Assigned responsibility for remote robot operation

The remote control of robots, known as teleoperation, is a non-trivial task, requiring the operator to make decisions based on the information relayed by the robot about its own status as well as its surroundings. This places the operator under significant cognitive load. A solution to this involves sharing this load between the human operator and automated operators. This paper builds on the idea of adjustable autonomy, proposing Assigned Responsibility, a way of clearly delimiting control responsibility over one or more robots between human and automated operators. An architecture for implementing Assigned Responsibility is presented

Genetic Diversity of PCR-Positive, Culture-Negative and Culture-Positive Mycobacterium ulcerans Isolated from Buruli Ulcer Patients in Ghana.

Culture of Mycobacterium ulcerans from Buruli ulcer patients has very low sensitivity. Thus confirmation of M. ulcerans infection is primarily based on PCR directed against IS2404. In this study we compare the genotypes obtained by variable number of tandem repeat analysis of DNA from IS2404-PCR positive cultures with that obtained from IS2404 positive, culture-negative tissue. A significantly greater genetic heterogeneity was found among culture-negative samples compared with that found in cultured strains but a single genotype is over-represented in both sample sets. This study provides evidence that both the focal location of bacteria in a lesion as well as differences in the ability to culture a particular genotype may underlie the low sensitivity of culture. Though preliminary, data from this work also suggests that mycobacteria previously associated with fish disease (M. pseudoshottsii) may be pathogenic for humans

Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping

We present VOSviewer, a freely available computer program that we have developed for constructing and viewing bibliometric maps. Unlike most computer programs that are used for bibliometric mapping, VOSviewer pays special attention to the graphical representation of bibliometric maps. The functionality of VOSviewer is especially useful for displaying large bibliometric maps in an easy-to-interpret way. The paper consists of three parts. In the first part, an overview of VOSviewer's functionality for displaying bibliometric maps is provided. In the second part, the technical implementation of specific parts of the program is discussed. Finally, in the third part, VOSviewer's ability to handle large maps is demonstrated by using the program to construct and display a co-citation map of 5,000 major scientific journals

Garden and landscape-scale correlates of moths of differing conservation status: significant effects of urbanization and habitat diversity

Moths are abundant and ubiquitous in vegetated terrestrial environments and are pollinators, important herbivores of wild plants, and food for birds, bats and rodents. In recent years, many once abundant and widespread species have shown sharp declines that have been cited by some as indicative of a widespread insect biodiversity crisis. Likely causes of these declines include agricultural intensification, light pollution, climate change, and urbanization; however, the real underlying cause(s) is still open to conjecture. We used data collected from the citizen science Garden Moth Scheme (GMS) to explore the spatial association between the abundance of 195 widespread British species of moth, and garden habitat and landscape features, to see if spatial habitat and landscape associations varied for species of differing conservation status. We found that associations with habitat and landscape composition were species-specific, but that there were consistent trends in species richness and total moth abundance. Gardens with more diverse and extensive microhabitats were associated with higher species richness and moth abundance; gardens near to the coast were associated with higher richness and moth abundance; and gardens in more urbanized locations were associated with lower species richness and moth abundance. The same trends were also found for species classified as increasing, declining and vulnerable under IUCN (World Conservation Union) criteria

Is platelet inhibition due to thienopyridines increased in elderly patients, in patients with previous stroke and patients with low body weight as a possible explanation of an increased bleeding risk?

Background The TRITON-TIMI 38 study has identified three subgroups of patients with a higher risk of bleeding during treatment with the thienopyridine prasugrel: patients with a history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), patients ≥75 years and patients with a body weight <60 kg. However, the underlying pathobiology leading to this increased bleeding risk remains to be elucidated. The higher bleeding rate may be due to a stronger prasugrelinduced inhibition of platelet aggregation in these subgroups. The aim of the present study was to determine whether on-treatment platelet reactivity is lower in these risk subgroups as compared with other patients in a large cohort on the thienopyridine clopidogrel undergoing elective coronary stenting. Methods A total of 1069 consecutive patients were enrolled. On-clopidogrel platelet reactivity was measured in parallel by light transmittance aggregometry, the Verify- Now®P2Y12 assay and the PFA-100 collagen/ADP cartridge. Results Fourteen patients (1.5%) had a prior history of stroke or TIA, 138 patients (14.5%) were older than 75 years and 30 patients (3.2%) had a body weight <60 kg. Age ≥75 years and a history of stroke were independent predictors of a higher on-treatment platelet reactivity. In contrast, a body weight <60 kg was significantly associated with a lower on-treatment platelet reactivity. Conclusion In two high-risk subgroups for bleeding, patients ≥75 years and patients with previous stroke, onclopidogrel platelet reactivity is increased. In contrast, in patients with a low body weight, on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity is decreased, suggesting that a stronger response to a thienopyridine might only lead to more bleeds in patients with low body weight

