Genetic heterogeneity of within-family variance of body weight in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

BACKGROUND: Canalization is defined as the stability of a genotype against minor variations in both environment and genetics. Genetic variation in degree of canalization causes heterogeneity of within-family variance. The aims of this study are twofold: (1) quantify genetic heterogeneity of (within-family) residual variance in Atlantic salmon and (2) test whether the observed heterogeneity of (within-family) residual variance can be explained by simple scaling effects. RESULTS: Analysis of body weight in Atlantic salmon using a double hierarchical generalized linear model (DHGLM) revealed substantial heterogeneity of within-family variance. The 95% prediction interval for within-family variance ranged from ~0.4 to 1.2 kg2, implying that the within-family variance of the most extreme high families is expected to be approximately three times larger than the extreme low families. For cross-sectional data, DHGLM with an animal mean sub-model resulted in severe bias, while a corresponding sire-dam model was appropriate. Heterogeneity of variance was not sensitive to Box-Cox transformations of phenotypes, which implies that heterogeneity of variance exists beyond what would be expected from simple scaling effects. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial heterogeneity of within-family variance was found for body weight in Atlantic salmon. A tendency towards higher variance with higher means (scaling effects) was observed, but heterogeneity of within-family variance existed beyond what could be explained by simple scaling effects. For cross-sectional data, using the animal mean sub-model in the DHGLM resulted in biased estimates of variance components, which differed substantially both from a standard linear mean animal model and a sire-dam DHGLM model. Although genetic differences in canalization were observed, selection for increased canalization is difficult, because there is limited individual information for the variance sub-model, especially when based on cross-sectional data. Furthermore, potential macro-environmental changes (diet, climatic region, etc.) may make genetic heterogeneity of variance a less stable trait over time and space.

Simplified follow-up after medical abortion using a low-sensitivity urinary pregnancy test and a pictorial instruction sheet in Rajasthan, India : study protocol and intervention adaptation of a randomised control trial

The World Health Organisation suggests that simplification of the medical abortion regime will contribute to an increased acceptability of medical abortion, among women as well as providers. It is expected that a home-based follow-up after a medical abortion will increase the willingness to opt for medical abortion as well as decrease the workload and service costs in the clinic. Trial design The study is a randomised, controlled, non-superiority trial . Methods Women screened to participate in the study are those with unwanted pregnancies and gestational ages equal to or less than nine weeks. Eligible women randomised to the home-based assessment group will use a low-sensitivity pregnancy test and a pictorial instruction sheet at home, while the women in the clinic follow-up group will return to the clinic for routine follow-up carried out by a doctor. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of home-based assessment using a low-sensitivity pregnancy test and a pictorial instruction sheet 10-14 days after an early medical abortion. Providers or research assistants will not be blinded during outcome assessment. To ensure feasibility of the self-assessment intervention an adaption phase took place at the selected study sites before study initiation. This was to optimise and tailor-make the intervention and the study procedures and resulted in the development of the pictorial instruction sheet for how to use the low-sensitivity pregnancy test and the danger signs after a medical abortion. Discussion In this paper, we will describe the study protocol for a randomised control trial investigating the efficacy of simplified follow-up in terms of home-based assessment, 10-14 days after a medical abortion. Moreover, a description of the adaptation phase is included for a better understanding of the implementation of the intervention in a setting where literacy is low and the road-connections are poor. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01827995. Registered 04 May 2013

Testverktyg för test av mobila applikationer : En jämförande fallstudie

Användandet av mobila applikationer har växt radikalt de senaste åren och de samverkar med många system. Därför ställs det högre krav på kvaliteten och att applikationen ska anpassas till många olika enheter, operativsystem samt plattformar. Detta gör att test av mobila applikationer blivit viktigare och större. Detta arbete har bedrivits som en jämförande fallstudie inom området test av mobila applikationer samt testverktyg. Syftet har varit att beskriva hur testning av mobila applikationer sker idag vilket gjorts genom litteraturstudier och intervjuer med IT-företag. Ett annat syfte har varit att utvärdera fyra testverktyg, deras för- och nackdelar samt hur de kan användas vid testning av mobila applikationer och jämföras mot manuell testning utan testverktyg. Detta har gjorts genom att skapa förstahandserfarenheter baserat på användandet av testverktygen. Under arbetet har vi utgått från mobila applikationer som vi fått tillgång till av Triona, som varit vår samarbetspartner.Idag finns många olika testverktyg som kan användas som stöd för testningen men få företag har implementerat något eftersom det kräver både tid och kompetens samt valet av testverktyg kan vara svårt. Testverktygen har olika för- och nackdelar vilket gör att de passar olika bra beroende på typ av projekt och applikation. Fördelar med att använda testverktyg är möjligheten att kunna automatisera, testa på flera enheter samtidigt samt få tillgång till enheter via molnet. Utmaningarna är att det kan vara svårt att installera och lära sig testverktyget samt att licenserna kan vara dyra. Det är därför viktigt att redan innan implementationen veta vilka tester och applikationer testverktygen ska användas till samt vem som ska använda det. Utifrån vår studie kan slutsatsen dras att inget testverktyg är helt komplett men de kan bidra med olika funktioner vilket effektiviserar delar av testningen av mobila applikationer.

