Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dictionary construction and identification of possible adverse drug events in Danish clinical narrative text

Objective Drugs have tremendous potential to cure and relieve disease, but the risk of unintended effects is always present. Healthcare providers increasingly record data in electronic patient records (EPRs), in which we aim to identify possible adverse events (AEs) and, specifically, possible adverse drug events (ADEs). Materials and methods Based on the undesirable effects section from the summary of product characteristics (SPC) of 7446 drugs, we have built a Danish ADE dictionary. Starting from this dictionary we have developed a pipeline for identifying possible ADEs in unstructured clinical narrative text. We use a named entity recognition (NER) tagger to identify dictionary matches in the text and post-coordination rules to construct ADE compound terms. Finally, we apply post-processing rules and filters to handle, for example, negations and sentences about subjects other than the patient. Moreover, this method allows synonyms to be identified and anatomical location descriptions can be merged to allow appropriate grouping of effects in the same location. Results The method identified 1 970 731 (35 477 unique) possible ADEs in a large corpus of 6011 psychiatric hospital patient records. Validation was performed through manual inspection of possible ADEs, resulting in precision of 89% and recall of 75%. Discussion The presented dictionary-building method could be used to construct other ADE dictionaries. The complication of compound words in Germanic languages was addressed. Additionally, the synonym and anatomical location collapse improve the method. Conclusions The developed dictionary and method can be used to identify possible ADEs in Danish clinical narratives.
Processing Costs of Semantic and Episodic Retrieval in Younger and Older Adults

We examined the hypothesis that reduced processing resources may be responsible for declining memory with age. Younger and older adults performed semantic and episodic memory retrieval tasks both alone and while simultaneously performing a continuous reaction time (CRT) task. We sought to equate the memory performance of the two age groups. After controlling for baseline performance on the CRT task through a regression procedure, age did not affect either semantic or episodic retrieval processing costs. There is general slowing with age, but memory retrieval ability appears to remain intact. Studies that conclude otherwise have used an inappropriate method (difference scores) to adjust for general slowing.
Simplified capillary electrophoresis detection of the Flt-3 internal tandem duplications and D835 point mutations in acute myeloid leukemia.

Introduction Flt-3 mutations, which include the internal tandem duplications (ITD) and missense mutations at the D835 (aspartic acid) codon,2 are arguably the most common somatic mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As relapse remains the principal cause of treatment failure for the majority of AML patients, identification of patients with a high risk of relapse would be useful for the introduction of alternative forms of therapy in this group of patients. As the presence of Flt-3/ITD is the most consistent factor in predicting relapse in AML, it is thus a valuable prognostic marker for the disease. Correlation of the D835 point mutation with poor eventfree survival suggests that it may also contribute to the constitutive activation of the Flt-3 receptor tyrosine kinase, resulting in poorer prognosis. Several independent studies have utilized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and agarose gel electrophoresis for the detection of Flt-3 gene mutations. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) was used by one group to confirm the results of ITD analysis on agarose gel. However, the use of CE as a first-line detection procedure for both ITD and point mutations has not been previously reported. We report our experience using a simplified CE-based assay for rapid detection of Flt-3/ITD and D835 mutations in 33 AML patients seen at the National University Hospital, Singapore.
Catholic-School Effects on Academic Achievement: New Evidence from the High School and Beyond Follow-Up Study.

This study compares the growth in academic achievement of publicand Catholic-school students during their last two years of high school. The study uses the High School and Beyond data on over 20,000 students who participated in the 1980 base-year study and the 1982 follow-up study. Previous studies of publicand private-school effectiveness, including the controversial Coleman, Hoffer, and Kilgore (1981) study, have been limited to the 1980 cross-sectional data, which do not include information on student ability prior to entering high school. The follow-up data enable a comparison of the growth in achievement on outcome measures that were specifically designedfor that purpose. I estimated Catholic-school effects with four different statistical models. Each model regresses senior test scores on sophomore pretest scores; sophomore test scores in reading, vocabulary, and general mathematics; and a set of background variables describing student characteristics andfamily background. Three of the models include background measures from previously published studies; the fourth model is a parsimonious model including only the most important control variables. I conducted several subsidiary analyses to ensure that the results were not substantially biased due to such factors as the method of handling missing data, the differential dropout rate between the two sectors, and the ceiling effects on the outcome measures. I also examined the extent to which the achievement tests were valid indicators of student growth in academic achievement. The results suggest that there are no pervasive Catholic-school effects. Public schools had a small advantage in science and civics; Catholic schools had an advantage in reading, vocabulary, mathematics, and writing. All of the effects were very small: On average, the Catholic-school advantage was only about 5 percent of a standard deviation. However, the analyses also suggest that the tests are relatively poor measures of academic growth during the junior and senior years of high school. Therefore, we cannot be certain that the tests are sensitive enough to detect differences that might exist between public and Catholic schools in their effects on student achievement.
Doing focus group research: Studying rational ordering in focus group interaction

