A Flexible Object Invocation Language based on Object-Oriented Language Definition

PeerReviewe

Are sound abatement measures necessary in the cytology reading room? A study of auditory distraction

Objective Listening to music and other auditory material during microscopy work is common practice among cytologists. While many cytologists would claim several benefits of such activity, research in other fields suggests that it might adversely affect diagnostic performance. Using a cross-modal distraction paradigm, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of auditory stimulation on the visual interpretation of cell images. Methods Following initial training, 34 participants undertook cell interpretation tests under four auditory conditions (liked music, disliked music, speech and silence) in a counterbalanced repeated-measures study. Error rate, area under the ROC curve, criterion and response time were measured for each condition. Results There was no significant effect of auditory stimulation on the accuracy or speed with which cell images were interpreted, mirroring the results of a previous visual distraction study. Conclusions To the extent that the experiment reflects clinical practice, listening to music or other forms of auditory material whilst undertaking microscopy duties is an unlikely source of distraction in the cytopathology reading room. From a cognitive perspective the results are consistent with the notion that high focal-task engagement may have blocked any attentional capture the sound may otherwise have produced

Visual distraction in cytopathology: should we be concerned?

Visual distraction in cytopathology has not been previously investigated as a source of diagnostic error, presumably because the viewing field of a conventional light microscope is considered large enough to minimise interference from peripheral visual stimuli. Virtual microscopy, which involves the examination of digitised images of pathology specimens on computer screens, is beginning to challenge the central role of light microscopy as a diagnostic tool in cytopathology. The relatively narrow visual angle offered by virtual microscopy makes it conceivable that users of these systems are more vulnerable to visual interference. Using a variant of a visual distraction paradigm (the Eriksen flanker task), the aim of the study was to determine whether the accuracy and speed of interpreting cells on a central target screen is affected by images of cells and text displayed on neighbouring monitors under realistic reading room conditions

Primordia initiation of mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) strains on axenic casing materials

The mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) has a requirement for a ‘‘casing layer’’ that has specific physical, chemical and microbiological properties which stimulate and promote the initiation of primordia. Some of these primordia then may develop further into sporophores, involving differentiation of tissue. Wild and commercial strains of A. bisporus were cultured in axenic and nonaxenic microcosms, using a rye grain substrate covered by a range of organic and inorganic casing materials. In axenic culture, A. bisporus (commercial strain A15) was capable of producing primordia and mature sporophores on charcoal (wood and activated), anthracite coal, lignite and zeolite, but not on bark, coir, peat, rockwool, silica or vermiculite. Of six strains tested, only the developmental variant mutant, B430, produced rudimentary primordia on axenic peat-based casing material. However, none of these rudimentary primordia developed differentiated tissues or beyond 4 mm diameter, either on axenic casing material in the microcosms or in larger-scale culture. In larger-scale, nonaxenic culture, strain B430 produced severely malformed but mature sporophores in similar numbers to those of other strains. Typically, 3–6% of primordia developed into mature sporophores, but significant differences in this proportion, as well as in the numbers of primordia produced, were recorded between 12 A. bisporus strains

Densovirus induces winged morphs in asexual clones of the rosy apple aphid, Dysaphis plantaginea

Winged morphs of aphids are essential for their dispersal and survival. We discovered that the production of the winged morph in asexual clones of the rosy apple aphid, Dysaphis plantaginea, is dependent on their infection with a DNA virus, Dysaphis plantaginea densovirus (DplDNV). Virus-free clones of the rosy apple aphid, or clones infected singly with an RNA virus, rosy apple aphid virus (RAAV), did not produce the winged morph in response to crowding and poor plant quality. DplDNV infection results in a significant reduction in aphid reproduction rate, but such aphids can produce the winged morph, even at low insect density, which can fly and colonize neighboring plants. Aphids infected with DplDNV produce a proportion of virus-free aphids, which enables production of virus-free clonal lines after colonization of a new plant. Our data suggest that a mutualistic relationship exists between the rosy apple aphid and its viruses. Despite the negative impact of DplDNV on rosy apple aphid reproduction, this virus contributes to their survival by inducing wing development and promoting dispersal

The Language of Organizations: The Case of the Navy

Working Paper Serie

Review of Schendel and Hofer's Book Entitled Strategic Management: A New View of Business Policy and Planning

Working Paper Serie

Caries Experience among Adults Exposed to Low to Moderate Doses of Ionizing Radiation in Childhood – The Tinea Capitis Cohort

While the impact of therapeutic levels of ionizing radiation during childhood on dental defects has been documented, the possible effect of low doses on dental health is unknown. The study aims were to assess the association between childhood exposure to low-moderate doses of therapeutic radiation and caries experience among a cohort of adults 50 years following the exposure.The analysis was based on a sample of 253 irradiated (in the treatment of Tinea Capitis) and 162 non-irradiated subjects. The DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) index was assessed during a clinical dental examination and questions regarding dental care services utilization, oral hygiene behavior, current self-perceived mouth dryness, socio-demographic parameters and health behavior variables were obtained through a face to face interview.An ordered multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the association of the main independent variable (irradiation status) and other relevant independent variables on the increase in DMFT.Mean caries experience levels (DMFT) were 18.6+7.5 for irradiated subjects compared to 16.4+7.2 for the non-irradiated (p=0.002). Controlling for gender, age, education, income, smoking, dental visit in the last year and brushing teeth behavior, irradiation was associated with a 72% increased risk for higher DMFT level (95% CI 1.19-2.50). A quantification of the risk by dose absorbed in the salivary gland and in the thyroid gland showed adjusted ORs of 2.21 per 1Gy (95% CI 1.40-3.50) and 1.05 per 1cGy (95% CI 1.01-1.09), respectively.Childhood exposure to ionizing radiation (0.2-0.4Gy) might be associated with late outcomes of dental health. In line with the guidelines of the American Dental Association, these results call for caution when using dental radiographs