Collective expression: how robotic swarms convey information with group motion

AbstractWhen faced with the need of implementing a decentralized behavior for a group of collaborating robots, strategies inspired from swarm intelligence often avoid considering the human operator, granting the swarm with full autonomy. However, field missions require at least to share the output of the swarm to the operator. Unfortunately, little is known about the users’ perception of group behavior and dynamics, and there is no clear optimal interaction modality for swarms. In this paper, we focus on the movement of the swarm to convey information to a user: we believe that the interpretation of artificial states based on groups motion can lead to promising natural interaction modalities. We implement a grammar of decentralized control algorithms to explore their expressivity. We define the expressivity of a movement as a metric to measure how natural, readable, or easily understandable it may appear. We then correlate expressivity with the control parameters for the distributed behavior of the swarm. A first user study confirms the relationship between inter-robot distance, temporal and spatial synchronicity, and the perceived expressivity of the robotic system. We follow up with a small group of users tasked with the design of expressive motion sequences to convey internal states using our grammar of algorithms. We comment on their design choices and we assess the interpretation performance by a larger group of users. We show that some of the internal states were perceived as designed and discuss the parameters influencing the performance.

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Relationship between Thyroglobulin and Tumor Detectabilily with Thallium-201 in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

Nuklearmedizin ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1632238 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 39 (01) ◽

pp. 10-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. P. Müller ◽

Ch. Reiners ◽

A. Bockisch ◽

Katja Brandt-Mainz

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Cancer ◽

Differentiated Thyroid Cancer ◽

Roc Analysis ◽

Tsh Suppression ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Test Specificity ◽

The Relationship ◽

Tumor Scintigraphy ◽

Tsh Stimulation

Summary Aim: Tumor scintigraphy with 201-TICI is an established diagnostic method in the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer. We investigated the relationship between thyroglobulin (Tg) level and tumor detectability. Subject and methods: We analyzed the scans of 122 patients (66 patients with proven tumor). The patient population was divided into groups with Tg above (N = 33) and below (N = 33) 5 ng/ml under TSH suppression or above (N = 33) and below (N = 33) 50 ng/ml under TSH stimulation. Tumor detectability was compared by ROC-analysis (True-Positive-Fraction test, specificity 90%). Results: There was no significant difference (sensitivity 75% versus 64%; p = 0.55) for patients above and below 5 ng/ml under TSH suppression and a just significant difference (sensitivity 80% versus 58%; p = 0.04) for patients above and below 50 ng/ml under TSH stimulation. In 18 patients from our sample with tumor, Tg under TSH suppression was negative, but 201-TICI-scan was able to detect tumor in 12 patients. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate only a moderate dependence of tumor detectability on Tg level, probably without significant clinical relevance. Even in patients with slight Tg elevation 201-TICI scintigraphy is justified.

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A Decade of Disparities in Diabetes Technology Use and HbA1c in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: A Trans-Atlantic Comparison

10.2337/figshare.12808301 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ananta Addala ◽

Marie Auzanneau ◽

Kellee Miller ◽

Werner Maier ◽

Nicole Foster ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 1 Diabetes ◽

Technology Use ◽

Hemoglobin A1c ◽

Diabetes Technology ◽

Design And Methods ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: As diabetes technology use in youth increases worldwide, inequalities in access may exacerbate disparities in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). We hypothesized an increasing gap in diabetes technology use by socioeconomic status (SES) would be associated with increased HbA1c disparities. Research Design and Methods: Participants aged <18 years with diabetes duration ≥1 year in the Type 1 Diabetes Exchange (T1DX, US, n=16,457) and Diabetes Prospective Follow-up (DPV, Germany, n=39,836) registries were categorized into lowest (Q1) to highest (Q5) SES quintiles. Multiple regression analyses compared the relationship of SES quintiles with diabetes technology use and HbA1c from 2010-2012 and 2016-2018. Results: HbA1c was higher in participants with lower SES (in 2010-2012 & 2016-2018, respectively: 8.0% & 7.8% in Q1 and 7.6% & 7.5% in Q5 for DPV; and 9.0% & 9.3% in Q1 and 7.8% & 8.0% in Q5 for T1DX). For DPV, the association between SES and HbA1c did not change between the two time periods, whereas for T1DX, disparities in HbA1c by SES increased significantly (p<0.001). After adjusting for technology use, results for DPV did not change whereas the increase in T1DX was no longer significant. Conclusions: Although causal conclusions cannot be drawn, diabetes technology use is lowest and HbA1c is highest in those of the lowest SES quintile in the T1DX and this difference for HbA1c broadened in the last decade. Associations of SES with technology use and HbA1c were weaker in the DPV registry.