Scholars of ethnomethodologically informed discourse studies are often sceptical of the use of interview data such as focus group data. Some scholars quite simply reject interview data with reference to a general preference for so-called naturally occurring data. Other scholars acknowledge that interview data can be of some use if the distinction between natural and contrived data is given up and replaced with a distinction between interview data as topic or as resource. In greater detail, such scholars argue that interview data are perfectly adequate if the researcher wants to study the topic of interview interaction, but inadequate as data for studying phenomena that go beyond the phenomenon of interview interaction. Neither of these more and less sceptical positions are, on the face of it, surprising due to the ethnomethodological commitment to study social order as accomplished in situ, not as something that pre-exists or goes beyond the situated interaction. This article, however, challenges not only the first, but also the second position and suggests that it is, after all, possible to do committedly ethnomethodological studies of focus group data that demonstrate how members of a focus group setting accomplish certain rational orders, and, significantly, how they do so by utilizing certain available resources.
A Study on High-Level Autonomous Navigational Behaviors for Telepresence Applications

This paper presents a framework enabling navigational autonomy for a mobile platform with application scenarios specifically requiring a humanoid telepresence system. The proposal promises a reduced operator workload and safety during robot motion. In addition, the framework enables the inhabitor (human controlling the platform) to provide inputs for head and arm gesticulation. This allows the inhabitor to focus on interactions at the remote environment, rather than being engrossed in controlling robot navigation. This paper discusses the development of higher-level, human-like navigational behaviors such as following, accompanying, and guiding a person autonomously. A color histogram comparison and position matching algorithm has been developed to track the person using the Kinect sensors. In addition to providing a safe and easy-to-use system, the high-level behaviors are also required to be human-like in that the mobile platform obeys the laws of proxemics and other human interaction norms such as walking speed. This facilitates a higher level of experience for other humans interacting with the robotic platform. An obstacle avoidance function has also been implemented using the virtual potential field method. A preliminary evaluation was also conducted to validate the algorithm and to support the claim of reducing operator cognitive load due to navigation. In general, it was shown that navigation over a given route was accomplished at a faster pace with no instances of collision with the environment.
Spatial properties of visual fixation neurons in posterior parietal association cortex of the monkey.

1. A systematic study of the positional selectivity of visual fixation (VF) neurons of the posterior parietal association cortex (area 7a or PG) was made in seven hemispheres of four alert behaving monkeys. By gaze fixation on a small spot of light in space, 125 units were identified as VF neurons. the position of the fixation target was varied not only in the frontal plane, but also in depth. 2. Microelectrode penetrations were made in the anterior and posterior part of area 7a. The recording sites of 104 VF neurons, determined histologically, were distributed mainly in the posterior part: the caudal part of the posterior bank of the intraparietal sulcus and the caudal third of the anterior bank of the superior temporal sulcus. The following conclusions are based mainly on the observations of the VF neurons in the posterior part of area 7a. 3. Most of the VF neurons examined in the frontal plane (86/93) had a preferred direction of gaze along the horizontal (39/86), vertical (38/86), or diagonal axis (9/86), and their discharge rates were monotonic increasing functions of the angle of deviation from the center. 4. Many VF neurons had selectivity in the depth of fixation. The majority (41/63) were activated more intensely when the fixation point was nearer to the animal (less than 50 cm), whereas a considerable number (18/63) were activated better when the fixation point was further from the animal (100 cm or more). There were a few units (4/63) that discharged maximally at intermediate distances. 5. Thirty-two VF neurons were studied in detail along all three axes: vertical, horizontal, and depth. About half of them (17/32) were found to be selective both in the radial direction and the distance of fixation, while the others displayed selectivity in the direction of gaze alone (11/32) or in depth alone (4/32). 6. The activity of VF neurosis in the dark was compared to that in a lighted room in order to examine their relationship to eye position in detail. Half of the VF neurons tested (25/50) showed almost the same discharge rate in the dark as in the lighted room in spite of the absence of visual stimuli other than the target light in the fovea. Moreover, the discharge rate of the majority of these VF neurons displayed a close correlation with eye position, even in complete darkness. On the other hand nearly half of the VF neurons (22/50) showed a decrease in discharge rate in the dark during fixation at preferred positions suggesting that visual stimuli in the surroundings have some excitatory effects on these neurons. There were also some VF neurons whose activity decreased when the target light was interrputed. Even in such visually sensitive VF neurons, their positional selectivity depended mainly on eye position. 7.
A Capacitive Touch Screen Sensor for Detection of Urinary Tract Infections in Portable Biomedical Devices

Incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) is the second highest among all infections; thus, there is a high demand for bacteriuria detection. Escherichia coli are the main cause of UTIs, with microscopy methods and urine culture being the detection standard of these bacteria. However, the urine sampling and analysis required for these methods can be both time-consuming and complex. This work proposes a capacitive touch screen sensor (CTSS) concept as feasible alternative for a portable UTI detection device. Finite element method (FEM) simulations were conducted with a CTSS model. An exponential response of the model to increasing amounts of E. coli and liquid samples was observed. A measurable capacitance change due to E. coli presence and a tangible difference in the response given to urine and water samples were also detected. Preliminary experimental studies were also conducted on a commercial CTSS using liquid solutions with increasing amounts of dissolved ions. The CTSS was capable of distinguishing different volumes of liquids, also giving an exponential response. Furthermore, the CTSS gave higher responses to solutions with a superior amount of ions. Urine samples gave the top response among tested liquids. Thus, the CTSS showed the capability to differentiate solutions by their ionic content.
Requirements for Both Rac1 and Cdc42 in Membrane Ruffling and Phagocytosis in Leukocytes

Specific pathways linking heterotrimeric G proteins and Fcγ receptors to the actin-based cytoskeleton are poorly understood. To test a requirement for Rho family members in cytoskeletal events mediated by structurally diverse receptors in leukocytes, we transfected the full-length human chemotactic peptide receptor in RAW 264.7 cells and examined cytoskeletal alterations in response to the chemotactic peptide formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), colony stimulating factor–1 (CSF-1), IgG-coated particles, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Expression of Rac1 N17, Cdc42 N17, or the GAP domain of n-chimaerin inhibited cytoskeletal responses to FMLP and CSF-1, and blocked phagocytosis. Accumulation of F-actin– rich “phagocytic cups” was partially inhibited by expression of Rac1 N17 or Cdc42 N17. In contrast, PMA-induced ruffling was not inhibited by expression of Rac1 N17, but was blocked by expression of Cdc42 N17, indicating that cytoskeletal inhibition by these constructs was nonoverlapping. These results demonstrate differential requirements for Rho family GTPases in leukocyte motility, and indicate that both Rac1 and Cdc42 are required for Fcγ receptor– mediated phagocytosis and for membrane ruffling mediated by structurally distinct receptors in macrophages.
Six Myths About Informal Networks -- and How to Overcome Them

Over the past couple of decades, management innovations have pushed companies toward the ideal of the "boundaryless" organization. As a result of these changes, formal reporting structures and detailed work processes have a much diminished role in the way important work is accomplished. Instead, informal networks of employees are increasingly at the forefront, and the general health and "connectivity" of these groups can have a significant impact on strategy execution and organizational effectiveness. Many corporate leaders intuitively understand this, but few spend any real time assessing or supporting informal networks. And because they do not receive adequate resources or executive attention, these groups are often fragmented, and their efforts are often disrupted by management practices or organizational design principles that are biased in favor of task specialization and individual rather than collaborative endeavors. The authors initiated a research program two years ago to determine how organizations can better support work occurring in and through informal networks of employees; they assessed more than 40 networks in 23 organizations. They discovered in all cases that the networks provided strategic and operational benefits by enabling members to collaborate effectively; they also found that managers, if they truly wanted to assist these groups, had to overcome six myths about how networks operate. In this article, the authors explain the six myths and why they are harmful; in place of these assumptions, they offer reality checks that can be implemented to help networks become more effective. Senior managers who can separate myth from reality, and act accordingly, stand a much better chance of fostering the growth and success of these increasingly important organizational structures.
The effect of paired associative stimulation-induced long-term potentiation-like plasticity on visuomotor learning

