into exclusive population. The book presents 13 papers that cover that advancement in the statistical procedure of discriminating and classifying. The studies in the text primarily focus on various methods of discriminating and classifying variables, such as multiple discriminant analysis in the presence of mixed continuous and categorical data; choice of the smoothing parameter and efficiency o

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of a Questionnaire Measure of Managerial Stigma Towards Employee Depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Angela J; Giallo, Rebecca

2016-12-01

Managers' attitudes play a key role in how organizations respond to employees with depression. We examine the measurement properties of a questionnaire designed to assess managerial stigma towards employees with depression. Using data from a sample of 469 Australian managers representing a wide range of industries and work settings, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to assess three proposed subscales representing affective, cognitive and behavioural forms of stigma. Results were equivocal indicating acceptable fit for two-factor (affective and cognitive + behavioural), three-factor (affective, cognitive and behavioural) and higher order models. Failure to demonstrate the discriminant validity of the cognitive and behavioural dimensions, even though they are theoretically distinct, suggests that further work on the scale is warranted. These results provide an extension to the psychometric profile of this measure (exploratory factor analysis; Martin, ). Development of strategies to operationalize this construct will benefit occupational health research and practice, particularly in interventions that aim to reduce the stigma of mental health issues in the workplace or where managers' attitudes are a key mechanism in intervention efficacy. We encourage future research on this measure pertaining in particular to further enhancing all aspects of its construct validity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Time to address gender discrimination and inequality in the health workforce

OpenAIRE

Newman, Constance

2014-01-01

Gender is a key factor operating in the health workforce. Recent research evidence points to systemic gender discrimination and inequalities in health pre-service and in-service education and employment systems. Human resources for health (HRH) leaders’ and researchers’ lack of concerted attention to these inequalities is striking, given the recognition of other forms of discrimination in international labour rights and employment law discourse. If not acted upon, gender discrimination and in...

Bearing Performance Degradation Assessment Using Linear Discriminant Analysis and Coupled HMM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, T; Chen, J; Zhou, X N; Xiao, W B

2012-01-01

Bearing is one of the most important units in rotary machinery, its performance may vary significantly under different working stages. Thus it is critical to choose the most effective features for bearing performance degradation prediction. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) is a useful method in finding few feature's dimensions that best discriminate a set of features extracted from original vibration signals. Another challenge in bearing performance degradation is how to build a model to recognize the different conditions with the data coming from different monitoring channels. In this paper, coupled hidden Markov models (CHMM) is presented to model interacting processes which can overcome the defections of the HMM. Because the input data in CHMM are collected by several sensors, and the interacting information can be fused by coupled modalities, it is more effective than HMM which used only one state chain. The model can be used in estimating the bearing performance degradation states according to several observation data. When becoming degradation pattern recognition, the new observation features should be input into the pre-trained CHMM and calculate the performance index (PI) of the outputs, the changing of PI could be used to describe the different degradation level of the bearings. The results show that PI will decline with the increase of the bearing degradation. Assessment results of the whole life time experimental bearing signals validate the feasibility and effectiveness of this method.

Cooperative synchronized assemblies enhance orientation discrimination.

Science.gov (United States)

Samonds, Jason M; Allison, John D; Brown, Heather A; Bonds, A B

2004-04-27

There is no clear link between the broad tuning of single neurons and the fine behavioral capabilities of orientation discrimination. We recorded from populations of cells in the cat visual cortex (area 17) to examine whether the joint activity of cells can support finer discrimination than found in individual responses. Analysis of joint firing yields a substantial advantage (i.e., cooperation) in fine-angle discrimination. This cooperation increases to more considerable levels as the population of an assembly is increased. The cooperation in a population of six cells provides encoding of orientation with an information advantage that is at least 2-fold in terms of requiring either fewer cells or less time than independent coding. This cooperation suggests that correlated or synchronized activity can increase information.

