Analysis using Adaptive Tree Structured Clustering Method for Medical Data of Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

It is known that the classification of medical data is difficult problem because the medical data has ambiguous information or missing data. As a result, the classification method that can handle ambiguous information or missing data is necessity. In this paper we proposed an adaptive tree structure clustering method in order to clarify clustering result of selforganizing feature maps. For the evaluating effectiveness of proposed clustering method for the data set with ambiguous information, we applied an adaptive tree structured clustering method for classification of coronary heart disease database. Through the computer simulation we showed that the proposed clustering method was effective for the ambiguous data set

Applying Cluster Ensemble to Adaptive Tree Structured Clustering

Adaptive tree structured clustering (ATSC) is our proposed divisive hierarchical clustering method that recursively divides a data set into 2 subsets using self-organizing feature map (SOM). In each partition, the data set is quantized by SOM and the quantized data is divided using agglomerative hierarchical clustering. ATSC can divide data sets regardless of data size in feasible time. On the other hand clustering result stability of ATSC is equally unstable as other divisive hierarchical clustering and partitioned clustering methods. In this paper, we apply cluster ensemble for each data partition of ATSC in order to improve stability. Cluster ensemble is a framework for improving partitioned clustering stability. As a result of applying cluster ensemble, ATSC yields unique clustering results that could not be yielded by previous hierarchical clustering methods. This is because a different class distances function is used in each division in ATSC

A rhetoric-in-context approach to building commitment to multiple strategic goals

There are still few explanations of the micro-level practices by which top managers influence employee commitment to multiple strategic goals. This paper argues that, through their language, top managers can construct a context for commitment to multiple strategic goals. We therefore propose a rhetoric-in-context approach to illuminate some of the micro practices through which top managers influence employee commitment. Based upon an empirical study of the rhetorical practices through which top managers influence academic commitment to multiple strategic goals in university contexts, we demonstrate relationships between rhetoric and context. Specifically, we show that rhetorical influences over commitment to multiple goals are associated with the historical context for multiple goals, the degree to which top managers' rhetoric instantiates a change in that context, and the internal consistency of the rhetorical practices used by top managers. Copyright © 2007 SAGE Publications

キョウイン イクセイ ニ オケル プログラミング キョウイク ノ キョウイク タイセイ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ

プログラミング教育が小学校で2020年から導入される中、思考力・判断力・表現力としての「プログラミング的思考」の育成が重視され、プログラミング教育ができる教員が求められている。そこで本研究では、教科「情報」の免許取得を目指す教職課程の学生が、プログラミングの知識や基本操作を身に付けてからプログラミングの授業の学習指導案を作成して授業を行うといった高校との連携による教育体制を設定し、①学生に対する教育効果、②教育体制の在り方について検討した。その結果、学内外の専門の教員と連携して行う一連の教育体制は、プログラミングの知識の獲得、学習指導案の作成といった授業設計に関する課題意識の深化、教育実習に向けた学びの意欲の向上に教育効果が見られ、学内外の教員と連携して行う教育体制は、意義が高いことが示唆された。In this paper, we report on a practical teaching program for undergraduate students enrolled in the certified teacher training course, in which the students prepare the contents and teach computer programming during information science classes at local high schools. In particular, we examined 1） the educational effect of the program for the undergraduate students, and 2） the requirements of the educational system to support this program. We found that the proposed practical teaching program had positive effects on the undergraduate students, in that it improved programming teaching skills, deepened the understanding for the necessity of coursework preparation, and increased motivation towards further practical teaching programs. We conclude that the proposed practical teaching program including teachers from both university and high school is beneficial for students in the teacher training course

Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale

Quantitative 18F-AV1451 Brain Tau PET Imaging in Cognitively Normal Older Adults, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Recent developments of tau Positron Emission Tomography (PET) allows assessment of regional neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) deposition in human brain. Among the tau PET molecular probes, 18F-AV1451 is characterized by high selectivity for pathologic tau aggregates over amyloid plaques, limited non-specific binding in white and gray matter, and confined off-target binding. The objectives of the study are (1) to quantitatively characterize regional brain tau deposition measured by 18F-AV1451 PET in cognitively normal older adults (CN), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD participants; (2) to evaluate the correlations between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers or Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and 18F-AV1451 PET standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR); and (3) to evaluate the partial volume effects on 18F-AV1451 brain uptake.Methods: The study included total 115 participants (CN = 49, MCI = 58, and AD = 8) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Preprocessed 18F-AV1451 PET images, structural MRIs, and demographic and clinical assessments were downloaded from the ADNI database. A reblurred Van Cittertiteration method was used for voxelwise partial volume correction (PVC) on PET images. Structural MRIs were used for PET spatial normalization and region of interest (ROI) definition in standard space. The parametric images of 18F-AV1451 SUVR relative to cerebellum were calculated. The ROI SUVR measurements from PVC and non-PVC SUVR images were compared. The correlation between ROI 18F-AV1451 SUVR and the measurements of MMSE, CSF total tau (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) were also assessed.Results:18F-AV1451 prominently specific binding was found in the amygdala, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampus, fusiform, posterior cingulate, temporal, parietal, and frontal brain regions. Most regional SUVRs showed significantly higher uptake of 18F-AV1451 in AD than MCI and CN participants. SUVRs of small regions like amygdala, entorhinal cortex and parahippocampus were statistically improved by PVC in all groups (p < 0.01). Although there was an increasing tendency of 18F-AV-1451 SUVRs in MCI group compared with CN group, no significant difference of 18F-AV1451 deposition was found between CN and MCI brains with or without PVC (p > 0.05). Declined MMSE score was observed with increasing 18F-AV1451 binding in amygdala, entorhinal cortex, parahippocampus, and fusiform. CSF p-tau was positively correlated with 18F-AV1451 deposition. PVC improved the results of 18F-AV-1451 tau deposition and correlation studies in small brain regions.Conclusion: The typical deposition of 18F-AV1451 tau PET imaging in AD brain was found in amygdala, entorhinal cortex, fusiform and parahippocampus, and these regions were strongly associated with cognitive impairment and CSF biomarkers. Although more deposition was observed in MCI group, the 18F-AV-1451 PET imaging could not differentiate the MCI patients from CN population. More tau deposition related to decreased MMSE score and increased level of CSF p-tau, especially in ROIs of amygdala, entorhinal cortex and parahippocampus. PVC did improve the results of tau deposition and correlation studies in small brain regions and suggest to be routinely used in 18F-AV1451 tau PET quantification