A comparison of evaluation measures given how users perform on search tasks

Information retrieval has a strong foundation of empirical investigation: based on the position of relevant resources in a ranked answer list, a variety of system performance metrics can be calculated. One of the most widely reported measures, mean average precision (MAP), provides a single numerical value that aims to capture the overall performance of a retrieval system. However, recent work has suggested that broad measures such as MAP do not relate to actual user performance on a number of search tasks. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between various retrieval metrics, and consider how these reflect user search performance. Our results suggest that there are two distinct categories of measures: those that focus on high precision in an answer list, and those that attempt to capture a broader summary, for example by including a recall component. Analysis of runs submitted to the TREC terabyte track in 2006 suggests that the relative performance of systems can differ significantly depending on which group of measures is being used

Superposition as memory: unlocking quantum automatic complexity

Imagine a lock with two states, "locked" and "unlocked", which may be manipulated using two operations, called 0 and 1. Moreover, the only way to (with certainty) unlock using four operations is to do them in the sequence 0011, i.e., $0^n1^n$ where $n=2$. In this scenario one might think that the lock needs to be in certain further states after each operation, so that there is some memory of what has been done so far. Here we show that this memory can be entirely encoded in superpositions of the two basic states "locked" and "unlocked", where, as dictated by quantum mechanics, the operations are given by unitary matrices. Moreover, we show using the Jordan--Schur lemma that a similar lock is not possible for $n=60$. We define the semi-classical quantum automatic complexity $Q_{s}(x)$ of a word $x$ as the infimum in lexicographic order of those pairs of nonnegative integers $(n,q)$ such that there is a subgroup $G$ of the projective unitary group PU$(n)$ with $|G|\le q$ and with $U_0,U_1\in G$ such that, in terms of a standard basis $\{e_k\}$ and with $U_z=\prod_k U_{z(k)}$, we have $U_x e_1=e_2$ and $U_y e_1 \ne e_2$ for all $y\ne x$ with $|y|=|x|$. We show that $Q_s$ is unbounded and not constant for strings of a given length. In particular, $$Q_{s}(0^21^2)\le (2,12) < (3,1) \le Q_{s}(0^{60}1^{60})$$ and $Q_s(0^{120})\le (2,121)$.Comment: Lecture Notes in Computer Science, UCNC (Unconventional Computation and Natural Computation) 201

Artificial SA-I and RA-I Afferents for Tactile Sensing of Ridges and Gratings

For robot touch to converge with the human sense of touch, artificial transduction should involve biologically-plausible population codes analogous to those of natural afferents. Using a biomimetic tactile sensor with 3d-printed skin based on the dermal-epidermal boundary, we propose two novel feature sets to mimic slowly-adapting and rapidly-adapting type-I tactile mechanoreceptor function. Their plausibility is tested with three classic experiments from the study of natural touch: impingement on a flat plate to probe adaptation and spatial modulation; stimulation by spatially-complex ridged stimuli to probe single afferent responses; and perception of grating orientation to probe the population response. Our results show a match between artificial and natural afferent responses in their sensitivity to edges and gaps; likewise, the human and robot psychometric functions match for grating orientation. These findings could benefit robot manipulation, prosthetics and the neurophysiology of touch

Novel therapeutic targets in epilepsy: oxidative stress and iron metabolism

Malformations of Cortical Development (MCD) are one of the most frequent causes of multidrug‐resistant focal epilepsy, of which focal cortical dysplasia type IIb (FCDIIb) and Tuberous Sclerosis

Bound state energies and phase shifts of a non-commutative well

Non-commutative quantum mechanics can be viewed as a quantum system represented in the space of Hilbert-Schmidt operators acting on non-commutative configuration space. Within this framework an unambiguous definition can be given for the non-commutative well. Using this approach we compute the bound state energies, phase shifts and scattering cross sections of the non- commutative well. As expected the results are very close to the commutative results when the well is large or the non-commutative parameter is small. However, the convergence is not uniform and phase shifts at certain energies exhibit a much stronger then expected dependence on the non-commutative parameter even at small values.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

Responses to supplementation by dairy cows given low pasture allowances in different seasons 2. Milk production