CO2 Emissions, GDP and trade : a panel cointegration approach

This paper examines the relationships among per capita CO2 emissions, per capita GDP and international trade based on panel data sets spanning the period 1960-2008: one for 150 countries and the others for sub-samples comprising OECD and Non-OECD economies. We apply panel unit root and cointegration tests, and estimate a panel error correction model. The results from the error correction model suggest that there are long-term relationships between the variables for the whole sample and for Non-OECD countries. Finally, Granger causality tests show that there is bi-directional short-term causality between per capita GDP and international trade for the whole sample and between per capita GDP and CO2 emissions for OECD countries

Predictive models for chronic renal disease using decision trees, naïve bayes and case-based methods

Data mining can be used in healthcare industry to “mine” clinical data to discover hidden information for intelligent and affective decision making. Discovery of hidden patterns and relationships often goes intact, yet advanced data mining techniques can be helpful as remedy to this scenario. This thesis mainly deals with Intelligent Prediction of Chronic Renal Disease (IPCRD). Data covers blood, urine test, and external symptoms applied to predict chronic renal disease. Data from the database is initially transformed to Weka (3.6) and Chi-Square method is used for features section. After normalizing data, three classifiers were applied and efficiency of output is evaluated. Mainly, three classifiers are analyzed: Decision Tree, Naïve Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbour algorithm. Results show that each technique has its unique strength in realizing the objectives of the defined mining goals. Efficiency of Decision Tree and KNN was almost same but Naïve Bayes proved a comparative edge over others. Further sensitivity and specificity tests are used as statistical measures to examine the performance of a binary classification. Sensitivity (also called recall rate in some fields) measures the proportion of actual positives which are correctly identified while Specificity measures the proportion of negatives which are correctly identified. CRISP-DM methodology is applied to build the mining models. It consists of six major phases: business understanding, data understanding, data preparation, modeling, evaluation, and deployment.

Objective classification of fabric pilling based on the two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform

A number of methods for automated objective ratings of fabric pilling based on image analysis are described in the literature. The periodic structure of fabrics makes them suitable candidates for frequency domain analysis. We propose a new method of frequency domain analysis based on the two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform to objectively measure pilling intensity in sample images. We present a preliminary evaluation of the proposed method based on analysis of two series of standard pilling evaluation test images. The initial results suggest that the proposed method is feasible, and that the ability of the method to discriminate between levels of pilling intensity depends on the wavelet analysis scale being closely matched to the fabric interyarn pitch. We also present a heuristic method for optimal selection of an analysis wavelet and associated analysis scale.

Behavioral versus demographic predictors of early adoption : a critical analysis and comparative test

Predicting which consumers will be amongst the first to adopt an innovative product is a difficult task but is valuable in allowing effective and efficient use of marketing resources. This paper examines the accuracy of predictions made about likely first adopters based on the most widely accepted theory and compares them to predictions made by examining the relevant past behavior of consumers. A survey of over 1000 consumers examined adoption of an innovative technology: compact fluorescent lightglobes. The results show that variables which were derived from a utility and awareness perspective were a more accurate and managerially useful predictor than the demographic variables derived from the widely accepted theory based on the work of Rogers. It is suggested that these alternative variables could be utilized more readily by marketing managers in many circumstances.

Two important exceptions to the relationship between energy density and fat content: food with reduced-fat claims and high-fat vegetable-based dishes

Objective: To test the hypothesis that many foods with reduced-fat (RF) claims are relatively energy-dense and that high-fat (HF) vegetable-based dishes are relatively energy-dilute.

Design: Nutrient data were collected from available foods in Melbourne supermarkets that had an RF claim and a full-fat (FF) equivalent. Nutrient analyses were also conducted on recipes for HF vegetable-based dishes that had more than 30% energy from fat but less than 10% from saturated fat. The dietary intake data (beverages removed) from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey were used for the reference relationships between energy density (ED) and percentage energy as fat and carbohydrate and percentage of water by weight.

Statistics: Linear regression modelled relationships of macronutrients and ED. Paired t-tests compared observed and predicted reductions in the ED of RF foods compared with FF equivalents.

Results: Both FF and RF foods were more energy-dense than the Australian diet and the HF vegetable-based dishes were less energy-dense. The Australian diet showed significant relationships with ED, which were positive for percentage energy as fat and negative for percentage energy as carbohydrate. There were no such relationships for the products with RF claims or for the HF vegetable-based dishes.

Conclusion: While, overall, a reduced-fat diet is relatively energy-dilute and is likely to protect against weight gain, there appear to be two important exceptions. A high intake of products with RF claims could lead to a relatively energy-dense diet and thus promote weight gain. Alternatively, a high intake of vegetable-based foods, even with substantial added fat, could reduce ED and protect against weight gain.

