Considerations for age estimation accuracy: Method-derived outcomes and practitioner interpretations

Recent research observed 92% accuracy for age-at-death estimations by U.S. forensic anthropologists. The present study compares this case report level accuracy to method level accuracy for the most commonly used methods in U.S. casework, drawing from the Forensic Anthropology Database for Assessing Methods Accuracy (FADAMA). Method application rate (i.e., how often a method is used in casework) was analyzed for n = 641 cases and identified 15 methods with an application rate >45 cases, and the present study focused further analyses on these 15 methods. Of the 15, only four yielded accuracies greater than or equal to the 92% documented for case-report level accuracy. The other 11 methods produced accuracy rates ranging from 54% to 91%, with six of these below 70% This disconnect between highly accurate age estimations at the case report level compared to the poor performance at method level suggests that practitioner interpretation and synthesis of the methods' outcomes is a critical step for increasing the accuracy rates of the age estimations as reported on the final case report. This inference was further supported by the study's results which indicated that practitioner interpretations of frequently used method combinations improve accuracy and age range width of age estimation. The study also performed a Fisher's Exact test to assess whether case report-level accuracy differed with the number of aging methods used in a case, and found no significant differences.

Timelessness Strictly inside the Quantum Realm

Time is one of the undisputed foundations of our life in the real world. Here it is argued that inside small isolated quantum systems, time does not pass as we are used to, and it is primarily in this sense that quantum objects enjoy only limited reality. Quantum systems, which we know, are embedded in the everyday classical world. Their preparation as well as their measurement-phases leave durable records and traces in the entropy of the environment. The Landauer Principle then gives a quantitative threshold for irreversibility. With double slit experiments and tunneling as paradigmatic examples, it is proposed that a label of timelessness offers clues for rendering a Copenhagen-type interpretation of quantum physics more "realistic" and acceptable by providing a coarse but viable link from the fundamental quantum realm to the classical world which humans directly experience.

Countertransference responses mediate the relationship between patients' overall defense functioning and therapists' interventions

Objective: The aim of this work was to investigate the relationship between therapists' techniques (supportive/expressive intervention level - ESIL), therapists' countertransference (CT) and patients' defense level of functioning (ODF). We hypothesized that CT could play a mediating role in the relationship between patients' ODF and therapists' ESIL. Method: 65 psychotherapy sessions were rated by two different raters each with the Psychodynamic Interventions Rating Scale and the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale. Clinicians used the Therapist Response Questionnaire to provide information on their CT. The 65 sessions referred to 65 clinicians (25 = females, 40 = males; 38 = psychodynamic, 27 = cognitive). More than half of the patients (n = 40; 61.5%) had a diagnosis of personality disorder. Among clinical disorders the most frequent were mood (n = 12) and anxiety disorders (n = 11). Five patients had no diagnosis. Results: Four CT responses (parental; positive; criticized; overinvolved) completely mediated the relationship between patients' ODF and therapists' ESIL, while no effect resulted in relation to overwhelmed, helpless, sexualized and disengaged CTs. No effect of theoretical orientations on mediation pathways was found. Conclusion: Both positive and negative CT feelings seemed to play a crucial role in the relationship between therapists' interventions and patients' ODF.

Follow-Up on the Abnormal Laboratory Test Results with Automatic Interpretation

Failing to follow up on the abnormal test results can cause serious health problems to patients. We conducted a retrospective medical record review of 3200 randomly selected patients aged 18 to 76 in 14 state clinics and two private laboratory services querying the common regional patient registry. One patient could be included (1 clinical case) in the study only once. We invited patients to take part in the interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the motives to follow up or not after receiving a recommendation and explanation of the role of the automatically generated interpretation in this decision. A qualitative study of the patients' motivation was performed with a group of 689 patients. All the patients who received their interpretations showed a much higher follow-up rate (68% average) than the patients who did not receive interpretations (49 % average). The results of our research demonstrated that there is a significant impact on the patients' decision to follow up on the tests. Patients consider time factor as an important advantage of the computer interpretations and are willing to get automatic interpretations if they can receive it faster than the ones from their doctor (question 4: median =3 out of 7). Discussing the reasons behind the decision to follow up, the patients do trust the computerized clinical decision support systems (question 5: median = 5 out of 7), however, they prefer to receive interpretations and recommendations from doctors (question 3: median = 7).

