We consider the problem of outliers in incomplete multivariate data when the aim is to estimate a measure of mean and covariance, as is the case, for example, in factor analysis. The ER algorithm of Little and Smith which combines the EM algorithm for missing data and a robust estimation step based on an M-estimator could be used in such a situation. However, the ER algorithm as originally proposed can fail to be robust in some cases, especially in high dimensions. We propose here two alternatives to avoid the problem. One is to combine a small modification of the ER algorithm with a so-called high-breakdown estimator as the starting point for the iterative procedure, and the other is to base the estimation step of the ER algorithm on a high-breakdown estimator. Among the high-breakdown estimators which are actually built to keep their robustness properties even if the number of variables is relatively large, we consider here the minimum covariance determinant estimator and the t-biweight S-estimator. Simulated and real data are used to compare and illustrate the different procedures.

While the competence of subordinates is considered desirable in the workplace, it may create challenges in managing people in organizations. This study examines why subordinates' competence triggers ostracism within the workplace based on social comparison theory and previous insecurity studies. Data from both managers (N=130) and their subordinates (N=231) provided findings which affirm that, first, some managers regard competent subordinates as potential challengers and thus develop a feeling of insecurity, which creates motivation for the ostracism of those competent subordinates. Second, those subordinates who feel ostracized by managers, may show less commitment towards their managers, feel less confident and engage in negative gossip about their managers. The implications of competence triggered ostracism for management include that competent subordinates require active management and development to avoid potentially damaging relationships between managers and subordinates emerging which would be detrimental to the organization.

Pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing has emerged as an effective strategy for informing drug selection and dosing. This has led to an increase in the use of PGx testing in the clinic and has catalyzed the emergence of a burgeoning commercial PGx testing industry. However, not all PGx tests are equivalent in their approach to translating testing results into prescribing recommendations, due to an absence of regulatory standards. As such, those generating and using PGx data require tools for ensuring the prescribing recommendations they are provided align with current peer-reviewed PGx-based prescribing guidelines developed by expert groups or approved product labels. Herein, we present Sequence2Script (sequence2script.com), a simple, free, and transparent web-based tool to assist in the efficient translation of PGx testing results into evidence-based prescribing recommendations. The tool was designed with a wide-range of user groups (e.g., healthcare providers, laboratory staff, researchers) in mind. The tool supports 97 gene-drug pairs with evidence-based prescribing guidelines, allows users to adjust recommendations for concomitant inhibitors and inducers, and generates a clinical report summarizing the patient’s genotype, inferred phenotype, phenoconverted phenotype (if applicable), and corresponding prescribing recommendations. In this paper, we describe each of the tool’s features, provide use case examples, and discuss limitations of and future development plans for the tool. Although we recognize that Sequecnce2Script may not meet the needs of every user, the hope is that this novel tool will facilitate more standardized use of PGx testing results and reduce barriers to implementing these results into practice.

Our perception of where touch occurs on our skin shapes our interactions with the world. Most accounts of cutaneous localisation emphasise spatial transformations from a skin-based reference frame into body-centred and external egocentric coordinates. We investigated another possible method of tactile localisation based on an intrinsic perception of 'skin space'. The arrangement of cutaneous receptive fields (RFs) could allow one to track a stimulus as it moves across the skin, similarly to the way animals navigate using path integration. We applied curved tactile motions to the hands of human volunteers. Participants identified the location midway between the start and end points of each motion path. Their bisection judgements were systematically biased towards the integrated motion path, consistent with the characteristic inward error that occurs in navigation by path integration. We thus showed that integration of continuous sensory inputs across several tactile RFs provides an intrinsic mechanism for spatial perception.