The test-retest reliability of the child-initiated pretend play assessment

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to establish the test–retest reliability of the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment (ChIPPA) (Stagnitti, 2002a; Stagnitti, Unsworth, & Rodger, 2000).

METHOD: The first author rated 38 preschool children ages 4 and 5 years (4 with developmental delay and 34 typically developing) on the ChIPPA. The ChIPPA employs conventional play materials and unstructured play materials to assess three qualities of a child's play ability: elaborateness of play action, ability to substitute objects during play, and the child's need to imitate the modelled actions of the examiner. The ChIPPA was administered twice, at a 2-week interval, to each participant.

RESULTS: Test–retest intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) (Type 2,1) calculated for each of the three elaborate play measures ranged from .73 to .84. A test–retest ICC of .56 was obtained for object substitution with unstructured play materials. The test–retest ICC obtained for the combined score for unstructured and conventional play materials was .57. Percentage agreement figures ranging from 63.2% to 84.2% were obtained on test–retest of the object substitution with conventional toys and imitated actions measures. There was no significant difference between test and retest scores for these measures based on a Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Signed-Ranks Test (Wilcoxon Sign Test).

CONCLUSION: Elaborate play scores, object substitution with conventional toys score, and imitation scores on the ChIPPA showed stability over time. Object substitution scores using unstructured materials were the least stable play measures and appeared to be related to the child's play themes. Since play is the primary occupation of children, it is essential that therapists have a reliable measure of play behavior. The test–retest reliability results from the ChIPPA provide evidence that this assessment produces a stable measure of play behavior that can then guide therapists when planning intervention strategies for children.

Fuzzy logic based metric in software testing

How to provide cost-effective strategies for Software Testing has been one of the research focuses in Software Engineering for a long time. Many researchers in Software Engineering have addressed the effectiveness and quality metric of Software Testing, and many interesting results have been obtained. However, one issue of paramount importance in software testing – the intrinsic imprecise and uncertain relationships within testing metrics – is left unaddressed. To this end, a new quality and effectiveness measurement based on fuzzy logic is proposed. The software quality features and analogy-based reasoning are discussed, which can deal with quality and effectiveness consistency between different test projects. Experimental results are also provided to verify the proposed measurement.

Impact of an empowerment-based parent education program on the reduction of youth suicide risk factors

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of parent education groups on youth suicide risk factors. The potential for informal transmission of intervention impacts within school communities was assessed.

Methods: Parent education groups were offered to volunteers from 14 high schools that were closely matched to 14 comparison schools. The professionally led groups aimed to empower parents to assist one another to improve communication skills and relationships with adolescents. Australian 8th-grade students (aged 14 years) responded to classroom surveys repeated at baseline and after 3 months. Logistic regression was used to test for intervention impacts on adolescent substance use, deliquency, self-harm behavior, and depression. There were no differences between the intervention (n = 305) and comparison (n = 272) samples at baseline on the measures of depression, health behavior, or family relationships.

Results: Students in the intervention schools demonstrated increased maternal care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.9), reductions in conflict with parents (AOR .5), reduced substance use (AOR .5 to .6), and less delinquency (AOR .2). Parent education group participants were more likely to be sole parents and their children reported higher rates of substance use at baseline. Intervention impacts revealed a dose-response with the largest impacts associated with directly participating parents, but significant impacts were also evident for others in the intervention schools. Where best friend dyads were identified, the best friend’s positive family relationships reduced subsequent substance use among respondents. This and other social contagion processes were posited to explain the transfer of positive impacts beyond the minority of directly participating families.

Conclusions: A whole-school parent education intervention demonstrated promising impacts on a range of risk behaviors and protective factors relevant to youth self-harm and suicide.

Emergency nurses' opinions regarding paediatric fever: the effect of an evidence-based education program

Introduction: The beliefs and opinions of individual nurses are key factors in clinical decisions. Emergency nurses’ clinical decisions related to paediatric fever establish emergency department norms, provide role-modelling for both peers and parents, underpin clinical management of febrile children, and influence fever management advice given to parents. Aim: This study aimed to examine: (i) the opinions of emergency nurses regarding paediatric fever, and (ii) the effect of an evidence-based education program on the opinions of emergency nurses regarding paediatric fever. Method: This study used a prospective pre-test/post-test design. The primary outcome measure was emergency nurses’ opinions measured using the ‘General Opinions about Fever Management in Children’ survey. The intervention for the study was two tutorials. Pre-test data was collected in June 2005 and post-test data was collected during August 2005. Results: Thirty-one emergency nurses participated in the study. There were a number of positive changes in emergency nurses’ opinions regarding paediatric fever as a function of an evidence-based educational intervention. Major domains of change were relationship between temperature and illness severity/risk of harm, use and effects of antipyretic medication and febrile convulsions.  Conclusion: Emergency nurses are an important source of information for parents leaving the emergency department with a febrile child. Opinions can be a major influence in nurses’ clinical decisions and many fever  management strategies used by health care professionals are reflective of individual beliefs rather than the best available evidence. The results of this study showed a number of positive changes in emergency nurses’ opinions regarding paediatric fever as a function of an evidence-based educational intervention.