The Meaning of ‘Other’ in Classifications: Formal Methods Meet Artistic Research

This commentary is a reflection on a collaboration with the artist Rossella Biscotti and comments on how artistic research and logico-mathematical methods can be used to contribute to the development of critical perspectives on contemporary data practices

Annotated natural deduction for adaptive reasoning

We present a multi-conclusion natural deduction calculus characterizing the dynamic reasoning typical of Adaptive Logics. The resulting system AdaptiveND is sound and complete with respect to the propositional fragment of adaptive logics based on CLuN. This appears to be the first tree-format presentation of the standard linear dynamic proof system typical of Adaptive Logics. It offers the advantage of full transparency in the formulation of locally derivable rules, a connection between restricted inference-rules and their adaptive counterpart, and the formulation of abnormalities as a subtype of well-formed formulas. These features of the proposed calculus allow us to clarify the relation between defeasible and multipleconclusion approaches to classical recapture

The ethics of algorithms: mapping the debate

In information societies, operations, decisions and choices previously left to humans are increasingly delegated to algorithms, which may advise, if not decide, about how data should be interpreted and what actions should be taken as a result. More and more often, algorithms mediate social processes, business transactions, governmental decisions, and how we perceive, understand, and interact among ourselves and with the environment. Gaps between the design and operation of algorithms and our understanding of their ethical implications can have severe consequences affecting individuals as well as groups and whole societies. This paper makes three contributions to clarify the ethical importance of algorithmic mediation. It provides a prescriptive map to organise the debate. It reviews the current discussion of ethical aspects of algorithms. And it assesses the available literature in order to identify areas requiring further work to develop the ethics of algorithms

Assessment of Perceived Risks of Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Screening Among Women in Five Selected Local Governments in Ogun State, Nigeria

This study examined the perceived risks of breast cancer (BC) and its influence on the BC screening behavior of 992 women residing in rural, urban, and semi-urban communities in five randomly selected local government areas (LGAs) in Ogun State, Nigeria. The article attempts to examine women’s perception of BC risk and how this may influence their behavioral disposition to breast screening. Cross-sectional survey and in-depth interviews were utilized to elicit quantitative and qualitative data from respondents. It was found that, although a positive association exists between risk perception of BC and BC screening attendance (β = .411), the association is not statistically significant: p = .204, 95% CI = [0.800, 2.841]. Women’s screening behavior is thus not determined by perceived risks, but are rather determined by religious and sociocultural beliefs in the study area. The socio-cultural milieu and religious idiosyncrasies of women may be considered when developing interventions to encourage mammography screening

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOURAL DISPOSITION OF NIGERIAN WOMEN TOWARDS BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer is one of the most important diseases for women to know about, unfortunately, inadequate and incomplete knowledge coupled with wrong attitude towards the disease have been found to be one of the reasons why it is still highly prevalent in most low and middle income countries (LMCs) today. Knowledge is central to the curtailment of breast cancer as knowledge empowers and liberates from ignorance. Having the right attitude is also important for sound judgment and prompt action. It has been observed that women of the African descent usually tend to underestimate their vulnerability to breast cancer as they employ a “breast cancer related thought avoidance” mechanism. Not much attention has been paid to disseminating knowledge and the promotion of attitudinal change about breast cancer with a view of preventing it from spreading and consequently saving the lives of women mostly affected. This study, conducted in 5 South-western Nigerian communities set out to examine the level of knowledge, attitude and behavioural disposition of women towards breast cancer. This is aimed at investigating the level of breast cancer knowledge among Nigerian women, and to examine the way they experience and respond to the incidence of the disease. Findings among others revealed that knowledge and awareness of breast cancer are not enough to make women consider it as a threat, and that, what rather influences the attitude of women towards breast cancer is having a familial breast cancer history, and, their personal belief which is strongly influenced by spirituality that often make them live in denial of their risk thereby making them evade and delay the adoption of a suggested preventive action

AN ASSESSMENT OF PERCEIVED RISKS OF BREAST CANCER AND SCREENING ATTENDANCE AMONG WOMEN IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined the perceived risks of breast cancer and it influence on breast cancer screening attendance among 992 women in 5 selected Local Government Areas in Ogun state, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey of women aged 15 – 69 years was performed using the multi-stage sampling technique. Opinions were sampled based on their general knowledge and awareness of breast cancer, if they think they may be at risk of getting breast cancer and if they will go for a voluntary breast cancer screening. A total of 10 in-depth-interviews was also conducted to complement the survey method. Opinions were sampled from women residing in rural, urban and semi-urban communities in the 5 LGAs. The test of relationship using the Binary Logistic Regression (BLR) showed that women’s decision towards breast cancer screening is not determined by perceptions of risk, but are rather determined by religious and socio-cultural beliefs in the study area. Risk perception although an important component of behavioural change, is not a sufficient enough variable that is capable of impacting on women’s behaviour and disposition towards breast cancer screening.Future policies and programs of the government and major stakeholders may be structured in a religious and culturally sensitive manner to correct wrong and uneducated beliefs about breast cancer screening in order to help women make accurate and informed risks assessment for prompt preventive action aimed at reducing breast cancer morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. Additionally, women’s life experiences and personal beliefs about breast cancer should be put into consideration when designing policies and programs so as to make these programs yield desired result which is behavioural modification

High-sensitivity versus conventional troponin in the emergency department for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction

International audienceINTRODUCTION: Recently, newer assays for cardiac troponin (cTn) have been developed which are able to detect changes in concentration of the biomarker at or below the 99th percentile for a normal population. The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of a new high-sensitivity troponin T (HsTnT) assay to that of conventional cTnI for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) according to pretest probability (PTP). METHODS: In consecutive patients who presented to our emergency departments with chest pain suggestive of AMI, levels of HsTnT were measured at presentation, blinded to the emergency physicians, who were asked to estimate the empirical PTP of AMI. The discharge diagnosis was adjudicated by two independent experts on the basis of all available data. RESULTS: A total of 317 patients were included, comprising 149 (47%) who were considered to have low PTP, 109 (34%) who were considered to have moderate PTP and 59 (19%) who were considered to have high PTP. AMI was confirmed in 45 patients (14%), 22 (9%) of whom were considered to have low to moderate PTP and 23 (39%) of whom were considered to have high PTP (P < 0.001). In the low to moderate PTP group, HsTnT levels ≥ 0.014 μg/L identified AMI with a higher sensitivity than cTnI (91%, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 79 to 100, vs. 77% (95% CI 60 to 95); P = 0.001), but the negative predictive value was not different (99% (95% CI 98 to 100) vs. 98% (95% CI 96 to 100)). There was no difference in area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve between HsTnT and cTnI (0.93 (95% CI 0.90 to 0.98) vs. 0.94 (95% CI 0.88 to 0.97), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with low to moderate PTP of AMI, HsTnT is slightly more useful than cTnI. Our results confirm that the use of HsTnT has a higher sensitivity than conventional cTnI

The Surgical Infection Society revised guidelines on the management of intra-abdominal infection

Background: Previous evidence-based guidelines on the management of intra-abdominal infection (IAI) were published by the Surgical Infection Society (SIS) in 1992, 2002, and 2010. At the time the most recent guideline was released, the plan was to update the guideline every five years to ensure the timeliness and appropriateness of the recommendations. Methods: Based on the previous guidelines, the task force outlined a number of topics related to the treatment of patients with IAI and then developed key questions on these various topics. All questions were approached using general and specific literature searches, focusing on articles and other information published since 2008. These publications and additional materials published before 2008 were reviewed by the task force as a whole or by individual subgroups as to relevance to individual questions. Recommendations were developed by a process of iterative consensus, with all task force members voting to accept or reject each recommendation. Grading was based on the GRADE (Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) system; the quality of the evidence was graded as high, moderate, or weak, and the strength of the recommendation was graded as strong or weak. Review of the document was performed by members of the SIS who were not on the task force. After responses were made to all critiques, the document was approved as an official guideline of the SIS by the Executive Council. Results: This guideline summarizes the current recommendations developed by the task force on the treatment of patients who have IAI. Evidence-based recommendations have been made regarding risk assessment in individual patients; source control; the timing, selection, and duration of antimicrobial therapy; and suggested approaches to patients who fail initial therapy. Additional recommendations related to the treatment of pediatric patients with IAI have been included. Summary: The current recommendations of the SIS regarding the treatment of patients with IAI are provided in this guideline

Formalising the 'No Information Without Data-Representation' Principle

One of the basic principles of the general definition of information is its rejection of dataless information, which is reflected in its endorsement of an ontological neutrality. In general, this principles states that “there can be no information without physical implementation” (Floridi (2005)). Though this is standardly considered a commonsensical assumption, many questions arise with regard to its generalised application. In this paper a combined logic for data and information is elaborated, and specifically used to investigate the consequences of restricted and unrestricted data-implementation-principles