Development of a new scale to measure ambiguity tolerance in veterinary students

The ability to cope with ambiguity and feelings of uncertainty is an essential element of professional practice. Research with physicians has identified that intolerance of ambiguity or uncertainty is linked to stress and some authors have hypothesised that there could be an association between intolerance of ambiguity and burnout (e.g. Cooke et al 2013). We describe the adaptation of the TAMSAD (Tolerance of Ambiguity in Medical Students and Doctors) scale for use with veterinary students. Exploratory factor analysis supports a unidimensional structure for the Ambiguity tolerance construct. Although internal reliability of the 29 item TAMSAD scale is reasonable (α = 0.50), an alternative 27 item scale (drawn from the original 41 items used to develop TAMSAD) shows higher internal reliability for veterinary students (α = 0.67). We conclude that there is good evidence to support the validity of this latter TAVS (Tolerance of Ambiguity in Veterinary students) scale to study ambiguity tolerance in veterinary students

Scale – Time – Complexity: engaging, entangling, and communicating ecology

This project proposes a forum for discussion that questions how we engage with our ecology. The panel will be framed within an acknowledgment of scale, time, and complexity as an entry point into a conversation about our local ecology and the universe beyond. The panellists’ aim to initiate a dialogue by situating the discussion around their own art and design research practices. These practices have emerged from local investigations into ecological issues that evolved into two overlapping research clusters, Art and Ecology, and Design and Innovation for Sustainability, at AUT University, in Auckland New Zealand. In our first collaborative project we explore how we might connect with and communicate ‘ecology’, in methods and practice that recognizes and embraces scale, time and complexity as a tactic into the subject, rather than as a barrier to engagement and the development of potential solutions

Factors associated with inappropriate prescribing among older adults with complex care needs who have undergone the interRAI assessment

Aim To identify factors associated with prescribing potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older adults (≥ 65 years) with complex care needs, who have undertaken a comprehensive geriatric risk assessment.METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional (retrospective, observational) study was performed. The national interRAI Home Care assessments conducted in New Zealand in 2015 for older adults were linked to the national pharmaceutical prescribing data (PHARMS). The 2015 Beers criteria were applied to the cross-matched data to identify the prevalence of PIMs. The factors influencing PIMs were analysed using a multinomial logistic regression model.RESULTS: 16,568 older adults were included in this study. Individuals diagnosed with cancer, dementia, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and who were hospitalized in the last 90 days, were more likely to be prescribed PIMs than those who were not diagnosed with the above disorders, and who were not hospitalized in the last 90 days. Individuals over 75 years of age, the Māori ethnic group among other ethnicities, individuals who were diagnosed with certain clinical conditions (diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, or congestive cardiac failure), individuals requiring assistance with activities of daily living and better self-reported health, were associated with a lesser likelihood of being prescribed PIMs.CONCLUSION: The study emphasizes the identification of factors associated with the prescription of PIMs during the first completed comprehensive geriatric assessment. Targeted strategies to reduce modifiable factors associated with the prescription of PIMs in subsequent assessments has the potential to improve medication management in older adults.</p

Phylogenetic relationships among hadal amphipods of the Superfamily Lysianassoidea : Implications for taxonomy and biogeography

Date of Acceptance: 30/8/15 Acknowledgements We thank the chief scientists, crew and company of the Japanese RV Hakuho-Maru (KH0703 and KH0803), the RV Tansei-Maru (KT-09-03), the RV Kairei (KR0716), the German FS Sonne (SO197 and SO 209) and the New Zealand RV Kaharoa (KAH0190, KAH1109, KAH1202, KAH1301 and KAH1310). This work was supported by the HADEEP projects, funded by the Nippon Foundation, Japan (2009765188), the Natural Environmental Research Council, UK (NE/E007171/1) and the Total Foundation, France. We acknowledge additional support from the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) funded by the Scottish Funding Council (Ref: HR09011) and contributing institutions. We also acknowledge support from the Leverhulme Research Fellowship granted to SBP. Additional sea time was supported by NIWA’s ‘Impact of Resource Use on Vulnerable Deep-Sea Communities’ project (CO1_0906). From NIWA we thank Malcolm Clark, Ashley Rowden, Kareen Schnabel, Sadie Mills for logistical support at the NIWA Invertebrate Collection. We also thank Fredrik Søreide from Promare, USA, for supply of the Puerto-Rico samples, Marius Wenzel for helpful comments on manuscript drafts, and Dr. Tammy Horton (NOCS, UK) for identifying some of the earlier amphipod samplesPeer reviewedPostprintPostprin

