Supporting Annotators with Affordances for Efficiently Labeling Conversational Data

Without well-labeled ground truth data, machine learning-based systems would not be as ubiquitous as they are today, but these systems rely on substantial amounts of correctly labeled data. Unfortunately, crowdsourced labeling is time consuming and expensive. To address the concerns of effort and tedium, we designed CAL, a novel interface to aid in data labeling. We made several key design decisions for CAL, which include preventing inapt labels from being selected, guiding users in selecting an appropriate label when they need assistance, incorporating labeling documentation into the interface, and providing an efficient means to view previous labels. We implemented a production-quality implementation of CAL and report a user-study evaluation that compares CAL to a standard spreadsheet. Key findings of our study include users using CAL reported lower cognitive load, did not increase task time, users rated CAL to be easier to use, and users preferred CAL over the spreadsheet

Magnetic excitations of spin and orbital moments in cobalt oxide

Magnetic and phonon excitations in the antiferromagnet CoO with an unquenched orbital angular momentum are studied by neutron scattering. Results of energy scans in several Brillouin zones in the (HHL) plane for energy transfers up to 16 THz are presented. The measurements were performed in the antiferromagnetic ordered state at 6 K (well below TN~290 K) as well as in the paramagnetic state at 450 K. Several magnetic excitation modes are identified from the dependence of their intensity on wavevector and temperature. Within a Hund's rule model the excitations correspond to fluctuations of coupled orbital and spin degrees of freedom whose bandwidth is controlled by interionic superexchange. The different ordering domains give rise to several magnetic peaks at each wavevector transfer.Comment: Accepted for publication in Canadian Journal of Physic

Exploring multi-stakeholder perceptions of practice-related facilitators to optimising the quality of integration of regulated pharmacy technicians in community pharmacy in Ontario: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate multi-stakeholder perceptions of practice-related facilitators to optimising the quality of Regulated Pharmacy Technician (RPT) integration into the community workforce in Ontario. Facilitators to incorporating technicians into the workflow and supporting their optimal scope of practice were explored. METHODS: A qualitative exploratory study comprising a series of one-to-one interviews using a piloted, semi-structured interview guide was conducted with four community pharmacy stakeholder groups; pharmacists, RPTs, pharmacy assistants and pharmacy owners. Interviews were conducted until saturation of themes. Verbatim transcripts were coded inductively using the software, NVivo v12 (QSR International) and general inductive analysis identified key findings. KEY FINDINGS: Twenty-seven interviews were conducted consisting of seven pharmacists, seven RPTs, eight assistants and five pharmacy owners working within community pharmacy and/or academia or hospital. All participants from every stakeholder group acknowledged that the promise of regulation of pharmacy technicians was unfulfilled in practice. Three major themes of practical significance were derived: (i) A viable business plan that incorporates RPT remuneration and ensures sustainability is a facilitator to fuller integration of RPTs, (ii) Planning the pharmacy workflow to support RPTs’ and pharmacists’ evolving scopes is a facilitator to RPT integration and (iii) Schedule planning to incorporate RPTs and appropriate staffing ratios in relation to prescription volume and pharmacy services allows for optimal utilisation of RPT skills and facilitates their integration. CONCLUSIONS: Achieving integration of RPTs into the business of a community pharmacy has educational, workplace and regulatory implications, requiring the effective engagement of all stakeholders in pharmacy

Progress in the synthesis of a Technetium-labeled complex as a potential Sigma receptor binding ligand

