Guide Me in Analysis: A Framework for Guidance Designers

Guidance is an emerging topic in the field of visual analytics. Guidance can support users in pursuing their analytical goals more efficiently and help in making the analysis successful. However, it is not clear how guidance approaches should be designed and what specific factors should be considered for effective support. In this paper, we approach this problem from the perspective of guidance designers. We present a framework comprising requirements and a set of specific phases designers should go through when designing guidance for visual analytics. We relate this process with a set of quality criteria we aim to support with our framework, that are necessary for obtaining a suitable and effective guidance solution. To demonstrate the practical usability of our methodology, we apply our framework to the design of guidance in three analysis scenarios and a design walk-through session. Moreover, we list the emerging challenges and report how the framework can be used to design guidance solutions that mitigate these issues

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria isolated from European medical centres: results of the Daptomycin Surveillance Programme (2002-2004)

The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of 9322 contemporary (2002-2004) Gram-positive bacterial isolates collected from 31 medical centres in 14 countries in Europe were evaluated by broth microdilution methods according to CLSI guidelines. the isolates collected comprised Staphylococcus aureus (4842 isolates), coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS; 1942 isolates), Enterococcus faecalis (1147 isolates), Enterococcus faecium (391 isolates), beta-haemolytic streptococci (660 isolates) and viridans group streptococci (340 isolates). the organisms were tested against daptomycin and more than 20 comparator agents in Mueller-Hinton broth, supplemented with calcium to 50 mg/L when testing daptomycin. Overall, methicillin (oxacillin) resistance rates were 26.7% and 77.0% for S. aureus (MRSA) and CoNS, respectively, and the vancomycin resistance rate among enterococci was 6.1%. MRSA rates varied from 0.6% in Sweden to 40.2-43.0% in Belgium, Greece, Ireland, the UK and Israel, and VRE rates varied from 0% in Switzerland to 21.2% in Ireland. More than 99.9% of isolates tested were considered susceptible to daptomycin according to breakpoints established by the United States Food and Drug Administration and the CLSI. Daptomycin was active against all Gram-positive species, with the highest MIC being 2, 8, 0.5 and 2 mg/L for staphylococci, enterococci, beta-haemolytic streptococci and viridans group streptococci, respectively. Daptomycin activity was not influenced adversely by resistance to other agents among staphylococci or enterococci. This novel lipopeptide (daptomycin) appears to be an excellent alternative therapeutic option for serious infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-positive organisms isolated in Europe.JMI Labs Inc, N Liberty, IA 52317 USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilTufts Univ, Sch Med, Boston, MA 02111 USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Delphi survey on the most promising areas and methods to improve systematic reviews' production and updating

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews (SRs) are invaluable evidence syntheses, widely used in biomedicine and other scientific areas. Tremendous resources are being spent on the production and updating of SRs. There is a continuous need to automatize the process and use the workforce and resources to make it faster and more efficient. METHODS: Information gathered by previous EVBRES research was used to construct a questionnaire for round 1 which was partly quantitative, partly qualitative. Fifty five experienced SR authors were invited to participate in a Delphi study (DS) designed to identify the most promising areas and methods to improve the efficient production and updating of SRs. Topic questions focused on which areas of SRs are most time/effort/resource intensive and should be prioritized in further research. Data were analysed using NVivo 12 plus, Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS. Thematic analysis findings were used on the topics on which agreement was not reached in round 1 in order to prepare the questionnaire for round 2. RESULTS: Sixty percent (33/55) of the invited participants completed round 1; 44% (24/55) completed round 2. Participants reported average of 13.3 years of experience in conducting SRs (SD 6.8). More than two thirds of the respondents agreed/strongly agreed the following topics should be prioritized: extracting data, literature searching, screening abstracts, obtaining and screening full texts, updating SRs, finding previous SRs, translating non-English studies, synthesizing data, project management, writing the protocol, constructing the search strategy and critically appraising. Participants have not considered following areas as priority: snowballing, GRADE-ing, writing SR, deduplication, formulating SR question, performing meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Data extraction was prioritized by the majority of participants as an area that needs more research/methods development. Quality of available language translating tools has dramatically increased over the years (Google translate, DeepL). The promising new tool for snowballing emerged (Citation Chaser). Automation cannot substitute human judgement where complex decisions are needed (GRADE-ing). TRIAL REGISTRATION: Study protocol was registered at https://osf.io/bp2hu/

