Decision-Making Authority, Team Efficiency and Human Worker Satisfaction in Mixed Human-Robot Teams

has opened up the possibility of integrating highly autonomous mobile robots into human teams. However, with this capability comes the issue of how to maximize both team efficiency and the desire of human team members to work with robotic counterparts. We hypothesized that giving workers partial decision-making authority over a task allocation process for the scheduling of work would achieve such a maximization, and conducted an experiment on human subjects to test this hypothesis. We found that an autonomous robot can outperform a worker in the execution of part or all of the task allocation (p < 0.001 for both). However, rather than finding an ideal balance of control authority to maximize worker satisfaction, we observed that workers preferred to give control authority to the robot (p < 0.001). Our results indicate that workers prefer to be part of an efficient team rather than have a role in the scheduling process, if maintaining such a role decreases their efficiency. These results provide guidance for the successful introduction of semi-autonomous robots into human teams. I

Correlación fenotípica y estimación del peso vivo en bovinos criollos

The aim of this study was to determine the phenotypic correlations between bodyweight (PV) and the biometric measurements of 90 Creole cattle, of both sexes and diverse ages, from the Conayca Community in Huancavelica, Peru, to define prediction equations of PV. Head width (AC), head length (LC), chest width (ATO), chest height (ALT), body length (LCU), chest perimeter (PT), height at the withers (ACR), rump width (AGR), rump length (LGR), anterior fetlock perimeter (PCA), lumbar back distance (DDL), rump height (ALG), chest length (LTO), body length (LAC) and abdominal perimeter (PAB) were measured. The observations were analysed using linear models, including the effect of sex and age based on teeth growth. The biometric measurements were adjusted in a first order multiple linear regression to obtain the prediction equations of PV of the animals. Dental age was the most important source of variation in each of the characteristics, except for ALT. Sex only significantly affected PCA and ALG. High and significant phenotypic correlations (p<0.001) were detected between the PV and the measurements of PT (0.91), LC (0.79), ACR (0.77), ALG (0.78) and LAC (0.89). The PT + ACR + LAC presented the most accurate prediction equation (R2 = 1.0000), followed by the PT + LAC (R2 = 0.9775) and the PT (R2 = 0.9274). It is concluded that the PV of the Creole cattle studied can be satisfactorily predicted from the PT, or PT + LAC or PT + ACR + LAC, where dental age is the factor that most influences predictions.El objetivo del estudio fue determinar las correlaciones fenotípicas entre el peso vivo (PV) y las medidas biométricas de 90 bovinos criollos, de ambos sexos y edades diversas, procedentes de la Comunidad de Conayca en Huancavelica, Perú, para definir ecuaciones de predicción del PV. Se hicieron mediciones de ancho de cabeza (AC), longitud de cabeza (LC), ancho de tórax (ATO), altura de tórax (ALT), longitud de cuerpo (LCU), perímetro torácico (PT), altura de cruz (ACR), ancho de grupa (AGR), longitud de grupa (LGR), perímetro de caña anterior (PCA), distancia dorso lumbar (DDL), altura de grupa (ALG), longitud de tórax (LTO), largo de cuerpo (LAC) y perímetro abdominal (PAB). Las observaciones fueron analizadas utilizando modelos lineales, incluyendo el efecto del sexo y la edad dentaria de los animales. Las medidas biométricas fueron ajustadas en una regresión lineal múltiple de primer grado para obtener las ecuaciones de predicción de PV de los animales. La edad dentaria fue la fuente de variación más importante en cada una de las características, excepto para ALT. El sexo solamente afectó significativamente al PCA y ALG. Se detectaron correlaciones fenotípicas altas y significativas (p<0.001) entre el PV y las medidas de PT (0.91), LC (0.79), ACR (0.77), ALG (0.78) y LAC (0.89). El PT + ACR + LAC presentó la ecuación de predicción más precisa (R2 = 1.0000), seguido por la participación del PT + LAC (R2 = 0.9775) y del PT (R2 = 0.9274). Se concluye que el PV de los bovinos criollos estudiados se puede predecir satisfactoriamente a partir del PT, o PT + LAC o PT + ACR + LAC, donde la edad dentaria es el factor que influye en mayor grado en las predicciones