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External Investigators' Follow-Up Intentions When Whistleblowers Report Healthcare Fraud: The Effects of Report Anonymity and Previous Confrontation

Behavioral Research in Accounting ◽

10.2308/bria-19-042 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 91-101

Author(s):

Steven E. Kaplan ◽

Danny Lanier ◽

Kelly R. Pope ◽

Janet A. Samuels

Keyword(s):

Experimental Study ◽

Early Detection ◽

Data Availability ◽

Medical Provider ◽

Perceived Credibility ◽

The Relationship ◽

Critical Investigation

ABSTRACT Whistleblowing reports, if properly investigated, facilitate the early detection of fraud. Although critical, investigation-related decisions represent a relatively underexplored component of the whistleblowing process. Investigators are responsible for initially deciding whether to follow-up on reports alleging fraud. We report the results of an experimental study examining the follow-up intentions of highly experienced healthcare investigators. Participants, in the role of an insurance investigator, are asked to review a whistleblowing report alleging billing fraud occurring at a medical provider. Thus, participants are serving as external investigators. In a between-participant design, we manipulate the report type and whether the caller previously confronted the wrongdoer. We find that compared to an anonymous report, a non-anonymous report is perceived as more credible and follow-up intentions stronger. We also find that perceived credibility fully mediates the relationship between report type and follow-up intentions. Previous confrontation is not significantly associated with either perceived credibility or follow-up intentions. Data Availability: Data are available upon request.

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Humans and the Environment

10.1093/oso/9780199590292.001.0001 ◽

2013 ◽

Keyword(s):

Spatial Scales ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Human Action ◽

Cultural Practice ◽

Environmental Archaeology ◽

Archaeological Data ◽

Temporal And Spatial ◽

Global And Local ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Way

The environment has always been a central concept for archaeologists and, although it has been conceived in many ways, its role in archaeological explanation has fluctuated from a mere backdrop to human action, to a primary factor in the understanding of society and social change. Archaeology also has a unique position as its base of interest places it temporally between geological and ethnographic timescales, spatially between global and local dimensions, and epistemologically between empirical studies of environmental change and more heuristic studies of cultural practice. Drawing on data from across the globe at a variety of temporal and spatial scales, this volume resituates the way in which archaeologists use and apply the concept of the environment. Each chapter critically explores the potential for archaeological data and practice to contribute to modern environmental issues, including problems of climate change and environmental degradation. Overall the volume covers four basic themes: archaeological approaches to the way in which both scientists and locals conceive of the relationship between humans and their environment, applied environmental archaeology, the archaeology of disaster, and new interdisciplinary directions.The volume will be of interest to students and established archaeologists, as well as practitioners from a range of applied disciplines.

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Characteristics of Different Types of Childhood Violence and the Risk of Revictimization

Violence Against Women ◽

10.1177/1077801218818381 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (14) ◽

pp. 1696-1716 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ida Frugaard Stroem ◽

Helene Flood Aakvaag ◽

Tore Wentzel-Larsen

Keyword(s):

Childhood Abuse ◽

Telephone Survey ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Multiple Forms ◽

Different Types ◽

Children And Young Adults ◽

Childhood Violence ◽

Forms Of Violence ◽

The Relationship

This study investigates the relationship between the characteristics of different types of childhood violence and adult victimization using two waves of data from a community telephone survey (T1) and a follow-up survey, including 505 cases and 506 controls, aged 17-35 years (T2). The logistic regression analyses showed that exposure to childhood abuse, regardless of type, was associated with adult victimization. Exposure to multiple types of abuse, victimization both in childhood and in young adulthood, and recency of abuse increased these odds. Our findings emphasize the importance of assessing multiple forms of violence when studying revictimization. Practitioners working with children and young adults should be attentive to the number of victimization types experienced and recent victimization to prevent further abuse.