Abstract only availableThe sigma receptors have been known to affect several physiological functions such as psychosis, depression and uncontrolled cell proliferation. But what makes the sigma receptors so great is the fact that they bind a variety of ligands. The phenylpiperazine and phenylpiperidine chemical classes of ligands have been identified to bind at sigma1 receptor sites and a pharmacological model has been proposed. On the other hand, due to the scarcity of sigma2 selective ligands, less is understood about this subtype. Non-invasive imaging of the sigma receptor in vivo would lead to a better understanding of the role that sigma receptors play in health and disease. Technetium-99m (Tc-99m) is the most commonly employed imaging radionuclide. This research project is focused on the preparation of a Tc-99m labeled complex designed to retain high affinity to the sigma1 receptor subtype. The design of the ligand is based upon 1-(3', 4'-dimethoxyphenethyl)-4-(3''-phenylpropyl) piperazine (1), a sigma1 agonist developed by Santen Pharmaceutical Co. Through a three-step synthesis, we have replaced one of the methyl groups with a diaminedithiol (DADT) chelating moiety attached through an alkyl chain (2). The first step, alkylation with dibromoethane, has been optimized to an excellent yield (82.5%). Steps two and three have not been optimized but have been shown to be feasible. Details of these reactions and progress toward complexation will be described.NSF-REU/NIH Program in Radiochemistr

The response of a neutral atom to a strong laser field probed by transient absorption near the ionisation threshold

We present transient absorption spectra of an extreme ultraviolet attosecond pulse train in helium dressed by an 800 nm laser field with intensity ranging from $2times10^{12}$ W/cm$^2$ to $2times10^{14}$ W/cm$^2$. The energy range probed spans 16-42 eV, straddling the first ionisation energy of helium (24.59 eV). By changing the relative polarisation of the dressing field with respect to the attosecond pulse train polarisation we observe a large change in the modulation of the absorption reflecting the vectorial response to the dressing field. With parallel polarized dressing and probing fields, we observe significant modulations with periods of one half and one quarter of the dressing field period. With perpendicularly polarized dressing and probing fields, the modulations of the harmonics above the ionisation threshold are significantly suppressed. A full-dimensionality solution of the single-atom time-dependent Schr odinger equation obtained using the recently developed ab-initio time-dependent B-spline ADC method reproduce some of our observations

Genome sequencing and annotation of Cellulomonas sp. HZM

We report the draft genome sequence of Cellulomonas sp. HZM, isolated from a tropical peat swamp forest. The draft genome size is 3,559,280 bp with a G + C content of 73% and contains 3 rRNA sequences (single copies of 5S, 16S and 23S rRNA)

Mental and behavioral disorders due to substance abuse and perinatal outcomes: A study based on linked population data in New South Wales, Australia

Background: The effects of mental and behavioral disorders (MBD) due to substance use during peri-conception and pregnancy on perinatal outcomes are unclear. The adverse perinatal outcomes of primiparous mothers admitted to hospital with MBD due to substance use before and/or during pregnancy were investigated. Method: This study linked birth and hospital records in NSW, Australia. Subjects included primiparous mothers admitted to hospital for MBD due to use of alcohol, opioids or cannabinoids during peri-conception and pregnancy. Results: There were 304 primiparous mothers admitted to hospital for MBD due to alcohol use (MBDA), 306 for MBD due to opioids use (MBDO) and 497 for MBD due to cannabinoids (MBDC) between the 12 months peri-conception and the end of pregnancy. Primiparous mothers admitted to hospital for MBDA during pregnancy or during both peri-conception and pregnancy were significantly more likely to give birth to a baby of low birthweight (AOR = 4.03, 95%CI: 1.97-8.24 for pregnancy; AOR = 9.21, 95%CI: 3.76-22.57 both periods); preterm birth (AOR = 3.26, 95% CI: 1.52-6.97 for pregnancy; AOR = 4.06, 95%CI: 1.50-11.01 both periods) and admission to SCN or NICU (AOR = 2.42, 95%CI: 1.31-4.49 for pregnancy; AOR = 4.03, 95%CI: 1.72-9.44 both periods). Primiparous mothers admitted to hospital for MBDO, MBDC or a combined diagnosis were almost three times as likely to give birth to preterm babies compared to mothers without hospital admissions for psychiatric or substance use disorders. Babies whose mothers were admitted to hospital with MBDO before and/or during pregnancy were six times more likely to be admitted to SCN or NICU (AOR = 6.29, 95%CI: 4.62-8.57). Conclusion: Consumption of alcohol, opioids or cannabinoids during peri-conception or pregnancy significantly increased the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland