Use of computer-aided detection (CAD) tools in screening mammography: a multidisciplinary investigation

We summarise a set of analyses and studies conducted to assess the effects of the use of a computer-aided detection (CAD) tool in breast screening. We have used an interdisciplinary approach that combines: (a) statistical analyses inspired by reliability modelling in engineering; (b) experimental studies of decisions of mammography experts using the tool, interpreted in the light of human factors psychology; and (c) ethnographic observations of the use of the tool both in trial conditions and in everyday screening practice. Our investigations have shown patterns of human behaviour and effects of computer-based advice that would not have been revealed by a standard clinical trial approach. For example, we found that the negligible measured effect of CAD could be explained by a range of effects on experts' decisions, beneficial in some cases and detrimental in others. There is some evidence of the latter effects being due to the experts using the computer tool differently from the intentions of the developers. We integrate insights from the different pieces of evidence and highlight their implications for the design, evaluation and deployment of this sort of computer tool

Could cancer drugs provide ammunition against aging?

Recent advances in our understanding of the molecular and cellular signaling pathways that drive aging have revealed several genetic and environmental manipulations that can increase lifespan across different species. Research on the underlying biology of aging has not only revealed it to be a biologically malleable process but has also paved the way for the development of pharmacological interventions that could increase lifespan and delay the onset and/or progression of age-related disease

Watchdogs, Helpers or Protectors? – Internal Auditing in Malaysian Local Government

This paper examines internal auditor roles to support public governance in a developing country context, through interviews with chief audit executives across 17 Malaysian Local Government Authorities. Drawing on critical theory, the research shows that internal auditors seek to legitimise their position through compliance (watchdog) and performance (helper and protector) audits. At the micro level of practices, in performing these dual roles, internal auditors are not colonised by governance rules and managerial influence, but instead are enabled by them to perform communicative action. Nevertheless, this was undermined by financial and managerial capacity issues that are a challenge in developing countries

A high-throughput single-use platform for vaccine bioprocess development

Vaccination is the predominant tool in the prevention of infectious disease. Considering the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) pandemic, the need for a development platform, capable of rapid candidate screening and/or a vaccine scaffold capable of adaptability to new disease targets, has never been more apparent. VLPs, expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, offer an exciting alternative to current manufacturing methods due to their potential as scaffolds for foreign antigen display. The hepatitis B core antigen (HBC) can spontaneously self-assemble, forming icosahedral particles that are inherently immunogenic. Tandem Core HBC (TC-HBC) VLPs have been genetically modified in the major insertion region (MIR) enabling display of up to two epitopes of interest when assembled. For TC-HBC VLPs to be considered a viable vaccine candidate, their bioprocessing must be optimized. Currently, there are various issues to address, including problems with formation, solubility, and immunogenicity. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Poverty in the Texas borderland and lower Mississippi Delta: A comparative analysis of differences by family type

We provide a comparative analysis of county-level poverty in the two poorest regions of the United States - the Texas Borderland and the Lower Mississippi Delta - with a special focus on differences by family type. Our results reveal important regional variation in both the prevalence of poverty and the composition of the poor population across major family types. Using OLS regression models of family type-specific poverty we demonstrate three key findings: 1) There are no significant regional differences in poverty levels by family type between the Borderland and the Delta, net of important structural factors that characterize the regions; 2) with the exception of the employment rate, the structural factors associated with poverty among married couple and single female-headed families are quite different; and 3) paradoxically, areas in the Borderland with high in-migration are especially likely to suffer from high married-couple family poverty. Our results suggest the need for regionally targeted and demographically tailored anti-poverty policies.family structure, Mississippi Delta, persistent poverty, poverty, regional poverty, Texas Borderland

An evaluation of a mental toughness education and training program for early-career English football league referees

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a Mental Toughness Education and Training Program (MTETP) in elite football officiating. The MTETP consisted of four individual and two group-based workshops designed to develop Mental Toughness (MT) and enhance performance in three English Football League (EFL) referees. Adopting a single-subject, multiple-baseline-across-participants design, MT and referee-assessor reports were evaluated. Self and coach-ratings of MT highlighted an instant and continued improvement in all three referees during the intervention phases. Performance reports of all referees improved throughout the intervention phases compared to the baseline phase. Social validation data indicated that an array of strategies within the MTETP facilitated MT development. Discussions acknowledge theoretical and practical implications relating to the continued progression of MT interventions in elite sport

Uma sonda de calor transiente controlada por computador para medir fluxo de fluido em meios porosos.

Uma sonda de calor transiente controlada por computador foi desenvolvida para medir fluxo em meios porosos. O sistema e operado automaticamente com o auxilio de uma placa de computador e basicamente composto de um sensor do tipo sonda-termistor, uma fonte de corrente eletrica constante de dois niveis, um conversor de sinal analogicos para digital, um transistor de efeito de campo e um conjunto de amplificadores operacionais. A sonda e alternadamente comutada entre dois modulos de operacao, alta e baixa potencia. Um programa foi desenvolvido para solicitar ao usuario os tempos para controlar o termistor e permitir os registros de identificacao do local, data, horario e dados para posicoes especificas da memoria. Os principios, a concepcao, a montagem e o funcionamento de toda a instrumentacao sao descritos. O sistema foi testado e avaliado em dois diferentes meios porosos. Resultados indicaram que o termistor aquecido e capaz de detectar o fluxo de fluido uma vez que sua resposta termica transiente foi afetada pela taxa de fluxo local

Regression of murine lung tumors by the let-7 microRNA.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as an important new class of cellular regulators that control various cellular processes and are implicated in human diseases, including cancer. Here, we show that loss of let-7 function enhances lung tumor formation in vivo, strongly supporting the hypothesis that let-7 is a tumor suppressor. Moreover, we report that exogenous delivery of let-7 to established tumors in mouse models of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) significantly reduces the tumor burden. These results demonstrate the therapeutic potential of let-7 in NSCLC and point to miRNA replacement therapy as a promising approach in cancer treatment

Aircraft remote sensing of soil moisture and hydrologic parameters, Taylor Creek, Florida, and Little River, Georgia, 1979 data report

Experiments were conducted to evaluate aircraft remote sensing techniques for hydrology in a wide range of physiographic and climatic regions using several sensor platforms. The data were collected in late 1978 and during 1979 in two humid areas--Taylor Creek, Fla., and Little River, Ga. Soil moisture measurements and climatic observations are presented as well as the remote sensing data collected using thermal infrared, passive microwave, and active microwave systems