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Clinical Evaluation of the Variables associated with Treatment Acceptability and Their Relation to Compliance

Behavioral Disorders ◽

10.1177/019874299201800108 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 67-76 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Thomas M. Reimers ◽

David P. Wacker ◽

Linda J. Cooper ◽

Agnes O. Deraad

Keyword(s):

Behavior Problem ◽

Behavior Management ◽

Positive Reinforcement ◽

Treatment Acceptability ◽

Clinic Visit ◽

Future Research ◽

Parental Ratings ◽

Problem Severity ◽

The Relationship

The authors examined the acceptability ratings of positive reinforcement procedures recommended to parents seen in a pediatric behavior management outpatient clinic. Parental ratings of acceptability were obtained in the clinic and 1, 3, and 6 months following their initial clinic visit. Acceptability variables were examined by group (parents who rated the acceptability of treatments as high vs. low) and by severity (parents who rated their children's behavior problem as severe vs. mild). The relationship between these variables and reported compliance was also examined. Results show that the acceptability variables were useful in differentiating between parents who rated treatments to be more acceptable and parents who rated treatments to be less acceptable. Differences were also observed as a function of behavior problem severity. Significant correlations occurred between acceptability variables and compliance at each of the follow-up points. Results are discussed in relation to the clinical significance of these findings and the impetus they might serve for future research.

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Comparative evaluation of WIMP and immersive natural finger interaction: a user study on CAD assembly modeling

Virtual Reality ◽

10.1007/s10055-021-00543-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marius Fechter ◽

Benjamin Schleich ◽

Sandro Wartzack

Keyword(s):

User Interfaces ◽

User Study ◽

Spatial Location ◽

Ease Of Use ◽

Natural Interaction ◽

Assembly Modeling ◽

3D Space ◽

Computer Mouse ◽

Study Results ◽

Assembly Procedure

AbstractVirtual and augmented reality allows the utilization of natural user interfaces, such as realistic finger interaction, even for purposes that were previously dominated by the WIMP paradigm. This new form of interaction is particularly suitable for applications involving manipulation tasks in 3D space, such as CAD assembly modeling. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the suitability of natural interaction for CAD assembly modeling in virtual reality. An advantage of the natural interaction compared to the conventional operation by computer mouse would indicate development potential for user interfaces of current CAD applications. Our approach bases on two main elements. Firstly, a novel natural user interface for realistic finger interaction enables the user to interact with virtual objects similar to physical ones. Secondly, an algorithm automatically detects constraints between CAD components based solely on their geometry and spatial location. In order to prove the usability of the natural CAD assembly modeling approach in comparison with the assembly procedure in current WIMP operated CAD software, we present a comparative user study. Results show that the VR method including natural finger interaction significantly outperforms the desktop-based CAD application in terms of efficiency and ease of use.

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Acute Dental Periapical Abscess and New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation: A Nationwide, Population-Based Cohort Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10132927 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (13) ◽

pp. 2927

Author(s):

Amaar Obaid Hassan ◽

Gregory Y. H. Lip ◽

Arnaud Bisson ◽

Julien Herbert ◽

Alexandre Bodin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

National Database ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Periapical Abscess ◽

The Relationship ◽

Onset Atrial Fibrillation ◽

New Onset

There are limited data on the relationship of acute dental infections with hospitalisation and new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aimed to assess the relationship between acute periapical abscess and incident AF. This was a retrospective cohort study from a French national database of patients hospitalized in 2013 (3.4 million patients) with at least five years of follow up. In total, 3,056,291 adults (55.1% female) required hospital admission in French hospitals in 2013 while not having a history of AF. Of 4693 patients classified as having dental periapical abscess, 435 (9.27%) developed AF, compared to 326,241 (10.69%) without dental periapical abscess that developed AF over a mean follow-up of 4.8 ± 1.7 years. Multivariable analysis indicated that dental periapical abscess acted as an independent predictor for new onset AF (p < 0.01). The CHA2DS2VASc score in patients with acute dental periapical abscess had moderate predictive value for development of AF, with Area Under the Curve (AUC) 0.73 (95% CI, 0.71–0.76). An increased risk of new onset AF was identified for individuals hospitalized with dental periapical abscess. Careful follow up of patients with severe, acute dental periapical infections is needed for incident AF, as well as investigations of possible mechanisms linking these conditions.

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The Relationship between Serum Ferritin Levels and 5-Year All-Cause Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients

Blood Purification ◽

10.1159/000515639 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Emre Erdem ◽

Ahmet Karatas ◽

Tevfik Ecder

Keyword(s):

Serum Ferritin ◽

Hemodialysis Patients ◽

Rank Test ◽

Significant Difference ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2 ◽

The Relationship ◽

Group 1

Introduction: The effect of high serum ferritin levels on long-term mortality in hemodialysis patients is unknown. The relationship between serum ferritin levels and 5-year all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients was investigated in this study. Methods: A total of 173 prevalent hemodialysis patients were included in this study. The patients were followed for up to 5 years and divided into 3 groups according to time-averaged serum ferritin levels (group 1: serum ferritin <800 ng/mL, group 2: serum ferritin 800–1,500 ng/mL, and group 3: serum ferritin >1,500 ng/mL). Along with the serum ferritin levels, other clinical and laboratory variables that may affect mortality were also included in the Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis. Results: Eighty-one (47%) patients died during the 5-year follow-up period. The median follow-up time was 38 (17.5–60) months. The 5-year survival rates of groups 1, 2, and 3 were 44, 64, and 27%, respectively. In group 3, the survival was lower than in groups 1 and 2 (log-rank test, p = 0.002). In group 1, the mortality was significantly lower than in group 3 (HR [95% CI]: 0.16 [0.05–0.49]; p = 0.001). In group 2, the mortality was also lower than in group 3 (HR [95% CI]: 0.32 [0.12–0.88]; p = 0.026). No significant difference in mortality between groups 1 and 2 was found (HR [95% CI]: 0.49 [0.23–1.04]; p = 0.063). Conclusion: Time-averaged serum ferritin levels >1,500 ng/mL in hemodialysis patients are associated with an increased 5-year all-cause mortality risk.

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Elevated plasma growth and differentiation factor 15 predicts incident anemia in older adults aged 60 years and older

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glaa324 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yuko Yamaguchi ◽

Marta Zampino ◽

Toshiko Tanaka ◽

Stefania Bandinelli ◽

Yusuke Osawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Differentiation Factor ◽

Hazards Model ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background Anemia is common in older adults and associated with greater morbidity and mortality. The causes of anemia in older adults have not been completely characterized. Although elevated circulating growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) has been associated with anemia in older adults, it is not known whether elevated GDF-15 predicts the development of anemia. Methods We examined the relationship between plasma GDF-15 concentrations at baseline in 708 non-anemic adults, aged 60 years and older, with incident anemia during 15 years of follow-up among participants in the Invecchiare in Chianti (InCHIANTI) Study. Results During follow-up, 179 (25.3%) participants developed anemia. The proportion of participants who developed anemia from the lowest to highest quartile of plasma GDF-15 was 12.9%, 20.1%, 21.2%, and 45.8%, respectively. Adults in the highest quartile of plasma GDF-15 had an increased risk of developing anemia (Hazards Ratio 1.15, 95% Confidence Interval 1.09, 1.21, P<.0001) compared to those in the lower three quartiles in a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for age, sex, serum iron, soluble transferrin receptor, ferritin, vitamin B12, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. Conclusions Circulating GDF-15 is an independent predictor for the development of anemia in older adults.

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