A majority of trauma-related deep venous thromboses resolve prior to discharge.

Post-traumatic DVTs present unique challenges in patient populations with specific high-risk injury patterns. Duplex ultrasound (US) can be used to assess evolution of DVTs and may guide treatment for high-risk patients. We hypothesized that many DVTs resolve during the initial admission. Weekly duplex US are ordered on all trauma inpatients regardless of prior DVT at our facility. We reviewed US and outcomes data on all patients with lower extremity DVTs at our Level I trauma center from January 2012-December 2021. 392 patients were diagnosed with lower extremity DVT by US. 261 (67%) patients received follow-up US with a mean time to repeat US of 6 days. Of these, 91 (35%) patients experienced DVT resolution prior to the first follow-up US, and 141 (54%) patients experienced resolution prior to discharge. Mean time to resolution was 10 days. Over 50% of DVTs resolve before discharge and are detected by US. Further studies and post-discharge follow-up are needed to determine if patients with resolved DVTs can be managed without therapeutic anticoagulation.

Redefining Science: The Impact of Complexity on Theory Development in Social and Behavioral Research.

Disciplinary differences in the development of scientific generalizations and explanations are reviewed in this article. The social and behavioral sciences have identified fewer laws, established fewer "paradigms," and developed "worse" theories than the physical sciences. We argue that the variability in the theoretical attainments of disciplines is due primarily to differences in the complexity of the topics studied. Accounts suggesting that differences in the maturity of disciplines are responsible for the variability are dismissed. In the study of complex phenomena, there is an extreme trade-off between generality and precision in which basic theories do not make the precise predictions needed for the development of applications and in which applied models are lacking in generality. The examination of proximal determinants and the generation of context-specific mathematical models are essential for prediction and application in complex disciplines. The impossibility of developing exacting theories of complex phenomena suggests that we need to redefine our conceptions of "good" and "bad" theories and "real" and "fake" science.

Linear-response reflection coefficient of the recorder air-jet amplifier.

In a duct-flute such as the recorder, steady-state oscillations are controlled by two parameters, the blowing pressure and the frequency of the acoustic resonator. As in most feedback oscillators, the oscillation amplitude is determined by gain-saturation of the amplifier, and thus it cannot be controlled independently of blowing pressure and frequency unless the feedback loop is opened. In this work, the loop is opened by replacing the recorder body with a waveguide reflectometer: a section of transmission line with microphones, a signal source, and an absorbing termination. When the mean flow from the air-jet into the transmission line is not blocked, the air-jet amplifier is unstable to edge-tone oscillations through a feedback path that does not involve the acoustic resonator. When it is blocked, the air-jet is deflected somewhat outward and the system becomes stable. It is then possible to measure the reflection coefficient of the air-jet amplifier versus blowing pressure and acoustic frequency under linear response conditions, avoiding the complication of gain-saturation. The results provide a revealing test of flute drive models under the simplest conditions and with few unknown parameters. The strengths and weaknesses of flute drive models are discussed.

Third nature: the co-evolution of human behavior, culture, and technology.

Within a dynamical-systems framework, human behavior is seen as emergent from broad evolutionary processes associated with three basic forms of nature. First nature, matter, emerged from the big bang some 12-15 billion years ago; second nature, life, from the first bacteria up to 4 billion years ago; third nature, ideology and cultural artifacts (e.g., institutions and technology), with a shift to self-reflective, symbolic thought and agrarianism in humans some 8-40 thousand years ago. The co-evolution of these three natures has dramatically altered human behavior and its relationship to the whole planet. Third nature has infused human minds with several powerful ideas, or memes, including the idea of progress. These ideas have fueled the evolution of a complex institutional order (e.g., political systems and technology) and myriad attendant global problems (e.g., wars and environmental degradation). The human brain/mind is seen as the primary medium by which third nature governs human behavior and, therefore, self perpetuates.

Cell phone-induced failures of visual attention during simulated driving.

This research examined the effects of hands-free cell phone conversations on simulated driving. The authors found that these conversations impaired driver's reactions to vehicles braking in front of them. The authors assessed whether this impairment could be attributed to a withdrawal of attention from the visual scene, yielding a form of inattention blindness. Cell phone conversations impaired explicit recognition memory for roadside billboards. Eye-tracking data indicated that this was due to reduced attention to foveal information. This interpretation was bolstered by data showing that cell phone conversations impaired implicit perceptual memory for items presented at fixation. The data suggest that the impairment of driving performance produced by cell phone conversations is mediated, at least in part, by reduced attention to visual inputs.