195 research outputs found
Development of a Search and Rescue Simulation to Study the Effects of Prolonged Isolation on Team Decision Making
The goals of this project were to identify and investigate aspects of team and individual decision-making and risk-taking behaviors hypothesized to be most affected by prolonged isolation. A key premise driving our research approach is that effects of stressors that impact individual and team cognitive processes in an isolated, confined, and hazardous environment will be projected onto the performance of a simulation task. To elicit and investigate these team behaviors we developed a search and rescue task concept as a scenario domain that would be relevant for isolated crews. We modified the Distributed Dynamic Decision-making (DDD) simulator, a platform that has been extensively used for empirical research in team processes and taskwork performance, to portray the features of a search and rescue scenario and present the task components incorporated into that scenario. The resulting software is called DD-Search and Rescue (Version 1.0). To support the use of the DDD-Search and Rescue simulator in isolated experiment settings, we wrote a player's manual for teaching team members to operate the simulator and play the scenario. We then developed a research design and experiment plan that would allow quantitative measures of individual and team decision making skills using the DDD-Search and Rescue simulator as the experiment platform. A description of these activities and the associated materials that were produced under this contract are contained in this report
Single Shot Ablation Craters with Ultra-Short Laser Pulses: A Comparative Study
Single Shot Ablation Craters with Ultra-Short Laser Pulses: A Comparative Study
D. P. Weber1, *, V. Sudesh1, H. Kerrigan2, S. R. Fairchild2, M. C. Richardson2
1Physical Sciences Department, College of Arts and Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Daytona Beach, FL, 32114, USA
2Laser Plasma Laboratory, College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA
*[email protected] (832) 533-1318
Laser ablation is a technique to remove material by irradiation. This work qualitatively studies the basic mechanisms of laser ablation on GaAs, Al, Ti, Cu, and ZnSe samples by two regimes: a focused 1064 nm, 14.6 mJ pulse of 8 ns duration from an Nd:YAG laser (ns regime) and a focused 800 nm, 4.2 mJ pulse of 50 fs duration from a Ti:Sapphire laser (fs regime). The materials were ablated in these two regimes to qualitatively investigate the extent of the dominating mechanisms, as seen clearly in their craters. By firing only single shots, the formations that were created remain intact.
The following diagnostics were used to view the craters: a white light interferometric microscope to determine the crater topography, an optical microscope for a more general view, and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to view the regions smaller than the resolution of the previous instruments. Significant thermo-mechanical stress in the nanosecond regime and a sub-surface boiling layer in the femtosecond regime have been identified. This investigation has concluded and is under final analysis and preparation for publication
The Future of Cybercrime: AI and Emerging Technologies Are Creating a Cybercrime Tsunami
This paper reviews the impact of AI and emerging technologies on the future of cybercrime and the necessary strategies to combat it effectively. Society faces a pressing challenge as cybercrime proliferates through AI and emerging technologies. At the same time, law enforcement and regulators struggle to keep it up. Our primary challenge is raising awareness as cybercrime operates within a distinct criminal ecosystem. We explore the hijacking of emerging technologies by criminals (CrimeTech) and their use in illicit activities, along with the tools and processes (InfoSec) to protect against future cybercrime. We also explore the role of AI and emerging technologies (DeepTech) in supporting law enforcement, regulation, and legal services (LawTech)
Network-Targeted Approach and Postoperative Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Are Associated with Seizure Outcome
Objective
Postoperative restingâstate functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with intractable epilepsy has not been quantified in relation to seizure outcome. Therefore, its value as a biomarker for epileptogenic pathology is not well understood.
Methods
In a sample of children with intractable epilepsy who underwent prospective restingâstate seizure onset zone (SOZ)âtargeted epilepsy surgery, postoperative restingâstate functional MRI (rsâfMRI) was performed 6 to 12 months later. Graded normalization of the postoperative restingâstate SOZ was compared to seizure outcomes, patient, surgery, and anatomical MRI characteristics.
Results
A total of 64 cases were evaluated. Networkâtargeted surgery, followed by postoperative rsâfMRI normalization was significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with seizure reduction, with a Spearman rank correlation coefficient of 0.83. Of 39 cases with postoperative rsâfMRI SOZ normalization, 38 (97%) became completely seizure free. In contrast, of the 25 cases without complete rsâfMRI SOZ normalization, only 3 (5%) became seizure free. The accuracy of rsâfMRI as a biomarker predicting seizure freedom is 94%, with 96% sensitivity and 93% specificity.