Two factorial experiments were designed to determine the effects of stage of lactation, and season of the year, on cow responses to supplementary feeding. These experiments were conducted over consecutive years with 128 high genetic merit multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows in early, mid and late lactation in spring, summer, autumn and winter. At each stage of lactation, and in each season of the year, cows were offered a restricted pasture allowance (25 to 35 kg dry matter (DM) per cow per day), either unsupplemented (control) or with supplement at 50 MJ metabolizable energy (ME) per cow per day in experiment 1 and 80 MJ ME per cow per day in experiment 2. The two supplements given in both years were rolled maize grain (MG) and a mixture of foods formulated to nutritionally balance the diet (BR). In experiment 2, another treatment, of a generous pasture allowance (60 to 75 kg DM per cow per day) (AP), was imposed on an additional group of early lactation cows during each season. Direct milk solids (MS) (milk fat plus milk protein) responses in experiment 1 to MG were 169, 279, 195 and 251 g MS per cow per day in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively, while those to BR were 107, 250, 192, 289 g MS per cow per day. In experiment 2, however, milk solids responses to both supplements during spring were slightly below the control treatment, with values similar to those in experiment 1 in summer and autumn for cows on the BR but not the MG supplement. Milk solids responses to supplementary foods were largest during seasons of the year when the quantity and quality of pasture on offer resulted in the lowest milk solids yield from unsupplemented cows. When carry-over effects of feeding MG and BR on milk solids production were detected, they were only about half the magnitude of the direct effects. Serum urea concentrations were higher in control cows than those offered MG with a similar effect for BR in all but summer in experiment 1, while serum glucose concentrations were highest in winter and lowest in summer. The most important factor influencing milk solids responses was the relative food deficit (RFD) represented by the decline in milk solids yield of the respective control groups after,changing from a generous pasture allowance to restricted allowance when the feeding treatments were imposed. Total milk solids responses (direct and carry-over) to supplements were greatest when severe food restrictions, relative to the cows' current food demand, resulted in large reductions in milk solids yield of the control groups. The RFD was the best predictor of milk solids response to supplementary foods. Therefore, it is likely that cows are most responsive to supplementary foods during or immediately after the imposition of a severe food restriction

The role of UK alcohol and drug (AOD) nurses in a changing workforce

Background: This paper presents the findings from an exploratory study on alcohol and other drugs (AOD) nurses’ views on current career opportunities and challenges and on how their role has been affected by clinical and structural changes in service delivery. Methods: The paper is based on qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of twelve AOD nurses in the UK. A narrative approach to interviewing aimed to encourage emergence of new insights and suggest theories for future examination. Interview domains were informed by the research team’s knowledge of AOD nursing and by themes from published literature. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded and a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Key themes emerging focused on the growth, advantages, and challenges of non-medical prescribing (NMP), and the impact on AOD nursing of changes in workforce structures and environments. The findings indicate considerable doubts about career opportunities for nurses in AOD services although NMP may offer some limited routes to career advancement. Conclusions: Some long-standing issues around the identity and professional status of AOD nurses persist and current clinical and structural changes have created a “liminal space” within which the nursing role and AOD nurse identity are disrupted and in transition

Responses to supplementation by dairy cows given low pasture allowances in different seasons 1. Pasture intake and substitution

Two factorial experiments were designed to determine the effects of stage of lactation, and season of the year, on cow responses to supplementary feeding. These experiments were conducted over consecutive years with 128 high genetic merit multiparous Holstein-Friesian cows in early, mid and late lactation in spring, summer, autumn and winter. At each stage of lactation, and in each season of the year, cows were offered a restricted pasture allowance (25 to 35 kg dry matter (DM) per cow per day), either unsupplemented (control) or supplemented with 50 MJ metabolizable energy (ME) per cow per day in experiment 1 and 80 MJ ME per cow per day in experiment 2. Two different supplements were offered, namely, rolled maize grain (MG) and a mixture of foods (BR) formulated to nutritionally balance the diet. In experiment 2, a fourth treatment consisting solely of a generous pasture allowance (60 to 75 kg DM per cow per day, AP) was introduced. Offering MG and BR increased DM intake (DMI). At the restricted pasture allowance, increasing total ME allowance (MEA) by offering supplementary foods increased ME intake (MEI) by 0.68 (s.e. 0.047) MJ per extra MJ ME offered. This highly significant (P < 0.001) linear relationship was consistent across seasons, and did not diminish at higher MEA. In experiment 2, cows in early lactation had lower substitution rates than mid and late lactation cows irrespective of season. Substitution rate was higher when higher pasture allowance or quality of pasture on offer enabled the unsupplemented cows to achieve higher DMI from pasture than at other times of the year. These results suggest that one of the key factors determining the intake response to supplementary foods is pasture allowance. Within spring calving dairying systems, the largest increases in total DMI per kg of supplement offered is likely when offering supplements to early lactation cows grazing restricted allowances of high quality pasture

Alcohol harm reduction in Europe.

This chapter provides an overview of harm reduction approaches to alcohol in Europe. First, definitions ascribed to alcohol harm reduction are outlined. Then, evaluated alcohol harm reduction interventions in European countries are described and the evidence for their effectiveness examined. These include multi-component programmes, improvements to the drinking environment, and initiatives to reduce the harms associated with drink-driving. Third, harm reduction activities that have been recorded and described but not yet evaluated are briefly outlined. These include ‘grassroots’ initiatives and more formal local initiatives. To conclude, the chapter raises questions about how alcohol harm reduction is defined and put into practice, the evidence-base that is available for policymakers, and how information is shared. It highlights the need to develop systems to facilitate knowledge transfer on alcohol harm reduction between researchers, policymakers and practitioners in Europe but stresses the importance of respecting local and cultural diversity in the development and implementation of harm reduction initiatives