Pitch discrimination associated with phonological awareness: Evidence from congenital amusia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Yanan; Lu, Xuejing; Ho, Hao Tam; Thompson, William Forde

2017-03-13

Research suggests that musical skills are associated with phonological abilities. To further investigate this association, we examined whether phonological impairments are evident in individuals with poor music abilities. Twenty individuals with congenital amusia and 20 matched controls were assessed on a pure-tone pitch discrimination task, a rhythm discrimination task, and four phonological tests. Amusic participants showed deficits in discriminating pitch and discriminating rhythmic patterns that involve a regular beat. At a group level, these individuals performed similarly to controls on all phonological tests. However, eight amusics with severe pitch impairment, as identified by the pitch discrimination task, exhibited significantly worse performance than all other participants in phonological awareness. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that pitch discrimination thresholds predicted phonological awareness beyond that predicted by phonological short-term memory and rhythm discrimination. In contrast, our rhythm discrimination task did not predict phonological awareness beyond that predicted by pitch discrimination thresholds. These findings suggest that accurate pitch discrimination is critical for phonological processing. We propose that deficits in early-stage pitch discrimination may be associated with impaired phonological awareness and we discuss the shared role of pitch discrimination for processing music and speech.

Diagnostic value of MRI-based 3D texture analysis for tissue characterisation and discrimination of low-grade chondrosarcoma from enchondroma. A pilot study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lisson, Catharina S.; Lisson, Christoph G.; Flosdorf, Kerstin; Meier, Reinhard; Beer, Meinrad; Schmidt, Stefan A. [University Hospital of Ulm, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Ulm (Germany); Mayer-Steinacker, Regine [University Hospital of Ulm, Department of Internal Medicine III, Ulm (Germany); Schultheiss, Markus; Baer, Alexandra von [University Hospital of Ulm, Department of Trauma Surgery, Ulm (Germany); Barth, Thomas F.E. [University of Ulm, Institute of Pathology, Ulm (Germany); Beer, Ambros J. [University Hospital of Ulm, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ulm (Germany); Baumhauer, Matthias [Mint Medical, Dossenheim (Germany)

2018-02-15

To explore the diagnostic value of MRI-based 3D texture analysis to identify texture features that can be used for discrimination of low-grade chondrosarcoma from enchondroma. Eleven patients with low-grade chondrosarcoma and 11 patients with enchondroma were retrospectively evaluated. Texture analysis was performed using mint Lesion: Kurtosis, entropy, skewness, mean of positive pixels (MPP) and uniformity of positive pixel distribution (UPP) were obtained in four MRI sequences and correlated with histopathology. The Mann-Whitney U-test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed to identify most discriminative texture features. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and optimal cut-off values were calculated. Significant differences were found in four of 20 texture parameters with regard to the different MRI sequences (p<0.01). The area under the ROC curve values to discriminate chondrosarcoma from enchondroma were 0.876 and 0.826 for kurtosis and skewness in contrast-enhanced T1 (ceT1w), respectively; in non-contrast T1, values were 0.851 and 0.822 for entropy and UPP, respectively. The highest discriminatory power had kurtosis in ceT1w with a cut-off ≥3.15 to identify low-grade chondrosarcoma (82 % sensitivity, 91 % specificity, accuracy 86 %). MRI-based 3D texture analysis might be able to discriminate low-grade chondrosarcoma from enchondroma by a variety of texture parameters. (orig.)

Discrimination and alcohol-related problems among college students: a prospective examination of mediating effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatzenbuehler, Mark L; Corbin, William R; Fromme, Kim

2011-06-01

Discrimination is a risk factor for health-risk behaviors, including alcohol abuse. Far less is known about the mechanisms through which discrimination leads to alcohol-related problems, particularly during high-risk developmental periods such as young adulthood. The present study tested a mediation model using prospective data from a large, diverse sample of 1539 college students. This model hypothesized that discrimination would be associated with established cognitive (positive alcohol expectancies) and affective (negative affect and coping motives) risk factors for alcohol-related problems, which would account for the prospective association between discrimination and alcohol problems. Structural equation modeling indicated that discrimination was associated cross-sectionally with negative affect and more coping motives for drinking, but not with greater alcohol expectancies. Coping motives mediated the prospective relationship between discrimination and alcohol-related problems. Additionally, results indicated significant indirect effects from discrimination to alcohol-related problems through negative affect and coping motives. These associations were evident for multiple groups confronting status-based discrimination, including women, racial/ethnic minorities, and lesbian/gay/bisexual individuals. This study identified potential affective mechanisms linking discrimination to alcohol-related problems. Results suggest several avenues for prevention and intervention efforts with individuals from socially disadvantaged groups. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the potential of remote sensing to discriminate invasive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The usefulness of remote sensing to discriminate Seriphium plumosum from grass using a field spectrometer data was investigated in this study. Analysis focused on wavelength regions that showed potential of discriminating S. plumosum from grass which were determined from global pair spectral comparison between S.

