Evaluating rail suicide prevention measures

Many rail safety interventions are implemented without sufficient consideration of the effectiveness of the intervention or the degree to which the intervention has been implemented. This paper describes a programme of work to develop, test and implement a simple framework and associated research tools that can be used by rail staff to collect better data for evaluating the effectiveness of rail suicide prevention measures. Problems that have been encountered in attempting to embed this framework within organisational processes are described

Efficacy of various Hypholoma spp. and Phlebiopsis gigantea as biocontrol agents against root rotting fungi Armillaria ostoyae

Conifer plantations are thinned to maximise production of high-quality timber for lumber, fire wood, and utility poles. However, thinning increases susceptibility to pathogens such as Armillaria ostoyae, a native basidiomycete species that causes root rot. Armillaria root rot is detrimental to the forestry industry as it is responsible for substantial revenue loss due to tree mortality in both establishing and mature stands. Thus, finding an effective means to inhibit or reduce its impacts and spread is critical for the industry. Past studies have suggested that biocontrol treatments based on competing basidiomycete species (i.e., Hypholoma spp. and Phlebiopsis gigantea) show promise. The objectives of my study were to: (1) determine the ability of several species and strains of Hypholoma spp. and Phlebiopsis gigantea to function as biocontrol agents against two Armillaria ostoyae strains by examining their in-vitro interactions during competition trials, and (2) examine the ability of H. fasciculare to survive and grow during the winter months at different soil depths in a number of Simcoe County, Ontario forests to determine its potential as a biocontrol treatment for Armillaria root rot in northeastern temperate forest regions. Several strains of Hypholoma fasciculare, H. sublateritium, H. capnoides, and one strain of P. gigantea were grown in both solo (absence of competition) and paired (competing with one of two strains of A. ostoyae - high virulence and low virulence) conditions to examine impacts of competition on radial growth. The solo and pairings were grown and monitored on 2 % malt agar and pine wood infusion medium at 15oC. Radial growth was measured and compared between solo and paired conditions, and macroscopic and microscopic interactions were qualitatively assessed. Hypholoma fasciculare strain Pinnel B was identified as a potential candidate to develop as a biocontrol agent against Armillaria root rot. Radial growth was the highest from the H. fasciculare strain Pinnel B when paired with either of the A. ostoyae strains. Characterisation of the interactions at macroscopic and microscopic levels indicated that it was most effective at inhibiting A. ostoyae growth. Soil temperatures and snow depth were monitored from November 4, 2017 to May 13, 2018 at thinned and non-thinned red pine (Pinus resinosa) plantations located in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Pine blocks inoculated with H. fasciculare were buried in pine plantations from February 1, 2018 to May 13, 2018 at 30 and 100 cm depths to examine how winter soil temperatures, soil depth, and snow presence impacted growth. Soil temperatures at the 30 cm depth were consistently colder than at 100 cm (F1,6 = 63.46, p < 0.001). Hypholoma fasciculare continued to grow over the winter months (F1,36 = 50.41, p < 0.001). Soil depth did not impact growth rate (F1,18 = 1.87, p = 0.188). Mean growth rates were 0.25 ± 0.11 and 0.31 ± 0.10 mm per day at 30 and 100 cm depths, respectively. While snow depths were significantly lower in non-thinned plantations, this had little impact on soil temperatures. This study will aid in the development of a H. fasciculare biocontrol treatment against Armillaria root rot given H. fasciculare’s ability to continue to grow underground throughout the winter months, a period during which Armillaria ostoyae has a reduced growing rate

Lower jaw modularity in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) and fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra gigliolii)

Modularity describes the degree to which the components of complex phenotypes vary semi-autonomously due to developmental, genetic and functional correlations. This is a key feature underlying the potential for evolvability, as it can allow individual components to respond to different selective pressures semi-independently. The vertebrate lower jaw has become a model anatomical system for understanding modularity, but to date most of this work has focused on the mandible of mammals and other amniotes. In contrast, modularity in the mandible of lissamphibians has been less well studied. Here, we used geometric morphometrics to quantify the static (intraspecific) modularity patterns in Xenopus laevis and Salamandra salamandra gigliolii. We tested developmental and functional hypotheses of modularity and demonstrate that both species exhibit significant modularity. Functional modularity was supported in both Xenopus and Salamandra. Allometry has a small yet significant impact on lower jaw shape in both taxa and sex has a significant effect on shape in Xenopus. The high lower jaw modularity in both species observed here, combined with the well-established modularity of the amphibian cranium, suggests that modularity is a ubiquitous feature of the tetrapod head

