Supermodularity and subadditivity properties of the entropy on themajorization lattice

We prove that the entropy is a supermodular and subadditive function on the lattice of all n-dimensional probability distributions, ordered according to the partial order relation defined by majorization among vectors     

A robust classification procedure based on mixture classifiers and nonparametric weighted feature extraction

There are many factors to consider in carrying out a hyperspectral data classification. Perhaps chief among them are class training sample size, dimensionality, and distribution separability. The intent of this study is to design a classification procedure that is robust and maximally effective, but which provides the analyst with significant assists, thus simplifying the analyst's task. The result is a quadratic mixture classifier based on Mixed-LOOC2 regularized discriminant analysis and nonparametric weighted feature extraction. This procedure has the advantage of providing improved classification accuracy compared to typical previous methods but requires minimal need to consider the factors mentioned above. Experimental results demonstrating these properties are presented.     

Evaluation of a compound probability model with tower-mountedscatterometer data

Six months of data from the YSCAT94 experiment conducted at the CCIW WAVES research platform on Lake Ontario, Canada, are analyzed to evaluate a compound probability model. YSCAT was an ultrawideband small footprint (≈1 m) microwave scatterometer that operated at frequencies of 2-18 GHz, incidence angles from 0° to 60°, both h-pol and v-pol, and which tracked the wind using simultaneous weather measurements. The probability distribution function of the measured instantaneous backscattered amplitude (p(a)) is compared to theoretical distributions developed from-the composite model and a simple wave spectrum. Model parameters of the resulting Rayleigh/generalized lognormal distribution probability density function (pdf) (C, a₁ , and a₂) are derived directly from the data and are found to demonstrate relationships with wind speed, incidence angle, and radar frequency     

Use of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale to measure success in a psychosocial day program

This study contrasted six subscales of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) to determine their sensitivity to psychosocial treatment outcome. An expanded version of the BPRS was administered to 216 clients on admission to a day program. The subscale measuring hostility and suspiciousness discriminated at intake clients who were therapeutically discharged from clients who did not complete the program and predicted discharge status after the investigators controlled for the effects of demographic variables. Significant reductions in scores were obtained on five subscales for a subset of clients to whom the BPRS was readministered before discharge. The results support the use of the expanded BPRS as an evaluative tool in psychosocial rehabilitation programs.     

Study of the heart rate and energy expenditure of ponies during transport

The energy expenditure and heart rate of five Shetland ponies were measured during transport and compared with the values recorded while they were at rest and walking. Secondary aims of the study were to investigate whether there was any correlation between heart rate and energy expenditure and whether different orientations affected the values to different degrees. The measurements were recorded at one-minute intervals while the ponies were at rest, walking and being transported in four different orientations, on journeys lasting 30 minutes. There were significant increases (P < 0.001) in both heart rate and energy expenditure during transport which were similar to those associated with walking, and there was a strong correlation between the two measurements. There was no conclusive evidence that orientation affected the measurements, but it appeared that rear facing transport might have had the least effect.     

EEG spectral abnormalities and psychosis as predictors of cognitive and functional decline in probable Alzheimer's disease

We examined whether either psychotic features (e.g., delusions and hallucinations) or EEG abnormalities are associated with more rapid progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD patients with psychosis have exhibited more EEG abnormalities than those without psychosis, and both abnormal EEG and psychosis have been noted to be predictors of functional and cognitive decline in AD. Ninety-five probable AD patients participating in a longitudinal study of dementia had an EEG and a semistructured psychiatric interview at baseline. Using EEG spectral analysis, we classified records as normal/abnormal based on the parasagittal mean frequency. Patients with abnormal EEGs were more functionally (e.g., Blessed Rating Scale for activities of daily living) and cognitively (e.g., Mini-Mental State) impaired than patients with normal EEG. AD patients with psychosis were only more functionally impaired than patients without psychosis. A two-factor analysis showed no interaction between abnormal EEG and psychosis. In addition, using a Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for age and education, the presence of an abnormal EEG or psychotic symptom at study entry was associated with higher risk of reaching severe cognitive and functional impairment during follow-up. Neither abnormal EEG nor the presence of psychosis predicted death. These results indicate that both abnormal EEG and psychosis are independent predictors of disease progression but not of physical survival.     

The ultradian clocks of eukaryotic microbes: timekeeping devices displaying a homeostasis of the period

Ultra-high-sensitivity, biopolymer sequencing is a goal in many fields of molecular biology, and collisionally activated decomposition electrospray mass spectrometry (CAD ES MS/MS) using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer has become a method of choice for work in the high- to mid-femtomole range. However, when the detection of ions becomes statistical, as it may in that range, the mass assignment of fragment ions is inaccurate and either sequencing becomes impossible or ambiguities result due, for example, to the closeness in amino acid residue masses (I/L, N or K/Q, E). Some ambiguities may be resolved by synthesizing possible sequences, but this is unsatisfactory. In considering the limitations of triple quadrupole MS/MS with respect to scanning ion detection, resolution, transmission, and mass accuracy, we reasoned that a novel geometry quadrupole orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight (Q-TOF) instrument would have special merit for ultra-high-sensitivity MS/MS sequencing, and suggested its construction for this purpose some three years ago. A prototype Q-TOF has now been built by Micromass [Morris et al. (1996), Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 10, 889-896], and in the first research on the instrument, including MHC antigen and filarial nematode glycoprotein studies, we demonstrate low-femtomole- and attomole-range sequencing with mass accuracy of better than 0.1 Da throughout the daughter-ion spectrum, thus removing sequencing ambiguities in some of the most challenging work demanding the highest sensitivity.     

Epilepsy, retarded growth and onchocerciasis, in two areas of different endemicity of onchocerciasis in Burundi

A high prevalence of epilepsy (up to 1.3%) was observed in an area hyperendemic for onchocerciasis in the province of Bururi, Burundi. Following this observation, epileptics and controls were examined in 2 communes (administrative units) with different endemicity for onchocerciasis. Altogether, onchocerciasis was more frequent in epileptics (81.8%) than in controls from the same households (68.3%; P < 0.05). This difference was more marked in the hyperendemic area. Other possible causes of epilepsy, including cysticercosis, were infrequent (18 possible cases among 110 epileptics). During this survey, 9 epileptics with growth retardation were seen. They showed most characteristics of Nakalanga syndrome, which was described from Uganda. All 9 such cases were suffering from onchocerciasis. These findings give more evidence of a possible association between onchocerciasis and epilepsy, and between onchocerciasis and Nakalanga syndrome.