Field-scale sensitivity of vegetation discrimination to hyperspectral reflectance and coupled statistics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Manevski, Kiril; Jabloun, Mohamed; Gupta, Manika

2016-01-01

a more powerful input to a nonparametric analysis for discrimination at the field scale, when compared with unaltered reflectance and parametric analysis. However, the discrimination outputs interact and are very sensitive to the number of observations - an important implication for the design......Remote sensing of land covers utilizes an increasing number of methods for spectral reflectance processing and its accompanying statistics to discriminate between the covers’ spectral signatures at various scales. To this end, the present chapter deals with the field-scale sensitivity...... of the vegetation spectral discrimination to the most common types of reflectance (unaltered and continuum-removed) and statistical tests (parametric and nonparametric analysis of variance). It is divided into two distinct parts. The first part summarizes the current knowledge in relation to vegetation...

Theory-based psychosocial factors that discriminate between weight-loss success and failure over 6 months in women with morbid obesity receiving behavioral treatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Annesi, James J; Johnson, Ping H

2015-06-01

To improve success rates of behavioral weight-loss treatments, a better understanding of psychosocial factors that discriminate between weight-loss success and failure is required. The inclusion of cognitive-behavioral methods and manageable amounts of exercise might induce greater improvements than traditional methods of education in healthy eating practices. Women with morbid obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥40 kg/m(2)] were recruited for a treatment of supported exercise paired with either a cognitive-behavioral or an educational approach to eating change over 6 months. They were classified as either successful with (i.e., at least 5 % loss; n = 40) or failed at (no loss, or weight gain; n = 43) weight loss. Discriminate function analysis incorporated theory-based models of 1 (self-efficacy), 5 (self-efficacy, self-regulation, mood, physical self-concept, body satisfaction), and 3 (self-efficacy, self-regulation, mood) psychosocial predictors at both month 6, and change from baseline-month 6. All three models significantly discriminated weight-loss success/failure (66, 88, and 87 % for success; and 81, 87, and 88 % for failure, respectively). Self-regulation had the strongest correlations within the multi-predictor models (0.90-0.96), and all variables entered were above the standard of 0.30 set for relevance. Participants in the cognitive-behavioral nutrition group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in all psychosocial variables and success with weight loss. Completing at least two sessions of exercise per week predicted success/failure with weight loss better than overall volume of exercise. New and relevant findings regarding treatment-induced psychosocial changes might be useful in the architecture of more successful behavioral weight-loss interventions.

Discrimination of irradiated MOX fuel from UOX fuel by multivariate statistical analysis of simulated activities of gamma-emitting isotopes

Science.gov (United States)

Åberg Lindell, M.; Andersson, P.; Grape, S.; Hellesen, C.; Håkansson, A.; Thulin, M.

2018-03-01

This paper investigates how concentrations of certain fission products and their related gamma-ray emissions can be used to discriminate between uranium oxide (UOX) and mixed oxide (MOX) type fuel. Discrimination of irradiated MOX fuel from irradiated UOX fuel is important in nuclear facilities and for transport of nuclear fuel, for purposes of both criticality safety and nuclear safeguards. Although facility operators keep records on the identity and properties of each fuel, tools for nuclear safeguards inspectors that enable independent verification of the fuel are critical in the recovery of continuity of knowledge, should it be lost. A discrimination methodology for classification of UOX and MOX fuel, based on passive gamma-ray spectroscopy data and multivariate analysis methods, is presented. Nuclear fuels and their gamma-ray emissions were simulated in the Monte Carlo code Serpent, and the resulting data was used as input to train seven different multivariate classification techniques. The trained classifiers were subsequently implemented and evaluated with respect to their capabilities to correctly predict the classes of unknown fuel items. The best results concerning successful discrimination of UOX and MOX-fuel were acquired when using non-linear classification techniques, such as the k nearest neighbors method and the Gaussian kernel support vector machine. For fuel with cooling times up to 20 years, when it is considered that gamma-rays from the isotope 134Cs can still be efficiently measured, success rates of 100% were obtained. A sensitivity analysis indicated that these methods were also robust.

