Evaluating implicit feedback models using searcher simulations

In this article we describe an evaluation of relevance feedback (RF) algorithms using searcher simulations. Since these algorithms select additional terms for query modification based on inferences made from searcher interaction, not on relevance information searchers explicitly provide (as in traditional RF), we refer to them as implicit feedback models. We introduce six different models that base their decisions on the interactions of searchers and use different approaches to rank query modification terms. The aim of this article is to determine which of these models should be used to assist searchers in the systems we develop. To evaluate these models we used searcher simulations that afforded us more control over the experimental conditions than experiments with human subjects and allowed complex interaction to be modeled without the need for costly human experimentation. The simulation-based evaluation methodology measures how well the models learn the distribution of terms across relevant documents (i.e., learn what information is relevant) and how well they improve search effectiveness (i.e., create effective search queries). Our findings show that an implicit feedback model based on Jeffrey's rule of conditioning outperformed other models under investigation

High-efficiency green phosphorescence from spin-coated single-layer dendrimer light-emitting diodes

We demonstrate very high-efficiency green phosphorescence from a single-layer dendrimer organic light-emitting diode formed by spin-coating. A first generation fac-tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium cored dendrimer doped into a wide-gap 4,4'-bis(N-carbazole) biphenyl host displays a peak external quantum efficiency of 8.1% (28 Cd/A) at a brightness of 3450 Cd/m(2) and a current density of 13.1 mA/cm(2). A peak power efficiency of 6.9 lm/W was measured at 1475 Cd/m(2) and 5 mA/cm(2). We attribute this exceptionally high quantum efficiency for a single-layer device to the excellent film forming properties and high photoluminescence quantum yield of the dendrimer blend and efficient injection of charge into the emissive layer. These results suggest that dendrimers are an effective method for producing efficient phosphorescent devices by spin-coating. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics

Engineering serendipity: high-throughput discovery of materials that resist bacterial attachment

Controlling the colonisation of materials by microorganisms is important in a wide range of industries and clinical settings. To date, the underlying mechanisms that govern the interactions of bacteria with material surfaces remain poorly understood, limiting the ab initio design and engineering of biomaterials to control bacterial attachment. Combinatorial approaches involving high-throughput screening have emerged as key tools for identifying materials to control bacterial attachment. The hundreds of different materials assessed using these methods can be carried out with the aid of computational modelling. This approach can develop an understanding of the rules used to predict bacterial attachment to surfaces of non-toxic synthetic materials. Here we outline our view on the state of this field and the challenges and opportunities in this area for the coming years

Mann and gender in Old English prose : a pilot study

It has long been known that OE mann was used in gender-neutral as well as gender-specific contexts. Because of the enormous volume of its attestations in Old English prose, the more precise usage patterns of mann remain, however, largely uncharted, and existing lexicographical tools provide only a basic picture. This article aims to present a preliminary study of the various uses of mann as attested in Old English prose, particularly in its surprisingly consistent use by an individual author, namely that of the ninth-century Old English Martyrology. Patterns emerging from this text are then tested against other prose material. Particular attention is paid to gender-specific usage, examples of which are shown to be exceptional for a word which largely occurs in gender-neutral contexts.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Characterisation of breast fine-needle aspiration biopsies by centrosome aberrations and genomic instability

Recent studies have suggested that aneuploidy in malignant tumours could be a consequence of centrosome aberrations. Using immunofluorescence analysis with an antibody against γ-tubulin and DNA image cytometry, we measured centrosome aberrations and DNA ploidy patterns in fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs) of 58 breast lesions. Benign lesions did not show any centrosome aberrations. DNA diploid carcinomas showed a mean percentage of cells with centrosomal defects of 2.1%. The aneuploid invasive carcinomas could be divided into two subgroups by their significantly (P=0.0003) different percentage of cells with centrosome aberrations (2.0 and 10.3%, respectively) and their significantly (P=0.0003) different percentage of cells with nonmodal DNA content values determined by the Stemline Scatter Index (SSI), a measure of genomic instability. The percentage of cells with centrosome aberrations demonstrated a positive, linear correlation with the corresponding SSI (r=0.82, P<0.0001) and loss of tissue differentiation (r=0.78, P<0.0001). Our results indicate the percentage of cells with centrosome aberrations as being sufficient to divide the investigated tumours into three significantly different groups: benign lesions with no centrosomal aberrations, and two malignant tumour types with mean values of 2.1 and 9.6% of centrosomal defects, respectively. Together, these results demonstrate that centrosome aberrations correlate with genomic instability and loss of tissue differentiation. Furthermore, this study shows the feasibility of centrosomal analysis in FNAB of the breast and suggests centrosomal aberrations as possessing diagnostic and prognostic value