Interpretation
Among seizure localization techniques in pediatric epilepsy, networkâtargeted surgery, followed by postoperative rsâfMRI normalization, has high correlation with seizure freedom. This study shows that rsâfMRI SOZ can be used as a biomarker of the epileptogenic zone, and postoperative rsâfMRI normalization is a biomarker for SOZ quiescence
Performance of verbal autopsy methods in estimating HIV-associated mortality among adults in South Africa
Aaron S. Karat - ORCID 0000-0001-9643-664X
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9643-664XIntroduction Verbal autopsy (VA) can be integrated into civil registration and vital statistics systems, but its accuracy in determining HIV-associated causes of death (CoD) is uncertain. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of VA questions in determining HIV status and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and compared HIV-associated mortality fractions assigned by different VA interpretation methods.Methods Using the WHO 2012 instrument with added ART
questions, VA was conducted for deaths among adults with
known HIV status (356 HIV positive and 103 HIV negative)
in South Africa. CoD were assigned using physiciancertified VA (PCVA) and computer-coded VA (CCVA)
methods and compared with documented HIV statusResults The sensitivity of VA questions in detecting HIV
status and ART initiation was 84.3% (95% CI 80 to 88) and
91.0% (95% CI 86 to 95); 283/356 (79.5%) HIV-positive
individuals were assigned HIV-associated CoD by PCVA,
166 (46.6%) by InterVA-4.03, 201 (56.5%) by InterVA-5,
and 80 (22.5%) and 289 (81.2%) by SmartVA-Analyze
V.1.1.1 and V.1.2.1. Agreement between PCVA and older
CCVA methods was poor (chance-corrected concordance
[CCC] <0; cause-specific mortality fraction [CSMF]
accuracy â€56%) but better between PCVA and updated
methods (CCC 0.21â0.75; CSMF accuracy 65%â98%).
All methods were specific (specificity 87% to 96%) in
assigning HIV-associated CoD.Conclusion All CCVA interpretation methods
underestimated the HIV-associated mortality fraction
compared with PCVA; InterVA-5 and SmartVA-Analyze
V.1.2.1 performed better than earlier versions. Changes
to VA methods and classification systems are needed to
track progress towards targets for reducing HIV-associated
mortality,This study was funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1083118).http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2018-0008333pubpub
The Number of Shoulder and Elbow Questions on the Orthopedic In-Training Examination Is Increasing with Greater Emphasis on Critical Thinking over Recall
Background: It is critical for orthopedic surgery residents and residency programs to have a current understanding of the content and resources utilized by the Orthopedic In-Training Examination (OITE) to continuously guide study and educational efforts. This study presents an updated analysis of the shoulder and elbow section of the OITE. Methods: All OITE questions, answers, and references from 2013 to 2019 were reviewed. The number of shoulder and elbow questions per year was recorded, and questions were analyzed for topic, imaging modalities, cognitive taxonomy, and references. We compared our data to the results of a previous study that analyzed shoulder and elbow OITE questions from 2002 to 2007 to examine trends and changes in this domain overtime. Results: There were 177 shoulder and elbow questions (126 shoulder, 71.2%; 51 elbow, 28.8%) of 1863 OITE questions (9.5%) over a 7-year period. The most commonly tested topics included degenerative joint disease/stiffness/arthroplasty (31.6%), anatomy/biomechanics (16.9%), instability/athletic injury (15.3%), trauma (14.7%), and rotator cuff (13.6%). Half of all questions involved clinical management decisions (49.7%). A total of 417 references were cited from 56 different sources, the most common of which were the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (23.3%), Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (20.4%), and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American Volume) (16%). The average time lag from article publication to OITE reference was 7.7 years. Compared with a prior analysis from 2002 to 2007, there was a significant increase in the number of shoulder and elbow questions on the OITE (5.5% to 9.5%; P \u3c.001). Recent exams incorporated more complex multistep treatment questions (4.4% vs. 49.7%; P \u3c.001) and fewer recall questions (42.2% vs. 22%; P \u3c.001). There was a significant increase in the use of imaging modalities (53.3% vs. 79.1%; P \u3c.001). No significant differences in the distribution of question topics were found. Conclusions: The percentage of shoulder and elbow questions on the OITE has nearly doubled over the past decade with greater emphasis on critical thinking (eg, clinical management decisions) over recall of facts. These findings should prompt educators to direct didactic efforts (eg, morning conferences and journal club) toward case-based learning to foster critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills
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