Bodies in Contempt: Gender, Class and Disability Intersections in Workplace Discrimination Claims

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenny Dick-Mosher

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This article draws on theories of gendered organizations to examine discrimination against people with disabilities in the workplace. A sample of 200 cases that document disability discrimination lawsuits was drawn from the Westlaw legal database. Each case was coded for gender, job, disability and discrimination type and analyzed using multinomial logistic models. Of those 200 cases, 34 were selected for in depth qualitative analysis. This study finds that disability type, job type, and gender do have an influence on the type of discrimination someone is likely to experience. In addition, the qualitative analysis finds that the social processes of discrimination differ based on job type and gender pointing to intersections of disability and class as well as gender and disability.

A canonical discriminant analysis to study the association between milk fatty acids of ruminal origin and milk fat depression in dairy cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Conte, G; Dimauro, C; Serra, A; Macciotta, N P P; Mele, M

2018-04-04

Although milk fat depression (MFD) has been observed and described since the beginning of the last century, all the molecular and biochemical mechanisms involved are still not completely understood. Some fatty acids (FA) originating during rumen biohydrogenation have been proposed as causative elements of MFD. However, contradictory results were obtained when studying the effect of single FA on MFD. An alternative could be the simultaneous evaluation of the effect of many FA using a multivariate approach. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between individual milk FA of ruminal origin and MFD using canonical discriminant analysis, a multivariate technique able to distinguish 2 or more groups on the basis of a pool of variables. In a commercial dairy herd, a diet containing 26% starch on a DM basis induced an unintentional MFD syndrome in 14 cows out of 40. Milk yielded by these 14 animals showed a fat content lower than 50% of the ordinary value, whereas milk production and protein content were normal. The remaining 26 cows secreted typical milk fat content and therefore were considered the control group, even though they ate the same diet. The stepwise discriminant analysis selected 14 milk FA of ruminal origin most able to distinguish the 2 groups. This restricted pool of FA was used, as variables, in a run of the canonical discriminant analysis that was able to significantly discriminate between the 2 groups. Out of the 14 FA, 5 conjugated linoleic acid isomers (C18:2 trans-10,trans-12, C18:2 trans-8,trans-10, C18:2 trans-11,cis-13, C18:2 cis-9,cis-11, C18:2 cis-10,cis-12) and C15:0 iso were more related to the control group, whereas C18:2 trans-10,cis-12, C16:1 trans-6-7, C16:1 trans-9, C18:1 trans-6-8, C18:1 trans-9, C18:1 trans-10, C18:1 cis-11, and C18:3n-3 were positively associated with the MFD group, allowing a complete discrimination. On the basis of these results, we can conclude that (1) the shift of ruminal biohydrogenation from C18

Assessment of children with suspected auditory processing disorder: a factor analysis study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmmed, Ansar U; Ahmmed, Afsara A; Bath, Julie R; Ferguson, Melanie A; Plack, Christopher J; Moore, David R

2014-01-01

To identify the factors that may underlie the deficits in children with listening difficulties, despite normal pure-tone audiograms. These children may have auditory processing disorder (APD), but there is no universally agreed consensus as to what constitutes APD. The authors therefore refer to these children as children with suspected APD (susAPD) and aim to clarify the role of attention, cognition, memory, sensorimotor processing speed, speech, and nonspeech auditory processing in susAPD. It was expected that a factor analysis would show how nonauditory and supramodal factors relate to auditory behavioral measures in such children with susAPD. This would facilitate greater understanding of the nature of listening difficulties, thus further helping with characterizing APD and designing multimodal test batteries to diagnose APD. Factor analysis of outcomes from 110 children (68 male, 42 female; aged 6 to 11 years) with susAPD on a widely used clinical test battery (SCAN-C) and a research test battery (MRC Institute of Hearing Research Multi-center Auditory Processing "IMAP"), that have age-based normative data. The IMAP included backward masking, simultaneous masking, frequency discrimination, nonverbal intelligence, working memory, reading, alerting attention and motor reaction times to auditory and visual stimuli. SCAN-C included monaural low-redundancy speech (auditory closure and speech in noise) and dichotic listening tests (competing words and competing sentences) that assess divided auditory attention and hence executive attention. Three factors were extracted: "general auditory processing," "working memory and executive attention," and "processing speed and alerting attention." Frequency discrimination, backward masking, simultaneous masking, and monaural low-redundancy speech tests represented the "general auditory processing" factor. Dichotic listening and the IMAP cognitive tests (apart from nonverbal intelligence) were represented in the "working

