Showing papers by "Paul Morris published in 2015"
TL;DR: Virtual fractional flow reserve has emerged as an attractive alternative to invasive FFR by delivering physiological assessment without the factors that limit the invasive technique, and is likely to become a desirable tool in the functional assessment of coronary artery disease.
Abstract: Fractional flow reserve (FFR) is the “gold standard” for assessing the physiological significance of coronary artery disease during invasive coronary angiography. FFR-guided percutaneous coronary intervention improves patient outcomes and reduces stent insertion and cost; yet, due to several practical and operator related factors, it is used in <10% of percutaneous coronary intervention procedures. Virtual fractional flow reserve (vFFR) is computed using coronary imaging and computational fluid dynamics modeling. vFFR has emerged as an attractive alternative to invasive FFR by delivering physiological assessment without the factors that limit the invasive technique. vFFR may offer further diagnostic and planning benefits, including virtual pullback and virtual stenting facilities. However, there are key challenges that need to be overcome before vFFR can be translated into routine clinical practice. These span a spectrum of scientific, logistic, commercial, and political areas. The method used to generate 3-dimensional geometric arterial models (segmentation) and selection of appropriate, patient-specific boundary conditions represent the primary scientific limitations. Many conflicting priorities and design features must be carefully considered for vFFR models to be sufficiently accurate, fast, and intuitive for physicians to use. Consistency is needed in how accuracy is defined and reported. Furthermore, appropriate regulatory and industry standards need to be in place, and cohesive approaches to intellectual property management, reimbursement, and clinician training are required. Assuming successful development continues in these key areas, vFFR is likely to become a desirable tool in the functional assessment of coronary artery disease.
94 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined weight gain in a stressful environment (i.e., following compulsory enrollment in the Greek army) and found that higher levels of mindfulness and self-compassion would relate negatively to weight gain, whilst negative automatic thoughts and intolerance of uncertainty would positively relate to the weight gain.
Abstract: The present study examined weight gain in a stressful environment (i.e., following compulsory enrollment in the Greek army). It was predicted that higher levels of mindfulness and self-compassion would relate negatively to weight gain, whilst negative automatic thoughts and intolerance of uncertainty would positively relate to weight gain. This research also explored the strength of independent variables when predicting weight gain, plus the additional contribution of self-compassion when controlling for the effect of mindfulness on weight gain. Ninety-seven military recruits completed the psychological scales on the first day of enrollment. Their height and weight were measured at baseline and after 5 weeks to record weight gain. Results revealed that 43 participants gained weight, whilst 54 lost weight. Those who lost weight reported significantly higher scores in mindfulness and self-compassion, whereas those who gained weight reported significantly higher scores in negative automatic thoughts and intolerance of uncertainty. Furthermore, negative automatic thoughts and intolerance of uncertainty did not significantly predict weight gain, after mindfulness and self-compassion were taken into account. Also, self-compassion uniquely contributed to the negative prediction of weight gain, once mindfulness was taken into account. This research concluded that negative cognition may play a role in weight gain; however, mindfulness and self-compassion may be more useful traits in predicting weight gain, given that once they are taken into account, negative cognition stop being significant predictors.
67 citations
TL;DR: The findings suggest that low-level auditory discrimination ability varies widely within ASD and this variability relates to IQ level, and influences the severity of restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRBs).
Abstract: Current views suggest that autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterised by enhanced low-level auditory discrimination abilities. Little is known, however, about whether enhanced abilities are universal in ASD and how they relate to symptomatology. We tested auditory discrimination for intensity, frequency and duration in 21 adults with ASD and 21 IQ and age-matched controls. Contrary to predictions, there were significant deficits in ASD on all acoustic parameters. The findings suggest that low-level auditory discrimination ability varies widely within ASD and this variability relates to IQ level, and influences the severity of restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRBs). We suggest that it is essential to further our understanding of the potential contributing role of sensory perception ability on the emergence of RRBs.
63 citations
TL;DR: Although Gibson continues to figure in most of the textbooks, his work is routinely assimilated to theoretical positions he emphatically rejected: cue theory, stimulus-response psychology, and nativism.
Abstract: We examine how the textbooks have dealt with one of psychology's most eminent dissidents, James Gibson (1904-1979). Our review of more than a hundred textbooks, dating from the 1950s to the present, reveals fundamental and systematic misrepresentations of Gibson. Although Gibson continues to figure in most of the textbooks, his work is routinely assimilated to theoretical positions he emphatically rejected: cue theory, stimulus-response psychology, and nativism. As Gibson's one-time colleague, Ulric Neisser, pointed out, psychologists are especially prone to trying to understand new proposals "by mapping it on to some existing scheme," and warned that when "an idea is really new, that strategy fails" (Neisser, 1990, p. 749). The "Textbook Gibson" is an example of such a failure, and perhaps also of the more general importance of assimilation-"shadow history"-within the actual history of psychology.
27 citations
TL;DR: Cloned 22 full-length pectate lyase (PcPL) genes from a highly aggressive strain of Phytophthora capsici SD33 revealed that 12 PcPL genes were found to be highly induced during infection of pepper by SD33 but the induction level was twofold less in a mildly aggressive strain, YN07.
Abstract: Pectate lyases (PL) play a critical role in pectin degradation. PL have been extensively studied in major bacterial and fungal pathogens of a wide range of plant species. However, the contribution ...
21 citations
TL;DR: For example, this article examined 90 UK police officers' perceptions of characteristics of interviews with suspects of rape and murder involving child and adult victims and found that they would become more emotionally involved in cases involving children, and they would show more empathy in murder cases than rape cases.
Abstract: This paper examines 90 UK police officers’ perceptions of characteristics of interviews with suspects of rape and murder involving child and adult victims. Officers rated their beliefs about how stressful they would find such interviews, the importance of confessions, their likely emotional involvement and how much empathy they would show towards the suspect. Murder cases were reported to be more stressful than rape, and confessions were deemed to be less important for respondents compared to ‘other’ officers. Officers reported that they would become more emotionally involved in cases involving children, and they would show more empathy in murder cases than rape cases. Officers were unable to provide clear and unambiguous definitions of ‘empathy’ or ‘sympathy’.
14 citations
31 Aug 2015
TL;DR: The most current step in the continuing development of such a system is the addition of a Failure Response Advisor, which will begin to approach the complex reasoning that is generally required for an optimal approach to automated system health management.
Abstract: The major goal of current space system development at NASA is to enable human travel to deep space locations such as Mars and asteroids. At that distance, round trip communication with ground operators may take close to an hour, thus it becomes unfeasible to seek ground operator advice for problems that require immediate attention, either for crew safety or for activities that need to be performed at specific times for the attainment of scientific results. To achieve this goal, major reliance will need to be placed on automation systems capable of aiding the crew in detecting and diagnosing failures, assessing consequences of these failures, and providing guidance in repair activities that may be required. We report here on the most current step in the continuing development of such a system, and that is the addition of a Failure Response Advisor. In simple terms, we have a system in place the Advanced Caution and Warning System (ACAWS) to tell us what happened (failure diagnosis) and what happened because that happened (failure effects). The Failure Response Advisor will tell us what to do about it, how long until something must be done and why its important that something be done and will begin to approach the complex reasoning that is generally required for an optimal approach to automated system health management. This advice is based on the criticality and various timing elements, such as durations of activities and of component repairs, failure effects delay, and other factors. The failure advice is provided to operators (crew and mission controllers) together with the diagnostic and effects information. The operators also have the option to drill down for more information about the failure and the reasons for any suggested priorities.