Automatic Interpretation of Laboratory Tests and Its Influence on Follow-up

Failing to follow up on the abnormal test results can cause serious health problems to patients. We conducted a retrospective medical record review of 3200 randomly selected patients aged 18 to 76 in 14 state clinics and two private laboratory services querying the common regional patient registry. One patient could be included (1 clinical case) in the study only once. We invited patients to take part in the interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the motives to follow up or not after receiving a recommendation and explanation of the role of the automatically generated interpretation in this decision. A qualitative study of the patients' motivation was performed with a group of 689 patients. All the patients who received their interpretations showed a much higher follow-up rate (68% average) than the patients who did not receive interpretations (49 % average). The results of our research demonstrated that there is a significant impact on the patients' decision to follow up on the tests. Patients consider time factor as an important advantage of the computer interpretations and are willing to get automatic interpretations if they can receive it faster than the ones from their doctor (question 4: median =3 out of 7). Discussing the reasons behind the decision to follow up, the patients do trust the computerized clinical decision support systems (question 5: median = 5 out of 7), however, they prefer to receive interpretations and recommendations from doctors (question 3: median = 7).

How to write an Interpretation

Every day we interpret examination findings and clinical tests with the aim of coming to a diagnosis. But how well do we interpret these tests? Whether it is a traditional examination technique used by doctors for centuries or a new cutting edge biomarker, the diagnostic landscape shifts over time. The aim of interpretations is to produce a library of evidence-based resources directing the use of clinical tests including examination techniques. In this article we discuss how best to tackle writing an interpretation. Interpretations are succinct evidence-based summaries that draw together research findings to provide practical answers for clinicians.

Pterosaur dietary hypotheses: a review of ideas and approaches

Pterosaurs are an extinct group of Mesozoic flying reptiles, whose fossil record extends from approximately 210 to 66 million years ago. They were integral components of continental and marginal marine ecosystems, yet their diets remain poorly constrained. Numerous dietary hypotheses have been proposed for different pterosaur groups, including insectivory, piscivory, carnivory, durophagy, herbivory/frugivory, filter-feeding and generalism. These hypotheses, and subsequent interpretations of pterosaur diet, are supported by qualitative (content fossils, associations, ichnology, comparative anatomy) and/or quantitative (functional morphology, stable isotope analysis) evidence. Pterosaur dietary interpretations are scattered throughout the literature with little attention paid to the supporting evidence. Reaching a robustly supported consensus on pterosaur diets is important for understanding their dietary evolution, and their roles in Mesozoic ecosystems. A comprehensive examination of the pterosaur literature identified 314 dietary interpretations (dietary statement plus supporting evidence) from 126 published studies. Multiple alternative diets have been hypothesised for most principal taxonomic pterosaur groups. Some groups exhibit a high degree of consensus, supported by multiple lines of evidence, while others exhibit less consensus. Qualitative evidence supports 87.3% of dietary interpretations, with comparative anatomy most common (62.1% of total). More speciose groups of pterosaur tend to have a greater range of hypothesised diets. Consideration of dietary interpretations within alternative phylogenetic contexts reveals high levels of consensus between equivalent monofenestratan groups, and lower levels of consensus between equivalent non-monofenestratan groups. Evaluating the possible non-biological controls on apparent patterns of dietary diversity reveals that numbers of dietary interpretations through time exhibit no correlation with patterns of publication (number of peer-reviewed publications through time). 73.8% of dietary interpretations were published in the 21st century. Overall, consensus interpretations of pterosaur diets are better accounted for by non-biological signals, such as the impact of the respective quality of the fossil record of different pterosaur groups on research levels. That many interpretations are based on qualitative, often untestable lines of evidence adds significant noise to the data. More experiment-led pterosaur dietary research, with greater consideration of pterosaurs as organisms with independent evolutionary histories, will lead to more robust conclusions drawn from repeatable results. This will allow greater understanding of pterosaur dietary diversity, disparity and evolution and facilitate reconstructions of Mesozoic ecosystems.

