Interaction design issues for car navigation systems

We describe a study on the interaction design of in-car navigation systems. It focused on a commercial product. Critical incident analysis was performed based on natural use of the system by a usability analyst. A cognitive walkthrough was then performed based on actual scenarios from the natural use. This is a non-classic application of cognitive walkthrough. It allowed anecdotal critical incidents to be theoretically grounded. We draw conclusions about the interaction design of car navigation systems

Transauricular nerve stimulation in acute ischaemic stroke requiring mechanical thrombectomy: Protocol for a phase 2A, proof-of-concept, sham-controlled randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Labile blood pressure after acute ischaemic stroke requiring mechanical thrombectomy is independently associated with poor patient outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study protocol describes is designed to determine whether transauricular nerve stimulation, improves baroreflex sensitivity, reduces blood pressure variability in the first 24 hours after acute ischaemic stroke requiring mechanical thrombectomy. DESIGN: PHASE 2A, PROOF-OF-CONCEPT, SHAM-CONTROLLED RANDOMISED TRIAL: Methods and Analysis: 36 individuals undergoing mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke with established hypertension aged >18 years will be randomly allocated to receive bilateral active or sham transauricular nerve stimulation for the duration of the mechanical thrombectomy procedure (AffeX-CT/001 investigational device). The intervention will be repeated for 1h the morning following the mechanical thrombectomy. Non-invasive blood pressure will be measured ≥2h for 24h after mechanical thrombectomy. Holter electrocardiographic monitoring will be recorded during transauricular nerve stimulation. Participants, clinicians and investigators will be masked to treatment allocations. The primary outcome will be the coefficient of variation of systolic blood pressure. Secondary outcomes include additional estimates of blood pressure variability and time/frequency-domain measures of autonomic cardiac modulation An adjusted sample size of 36 patients is required to have a 90% chance of detecting, as significant at the 5% level, a difference in the coefficient of variation in systolic blood pressure of 5±4mmHg between sham and active stimulation [assuming 5% non-compliance rate in each group]. Ethics: confirmed on 16 March 2023 by HRA and Health and Care Research Wales ethics committee (reference 23/WA/0013). DISCUSSION: This study will provide proof-of-concept data that examines whether non-invasive autonomic neuromodulation can be used to favourably modify blood pressure and autonomic control after acute ischaemic stroke requiring mechanical thrombectomy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number: NCT05417009

Development of antigen-specific ELISA for circulating autoantibodies to extracellular matrix protein 1 in lichen sclerosus

Lichen sclerosus is a common, acquired chronic inflammatory skin disease of unknown etiology, although circulating autoantibodies to the glycoprotein extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) have been detected in most patients’ sera. We have examined the nature of ECM1 epitopes in lichen sclerosus sera, developed an ELISA system for serologic diagnosis, and assessed clinicopathological correlation between ELISA titer and disease. Epitope-mapping studies revealed that lichen sclerosus sera most frequently recognized the distal second tandem repeat domain and carboxyl-terminus of ECM1. We analyzed serum autoantibody reactivity against this immunodominant epitope in 413 individuals (95 subjects with lichen sclerosus, 161 normal control subjects, and 157 subjects with other autoimmune basement membrane or sclerosing diseases). The ELISA assay was highly sensitive; 76 of 95 lichen sclerosus patients (80.0%) exhibited IgG reactivity. It was also highly specific (93.7%) in discriminating between lichen sclerosus and other disease/control sera. Higher anti-ECM1 titers also correlated with more longstanding and refractory disease and cases complicated by squamous cell carcinoma. Furthermore, passive transfer of affinity-purified patient IgG reproduced some histologic and immunopathologic features of lichen sclerosus skin. This new ELISA is valuable for the accurate detection and quantification of anti-ECM1 autoantibodies. Moreover, the values may have clinical significance in patients with lichen sclerosus

Triorchidism at orchidopexy: a case report

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

α-Fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotrophin-β as prognostic markers in neuroendocrine tumour patients