Ruotsalainen, Ilona 2014. The effects of PAS-induce LTP-like plasticity on visuomotor learning. Department of Biology of Physical Act ivity, University of Jyväskylä. Master's thesis in biomechanics, 45 pages. Brain adapts in response to motor learning by chang ing neuroanatomical and functional properties. One proposed model for these changes is long lasting enhancement of synaptic strength called long-term potentiation (LTP). L TP-like changes in motor cortex are possible to induce artificially with paired associa tive stimulation (PAS). Further, evidence exist that PAS can enhance specific types of motor learning. The aim of this research was to study the effect of PAS-induced LTP-l ike plasticity on early acquisition phase of brief visuomotor learning task. A motor learning task was conducted three times fol lowing PAS. The learning performance was calculated as a magnitude of average erro r th oughout the task. Transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied before (PRE) PAS a nd fter each learning task to measure motor-evoked potentials (MEP) from soleus m scle. In addition, electrical nerve stimulation was used to measure the Hoffman r eflex (h-reflex) and maximal compound muscle action potential (Mmax). The subjects were divided into three different groups: control (CON), responders (RES, PAS induced MEP facilitation) and nonresponders (NON, PAS did not increase MEP size). Al l groups improved their performance between learning task 1 and 3 (L1 and L3). On ly the RES group improved between L2 and L3. The improvement was significant co mpared with CON and almost significant with NON. MEP amplitudes following PAS increased in RES group; 138.0 ± 98.6 % (POST1), 227.8 ± 130.2 % (POST2, p < 0.022 ) and 228.4 ± 152.9 % (POST3, p < 0.012). In the NON group MEP amplitudes were 83 . 0 ± 35.2 % (POST1) 70.7 ± 21.7 % (POST2, p < 0.020) and 72.0 ± 15.5 % (POST3) . here were no changes in CON compared with PRE measurement. Both the h-refle x and Mmax did not change significantly between conditions. Thus, the learning performance did not differ betwe en the groups when compared the total amount of learning (between L1 and L3). Howev er, at the end of the learning task as the learning proceeded, PAS seems to have an ben eficial impact on visuomotor learning task.
Penicillin G Acylase‐Fatty Lipid Biocomposite Films Show Excellent Catalytic Activity and Long Term Stability/Reusability

The formation of biocomposite films of the pharmaceutically important enzyme penicillin G acylase (PGA) and fatty lipids under enzyme‐friendly conditions is described. The approach involves a simple beaker‐based diffusion protocol wherein the enzyme diffuses into the lipid film during immersion in the enzyme solution, thereby leading to the formation of a biocomposite film. The incorporation of the enzyme in both cationic as well as anionic lipids suggests the important role of secondary interactions such as hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding in the enzyme immobilization process. The kinetics of formation of the enzyme‐lipid biocomposites has been studied by quartz crystal microgravimentry (QCM) measurements. The stability of the enzyme in the lipid matrix was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and biocatalytic activity measurements. Whereas the biological activity of the lipid‐immobilized enzyme was marginally higher than that of the free enzyme, the biocomposite film exhibited increased thermal/temporal stability. Particularly exciting was the observation that the biocomposite films could be reused in biocatalysis reactions without significant loss in activity, which indicates potentially exciting biomedical/industrial application of these films.
Development and exploration of a timbre space representation of audio

Sound is an important part of the human experience and provides valuable information about the world around us. Auditory human-computer interfaces do not have the same richness of expression and variety as audio in the world, and it has been said that this is primarily due to a lack of reasonable design tools for audio interfaces. There are a number of good guidelines for audio design and a strong psychoacoustic understanding of how sounds are interpreted. There are also a number of sound manipulation techniques developed for computer music. This research takes these ideas as the basis for an audio interface design system. A proof-of-concept of this system has been developed in order to explore the design possibilities allowed by the new system. The core of this novel audio design system is the timbre space. This provides a multi-dimensional representation of a sound. Each sound is represented as a path in the timbre space and this path can be manipulated geometrically. Several timbre spaces are compared to determine which amongst them is the best one for audio interface design. The various transformations available in the timbre space are discussed and the perceptual relevance of two novel transformations are explored by encoding “urgency” as a design parameter. This research demonstrates that the timbre space is a viable option for audio interface design and provides novel features that are not found in current audio design systems. A number of problems with the approach and some suggested solutions are discussed. The timbre space opens up new possibilities for audio designers to explore combinations of sounds and sound design based on perceptual cues rather than synthesiser parameters.
Case Illustration of Classroom Intervention with an Elective Mute Child

Two interventions are described which appear to have successfully induced peer speech and audible speech in a previously elective mute child. The subject was a six-year-old visually impaired girl who had never spoken, except in the home to immediate family members, since entering school. A target behavior of speaking to classmates was established in her kindergarten year. A whole-class reinforcement program was effective in inducing peer-directed speech. A target behavior of audible speech was established in the resource classroom, during the next year. A three phase intervention was implemented that included teacher prompts to speak loudly, a token reinforcement program, and the use of a talk light which lit only when speech was sufficiently loud. The itnervention was effective in raising the incidence of audible speech from near-zero to 85% level in the resource classroom. Generalization to the regular classroom is discussed.