On the limitations of probabilistic claims about the probative value of mixed DNA profile evidence

The likelihood ratio (LR) is a commonly used measure for determining the strength of forensic match evidence. When a forensic expert determines a high LR for DNA found at a crime scene matching the DNA profile of a suspect they typically report that 'this provides strong support for the prosecution hypothesis that the DNA comes from the suspect'. However, even with a high LR, the evidence might not support the prosecution hypothesis if the defence hypothesis used to determine the LR is not the negation of the prosecution hypothesis (such as when the alternative is 'DNA comes from a person unrelated to the defendant' instead of 'DNA does not come from the suspect'). For DNA mixture profiles, especially low template DNA (LTDNA), the value of a high LR for a 'match' - typically computed from probabilistic genotyping software - can be especially questionable. But this is not just because of the use of non-exhaustive hypotheses in such cases. In contrast to single profile DNA 'matches', where the only residual uncertainty is whether a person other than the suspect has the same matching DNA profile, it is possible for all the genotypes of the suspect's DNA profile to appear at each locus of a DNA mixture, even though none of the contributors has that DNA profile. In fact, in the absence of other evidence, we show it is possible to have a very high LR for the hypothesis 'suspect is included in the mixture' even though the posterior probability that the suspect is included is very low. Yet, in such cases a forensic expert will generally still report a high LR as 'strong support for the suspect being a contributor'. Our observations suggest that, in certain circumstances, the use of the LR may have led lawyers and jurors into grossly overestimating the probative value of a LTDNA mixed profile 'match

Heat-shock protein adaptation in abyssal and hadal amphipods

We thank the chief scientists, crew and company of the Japanese RV Hakuho-Maru (KH0703 and KH0803), the RV Tansei-Maru (KT-09-03), the RV Kairei (KR0716), the German FS Sonne (SO197 and SO 209) and the New Zealand RV Kaharoa (KAH0190, KAH1109, KAH1202, KAH1301 and KAH1310). This work was supported by the HADEEP projects, funded by the Nippon Foundation, Japan (2009765188), the Natural Environmental Research Council, UK (NE/E007171/1) and the Total Foundation, France. We acknowledge additional support from the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) funded by the Scottish Funding Council (Refs: HR09011 and DSSG14), the Natural Environment Research Council (NE/N01149X/1), the Leverhulme Trust, and contributing institutions. Additional sea time was supported by NIWA's ‘Impact of Resource Use on Vulnerable Deep-Sea Communities’ project (CO1_0906). From NIWA we thank Malcolm Clark, Ashley Rowden, Kareen Schnabel, and Sadie Mills for logistical support at the NIWA Invertebrate Collection. We also thank Dr. Niamh Kilgallen for identifying the majority of the amphipod samples and Dr. Tammy Horton (NOCS, UK) for identifying some of the earlier amphipod samples.Peer reviewedPostprin

The Design and Implementation of a Wireless Video Surveillance System.

Internet-enabled cameras pervade daily life, generating a huge amount of data, but most of the video they generate is transmitted over wires and analyzed offline with a human in the loop. The ubiquity of cameras limits the amount of video that can be sent to the cloud, especially on wireless networks where capacity is at a premium. In this paper, we present Vigil, a real-time distributed wireless surveillance system that leverages edge computing to support real-time tracking and surveillance in enterprise campuses, retail stores, and across smart cities. Vigil intelligently partitions video processing between edge computing nodes co-located with cameras and the cloud to save wireless capacity, which can then be dedicated to Wi-Fi hotspots, offsetting their cost. Novel video frame prioritization and traffic scheduling algorithms further optimize Vigil's bandwidth utilization. We have deployed Vigil across three sites in both whitespace and Wi-Fi networks. Depending on the level of activity in the scene, experimental results show that Vigil allows a video surveillance system to support a geographical area of coverage between five and 200 times greater than an approach that simply streams video over the wireless network. For a fixed region of coverage and bandwidth, Vigil outperforms the default equal throughput allocation strategy of Wi-Fi by delivering up to 25% more objects relevant to a user's query

