Measuring Digital Opportunity for America's Children: Where We Stand and Where We Go From Here

Examines the connection between access to technology and the health, economic opportunity, community involvement, and educational achievement of youth. Makes recommendations for addressing the opportunity gap for low-income and ethnic-minority children

Tertiary Climate Change and the Diversification of the Amazonian Gecko Genus Gonatodes (Sphaerodactylidae, Squamata)

The genus Gonatodes is a monophyletic group of small-bodied, diurnal geckos distributed across northern South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. We used fragments of three nuclear genes (RAG2, ACM4, and c-mos) and one mitochondrial gene (16S) to estimate phylogenetic relationships among Amazonian species of Gonatodes. We used Penalized Likelihood to estimate timing of diversification in the genus. Most cladogenesis occurred in the Oligocene and early Miocene and coincided with a burst of diversification in other South American animal groups including mollusks, birds, and mammals. The Oligocene and early Miocene were periods dominated by dramatic climate change and Andean orogeny and we suggest that these factors drove the burst of cladogenesis in Gonatodes geckos as well as other taxa. A common pattern in Amazonian taxa is a biogeographic split between the eastern and western Amazon basin. We observed two clades with this spatial distribution, although large differences in timing of divergence between the east–west taxon pairs indicate that these divergences were not the result of a common vicariant event

Studying the effects of in-vehicle information systems on driver visual behaviour – implications for design

In-vehicle information systems (IVIS) are a common feature in modern vehicles. The interaction of drivers with IVIS when driving must be considered to minimise distraction whilst maintaining the benefits provided. This research investigates the glance behaviours of drivers, assessed from video data, when using two functions – a personal navigation device (study 1) and a green driving advisory device (study 2). The main focus was to establish the number of glances of 2 seconds or more to the IVIS and relate this to driver safety (as stipulated in new guidelines for use of IVIS proposed by NHTSA). In study 1, the percentage of eyes- off-road time for drivers was much greater in the experimental (with device) condition compared to the baseline condition (14.3% compared to 6.7%) but, whilst glances to the personal navigation device accounted for the majority of the increase, there were very few which exceeded 2 seconds. Drivers in study 2 spent on average 4.3% of their time looking at the system, at an average of 0.43 seconds per glance; no glances exceeded 2 seconds. The research showed that ordinary use of IVIS (excluding manual interaction) does not lead to driver visual distraction and therefore the impact on safety is minimal. The results of the study have important design implications for future in-vehicle information systems

Coming to America: Multiple Origins of New World Geckos

Geckos in the Western Hemisphere provide an excellent model to study faunal assembly at a continental scale. We generated a time-calibrated phylogeny, including exemplars of all New World gecko genera, to produce a biogeographic scenario for the New World geckos. Patterns of New World gecko origins are consistent with almost every biogeographic scenario utilized by a terrestrial vertebrate with different New World lineages showing evidence of vicariance, dispersal via temporary land bridge, overseas dispersal, or anthropogenic introductions. We also recovered a strong relationship between clade age and species diversity, with older New World lineages having more species than more recently arrived lineages. Our data provide the first phylogenetic hypothesis for all New World geckos and highlight the intricate origins and ongoing organization of continental faunas. The phylogenetic and biogeographical hypotheses presented here provide an historical framework to further pursue research on the diversification and assembly of the New World herpetofauna

Evaluating a natural horsemanship program in relation to the ISES first principles of horse training

The ISES training principles provide an excellent starting point for professionals and horse owners. Currently, there does not seem to be an accepted protocol for evaluating horse training programs against the ISES principles. We suggest an approach to this, using Parelli Natural Horsemanship as our subject for evaluation. This initial pilot study (single-subject / n=1), trials two analytical methods, as applied to the current, video-based teaching materials from Parelli (latest DVD set, published and commercially available from 2015, supplied by Parelli for use in this study). The two methods used were: (i) ethology-based video observation / logging and (ii) discourse analysis of the language used to teach. The ethology-based approach uses an ethogram, which lists the behavioural characteristics of a human trainer adhering to the ISES principles. Computer-based ‘continuous sampling’ of Parelli video clips was used to log the frequencies of ISES principles. Inter Observer Reliability of the analysis to date was assessed using a two-way, mixed, absolute agreement, average-measures ICC (Intra Class Correlation). This evaluated observer agreement in the frequency count ratings for the ISES principles. Discourse analysis is a qualitative research methodology, applied across many domains including politics and health. Discourse analysis allows us to study transcripts of horse training materials, codifying the words, phrases and linguistic structures. Understanding the context within which training language is used, and its meaning to both the speaker and audience, makes it possible to evaluate compatibility with the ISES principles. Results for the ethology-based observations found all ISES principles present (1-10). High frequency counts for principles 2 & 10. Low counts for principles 5 & 7. Inter Observer Reliability (2 observers) was in the ‘excellent’ range (ICC=0.79). The high ICC value suggests that a minimal amount of measurement error was introduced by the independent observers, and therefore statistical power is not substantially reduced. At this stage (without an ICC value closer to 1.0 or further calibrating observers), increasing the evidence against random effects would require more extensive trials (p=0.16). The interim results from the discourse analysis shows consistent congruence between the Parelli materials and the ISES principles, particularly in the areas of: training according to the horse’s ethology and cognition, using learning theory appropriately, forming consistent habits, avoiding flight responses and ensuring that the horse should always be as calm as possible (1, 2, 7, 9 and 10)

Distraction effects of navigation and green-driving systems – results from field operational tests (FOTs) in the UK

Navigation systems and green-driving advisory systems are now a common feature in modern vehicles. The interaction of drivers with such systems when driving must be considered to minimise distraction whilst maintaining the benefits provided. This research investigates the glance behaviours of drivers, assessed from video data, when using a navigation device (study 1) and a green-driving advisory device (study 2). The main research question addressed was ‘Does the device cause visual distraction that might be detrimental to safety?’ The main focus was to establish the number of glances of 2 s or more to the systems and relate this to driver safety (as stipulated in new guidelines for use of in-vehicle systems proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US)

Data Exploration, Quality Control and Testing in Single-Cell qPCR-Based Gene Expression Experiments

Cell populations are never truly homogeneous; individual cells exist in biochemical states that define functional differences between them. New technology based on microfluidic arrays combined with multiplexed quantitative polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) now enables high-throughput single-cell gene expression measurement, allowing assessment of cellular heterogeneity. However very little analytic tools have been developed specifically for the statistical and analytical challenges of single-cell qPCR data. We present a statistical framework for the exploration, quality control, and analysis of single-cell gene expression data from microfluidic arrays. We assess accuracy and within-sample heterogeneity of single-cell expression and develop quality control criteria to filter unreliable cell measurements. We propose a statistical model accounting for the fact that genes at the single-cell level can be on (and for which a continuous expression measure is recorded) or dichotomously off (and the recorded expression is zero). Based on this model, we derive a combined likelihood-ratio test for differential expression that incorporates both the discrete and continuous components. Using an experiment that examines treatment-specific changes in expression, we show that this combined test is more powerful than either the continuous or dichotomous component in isolation, or a t-test on the zero-inflated data. While developed for measurements from a specific platform (Fluidigm), these tools are generalizable to other multi-parametric measures over large numbers of events.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure