Independent Verification and Validation of Complex User Interfaces: A Human Factors Approach

The Usability Testing and Analysis Facility (UTAF) at the NASA Johnson Space Center has identified and evaluated a potential automated software interface inspection tool capable of assessing the degree to which space-related critical and high-risk software system user interfaces meet objective human factors standards across each NASA program and project. Testing consisted of two distinct phases. Phase 1 compared analysis times and similarity of results for the automated tool and for human-computer interface (HCI) experts. In Phase 2, HCI experts critiqued the prototype tool's user interface. Based on this evaluation, it appears that a more fully developed version of the tool will be a promising complement to a human factors-oriented independent verification and validation (IV&V) process

The recall of multiple stimulus attributes in four- to six-item lists

Three experiments are reported which investigate short-term memory for multidimensional stimuli; in particular, item information, spatial location, and temporal order. The three experiments differ in list length, which was increased to eliminate ceiling effects, which may have skewed the results of previous studies. All three dimensions were varied independently, and, after stimulus presentation, when one was presented as a cue, the other two dimensions were to be recalled. The results suggest that temporal order and item information are highly associated in short-term memory, while spatial location and item information are not highly associated. The relationship between spatial location and temporal order is more complex, with list length and attributes of individual stimuli having an effect

Efficacy of CAR T-cell Therapy in Large Tumors Relies upon Stromal Targeting by IFN gamma

Adoptive T-cell therapy using chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells (CAR-T therapy) has shown dramatic efficacy in patients with circulating lymphoma. However, eradication of solid tumors with CAR-T therapy has not been reported yet to be efficacious. In solid tumors, stroma destruction, due to MHC-restricted cross-presentation of tumor antigens to T cells, may be essential. However, CAR-Ts recognize antigens in an MHC-independent manner on cancer cells but not stroma cells. In this report, we show how CAR-Ts can be engineered to eradicate large established tumors with provision of a suitable CD28 costimulatory signal. In an HER2-dependent tumor model, tumor rejection by HER2-specific CAR-Ts was associated with sustained influx and proliferation of the adoptively transferred T cells. Interestingly, tumor rejection did not involve natural killer cells but was associated instead with a marked increase in the level of M1 macrophages and a requirement for IFN gamma receptor expression on tumor stroma cells. Our results argue that CAR-T therapy is capable of eradicating solid tumors through a combination of antigen-independent stroma destruction and antigen-specific tumor cell targeting. (C) 2014 AACR

Adaptation and mitigation strategies in agriculture: an analysis of potential synergies

Adaptation, Agriculture, Climate change impacts, Mitigation, Regional disparities, Synergies, Tradeoffs,