A little respect: four case studies of HCI’s disregard for other disciplines

HCI research often demonstrates lack of respect for other disciplines, evidenced by the way work from those disciplines are cited in CHI papers. We present 4 case studies that demonstrate; 1) that HCI researchers sometimes misunderstand and misrepresent work from other disciplines, and 2) how initial misrepresentations can become ‘accepted wisdom ’within HCI. This disregard for other disciplines leads to errors such as authors citing work to support ‘facts’ precisely opposite to those demonstrated by the cited literature. We conclude with recommendations for authors, editors, publishers and readers on how to reduce the risk of such failures

A New Method for the Detection of Galaxy Clusters in X-Ray Surveys

For many years the power of counting clusters of galaxies as a function of their mass has been recognized as a powerful cosmological probe; however, we are only now beginning to acquire data from dedicated surveys with sufcient sky coverage and sensitivity to measure the cluster population out to distances where the dark energy came to dominate the Universe’s evolution. One such survey uses the XMM X-ray telescope to scan a large area of sky, detecting the X-ray photons from the hot plasma that lies in the deep potential wells of massive clusters of galaxies. These clusters appear as extended (not point-like) objects, each providing just a few hundred photons in a typical observation. The detection of extended sources in such a low signal-to-noise situation is an important problem in astrophysics: we attempt to solve it by using as much prior information as possible, translating our experience with wellmeasured clusters to define a “template” cluster that can be varied and matched to the features seen in the XMM images. In this work we adapt an existing Monte Carlo analysis code for this problem. Two detection templates were dened and their suitability explored using simulated data; the method was then applied to a publically avalable XMM observation of a “blank” field. Presented are the encouraging results of this series of experiments, suggesting that this approach continue to be developed for future cluster-identication endeavours

Association of State Firearm Legislation With Female Intimate Partner Homicide

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the association between state firearm legislation and female intimate partner homicide. Methods: In 2017, the authors conducted a secondary data analysis of 16 states from 2010 to 2014, using data from the National Violent Death Reporting System, the State Firearm Law Database, and additional public sources. Poisson regression analyses quantified the association between the number of state restrictive firearm legislative provisions and the female population-based intimate partner homicide rate. For etiologic reasons, intimate partner homicide was disaggregated into homicide–suicide (intimate partner homicide followed by perpetrator suicide) and homicide-only intimate partner homicide (intimate partner homicide in the absence of perpetrator suicide). Results: There were 1,693 female intimate partner homicide deaths in the 16 states during 2010–2014; 67% were homicide-only intimate partner homicide. The number of state-level legislative provisions related to firearm restrictions ranged from four (Alaska) to 95 (Massachusetts). The intimate partner homicide rate in states with zero to 39 provisions was 1.16 per 100,000 person years (95% CI=1.10, 1.22) and in states with >40 provisions was 0.68 per 100,000 person years (95% CI=0.61, 0.72). The incidence of female intimate partner homicide was 56% lower in states with ≥40 legislative provisions (adjusted incidence rate ratio=0.44, 95% CI=0.28, 0.68), relative to states with zero to 39 provisions. This protective association was stronger for homicide-only intimate partner homicide than homicide–suicide intimate partner homicide. Conclusions: More state-level restrictive firearm legislation is associated with a lower rate of female intimate partner homicides

Host-microbe interaction in the gastrointestinal tract

The gastrointestinal tract is a highly complex organ in which multiple dynamic physiological processes are tightly coordinated while interacting with a dense and extremely diverse microbial population. From establishment in early life, through to host-microbe symbiosis in adulthood, the gut microbiota plays a vital role in our development and health. The effect of the microbiota on gut development and physiology is highlighted by anatomical and functional changes in germ-free mice, affecting the gut epithelium, immune system, and enteric nervous system. Microbial colonisation promotes competent innate and acquired mucosal immune systems, epithelial renewal, barrier integrity, and mucosal vascularisation and innervation. Interacting or shared signalling pathways across different physiological systems of the gut could explain how all these changes are coordinated during postnatal colonisation, or after the introduction of microbiota into germ-free models. The application of cell-based in vitro experimental systems and mathematical modelling can shed light on the molecular and signalling pathways which regulate the development and maintenance of homeostasis in the gut and beyond. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Climate change and the Great Barrier Reef: a vulnerability assessment

Reef-building corals (Order Scleractinia Class Anthozoa) form extensive skeletons of calcium carbonate (limestone), depositing enough material over time to form vast reef structures that may be easily seen from space. The majority of reef-building corals are hard (stony) scleractinian corals. Many octocorals (especially soft corals in the family Alcyoniidae and the blue coral Heliopora) and some hydrozoan corals (such as Millepora) also contribute to reef-building. Corals form the framework of reef structures, while other organisms such as calcareous algae (especially red coralline algae) play a key role in cementing and consolidating the reef framework. This chapter focuses on the vulnerability of reef-building corals to climate change. The implications of climate change for macroalgae are covered in chapter 7 and a broader treatment of reef processes is provided in chapter 17.This is Chapter 10 of Climate change and the Great Barrier Reef: a vulnerability assessment. The entire book can be found at http://hdl.handle.net/11017/13

Cosmic-ray strangelets in the Earth's atmosphere

If strange quark matter is stable in small lumps, we expect to find such lumps, called ``strangelets'', on Earth due to a steady flux in cosmic rays. Following recent astrophysical models, we predict the strangelet flux at the top of the atmosphere, and trace the strangelets' behavior in atmospheric chemistry and circulation. We show that several strangelet species may have large abundances in the atmosphere; that they should respond favorably to laboratory-scale preconcentration techniques; and that they present promising targets for mass spectroscopy experiments.Comment: 28 pages, 4 figures, revtex

