Quark Potential in a Quark-Meson Plasma

We investigate quark potential by considering meson exchanges in the two flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model at finite temperature and density. There are two kinds of oscillations in the chiral restoration phase, one is the Friedel oscillation due to the sharp quark Fermi surface at high density, and the other is the Yukawa oscillation driven by the complex meson poles at high temperature. The quark-meson plasma is strongly coupled in the temperature region $1\le T/T_c \lesssim 3$ with $T_c$ being the critical temperature of chiral phase transition. The maximum coupling in this region is located at the critical point.Comment: 8 pages and 8 figure

Application of Novel PCR-Based Methods for Detection, Quantitation, and Phylogenetic Characterization of Sutterella Species in Intestinal Biopsy Samples from Children with Autism and Gastrointestinal Disturbances

Gastrointestinal disturbances are commonly reported in children with autism and may be associated with compositional changes in intestinal bacteria. In a previous report, we surveyed intestinal microbiota in ileal and cecal biopsy samples from children with autism and gastrointestinal dysfunction (AUT-GI) and children with only gastrointestinal dysfunction (Control-GI). Our results demonstrated the presence of members of the family Alcaligenaceae in some AUT-GI children, while no Control-GI children had Alcaligenaceae sequences. Here we demonstrate that increased levels of Alcaligenaceae in intestinal biopsy samples from AUT-GI children result from the presence of high levels of members of the genus Sutterella. We also report the first Sutterella-specific PCR assays for detecting, quantitating, and genotyping Sutterella species in biological and environmental samples. Sutterella 16S rRNA gene sequences were found in 12 of 23 AUT-GI children but in none of 9 Control-GI children. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a predominance of either Sutterella wadsworthensis or Sutterella stercoricanis in 11 of the individual Sutterella-positive AUT-GI patients; in one AUT-GI patient, Sutterella sequences were obtained that could not be given a species-level classification based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences of known Sutterella isolates. Western immunoblots revealed plasma IgG or IgM antibody reactivity to Sutterella wadsworthensis antigens in 11 AUT-GI patients, 8 of whom were also PCR positive, indicating the presence of an immune response to Sutterella in some children

Integrating hydrological features and genetically validated occurrence data in occupancy modeling of an endemic and endangered semi-aquatic mammal species, Galemys pyrenaicus, in a Pyrenean catchment

As freshwater habitats are among the most endangered, there is an urgent need to identify critical areas for conservation, especially those that are home to endangered species. The Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is a semi-aquatic mammal whose basic ecological requirements are largely unknown, hindering adequate conservation planning even though it is considered as a threatened species. Species distribution modelling is challenging for freshwater species. Indeed, the complexity of aquatic ecosystems (e.g., linear and hierarchical ordering) must be taken into account as well as imperfect sampling. High-quality and relevant hydrological descriptors should also be used. To understand the influence of environmental covariates on the occupancy and detection of the Pyrenean desman, we combine both a robust sign-survey data set (i.e. with genetic validation ensuring true presence information) and a hydrological model to simulate the flow regime across a whole catchment. Markovian site-occupancy analysis, taking into account sign detection and based on spatially adjacent replicates, indicated a positive influence of heterogeneity of substrate and shelters, and a negative influence of flow variability on Pyrenean desman detection. This valuable information should help to improve monitoring programs for this endangered species. Our results also highlighted a spatially clustered distribution and a positive influence of stream flow and number of tributaries on occupancy. Hence, modifications of flow regime (e.g. hydropower production, irrigation, climate change) and habitat fragmentation appear to be major threats for this species, altering the connectivity between tributaries and the mainstream river as well as between adjacent sub-catchments

Citizen science and online data: Opportunities and challenges for snake ecology and action against snakebite

The secretive behavior and life history of snakes makes studying their biology, distribution, and the epidemiology of venomous snakebite challenging. One of the most useful, most versatile, and easiest to collect types of biological data are photographs, particularly those that are connected with geographic location and date-time metadata. Photos verify occurrence records, provide data on phenotypes and ecology, and are often used to illustrate new species descriptions, field guides and identification keys, as well as in training humans and computer vision algorithms to identify snakes. We scoured eleven online and two offline sources of snake photos in an attempt to collect as many photos of as many snake species as possible, and attempt to explain some of the inter-species variation in photograph quantity among global regions and taxonomic groups, and with regard to medical importance, human population density, and range size. We collected a total of 725,565 photos—between 1 and 48,696 photos of 3098 of the world's 3879 snake species (79.9%), leaving 781 “most wanted” species with no photos (20.1% of all currently-described species as of the December 2020 release of The Reptile Database). We provide a list of most wanted species sortable by family, continent, authority, and medical importance, and encourage snake photographers worldwide to submit photos and associated metadata, particularly of “missing” species, to the most permanent and useful online archives: The Reptile Database, iNaturalist, and HerpMapper.ISSN:2590-171

Patient Complexity: More Than Comorbidity. The Vector Model of Complexity

BACKGROUND: The conceptualization of patient complexity is just beginning in clinical medicine. OBJECTIVES: This study aims (1) to propose a conceptual approach to complex patients; (2) to demonstrate how this approach promotes achieving congruence between patient and provider, a critical step in the development of maximally effective treatment plans; and (3) to examine availability of evidence to guide trade-off decisions and assess healthcare quality for complex patients. METHODS/RESULTS: The Vector Model of Complexity portrays interactions between biological, socioeconomic, cultural, environmental and behavioral forces as health determinants. These forces are not easily discerned but exert profound influences on processes and outcomes of care for chronic medical conditions. Achieving congruence between patient, physician, and healthcare system is essential for effective, patient-centered care; requires assessment of all axes of the Vector Model; and, frequently, requires trade-off decisions to develop a tailored treatment plan. Most evidence-based guidelines rarely provide guidance for trade-off decisions. Quality measures often exclude complex patients and are not designed explicitly to assess their overall healthcare. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: We urgently need to expand the evidence base to inform the care of complex patients of all kinds, especially for the clinical trade-off decisions that are central to tailoring care. We offer long- and short-term strategies to begin to incorporate complexity into quality measurement and performance profiling, guided by the Vector Model. Interdisciplinary research should lay the foundation for a deeper understanding of the multiple sources of patient complexity and their interactions, and how provision of healthcare should be harmonized with complexity to optimize health

