Skip to main content

Abstract

Five distinct stages of a pattern recognition problem are discussed in the context of a study of drinking water asbestos health effects. A series of nonparametric regression procedures is used to examine the possiblilty of a threshold in the relationship between asbestos in drinking water and cancer. Evidence is presented which suggests that rather than there being a threshold, the dose response curve E (Y\X) is linear. It is also shown that by choosing a large value (in comparison to earlier studies) for the 125 location parameter of the log observed-to-expected response variable, the overall significance level of the asbestos in drinking water-cancer association is greatly increased and the resolution of the threshold pattern recognition procedure is greatly enhanced.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Brieman, L., Meisel, W. and Purcell, E. (1977), “Variable Kernel Estimates of Multivariate Densities”, Technometrics 19, 135–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bunge, M. (1959), Causality Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook, P.M., Glass, G.E. and Tucker, J.H. (1974), “Asbestiform Amphibole Mineral Detection and Measurement of High Concentrations in Municipal Water Supplies”, Science, 185 853–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, R. et al (1978), “Asbestos in Domestic Water Supplies in Five California Counties”, UCB-EHS Publications No. 78–2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, W.J. and Massey, F.J. (1969), Introduction to Statistical Analysis, lrd Edition New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elmes, P.C. (1980), “Fibrous Minerals and Health”, Journal of the Geological Society of London 137, 525–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enterline, P.E. and Kendrick, M.A. (1967), “Asbestos-dust Exposure at Various Levels and Mortality”, Archives o/Environmental Health 15, 181–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisz, M. (1963), Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistics, lrd Edition New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanarek, M.S. et al (1980), “Asbestos in Drinking Water and Cancer Incidence in the San Francisco Bay Area”, American Journal of Epidemiology 112, 54–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selikoff, I.J., Churg, J. and Hammond, E.C. (1964), “Asbestos Exposure and Neoplasia”, Journal of the American Medical Association 188, 142–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneiderman, M.A., Decouflé, P. and Brown, C.C. (1979), “Thresholds for Environmental Cancer: Biologic and Statistical Considerations”, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences: Public Control of EnVironmental Health Hazards ed. E.C. Hammond and I.J. Selikoff, 329, 92–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarter, M.E. and Kowalski, C. (1972), “A New Test For and Class of Transformations to Normality”, Technometrics, 14 735–43.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Tarter, M.E. and Kronmal, R.A. (1974), “The Use of Density Estimates Based on Orthogonal Expansions”, Exploring Data Analysis: The Computer Revolution in Statistics ed. W.J. Dixon and W.L. Nicholson, Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarter, M.E (1976), “An Introduction to the Implementation and Theory of Nonparametric Density Estimation”, The American Statistician 30, 105–12.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Tarter, M.E. (1976), “A Description of the Berkeley Graphical Biometry Project”, Proceedings of the Computer Science and Statistics Ninth Annual Symposium on the Interface ed. D. Hoaglin and R.E. Welsch, 44–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarter, M.E (1978a), “Implementation of Harmonic Data Analysis Procedures”, Proceedings of the Computer Science and Statistics Eleventh Annual Symposium on the Interface ed. A.R. Gallant and T.M. Gerig, 234–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarter, M.E (l978b), “Interactive Graphical Isolation of Homogeneous Data Subgroups”, Computer Programs in Biomedicine, 8 81–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tarter, M.E (I 979a), “Trigonometric Maximum Likelihood Estimation and Application to the Analysis of Incomplete Survival Information”, Journal of the American Statistical Association, 74 132–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarter, M.E (l979b), “Biocomputational Methodology - An AdJunct to Theory and Applications”, Biometries 35,9–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarter, M.E (1980), “Comments on 1.1. Good and R.A. Gaskin”, Journal of the American Statistical Association 75, 63–66.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, J.C. (1980), “The Pneumoconioses Due to Mineral Dusts”, Journal of the Geological Society of London 137, 537–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1981 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

About this paper

Cite this paper

Tarter, M.E. (1981). Pattern Recognition in the Context of an Asbestos Cancer Threshold Study. In: Eddy, W.F. (eds) Computer Science and Statistics: Proceedings of the 13th Symposium on the Interface. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9464-8_15

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-9464-8_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-90633-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-9464-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics