More Like this

1. Training the Future: Themes From a Content Analysis of Psychology Research Lab Manuals

   https://doi.org/10.1177/00986283241283057  

   Lilley, Malin_K ; Castellanos, Isabella ; Wicks, Anastacia ; Raya, Alena ; Weatherford, Dawn_R ; Huynh, Ho_Phi ( October 2024 , Teaching of Psychology)

   Lab manuals help researchers and students share a common understanding of the rules, guidelines, and expectations related to being involved with a research laboratory. However, no formal guidelines direct the creation of lab manuals in psychology.

   In this study, we conducted qualitative analyses of 10 psychology lab manuals to provide some broad guidelines for crafting a lab manual that would improve the research experience for undergraduate students.

   Taking an inductive approach, a team of researchers created codes from the contents of the manuals, and then derived themes from those codes.

   Themes included lab philosophy and direction, expectations and roles in the lab, communication inside and outside the lab, ethics, preparing for research, conducting research, presenting research, networking, and benefits of undergraduate research.

   We defined and provided specific examples of each theme for consideration by educators and discussed limitations of our approach.

   Ultimately, these themes could serve as a modest outline from which teacher-scholars can create their lab manuals from scratch or to revise/expand current manuals.

    

   more » « less
2. Salty, mild, and low plant biomass grasslands increase top‐heaviness of invertebrate trophic pyramids

   https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13119  

   Welti, Ellen A. R. ; Kuczynski, Lucie ; Marske, Katharine A. ; Sanders, Nathan J. ; de Beurs, Kirsten M. ; Kaspari, Michael ; Madin, ed., Elizabeth ( May 2020 , Global Ecology and Biogeography)

   Multiple hypotheses predict how gradients of nutrient availability, plant biomass, and temperature shape trophic pyramids. We aim to disentangle the simultaneous influence of those factors and their indirect effects on trophic structure and individual trophic levels.

   United States.

   2017.

   Invertebrates.

   To examine differences in trophic pyramid shape and abundance within trophic levels and across ecological gradients, we conducted 54 standardized surveys of invertebrate communities in North American grasslands. We tested for the direct and indirect effects of plant biomass, temperature, sodium (Na), other essential elements (e.g. N, P, and K), and toxic heavy metals, (e.g. Ar and Pb) in plant tissue on both individual trophic levels, and trophic pyramid shape, estimated as the community trophic mean (CTM).

   Plant sodium increased CTM, indicating that high plant sodium concentrations are associated with top‐heavy invertebrate trophic pyramids. Sites with higher plant biomass had higher proportions of herbivores compared to higher trophic levels. Finally, increasing temperature resulted in more top‐heavy trophic pyramids. Overall, plant biomass, temperature, and plant chemistry directly and indirectly affected the abundances within different trophic levels, highlighting the complexity of factors regulating trophic structure.

   Trophic structure of grassland invertebrate communities is strongly influenced by plant sodium, plant biomass, and to a lesser extent, temperature. Grasslands occupy 30% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface and are an imperiled ecosystem due to conversion to row crop agriculture. As biogeochemistry and temperature in the Anthropocene are increasingly modified, our results have considerable implications for the trophic structure of future grassland communities.

    

   more » « less
3. A global test of the cold‐climate hypothesis for the evolution of viviparity of squamate reptiles

   https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12730  

   Ma, Liang ; Buckley, Lauren B. ; Huey, Raymond B. ; Du, Wei‐Guo ( March 2018 , Global Ecology and Biogeography)

   The evolution of viviparity in squamate reptiles has attracted considerable scientific attention since the beginning of last century. The cold‐climate hypothesis posits that cold regions favor viviparity (and therefore the incidence of viviparous squamates is increased in these regions) because viviparous females can use thermoregulatory behavior to shorten embryonic developmental time and to reduce exposure of embryos to stressful temperatures. However, a rigorous global‐scale test of the impact of viviparity on the developmental time and viability of embryos is still absent. Recently developed biophysical models and climate databases enable us to conduct a mechanistic test of this hypothesis.

   Global.

   Summer.

   Squamata.

   We integrated global climate data, a biophysical model, and developmental functions to quantify the effects of temperature on embryo developmental time, developmental viability, and energy consumption of oviparous versus viviparous embryos. To examine the accuracy of our predictions, we calculated the percentage of squamate reptiles that were viviparous in each region and assessed developmental temperature of gravid females, latitude and elevation as predictors for the percentage of squamate reptiles.

   Compared with oviparous embryos, viviparous embryos develop faster in cold regions, and experience similar embryonic developmental viability. Across most latitudes and elevations, the total energetic cost of development is lower for viviparous embryos than for oviparous embryos. Cold regions contain a higher proportion of viviparous species than do hot regions. By comparing the distribution pattern of viviparity and temperature effects on embryonic development, we found that shortened development time provided the strongest benefit of viviparity.

   Our global and biophysical model based comparison generally supports the cold‐climate hypothesis. Moreover, viviparity in cold climates appears beneficial primarily by shortening developmental time.

    

   more » « less
4. Deep Learning‐Enabled Automated Quality Control for Liver MR Elastography: Initial Results

   https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.29490  

   Nieves‐Vazquez, Heriberto_A ; Ozkaya, Efe ; Meinhold, Waiman ; Geahchan, Amine ; Bane, Octavia ; Ueda, Jun ; Taouli, Bachir ( June 2024 , Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

   Several factors can impair image quality and reliability of liver magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), such as inadequate driver positioning, insufficient wave propagation and patient‐related factors.

   To report initial results on automatic classification of liver MRE image quality using various deep learning (DL) architectures.

   Retrospective, single center, IRB‐approved human study.

   Ninety patients (male = 51, mean age 52.8 ± 14.1 years).

   1.5 Tand3 T MRI,2D GRE,and2D SE‐EPI.

   The curated dataset was comprised of 914 slices obtained from 149 MRE exams in 90 patients. Two independent observers examined the confidence map overlaid elastograms (CMOEs) for liver stiffness measurement and assigned a quality score (non‐diagnostic vs. diagnostic) for each slice. Several DL architectures (ResNet18, ResNet34, ResNet50, SqueezeNet, and MobileNetV2) for binary quality classification of individual CMOE slice inputs were evaluated, using an 8‐fold stratified cross‐validation (800 slices) and a test dataset (114 slices). A majority vote ensemble combining the models' predictions of the highest‐performing architecture was evaluated.

   The inter‐observer agreement and the agreement between DL models and one observer were assessed using Cohen's unweighted Kappa coefficient. Accuracy, precision, and recall of the cross‐validation and the ensemble were calculated for the test dataset.

   The average accuracy across the eight models trained using each architecture ranged from 0.692 to 0.851 for the test dataset. The ensemble of the best performing architecture (SqueezeNet) yielded an accuracy of 0.921. The inter‐observer agreement was excellent (Kappa 0.896 [95% CI 0.845–0.947]). The agreement between observer 1 and the predictions of each SqueezeNet model was slight to almost perfect (Kappa range: 0.197–0.831) and almost perfect for the ensemble (Kappa: 0.833).

   Our initial study demonstrates an automated DL‐based approach for classifying liver 2D MRE diagnostic quality with an average accuracy of 0.851 (range 0.675–0.921) across the SqueezeNet models.

   4

   Stage 1

    

   more » « less
5. Robotic‐assisted laparoscopic versus abdominal and laparoscopic myomectomy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

   https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.15485  

   Chen, Weiqi ; Ma, Jun ; Yang, Zhao ; Han, Xiao ; Hu, Chenyang ; Wang, Huai ; Peng, Ying ; Zhang, Lei ; Jiang, Bin ( April 2024 , International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics)

   Myomectomy is the preferred treatment for women with uterine fibroids and fertility requirements. There are three modalities are used in clinical practice for myomectomy: abdominal myomectomy (AM), laparoscopic myomectomy (LM), and robot‐assisted laparoscopic myomectomy (RLM).

   To compare the perioperative and postoperative outcomes of RLM, AM, and LM.

   We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Clinical Trials for relevant literature published between January 2000 and January 2023.

   We included all studies reporting peri‐ and postoperative outcomes of myomectomy in patients with uterine myomas. Surgical treatments were classified as RLM, LM, or AM.

   Two or more authors selected studies independently, assessed risk of bias, and extracted data. We derived mean difference (MD) or odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each outcome, subgrouping trials by the patient characteristics and myoma characteristics. We used theI²statistic to quantify heterogeneity and the random‐effects model for meta‐analysis when appropriate. We used the funnel plot to assess the publication bias.

   A total of 32 studies with 6357 patients were included, of which 1982 women had undergone RLM. The operating time was significantly longer (MD = 43.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 25.22–61.93,P < 0.001), and the incidence of cesarean section after myomectomy was significantly lower (OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.10–0.78,P = 0.02) in RLM than in LM. Compared with AM, the operation time, blood loss, blood transfusion rate, complication rate, total cost, length of hospital stay, and pregnancy rate of patients with RLM were significantly different.

   The safety and effectiveness of RLM are superior to those of AM but inferior to those of LM.

    

   more » « less