Taking Two-Photon Excitation to Exceptional Path-Lengths in Photonic Crystal Fiber

The well-known, defining feature of two-photon excitation (TPE) is the tight, three-dimensional confinement of excitation at the intense focus of a laser beam. The extremely small excitation volume, on the order of 1 μm3 (1 femtoliter), is the basis of far-reaching applications of TPE in fluorescence imaging, photodynamic therapy, nanofabrication, and three-dimensional optical memory. Paradoxically, the difficulty of detecting photochemical events in such a small volume is a barrier to the development of the two-photon-activated molecular systems that are essential to the realization of such applications. We show, using two-photon-excited fluorescence to directly visualize the excitation path, that confinement of both laser beam and sample solution within the 20 μm hollow core of a photonic crystal fiber permits TPE to be sustained over an extraordinary path-length of more than 10 cm, presenting a new experimental paradigm for ultrasensitive studies of two-photon-induced processes in solution. (Figure Presented).We are grateful to the Koerber Foundation (Germany) and the EPSRC (UK) for financial support. G.O.S.W. is a recipient of an EPSRC Prize Postdoctoral Fellowshi

A multicentre, randomised controlled trial to compare the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Lee Silverman Voice Treatment versus standard NHS Speech and Language Therapy versus control in Parkinson’s disease: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Abstract: Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects approximately 145,519 people in the UK. Speech impairments are common with a reported prevalence of 68%, which increase physical and mental demands during conversation, reliance on family and/or carers, and the likelihood of social withdrawal reducing quality of life. In the UK, two approaches to Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) intervention are commonly available: National Health Service (NHS) SLT or Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT LOUD®). NHS SLT is tailored to the individuals’ needs per local practice typically consisting of six to eight weekly sessions; LSVT LOUD® comprises 16 sessions of individual treatment with home-based practice over 4 weeks. The evidence-base for their effectiveness is inconclusive. Methods/design: PD COMM is a phase III, multicentre, three-arm, unblinded, randomised controlled trial. Five hundred and forty-six people with idiopathic PD, reporting speech or voice problems will be enrolled. We will exclude those with a diagnosis of dementia, laryngeal pathology or those who have received SLT for speech problems in the previous 2 years. Following informed consent and completion of baseline assessments, participants will be randomised in a 1:1:1 ratio to no-intervention control, NHS SLT or LSVT LOUD® via a central computer-generated programme, using a minimisation procedure with a random element, to ensure allocation concealment. Participants randomised to the intervention groups will start treatment within 4 (NHS SLT) or 7 (LSVT LOUD®) weeks of randomisation. Primary outcome: Voice Handicap Index (VHI) total score at 3 months. Secondary outcomes include: VHI subscales, Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39; Questionnaire on Acquired Speech Disorders; EuroQol-5D-5 L; ICECAP-O; resource utilisation; adverse events and carer quality of life. Mixed-methods process and health economic evaluations will take place alongside the trial. Assessments will be completed before randomisation and at 3, 6 and 12 months after randomisation. The trial started in December 2015 and will run for 77 months. Recruitment will take place in approximately 42 sites around the UK. Discussion: The trial will test the hypothesis that SLT is effective for the treatment of speech or voice problems in people with PD compared to no SLT. It will further test whether NHS SLT or LSVT LOUD® provide greater benefit and determine the cost-effectiveness of both interventions. Trial registration: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number (ISRCTN) Registry, ID: 12421382. Registered on 18 April 2016