Competitiveness and communication for effective inoculation byRhizobium, Bradyrhizobium and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi

After a short summary on the ecology and rhizosphere biology of symbiotic bacteria and vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhiza fungi and their application as microbial inocula, results on competitiveness and communication are summarized. Stress factors such as high temperature, low soil pH, aluminium concentrations and phytoalexins produced by the host plants were studied withRhizobium leguminosarum bv.phaseoli andRhizobium tropici onPhaseolus beans. Quantitative data for competitiveness were obtained by usinggus + (glucoronidase) labelled strains, which produce blue-coloured nodules. ForPhaseolus-nodulating rhizobia, a group specific DNA probe was also developed, which did not hybridize with more than 20 other common soil and rhizosphere bacteria. Results from several laboratories contributing to knowledge of signal exchange and communication in theRhizobium/Bradyrhizobium legume system are summarized in a new scheme, including also defense reactions at the early stages of legume nodule initiation. Stimulating effects of flavonoids on germination and growth of VA mycorrhiza fungi were also found. A constitutive antifungal compound in pea roots, -isoxazolinonyl-alanine, was characterized

Real-time MRI for dynamic assessment of gastroesophageal reflux disease: comparison to pH-metry and impedance

Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic potential of real-time MRI for dynamic assessment of gastroesophageal reflux in patients with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)-like symptoms compared to pH-metry and impedance. Methods Patients who underwent real-time MRI and pH-metry between 2015–2018 were included in this retrospective study. Real-time MRI at 3 T was achieved by undersampled radial FLASH acquisitions with iterative image reconstruction by NLINV. Real-time MRI visualized transit of pineapple juice through the gastroesophageal junction and during Valsalva maneuver. MRI results were compared to 24 h pH-metry to assess acidic reflux (following Lyon Consensus guidelines) and to impedance to assess non-acidic reflux. A standard 2 × 2 table was chosen to calculate diagnostic performance. Results 91/93 eligible patients fulfilled inclusion criteria (male n = 49; female n = 42; median age 55 y). All MRI studies were successfully completed without adverse events at a mean examination time of 15 min. On real-time MRI, reflux was evident in 60 patients (66 %). pH-metry revealed reflux in 41 patients (45 %), and impedance in 54 patients (59 %). Compared to pH-metry and impedance, real-time MRI sensitivity was 0.78 (95 % CI: 0.66-0.87), specificity 0.67 (95 % CI: 0.45-0.84) and PPV 0.87 (95 % CI: 0.75-0.94). Conclusion Real-time MRI is an imaging method for assessment of gastroesophageal reflux in patients with GERD-like symptoms. Considering its high positive predictive value, real-time MRI can accurately identify patients in which further invasive testing with pH-metry and impedance might be considered

Assessment of esophagogastric junction morphology by dynamic real-time MRI: comparison of imaging features to high-resolution manometry

Purpose To assess the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) on real-time MRI and compare imaging parameters to EGJ morphol- ogy on high-resolution manometry (HRM). Methods A total of 105 of 117 eligible patients who underwent real-time MRI and high-resolution manometry for GERD- like symptoms between 2015 and 2018 at a single center were retrospectively evaluated (male n = 57; female n = 48; mean age 52.5 ± 15.4 years). Real-time MRI was performed at a median investigation time of 15 min (1 frame/40 ms). On HRM, EGJ morphology was assessed according to the Chicago classification of esophageal motility disorders. Real-time MRI was performed at 3 T using highly undersampled radial fast low-angle shot acquisitions with NLINV image reconstruction. A 10 mL pineapple juice bolus served as oral contrast agent at supine position. Real-time MRI films of the EGJ were acquired during swallowing events and during Valsalva maneuver. Anatomic and functional MRI parameters were compared to EGJ morphology on HRM. Results On HRM, n = 42 patients presented with EGJ type I (40.0%), n= 33 with EGJ type II (31.4%), and n= 30 with EGJ type III (28.6%). On real-time MRI, hiatal hernia was more common in patients with EGJ type III (66.7%) than in patients with EGJ type I (26.2%) and EGJ type II (30.3%; p < 0.001). Sliding hiatal hernia was more frequent in patients with EGJ type II (33.3%) than in patients with EGJ type III (16.7%) and EGJ type I (7.1%; p = 0.017). The mean esophagus–fundus angle of patients was 85 ± 31° at rest and increased to 101 ± 36° during Valsalva maneuver. Conclusion Real-time MRI is a non-invasive imaging method for assessment of the esophagogastric junction. Real-time MRI can visualize dynamic changes of the EGJ during swallowing events