Characterization of Two Deep Intronic Variants on the β-Globin Gene with Inconsistent Interpretations of Clinical Significance

Sequence variants located in the introns of the β-globin gene may affect the mRNA processing and cause β-thalassemia (β-thal). Sequence variants that change one of the invariant dinucleotides at the exon-intron boundaries may have fatal consequences for normal mRNA splicing. Intronic variants located far from obvious regulatory sequences can be more difficult to evaluate. There is a potential for misinterpretation of such sequence variants. Hence, thorough evaluation of patient data together with critical use of databases and in silico prediction tools are important. Here, we describe two rare sequence variants in the second intron of the β-globin gene, HBB: c.316-70C>G and HBB: c.316-125A>G (NM_000518.4), both previously reported as variants causing β-thal, and later as benign sequence variants. Due to the limited number of published cases and inconsistent interpretations, the significance of these sequence variants has been unclear. We have identified these two sequence variants in multiple individuals, alone and in a variety of combinations with other δ- and β-globin defects, and we find no influence of the sequence variants on the phenotype.

The Montevideo Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics: A Short Review

The Montevideo interpretation of quantum mechanics, which consists of supplementing environmental decoherence with fundamental limitations in measurement stemming from gravity, has been described in several publications. However, some of them appeared before the full picture provided by the interpretation was developed. As such, it can be difficult to get a good understanding via the published literature. Here, we summarize it in a self-contained brief presentation including all its principal elements.

Basic statistics with Microsoft Excel: a review

The scientific world is enriched daily with new knowledge, due to new technologies and continuous discoveries. The mathematical functions explain the statistical concepts particularly those of mean, median and mode along with those of frequency and frequency distribution associated to histograms and graphical representations, determining elaborative processes on the basis of the spreadsheet operations. The aim of the study is to highlight the mathematical basis of statistical models that regulate the operation of spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel.

Music processing similarities between sleeping newborns and alert adults: cause for celebration or concern?

[This corrects the article on p. 492 in vol. 4, PMID: 23966962.].

Research on the ecology of ticks and tick-borne pathogens--methodological principles and caveats

Interest in tick-transmitted pathogens has experienced an upsurge in the past few decades. Routine application of tools for the detection of fragments of foreign DNA in ticks, together with a high degree of interest in the quantification of disease risk for humans, has led to a marked increase in the number of reports on the eco-epidemiology of tick-borne diseases. However, procedural errors continue to accumulate in the scientific literature, resulting in misleading information. For example, unreliable identification of ticks and pathogens, erroneous interpretations of short-term field studies, and the hasty acceptance of some tick species as vectors have led to ambiguities regarding the vector role of these arthropods. In this review, we focus on the ecological features driving the life cycle of ticks and the resulting effects on the eco-epidemiology of tick-transmitted pathogens. We review the factors affecting field collections of ticks, and we describe the biologically and ecologically appropriate procedures for describing tick host-seeking activity and its correlation with environmental traits. We detail the climatic variables that have biological importance on ticks and explain how they should be properly measured and analyzed. We also provide evidence to critically reject the use of some environmental traits that are being increasingly reported as the drivers of the behavior of ticks. With the aim of standardization, we propose unambiguous definitions of the status of hosts and ticks regarding their ability to maintain and spread a given pathogen. We also describe laboratory procedures and standards for evaluating the vectorial capacity of a tick or the reservoir role of a host. This approach should provide a coherent framework for the reporting of research findings concerning ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Training interpretation biases among individuals with symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder

The current study tested the causal premise underlying cognitive models of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that negative interpretations of intrusive thoughts lead to the distress and impairment associated with symptoms of OCD. Specifically, we sought to determine: (a) whether it was possible to train healthier (defined as more benign/less threatening) interpretations regarding the significance of intrusive thoughts; and (b) whether there was a link between modifying negative interpretations and subsequent emotional vulnerability to an OC stressor. A nonclinical sample of students high in OC symptoms completed either a Positive (n = 50) or Neutral (n = 50) interpretation training procedure designed to alter OC-relevant interpretations and beliefs. As expected, participants in the Positive (versus Neutral) training condition endorsed healthier OC-relevant interpretations and beliefs following training. Additionally, when controlling for baseline affect, participants in the Positive (versus Neutral) training condition reported less negative affect during the OC-stressor task (at the level of a non-significant trend) and reported less desire to perform neutralizing activities. In general, results provide some support for cognitive models of obsessions and suggest that negative interpretations of intrusive thoughts may be causally related to symptoms of OCD.