Measuring Black Men’s Police-Based Discrimination Experiences: Development and Validation of the Police and Law Enforcement (PLE) Scale

Science.gov (United States)

English, Devin; Bowleg, Lisa; del Río-González, Ana Maria; Tschann, Jeanne M.; Agans, Robert; Malebranche, David J

2017-01-01

Objectives Although social science research has examined police and law enforcement-perpetrated discrimination against Black men using policing statistics and implicit bias studies, there is little quantitative evidence detailing this phenomenon from the perspective of Black men. Consequently, there is a dearth of research detailing how Black men’s perspectives on police and law enforcement-related stress predict negative physiological and psychological health outcomes. This study addresses these gaps with the qualitative development and quantitative test of the Police and Law Enforcement (PLE) scale. Methods In Study 1, we employed thematic analysis on transcripts of individual qualitative interviews with 90 Black men to assess key themes and concepts and develop quantitative items. In Study 2, we used 2 focus groups comprised of 5 Black men each (n=10), intensive cognitive interviewing with a separate sample of Black men (n=15), and piloting with another sample of Black men (n=13) to assess the ecological validity of the quantitative items. For study 3, we analyzed data from a sample of 633 Black men between the ages of 18 and 65 to test the factor structure of the PLE, as we all as its concurrent validity and convergent/discriminant validity. Results Qualitative analyses and confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a 5-item, 1-factor measure appropriately represented respondents’ experiences of police/law enforcement discrimination. As hypothesized, the PLE was positively associated with measures of racial discrimination and depressive symptoms. Conclusions Preliminary evidence suggests that the PLE is a reliable and valid measure of Black men’s experiences of discrimination with police/law enforcement. PMID:28080104

Structural Equation Modeling to Assess Discrimination, Stress, Social Support, and Depression among the Elderly Women in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hung Sa; Kim, Chunmi

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to find the relationship and conceptual model of discrimination, stress, support, and depression among the elderly in South Korea. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 207 community-dwelling elders. Data were collected through questionnaires from May 5 to May 31, 2014 in community senior centers, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t test, analysis of variance, Scheffé test, and structural equation modeling. There were significant effects of discrimination on stress, support on stress and stress on depression. Moreover, there were two significant indirect effects observed between discrimination and depression, and between support and depression. For each indirect effect, the mediating factor was stress. Additionally, there was no direct effect between discrimination and depression or support. This study found that social support and discrimination had indirect effects on depression through stress. More specifically, decreased stress led to a reduction of depression. Therefore, social support based on a thorough understanding of stress is very important for caring elderly who are depressive. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Fluid discrimination based on rock physics templates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Qian; Yin, Xingyao; Li, Chao

2015-01-01

Reservoir fluid discrimination is an indispensable part of seismic exploration. Reliable fluid discrimination helps to decrease the risk of exploration and to increase the success ratio of drilling. There are many kinds of fluid indicators that are used in fluid discriminations, most of which are single indicators. But single indicators do not always work well under complicated reservoir conditions. Therefore, combined fluid indicators are needed to increase accuracies of discriminations. In this paper, we have proposed an alternative strategy for the combination of fluid indicators. An alternative fluid indicator, the rock physics template-based indicator (RPTI) has been derived to combine the advantages of two single indicators. The RPTI is more sensitive to the contents of fluid than traditional indicators. The combination is implemented based on the characteristic of the fluid trend in the rock physics template, which means few subjective factors are involved. We also propose an inversion method to assure the accuracy of the RPTI input data. The RPTI profile is an intuitionistic interpretation of fluid content. Real data tests demonstrate the applicability and validity. (paper)