Absorbent products for urinary/faecal incontinence: a comparative evaluation of key product designs

Background: The UK health service, nursing homes and public spend around £94 million per year on incontinence pads (absorbent products) to contain urine and/or faeces, but the research base for making informed choices between different product designs is very weak.Objectives: The aim of this trial was to compare the performance and cost-effectiveness of the key absorbent product designs to provide a more solid basis for guiding selection and purchase.A further aim was to carry out the first stage in the development of a quality of life instrument for measuring the impact of absorbent product use on users' lives.Design: The work involved three clinical trials focusing on the three biggest market sectors. Each trial had a similar crossover design in which each participant tested all products within their group in random order.Settings, participants and methods: In Trial 1, 85 women with light urinary incontinence living in the community tested three products from each of the four design categories available (total of 12 test products): disposable inserts (pads); menstrual pads; washable pants with integral pad; and washable inserts. In Trial 2a, 85 moderate/heavily incontinent adults (urinary or urinary/faecal) living in the community (49 men and 36 women) tested three (or two) products from each of the five design categories available (total of 14 test products): disposable inserts (with mesh pants); disposable diapers (nappies); disposable pull-ups (similar to toddlers' trainer pants); disposable T-shaped diapers (nappies with waist-band); and washable diapers. All products were provided in a daytime and a (mostly more absorbent) night-time variant. In these first two trials, the test products were selected on the basis of data from pilot studies. In Trial 2b, 100 moderate/heavily incontinent adults (urinary or urinary/faecal) living in 10 nursing homes (27 men and 73 women) evaluated one product from each of the four disposable design categories from Trial 2a. Products were selected on the basis of product performance in Trial 2a and, again, daytime and night-time variants were provided. The first phase of work to develop a quality of life tool for measuring the impact of using different pad designs was carried out by interviewing participants from Trials 1 and 2a.Outcome measures: Product performance was characterised using validated questionnaires, which asked the participants (in Trials 1 and 2a) or carers (all participants in Trial 2b, except for the few who could report for themselves) to evaluate various aspects of pad performance (leakage, ease of putting on, discreetness, etc.) using a five-point scale (very good–very poor) at the end of the week (or 2 weeks for Trial 2b) of product testing. In addition, participants/carers were asked to save individual used pads in bags for weighing and to indicate the severity of any leakage from them on a three-point scale (none, a little, a lot). These data were used to determine differences in leakage performance. Numbers of laundry items and pads used were recorded to estimate costs, and skin health changes were recorded by the participant or by the researchers (Trial 2b). At the end of testing, participants were interviewed and ranked their preferences (with and without costs), stated the acceptability of each design (highly acceptable–totally unacceptable) and recorded their overall opinion on a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 0–100 points (worst design–best design). This VAS score was used with product costs to estimate cost-effectiveness. In addition, a timed pad changing exercise was conducted with 10 women from Trial 2b to determine any differences between product designs.Results: Results presented are for statistically and clinically significant findings.<br/

Bias spectroscopy and simultaneous SET charge state detection of Si:P double dots

We report a detailed study of low-temperature (mK) transport properties of a silicon double-dot system fabricated by phosphorous ion implantation. The device under study consists of two phosphorous nanoscale islands doped to above the metal-insulator transition, separated from each other and the source and drain reservoirs by nominally undoped (intrinsic) silicon tunnel barriers. Metallic control gates, together with an Al-AlOx single-electron transistor, were positioned on the substrate surface, capacitively coupled to the buried dots. The individual double-dot charge states were probed using source-drain bias spectroscopy combined with non-invasive SET charge sensing. The system was measured in linear (VSD = 0) and non-linear (VSD 0) regimes allowing calculations of the relevant capacitances. Simultaneous detection using both SET sensing and source-drain current measurements was demonstrated, providing a valuable combination for the analysis of the system. Evolution of the triple points with applied bias was observed using both charge and current sensing. Coulomb diamonds, showing the interplay between the Coulomb charging effects of the two dots, were measured using simultaneous detection and compared with numerical simulations.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure