Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

J Affect Disord

Background To clarify the direction of the association between frequency of cannabis use, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation from 15 to 20 years using cross-lagged analyses. Method We included 1606 adolescents from the province of Québec followed since 1997 with information on frequency of cannabis use (none/monthly/weekly), depression (defined as being in the top 10% symptoms) and serious suicidal ideation at ages 15, 17 and 20 years. Results The prevalence of weekly cannabis use increased from 7.0% at age 15 years to 15.6% by age 20 years. Adolescents who reported using cannabis weekly at one age were 11 to 15 times more likely to continue using cannabis over time. In longitudinal cross-lagged analyses, weekly cannabis use at age 15 was associated with greater odds (OR=2.19, 95% CI=1.04-4.58) of suicidal ideation two years later. However, other substance use (alcohol, tobacco, other drugs) fully explained this association. Further, depression predicted subsequent weekly cannabis use, even after adjusting for comorbid other substance use (eg, for depression at 15 years predicting cannabis use at 17 years: OR=2.30, 95% CI=1.19-4.43). Limitations Quantity of cannabis consumed was not measured. Conclusion Findings suggest that depressive symptoms in adolescence may represent a risk factor for weekly cannabis consumption, which once initiated is likely to remain chronic. Weekly cannabis use increased risk for suicidal ideation, but not independently from other substance use including alcohol, tobacco and other drugs

The effect of maternal hypertension and maternal mental illness on adverse neonatal outcomes: A mediation and moderation analysis in a U.S. cohort of 9 million pregnancies

Background While hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) coexist with maternal anxiety and depression, it is unclear how these conditions affect neonatal outcomes. We evaluated the prevalence as well as associations and potential mechanisms between HDP, maternal anxiety and depression, preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). Methods We conducted a retrospective population-based study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) database from 2004 to 2014. Preterm birth (<37 weeks), SGA (<10th percentile for gestational age and sex), HDP, and mental disorders (anxiety and depression) were extracted using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). Mediation and moderation models were constructed separately to evaluate potential mechanisms between maternal anxiety and depression, HDP, and adverse neonatal outcomes. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine their associations. Results Of 9,097,355 pregnant women, the prevalence of HDP was 6.9 %, anxiety 0.91 %, depression 0.36 %, preterm birth 7.2 %, and SGA 2.1 %. Anxiety increased the probability of having HDP (OR = 1.242, 95 % CI 1.235–1.250), and HDP mediated the association between anxiety and preterm birth (mediation effect = 0.048, p-value<0.001). Depression significantly moderated the effect of HDP on preterm birth (moderation effect = −0.126, p-value = 0.027). HDP also mediated the association between anxiety and SGA (mediation effect = 0.042, p-value<0.001), but depression did not moderate the association between HDP and SGA (p-value = 0.29). Conclusion Our study suggests that women with anxiety are more likely to have HDP, and HDP mediates the associations between anxiety and adverse neonatal outcomes. Depression moderates associations between HDP and preterm birth but not between HDP and SGA

Multi-hop driver-parcel matching problem with time windows

Crowdsourced shipping can result in significant economic and social benefits. For a shipping company, it has a potential cost advantage and creates opportunities for faster deliveries. For the society, it can provide desirable results by reducing congestion and air pollution. Despite the great potential, crowdsourced shipping is not well studied. With the aim of using the spare capacities along the existing transportation flows of the crowd to deliver small-to-medium freight volumes, this paper defines the multi-driver multi-parcel matching problem and proposes a general ILP formulation, which incorporates drivers’ maximum detour, capacity limits, and the option of transferring parcels between drivers. Due to the high computational complexity, we develop two heuristics to solve the problem. The numerical study shows that crowdsourced shipping can be an economic viable and sustainable option, depending on the spatial characteristics of the network and drivers’ schedules. Furthermore, the added benefits increase with an increasing number of participating drivers and parcels

Georgia Tech Covid-19 Rapid Response Virtual Showcase: Improving the Human Condition

Virtual showcase event presented on January 12, 2021 from 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. by the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.Executive Leadership for this event: Chaouki T. Abdallah, Executive Vice President for Research; Steven W. McLaughlin, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs; James Hudgens, Director of GTRI & Senior VP, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.Event hosted by: Renee C. Lartey, Senior Research Associate- Operations Office, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI); George White, Interim Vice President Office of Industry Research, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.PRESENTERS: Chris Saldana, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineeringh; Michael Fisher, Global Ctr. Medical Innovation; Sherry Farrugia, Interim CEO, Global Ctr. Medical Innovation; and Kentez Craig, Graduate Student Mechanical Engineering, all associated with Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. PRESENTATION: RAPID RESPONSE TECHNOLOGIES - "Face Shields and Intubation Boxes for Hospitals". DESCRIPTION: Design and production of water-jetted face shield components and 3D printed mask/ventilator parts. Design and production of foldable, lightweight, mechanical barrier to contain contamination during the intubation process.PRESENTER: Gregory Gibson Professor Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. PRESENTATION: RAPID RESPONSE TECHNOLOGIES - "Testing Program". DESCRIPTION: An ambitious campus wide testing program aimed at identifying asymptomatic Covid-19 community members has helped limit daily case counts to single digits at the Georgia Institute of Technology, which currently has approximately 7,400 students living on campus and several thousand more students, faculty, and staff commuting to learn and work there each day.PRESENTER: T. Robert Harris, Research Engineer, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Atlanta, GA. PRESENTATION: MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES - "Disinfecting the Virus". DESCRIPTION: In this presentation, we will discuss the creation of a portable chamber for reliable ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, enabling safe reuse of personal protective equipment.PRESENTER: Nga Lee (Sally) Ng, Associate Professor, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. PRESENTATION: MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES - "Measuring Air Quality". DESCRIPTION: Dr. Ng will present her research on measuring and comparing the indoor air quality of public spaces.PRESENTERS: Rahul Saxena, Associate Director Launch Program, CREATE-X; Talia Zheng, Undergraduate Student Chemical Engineering; and Katherine Choi, Undergraduate Student, Computer Science, all associated with Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. PRESENTATION: SOLUTION TECHNOLOGIES - "Carering Project: Covid-19 Student Hackathon Winners". DESCRIPTION: Two undergraduates worked together to create a platform called Carering. Connecting Health streamlines three-way communication in long-term care facilities among residents, caregivers, and families to improve resident care.PRESENTER: Benoit Montreuil, Professor, Co-Director Supply Chain & Logistics Institute and Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. PRESENTATION: SOLUTION TECHNOLOGIES - "Covid Supply Chain and Logistics Solutions". DESCRIPTION: In this talk, we will present our work on pandemic supply chains and logistics, with an emphasis on pandemic criticals and essentials. We will highlight our Georgia Tech Initiative on hyperconnected PPE supply and distribution which was put to work for seamlessly and persistently replenishing with PPE’s.PRESENTER: Robert Butera, Vice President for Research Development and Operations, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA. PRESENTATION: ACCELERATING RESEARCH - "Covid-19 Seed Grant Program". DESCRIPTION: In March 2020, Georgia Tech launched a COVID seed grant program leveraging institute funds and private commitment. Highlights beyond the projects already presented here will be discussed.Runtime: 107:25 minutesThe battle against COVID-19 is a worldwide challenge unlike any in living memory. The Georgia Tech community has joined the fight, contributing our expertise, innovation, and indomitable spirit to the effort. Even as we remain committed to serving our students, faculty, and staff, we have accelerated our advancement of technology in response to our world's new reality. In fact, our work has deepened the understanding of Covid-19’s trajectory, the risks associated with gatherings, Covid-19's impact on the economy, and helped to save lives and improve health outcomes locally around the world