Optimal Threshold Determination for Discriminating Driving Anger Intensity Based on EEG Wavelet Features and ROC Curve Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ping Wan

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Driving anger, called “road rage”, has become increasingly common nowadays, affecting road safety. A few researches focused on how to identify driving anger, however, there is still a gap in driving anger grading, especially in real traffic environment, which is beneficial to take corresponding intervening measures according to different anger intensity. This study proposes a method for discriminating driving anger states with different intensity based on Electroencephalogram (EEG spectral features. First, thirty drivers were recruited to conduct on-road experiments on a busy route in Wuhan, China where anger could be inducted by various road events, e.g., vehicles weaving/cutting in line, jaywalking/cyclist crossing, traffic congestion and waiting red light if they want to complete the experiments ahead of basic time for extra paid. Subsequently, significance analysis was used to select relative energy spectrum of β band (β% and relative energy spectrum of θ band (θ% for discriminating the different driving anger states. Finally, according to receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve analysis, the optimal thresholds (best cut-off points of β% and θ% for identifying none anger state (i.e., neutral were determined to be 0.2183 ≤ θ% < 1, 0 < β% < 0.2586; low anger state is 0.1539 ≤ θ% < 0.2183, 0.2586 ≤ β% < 0.3269; moderate anger state is 0.1216 ≤ θ% < 0.1539, 0.3269 ≤ β% < 0.3674; high anger state is 0 < θ% < 0.1216, 0.3674 ≤ β% < 1. Moreover, the discrimination performances of verification indicate that, the overall accuracy (Acc of the optimal thresholds of β% for discriminating the four driving anger states is 80.21%, while 75.20% for that of θ%. The results can provide theoretical foundation for developing driving anger detection or warning devices based on the relevant optimal thresholds.

Ionic diffusion and mass discrimination effects in the new generation of short flow tube SIFT-MS instruments

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Smith, D.; Pysanenko, A.; Španěl, Patrik

2009-01-01

Roč. 281, 1-2 (2009), s. 15-23 ISSN 1387-3806 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/06/0776 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : SIFT-MS * ionic diffusion * mass discrimination * trace gas analysis Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.117, year: 2009

Weight-based discrimination: an ubiquitary phenomenon?

Science.gov (United States)

Sikorski, C; Spahlholz, J; Hartlev, M; Riedel-Heller, S G

2016-02-01

Despite strong indications of a high prevalence of weight-related stigmatization in individuals with obesity, limited attention has been given to the role of weight discrimination in examining the stigma obesity. Studies, up to date, rely on a limited basis of data sets and additional studies are needed to confirm the findings of previous studies. In particular, data for Europe are lacking, and are needed in light of a recent ruling of the European Court of Justice that addressed weight-based discrimination. The data were derived from a large representative telephone survey in Germany (n=3003). The dependent variable, weight-based discrimination, was assessed with a one-item question. The lifetime prevalence of weight discrimination across different sociodemographic variables was determined. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of independent and dependent variables. A sub-group analysis was conducted analyzing all participants with a body mass index ⩾25 kg m(-)(2). The overall prevalence of weight-based discrimination was 7.3%. Large differences, however, were observed regarding weight status. In normal weight and overweight participants the prevalence was 5.6%, but this number doubled in participants with obesity class I (10.2%), and quadrupled in participants with obesity class II (18.7%) and underweight (19.7%). In participants with obesity class III, every third participant reported accounts of weight-based discrimination (38%). In regression models, after adjustment, the associations of weight status and female gender (odds ratio: 2.59, PDiscrimination seems to be an ubiquitary phenomenon at least for some groups that are at special risk, such as heavier individuals and women. Our findings therefore emphasize the need for research and intervention on weight discrimination among adults with obesity, including anti-discrimination legislation.

On gender inequality and life satisfaction: Does discrimination matter?

OpenAIRE

Bjørnskov, Christian; Dreher, Axel; Fischer, Justina A. V.

2007-01-01

This paper analyzes the impact of gender discrimination on individual life satisfaction using a cross-section of 66 countries. We employ measures of discrimination of women in the economy, in politics, and in society more generally. According to our results, discrimination in politics is important to individual well-being. Overall, men and women are more satisfied with their lives when societies become more equal. Disaggregated analysis suggests that our results for men are driven by the effe...