Framing the Design, Evaluation, and Certification Process for NextGen Technologies and Procedures: Automation Roles and Responsibilities

To address the foreseeable safety and environmental issues associated with the projected increase in air traffic, an overhaul of the existing air traffic management system, referred to as NextGen, is underway. To support NextGen capabilities, a system of new technologies and procedures will replace or be integrated with current technologies and procedures. This overhaul will, no doubt, change a pilot\u27s roles and responsibilities, in addition to challenging their existing and future interactions with flight deck automation. To address these challenges, current efforts are being made to develop taxonomies, guidelines, and recommendation that aid with designing, evaluating, and certifying NextGen technologies and procedures. The specific focus for these products is on mitigating pilot error that results from the poor design and integration of NextGen technologies and procedures. The goal of the proposed panel will be to introduce these products, and gain insight and receive feedback from the audience on their methodology and their practical application. Copyright 2011 by Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Inc. All rights reserved

Framing The Design, Evaluation, And Certification Process For Nextgen Technologies And Procedures: Automation Roles And Responsibilities

To address the foreseeable safety and environmental issues associated with the projected increase in air traffic, an overhaul of the existing air traffic management system, referred to as NextGen, is underway. To support NextGen capabilities, a system of new technologies and procedures will replace or be integrated with current technologies and procedures. This overhaul will, no doubt, change a pilot\u27s roles and responsibilities, in addition to challenging their existing and future interactions with flight deck automation. To address these challenges, current efforts are being made to develop taxonomies, guidelines, and recommendation that aid with designing, evaluating, and certifying NextGen technologies and procedures. The specific focus for these products is on mitigating pilot error that results from the poor design and integration of NextGen technologies and procedures. The goal of the proposed panel will be to introduce these products, and gain insight and receive feedback from the audience on their methodology and their practical application. Copyright 2011 by Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Inc. All rights reserved

Discussion panel : giving human factors/ergonomics away : how can we bring the benefits of HF/E to nursing?

Patients spend the most time with nurses compared with other health care providers, and patient outcomes are directly related to the quality of nursing care. Unfortunately, nursing work systems are often not designed to accommodate the limits and capabilities of perceptual, cognitive, and physical processes, which can result in errors. The Institute of Medicine estimated that hospital patients experience one medication error each day. Increasingly, technology is relied upon to reduce errors and improve work efficiency. However, new technologies can lead to unintended consequences. Applying principles of human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) to improve nursing work systems and the technologies nurses use has the potential for significant improvements in the quality of patient care. Incorporating HF/E into the nursing domain presents challenges. Conducting research in the nursing environment poses unique logistical issues, and implementing HF/E recommendations requires that nursing personnel accept HF/E as beneficial. The purpose of this panel session is to discuss issues that HF/E professionals encounter when they attempt to incorporate HF/E into the nursing domain. The panelists will summarize the work that they have done with nurses and describe challenges and successes. The panel will invite the audience to discuss ways to address challenges, increase successes, and identify lessons learned in other domains that may benefit nursing.5 page(s

Awareness Techniques to Aid Transitions between Personal and Shared Workspaces in Multi-Display Environments

International audienceIn multi-display environments (MDEs) that include large shared displays and desktops, users can engage in both close collaboration and parallel or personal work. To transition between the displays can be challenging in complex settings, such as crisis management rooms. To provide workspace awareness and to factilitate these transitions, we design and implement three interactions techniques that display users' activities. We explore how and where to display this activity: briefly on the shared display, or more persistently on a peripheral floor display. In a user study, motivated by the context of a crisis room where multiple operators with different roles need to cooperate, we tested the usability of the techniques and provided insights on such transitions in systems running on MDEs

Neural Networks for Assessment of Flight Deck Human-Automation Interaction Dataset

The files contained in this folder are the basis for the human-automation relationship taxonomy (HART), which has been developed to predict human-automation interaction (HAI). HART attempts to model the human-automation relationship using a multi-dimensional description of the automation itself, the task for which the automation is used, the context in which the automation is used, and the operator. For a more thorough discussion of this approach, please see the two publications listed below.Related publication: K.B. Sullivan, K.M. Feigh, R. Mappus IV, F.T. Durso, U. Fischer, V. Pop, K.L. Mosier, D.G. Morrow, Using neural networks to assess flight deck human–automation interaction, Reliability Engineering & System Safety, Volume 114, December 2012, Pages 26-35, doi:10.1016/j.ress.2012.12.005Related publication: K.L. Mosier, U. Fischer, D.G. Morrow, K.M. Feigh, F.T. Durso, K.B. Sullivan, V. Pop. Automation, Task, and Context Features: Impacts on Pilots’ Judgments of Human–Automation Interaction. Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, May 2013 doi:10.1177/1555343413487178The files comprising the simulation are packaged in a zipped file, and they must be extracted before they can be used. Matlab software is required to run some parts of the simulation.United States. Federal Aviation Administratio