Thresholds and prediction models to support the sustainable management of herbivorous insects in wheat. A review

Wheat is one of the most important arable crops grown worldwide, providing a significant proportion of the daily calorific intake for countries across the globe. Wheat crops are attacked by a diverse range of herbivorous invertebrates, pests, that cause significant yield loss. It is anticipated that yield loss caused by pests will increase in response to a changing climate. Currently, these pests are primarily controlled using pesticides; however, there is an increased need for more sustainable pest management solutions. Economic thresholds represent one avenue that can support the sustainable management of pests. Briefly, thresholds are the number of pests above which there is sufficient risk of yield loss. Here, we review the economic thresholds and prediction methods available for sustainable pest management in wheat. We focus on five economically damaging pests affecting wheat crops in the UK and Europe. For each, we highlight the key period of crop risk to pest attack, identify economic thresholds, and provide an overview of current decision support models that can help estimate crop risk and advise sustainable pest management; we end by proposing areas for future improvement for each pest. Furthermore, we take a novel approach by discussing economic thresholds and their applications to sustainable pest management within the context of crop physiology and the capacity for crops to tolerate pest damage, a consideration that is often overlooked when developing pest management strategies. We use the stem-boring pest, the gout fly, as a case study and use the economic injury level equation to conduct a theoretical assessment of the appropriateness of the current gout fly threshold. This theoretical assessment indicates that wheat crops can tolerate greater gout fly damage than currently considered, and shows that by incorporating crop physiology into sustainable pest tolerance schemes we can work towards developing more appropriate physiological-based pest thresholds

Real-time measurement of metabolic rate during freezing and thawing of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica: Implications for overwinter energy use

Ectotherms overwintering in temperate ecosystems must survive low temperatures while conserving energy to fuel post-winter reproduction. Freeze-tolerant wood frogs, Rana sylvatica, have an active response to the initiation of ice formation that includes mobilising glucose from glycogen and circulating it around the body to act as a cryoprotectant. We used flow-through respirometry to measure CO2 production (VCO2) in real time during cooling, freezing and thawing. CO2 production increases sharply at three points during freeze-thaw: at +1°C during cooling prior to ice formation (total of 104±17 μl CO2 frog-1 event-1), at the initiation of freezing (565±85 μl CO 2 frog-1 freezing event-1) and after the frog has thawed (564±75 μl CO2 frog-1 freezing event-1). We interpret these increases in metabolic rate to represent the energetic costs of preparation for freezing, the response to freezing and the re-establishment of homeostasis and repair of damage after thawing, respectively. We assumed that frogs metabolise lipid when unfrozen and that carbohydrate fuels metabolism during cooling, freezing and thawing, and when frozen. We then used microclimate temperature data to predict overwinter energetics of wood frogs. Based on the freezing and melting points we measured, frogs in the field were predicted to experience as many as 23 freeze-thaw cycles in the winter of our microclimate recordings. Overwinter carbohydrate consumption appears to be driven by the frequency of freeze-thaw events, and changes in overwinter climate that affect the frequency of freeze-thaw will influence carbohydrate consumption, but changes that affect mean temperatures and the frequency of winter warm spells will modify lipid consumption

Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting provides complete revascularization with reduced myocardial injury, transfusion requirements, and length of stay: A prospective randomized comparison of two hundred unselected patients undergoing off-pump versus conventional coronary artery bypass grafting

AbstractObjective: Retrospective comparisons of selected patients undergoing off-pump versus conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting have yielded inconsistent results and raised concerns about completeness of revascularization in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods: Two hundred unselected patients referred for elective primary coronary artery bypass grafting were randomly assigned to undergo off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting with an Octopus tissue stabilizer (Medtronic, Inc, Minneapolis, Minn) or conventional coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass by a single surgeon. Revascularization intent determined before random assignment was compared with the revascularization performed. All management followed strict, unbiased, criteria-driven protocols. Patients and nonoperative care providers were blinded to surgical group. Results: Baseline characteristics were similar. The number of grafts performed per patient (mean ± SD 3.39 ± 1.04 for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 3.40 ± 1.08 for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting) and the index of completeness of revascularization (number of grafts performed/number of grafts intended, 1.00 ± 0.18 for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 1.01 ± 0.09 for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting) were similar. Likewise, the index of completeness of revascularization was similar between groups for the lateral wall. Combined hospital and 30-day mortalities and stroke rates were similar. Postoperative myocardial serum enzyme measures were significantly lower after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, suggesting less myocardial injury. Adjusted postoperative thromboelastogram indices, fibrinogen, international normalized ratio, and platelet levels all showed significantly less coagulopathy after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. Patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting received fewer units of blood, were more likely to avoid transfusion altogether, and had a higher hematocrit at discharge. Cardiopulmonary bypass was an independent predictor of transfusion (odds ratio 2.42, P =.0073) by multivariate analysis. More patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were extubated in the operating room and within 4 hours. Postoperative length of stay (in days) was shorter for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (5.1 ± 6.5 for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, 6.1 ± 8.2 for conventional coronary artery bypass grafting, P =.005 by Wilcoxon test). One patient (in the conventional coronary artery bypass grafting group) required angioplasty for graft closure within 30 days. Conclusions: When compared with conventional coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting achieved similar completeness of revascularization, similar in-hospital and 30-day outcomes, shorter length of stay, reduced transfusion requirement, and less myocardial injury.J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003;125:797-80