To observe or not to observe peers when learning physical examination skills; That is the question

Background: Learning physical examination skills is an essential element of medical education. Teaching strategies include practicing the skills either alone or in-group. It is unclear whether students benefit more from training these skills individually or in a group, as the latter allows them to observing their peers. The present study, conducted in a naturalistic setting, investigated the effects of peer observation on mastering psychomotor skills necessary for physical examination. Methods. The study included 185 2§ssup§nd§esup§-year medical students, participating in a regular head-to-toe physical examination learning activity. Students were assigned either to a single-student condition (n = 65), in which participants practiced alone with a patient instructor, or to a multiple-student condition (n = 120), in which participants practiced in triads under patient instructor supervision. The students subsequently carried out a complete examination that was videotaped and subsequently evaluated. Student's performance was used as a measure of learning. Results: Students in the multiple-student condition learned more than those who practiced alone (8

Histopathological Changes and Clinical Responses of Buruli Ulcer Plaque Lesions during Chemotherapy: A Role for Surgical Removal of Necrotic Tissue?

The tropical necrotizing skin disease Buruli ulcer (BU) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is associated with extensive tissue destruction and local immunosuppression caused by the macrolide exotoxin mycolactone. Chemotherapy with a combination of rifampicin and streptomycin for 8 weeks is the currently recommended treatment for all types of BU lesions, including both ulcerative and non-ulcerative stages (plaques, nodules and edema). Our histopathological analysis of twelve BU plaque lesions revealed extensive destruction of sub-cutaneous tissue. This frequently led to ulceration during antibiotic treatment. This should not be mistaken as a failure of the antimycobacterial chemotherapy, since we found no evidence for the persistence of active infection foci. Large necrotic areas were found to persist even after completion of antibiotic treatment. These may disturb wound healing and the role of wound debridement should therefore be formally tested in a clinical trial setting

Comparison of generalized estimating equations and quadratic inference functions using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) database

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The generalized estimating equations (GEE) technique is often used in longitudinal data modeling, where investigators are interested in population-averaged effects of covariates on responses of interest. GEE involves specifying a model relating covariates to outcomes and a plausible correlation structure between responses at different time periods. While GEE parameter estimates are consistent irrespective of the true underlying correlation structure, the method has some limitations that include challenges with model selection due to lack of absolute goodness-of-fit tests to aid comparisons among several plausible models. The quadratic inference functions (QIF) method extends the capabilities of GEE, while also addressing some GEE limitations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a comparative study between GEE and QIF via an illustrative example, using data from the "National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY)" database. The NLSCY dataset consists of long-term, population based survey data collected since 1994, and is designed to evaluate the determinants of developmental outcomes in Canadian children. We modeled the relationship between hyperactivity-inattention and gender, age, family functioning, maternal depression symptoms, household income adequacy, maternal immigration status and maternal educational level using GEE and QIF. Basis for comparison include: (1) ease of model selection; (2) sensitivity of results to different working correlation matrices; and (3) efficiency of parameter estimates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The sample included 795, 858 respondents (50.3% male; 12% immigrant; 6% from dysfunctional families). QIF analysis reveals that gender (male) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10 to 2.71), family dysfunctional (OR = 2.84, 95% CI of 1.58 to 5.11), and maternal depression (OR = 2.49, 95% CI of 1.60 to 2.60) are significantly associated with higher odds of hyperactivity-inattention. The results remained robust under GEE modeling. Model selection was facilitated in QIF using a goodness-of-fit statistic. Overall, estimates from QIF were more efficient than those from GEE using AR (1) and Exchangeable working correlation matrices (Relative efficiency = 1.1117; 1.3082 respectively).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>QIF is useful for model selection and provides more efficient parameter estimates than GEE. QIF can help investigators obtain more reliable results when used in conjunction with GEE.</p

Current and Emerging Treatment Options for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Focus on Immunotherapy

BACKGROUND: Castration-resistant prostate cancer is a disease with limited treatment options. However, the ongoing elucidation of the mechanisms underlying this disease continues to support the development of not only novel agents, but also innovative approaches. Among these therapies, immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy. DESIGN: This review article summarizes the most recent data from investigations of immunotherapies in castration-resistant prostate cancer (literature and congress searches current as of August 2011). RESULTS: Immunotherapeutic strategies such as passive immunization, vaccines, and particularly checkpoint blockade have demonstrated some efficacy as single agents. Elucidation of effective combinations of agents and drug regimens is ongoing but will require continued careful investigation, including the standardization of surrogate endpoints in clinical trials. CONCLUSIONS: It is hypothesized that the combination of immunotherapeutic agents with traditional and novel chemotherapeutics will potentiate the efficacy of the chemotherapeutics while maintaining manageable toxicity