Assessment of esophageal motility disorders by real-time MRI

Purpose To investigate imaging findings of esophageal motility disorders on dynamic real-time. Material and methods 102 patients with GERD-like symptoms were included in this retrospective study between 2015−2018. Dynamic real-time MRI visualized the transit of a 10 mL pineapple juice bolus through the esophagus and EGJ with a temporal resolution of 40 ms. Dynamic and anatomic parameters were measured by consensus reading. Imaging findings were compared to HRM utilizing the Chicago classification of esophageal motility disorders, v3.0. Results All 102 patients completed real-time MRI in a median examination time of 15 min. On HRM, 14 patients presented with disorders with EGJ outlet obstruction (EGJOO) (13.7 %), 7 patients with major disorders of peristalsis (6.9 %), and 32 patients with minor disorders of peristalsis (31.4 %). HRM was normal in 49 patients (48.0 %). Incomplete bolus clearance was significantly more frequent in patients with esophageal motility disorders on HRM than in patients with normal HRM (p = 0.0002). In patients with motility disorders with EGJOO and major disorders of peristalsis, the esophageal diameter tended to be wider (23.6 ± 8.0 vs. 21.2 ± 3.5 mm, p = 0.089) and the sphincter length longer (19.7 ± 7.3 vs. 16.7 ± 3.0 mm, p = 0.091) compared to patients with normal HRM. 3/7 patients with achalasia type II were correctly identified by real-time MRI and one further achalasia type II patient was diagnosed with a motility disorder on MRI films. The other 3/7 patients presented no specific imaging features. Conclusion Real-time MRI is an auxiliary diagnostic tool for the assessment of swallowing events. Imaging parameters may assist in the detection of esophageal motility disorders

Magnetic susceptibility of EuTe/PbTe Heisenberg superlattices: experimental and theoretical studies

We report results on the temperature dependence of the susceptibilities of a set of MBE-grown short-period EuTe/PbTe antiferromagnetic superlattices having different EuTe layer thicknesses. In-plane and orthogonal susceptibilities have been measured and display a strong anisotropy at low temperature, confirming the occurrence of a magnetic phase transition in the thicker samples, as seen also in neutron diffraction studies. We suggest that dipolar interactions stabilize antiferromagnetic long-range order in an otherwise isotropic system and we present numerical and analytical results for the low-temperature orthogonal susceptibility.Comment: 30 pages, 8 ps figures, RevTe

Intersection local times of independent fractional Brownian motions as generalized white noise functionals

In this work we present expansions of intersection local times of fractional Brownian motions in $\R^d$, for any dimension $d\geq 1$, with arbitrary Hurst coefficients in $(0,1)^d$. The expansions are in terms of Wick powers of white noises (corresponding to multiple Wiener integrals), being well-defined in the sense of generalized white noise functionals. As an application of our approach, a sufficient condition on $d$ for the existence of intersection local times in $L^2$ is derived, extending the results of D. Nualart and S. Ortiz-Latorre in "Intersection Local Time for Two Independent Fractional Brownian Motions" (J. Theoret. Probab.,20(4)(2007), 759-767) to different and more general Hurst coefficients.Comment: 28 page

Biochars from animal wastes as alternative materials to treat colored effluents containing Basic Red 9

Bovine bones (BB) and fish scales (FS) were used as alternative precursors to produce biochars, which in turn, were applied for the removal of Basic Red 9 (BR9) from aqueous solutions. BB and FS were pyrolyzed generating a solid (biochars), a liquid (pyrolytic oils) and a gas fraction. All fractions were characterized to evaluate the pyrolysis process. The biochars presented different functional groups and a mesoporous structure with surface areas around 90 m2 g–1. Both biochars demonstrated potential to adsorb BR9, with maximum adsorption capacities of 49.5 (BB–biochar) and 52.3 mg g–1 (FS–biochar). Pyrolytic oils were composed mainly by palmitic acid (BB) and imidazolidinedione (FS), which are compounds with biological and antioxidant activity. Pyrolysis of BB generated CO2 while pyrolysis of FS generated H2. In summary, bovine bones and fish scales are promising precursors to concomitantly produce biochars with great adsorbent potential and oils with interesting characteristics