Serum chromogranin A is the most useful general and prognostic tumour marker available for neuroendocrine tumour (NET) patients. The role of other tumour markers is less clear. In order to determine the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotrophin-β (hCGβ) in NETs, a database containing biochemical, histological, and survival data on 360 NET patients was constructed. This data was statistically assessed, using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, to determine the utility of commonly measured tumour markers with particular emphasis on AFP and hCGβ. α-Fetoprotein and hCGβ were raised in 9.5 and 12.3% of patients respectively and jointly raised in 9.1% of patients in whom it was measured. α-Fetoprotein levels associated strongly and positively with tumour grade, serum CgA and hCGβ levels, and worse survival. Human chorionic gonadotrophin-β levels also associated strongly and positively with serum CgA and AFP levels, and worsening survival. α-Fetoprotein and hCGβ are elevated in high-grade NETs, with a rapidly progressive course and poorer survival. They also correlate with chromogranin-A, which is known to be a marker of tumour burden and to have prognostic value. Thus AFP and hCGβ are clinically important in NETs and when elevated are poor prognostic markers

Realism about the Wave Function

A century after the discovery of quantum mechanics, the meaning of quantum mechanics still remains elusive. This is largely due to the puzzling nature of the wave function, the central object in quantum mechanics. If we are realists about quantum mechanics, how should we understand the wave function? What does it represent? What is its physical meaning? Answering these questions would improve our understanding of what it means to be a realist about quantum mechanics. In this survey article, I review and compare several realist interpretations of the wave function. They fall into three categories: ontological interpretations, nomological interpretations, and the \emph{sui generis} interpretation. For simplicity, I will focus on non-relativistic quantum mechanics.Comment: Penultimate version for Philosophy Compas

A DNA-barcode biodiversity standard analysis method (DNA-BSAM) reveals a large variance in the effect of a range of biological, chemical and physical soil management interventions at different sites, but location is one of the most important aspects determining the nature of agricultural soil microbiology

There are significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of how to sustainably manage agricultural soils to preserve soil biodiversity. Here we evaluate and quantify the effects of agricultural management and location on soil microbiology using nine field trials that have consistently applied different soil management practices in the United Kingdom using DNA barcode sequence data. We tested the basic hypothesis that various agricultural management interventions have a significant and greater effect on soil bacterial and fungal diversity than geographic location. The analyses of soil microbial DNA sequence data to date has lacked standardisation which prevents meaningful comparisons across sites and studies. Therefore, to analyse these data and crucially compare and quantify the size of any effects on soil bacterial and fungal biodiversity between sites, we developed and employed a post-sequencing DNA-barcode biodiversity standard analysis method (DNA-BSAM). The DNA-BSAM comprises a series of standardised bioinformatic steps for processing sequences but more importantly defines a standardised set of ecological indices and statistical tests. Use of the DNA-BSAM reveals the hypothesis was not strongly supported, and this was primarily because: 1) there was a large variance in the effects of various management interventions at different sites, and 2) that location had an equivalent or greater effect size than most management interventions for most metrics. Some dispersed sites imposed the same organic amendments interventions but showed different responses, and this combined with observations of strong differences in soil microbiomes by location tentatively suggests that any effect of management may be contingent on location. This means it could be unreliable to extrapolate the findings of individual trials to others. The widespread use of a standard approach will allow meaningful cross-comparisons between soil microbiome studies and thus a substantial evidence-base of the effects of land-use on soil microbiology to accumulate and inform soil management decisions.Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB); British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO

Automated versus manual post-processing of perfusion-CT data in patients with acute cerebral ischemia: influence on interobserver variability

The purpose of this study is to compare the variability of PCT results obtained by automatic selection of the arterial input function (AIF), venous output function (VOF) and symmetry axis versus manual selection. Imaging data from 30 PCT studies obtained as part of standard clinical stroke care at our institution in patients with suspected acute hemispheric ischemic stroke were retrospectively reviewed. Two observers performed the post-processing of 30 CTP datasets. Each observer processed the data twice, the first time employing manual selection of AIF, VOF and symmetry axis, and a second time using automated selection of these same parameters, with the user being allowed to adjust them whenever deemed appropriate. The volumes of infarct core and of total perfusion defect were recorded. The cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time (MTT) and blood-brain barrier permeability (BBBP) values in standardized regions of interest were recorded. Interobserver variability was quantified using the Bland and Altman's approach. Automated post-processing yielded lower coefficients of variation for the volume of the infarct core and the volume of the total perfusion defect (15.7% and 5.8%, respectively) compared to manual post-processing (31.0% and 12.2%, respectively). Automated post-processing yielded lower coefficients of variation for PCT values (11.3% for CBV, 9.7% for CBF, and 9.5% for MTT) compared to manual post-processing (23.7% for CBV, 32.8% for CBF, and 16.7% for MTT). Automated post-processing of PCT data improves interobserver agreement in measurements of CBV, CBF and MTT, as well as volume of infarct core and penumbra