Proto-oncogene HER-2 in normal, dysplastic and tumorous feline mammary glands: an immunohistochemical and chromogenic in situ hybridization study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Feline mammary carcinoma has been proposed as a natural model of highly aggressive, hormone-independent human breast cancer. To further explore the utility of the model by adding new similarities between the two diseases, we have analyzed the oncogene HER-2 status at both the protein and the gene levels.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 30 invasive carcinomas, 7 benign lesions and two normal mammary glands were analyzed. Tumour features with prognostic value were recorded. The expression of protein HER-2 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and the number of gene copies by means of DNA chromogenic <it>in situ </it>hybridization.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Immunohistochemical HER-2 protein overexpression was found in 40% of feline mammary carcinomas, a percentage higher to that observed in human breast carcinoma. As in women, feline tumours with HER-2 protein overexpression had pathological features of high malignancy. However, amplification of HER-2 was detected in 16% of carcinomas with protein overexpression, a percentage much lower than that observed in their human counterpart.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Feline mammary carcinoma would be a suitable natural model of that subset of human breast carcinomas with HER-2 protein overexpression without gene amplification.</p

Financing Community Care for the Chronically Mentally Ill in Texas, PRP 89

This report on financing care for the chronically mentally ill in Texas is the result of a policy research project conducted during the 1988-89 academic year. The project was sponsored and primarily funded by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health as a parallel activity to their Commission on the Chronically Mentally Ill in Texas. This report examines the public mental health system in Texas and how it identifies and finances care for the chronically mentally ill. This volume also discusses the public services and resources available to the chronically mentally ill in Texas. The findings of this report are intended to provide information and insights that will aid mental health professionals, advocates, and legislators in addressing the plight of the mentally ill in Texas.Public Affair

Dysplasia and carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder

Urothelial dysplasia (low-grade intraurothelial neoplasia) is recognized as a premalignant urothelial lesion in the 2004 World Health Organization (WHO) classification system. Although clarification of the diagnostic criteria of urothelial dysplasia has improved in recent years, there is still a lack of interobserver reproducibility. Active clinical follow-up is mandatory in patients with a diagnosis of urothelial dysplasia since it constitutes a marker of urothelial instability, and disease progression, in up to 19% of cases. The differential diagnosis of urothelial dysplasia is with other flat urothelial lesions with atypia, including flat urothelial hyperplasia, reactive urothelial atypia, urothelial atypia of unknown significance, and urothelial carcinoma in situ (high-grade intraurothelial neoplasia). In most cases, especially when small amounts of tissue are available, morphologic features alone may not be sufficient for diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry can be of help in selected cases, and a panel of cytokeratin 20, p53, and CD44 may help in the diagnosis. The use of HER2, p16, and Racemase remains as an option pending validation. Herein, we present the pathologic features and clinical significance of urothelial dysplasia and carcinoma in situ with emphasis on differential diagnosis from common flat lesions with atypia

Rare entities in urinary bladder pathology

Bladder carcinoma with variant histology is a subject of recent interest, with data suggesting more aggressive behavior when compared with conventional urothelial carcinoma. The timely identification and recognition of these histological variants should avoid their misinterpretation as benign lesions. We emphasize the need to recognize these peculiar morphologic features since some of them may require a different/specific therapeutic approach. Other rare entities such as bladder polyps and myofibroblastic proliferations tend to occur at a younger age and represent specific problems in the differential diagnosis. We describe the salient clinicopathologic features of representative rare entities arising in the urinary bladder

Uterine Müllerian adenosarcoma with histiocytic (xanthomatous) mesenchymal component

We present an endometrial Müllerian adenosarcoma in which the sarcomatous component showed prominent nests of foamy cells that accounted for 50% of the neoplastic mesenchyma. Such foamy cells showed occasional cytological atypias and immunohistochemical features of histiocytic (macrophagic differentiation in the absence of changes that could substantiate the presence of an inflammatory infiltration of foamy histiocytes. These facts suggest histiocytic differentiation from neoplastic mesenchymal cells. Such differentiation has been reported in association with malignant mixed mesodermal tumor, but not in Müllerian adenosarcom