Rat Race: Insider Advice on Landing Judicial Clerkships

For many, the judicial clerkship application process is, to quote Sir Winston Churchill, a “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” It is a frenzied “Pamplona-like” atmosphere that begins on Labor Day +1 and continues unabated for several weeks. The initial week is the make or break point in the application review process because it is then that the judge starts to read each application and makes a “yes” or “no” evaluation. If his vote is a “no,” then no further action is taken. If it is a “yes,” the application passes to the law clerks, who then begin their evaluation. Our experience reviewing these applications has led us to the unanimous conclusion that many applicants select their list of judges and put together their packets with little or no thought of strategy as to how to get their applications past this initial phase and into the “yes” pile. We would like to guide the judicial clerkship applicant through the application process by discussing how our chambers conducts the interview and selection process. Specifically, we hope to dispel rumors of what goes on behind the curtain, and ultimately shed some light on how a clerkship applicant could improve his or her chances of receiving an offer. Although this article reflects the viewpoint of only one chambers, our collective experience is broad. Judge Ruggero J. Aldisert has been receiving law clerk applications, interviewing candidates and selecting clerks since 1961. From the standpoint of sheer experience in the law clerk selection process, Judge Aldisert must be near the top of the list of current federal appellate judges. His two present law clerks, Ryan Kirkpatrick and James Stevens, each wear two battle stars for action in the application process. Kirkpatrick and Stevens earned their first star in 2004 when they survived the initial post-Labor Day “running of the bulls,” a term which appropriately describes the federal judiciary’s present hiring plan. The two clerks earned their second star a year later when they closely examined each of the 200 applicants in the 2005 “stampede” and ultimately helped to select the two best candidates to go on to future honors. The authors are fully aware that there is a vast amount of literature discussing the clerkship application process. Most of the literature is couched in somber academic tomes, one of which was serious enough to require 334 footnotes. Our treatment of the subject is far less scholarly. We will not be discussing the role of game theory or the use of the “medical-matching model” in law clerk selection. Our purpose is simply to provide an insider’s perspective into the clerkship application process and, in doing so, defend the following theses: Unless you are the Editor-in-Chief of your school’s main law review or one of the top five or ten students in your class, you need to set yourself apart from the competition. Your road to success is through the face-to-face interview with the Judge. In making this point, we depart from the truism in the decision-making process that writing a good brief is more important than oral argument. In your written applications you may have sterling academic records, stunning extracurricular activities, and superb references, but whether you get the job offer depends on how you perform at the personal interview

Measuring the Plasticity of Social Approach: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of the PEERS Intervention on EEG Asymmetry in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study examined whether the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS: Social skills for teenagers with developmental and autism spectrum disorders: The PEERS treatment manual, Routledge, New York, 2010a) affected neural function, via EEG asymmetry, in a randomized controlled trial of adolescents with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and a group of typically developing adolescents. Adolescents with ASD in PEERS shifted from right-hemisphere gamma-band EEG asymmetry before PEERS to left-hemisphere EEG asymmetry after PEERS, versus a waitlist ASD group. Left-hemisphere EEG asymmetry was associated with more social contacts and knowledge, and fewer symptoms of autism. Adolescents with ASD in PEERS no longer differed from typically developing adolescents in left-dominant EEG asymmetry at post-test. These findings are discussed via the Modifier Model of Autism (Mundy et al. in Res Pract Persons Severe Disabl 32(2):124, 2007), with emphasis on remediating isolation/withdrawal in ASD

Plenary Session I – Policy Track: Policies That Work

This session will discuss policy formation, implementation, and enforcement issues related to older driver safety. Policymakers Representative Khan and Senators Chandler and Jehlen will discuss the process of getting evidence-based laws enacted, while Middlesex D.A. Marian Ryan will describe enforcement issues and concerns. Moderator David Stevens will talk about advocating for socially just and evidence-based policies impacting older adults

FraudDroid: Automated Ad Fraud Detection for Android Apps

Although mobile ad frauds have been widespread, state-of-the-art approaches in the literature have mainly focused on detecting the so-called static placement frauds, where only a single UI state is involved and can be identified based on static information such as the size or location of ad views. Other types of fraud exist that involve multiple UI states and are performed dynamically while users interact with the app. Such dynamic interaction frauds, although now widely spread in apps, have not yet been explored nor addressed in the literature. In this work, we investigate a wide range of mobile ad frauds to provide a comprehensive taxonomy to the research community. We then propose, FraudDroid, a novel hybrid approach to detect ad frauds in mobile Android apps. FraudDroid analyses apps dynamically to build UI state transition graphs and collects their associated runtime network traffics, which are then leveraged to check against a set of heuristic-based rules for identifying ad fraudulent behaviours. We show empirically that FraudDroid detects ad frauds with a high precision (93%) and recall (92%). Experimental results further show that FraudDroid is capable of detecting ad frauds across the spectrum of fraud types. By analysing 12,000 ad-supported Android apps, FraudDroid identified 335 cases of fraud associated with 20 ad networks that are further confirmed to be true positive results and are shared with our fellow researchers to promote advanced ad fraud detectionComment: 12 pages, 10 figure

An Exploratory Study of Aquatic Walking on Symptoms and Functional Limitations in Persons with Knee Osteoarthritis: Part 1

This paper represents Part 1 of a study that explored the effects of an underwater treadmill (UT) walking program on pain and function in adults with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The Western Ontario & McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), numerical rating scale (NRS), timed up-and-go (TUG), and 10-m walk were assessed in 6 adults (62.7 ±14.2 years) who participated in an 8-week (3x/wk) UT walking intervention based on the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease (WWE) program. Walking pace was self-selected, and walking duration of each session was increased from 10 to 45 minutes throughout the study. Knee pain and function were assessed pre-control (PRC), pre-intervention (PRI) and post-intervention (PST). NRS improved from PRC and PRI to PST (p = .03, d = .37). WOMAC subscale scores of pain, (d = .36); stiffness (d = .44); pain during daily activities (d = .41); and total scores (d = .42) improved (p \u3c .05) from PRC to PST. Self-selected walking speed increased concurrently with decreased knee pain (NRS) from PRI to PST. The results support the WWE as a model for an UT walking program for improving knee pain in KOA