Utilizing Multi-level Classification Techniques to Predict Adverse Drug Effects and Reactions

Multi-class classification models are used to predict categorical response variables with more than two possible outcomes. A collection of multi-class classification techniques such as Multinomial Logistic Regression, Na\ {i}ve Bayes, and Support Vector Machine is used in predicting patients’ drug reactions and adverse drug effects based on patients’ demographic and drug administration. The newly released 2018 data on drug reactions and adverse drug effects from U.S. Food and Drug Administration are tested with the models. The applicability of model evaluation measures such as sensitivity, specificity and prediction accuracy in multi-class settings, are also discussed

Boundary-induced anisotropy of the avalanches in the sandpile automaton

We study numerically the avalanches in a two--dimensional critical height sandpile model with sand grains added at the center of the system. Smaller avalanches near the center of the system are isotropic. Larger avalanches are, however, affected by the boundary of the system, to a degree that increases with the avalanche size. Up to linear system size $L=1001$, we did not find an obvious indication for lattice--induced anisotropy.Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX, preprint HLRZ 38/9

Social Work in Germany

La disciplina del treball social ofereix el coneixement teòric per comprendre la situació d’aquestes persones, ajudar-les a satisfer les seves necessitats bàsiques. Els treballadors socials són experts en la intervenció en situacions de crisi i, a Alemanya, també s’encarreguen de l’educació en zones d’esbarjo o escoles. Causa de les seves múltiples possibilitats, el pla d’estudis de treball social és ampli i general, i s’imparteix principalment a les Fachhochschule. A Alemanya, el treball social es troba en un moment de gran creixement, té una gran demanda laboral i bones perspectives d’ocupació, però segueix afrontant grans reptes i canvis.La disciplina del trabajo social ofrece el conocimiento teórico para comprender la situación de estas personas, ayudarlas a satisfacer sus necesidades básicas. Los trabajadores sociales son expertos en la intervención en situaciones de crisis y, en Alemania, también se encargan de la educación en zonas de recreo o escuelas. Debido a sus múltiples posibilidades, el plan de estudios de trabajo social es amplio y general, y se imparte principalmente en las Fachhochschule. En Alemania, el trabajo social está en un momento de gran crecimiento, tiene una gran demanda laboral y buenas perspectivas de empleo, pero sigue afrontando grandes retos y cambios.The study of social work provides theoretic knowledge in order to understand the situation of these people and to support them in covering their basic needs. Social workers are experts in crisis intervention; also education is one of their tasks in Germany– in playschools or schools for example. Because of the manifold possibilities, the degree courses have been designed broadly and generalizing. The degree course of social work is mainly taught at Fachhochschule, universities of applied sciences. In Germany, social work offers a field of occupation with high rates of growth and good employment outlook, but nevertheless faces major challenges and changes

The eroticization of lesbianism by heterosexual men

The stereotyping of lesbians includes both a traditional masculine, butch lesbian and a feminine, sexualized lesbian. The perception of lesbianism as erotic extends throughout mainstream society, with images of lesbianism targeted to heterosexual men in advertising, film, and pornography. If men do not perceive lesbians as either inherently bisexual or hypersexual, why are lesbians eroticized by heterosexual men? Here, subliminal priming with homosexual or heterosexual male or females primes was designed to elicit chronically accessible eroticization of lesbianism. Findings revealed that, contrary to expectations, priming with heterosexual-female prime sets did not increase reported erotic value of lesbianism relative to other prime sets; however, homosexual-male priming did increase reported erotic value of lesbianism

Our Perception of Scary Sounds: A Comparison of Films and Popular Music

My Capstone Research Paper will be an analysis on the usage of “scary” sounds performed in popular music as well as a comparison to the practice of using similar sounds in film, making a note of any similarities or differences (ex. audience perception, use of visuals). I will also touch on the integration of scary sound effects alongside music scoring for film, specifically in the Horror and Suspense genres. With popular music being my primary focus, I want to elaborate on the cognitive psychology of audiences (in film and music) and their reactions to scary or horrific sounds to better explain the compositional process behind the integration of scary sounds. For context, I want to address the past usages of scary sounds in popular music and also cover some history of sound design and scoring in Horror films as well, showing how things have changed/stayed consistent over time, ie the incorporation of sound into film. My definition of a scary sound is “A sound that, once perceived by an audience, brings on a reaction or feeling within the listeners of being afraid, uncomfortable, nervous, or uneasy. These can be unrecognizable and/or ultra- recognizable scary sounds, for example a gunshot versus a sawtooth wave on a synth at 60Hz”

An evaluation of the procedures used to assess and remediate the perceived writing difficulties of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Education at Edith Cowan University

The standards of written literacy of teacher-education students at Edith Cowan University are perceived by many staff to be inadequate. The Faculty of Education\u27s response to this perceived inadequacy is to carry out a mandatory skills-based remedial writing programme for students whose literacy competencies are judged to be deficient, The instrument used to assess the students\u27 literacy competencies is the English Skills Assessment test. The students\u27 performances in the various skills which the test purports to measure, also determine the area in which they are given remedial instruction if the results of the test suggest this is necessary. However, many Faculty of Education staff are concerned that there are important conceptual, structural, and organisational inadequacies in students\u27 writing which are not identified by the English Skills Assessment test and, therefore, are not attended to in remediation programmes based on the results generated by this test. This study was an evaluation of the remedial literacy programme conducted by the Faculty of Education at Edith Cowan University. The programme was evaluated from two perspectives (a) a theoretical perspective and (b) a practical perspective. Firstly, the study evaluated the procedures used by the Faculty of Education to diagnose and remediate writing difficulties among its first year student intake by comparing the assumptions underlying those procedures to the assumptions underlying a contemporary perspective of writing and the teaching of writing. This comparison revealed that not only were many of the procedures used by the Faculty ineffectual, but also some of the procedures used had the potential to inhibit the literacy development of its students. Secondly, the study investigated whether the English Skills Assessment test was able to identify (a) all the areas in which students experienced difficulties inwriting and (b) the students who were likely to experience the difficulties. The performances of 426 first year primary and secondary teacher education students attending the Mount Lawley Campus of the Edith Cowan University in the English Skills Assessment test were compared with their performances in a research-essay assignment, carried out as a normal part of their course work. The results of this aspect of the study reinforce the findings of an earlier study (Holbrook & Bourke, 1989) which reported that the English Skills Assessment test neither identified all the areas in which tertiary level students experience difficulty in their real writing nor the students likely to experience difficulties, This study shows that Holbrook and Bourke\u27s findings, which related to narrative text, also applied when students wrote expository text. These results challenge the validity of the Faculty\u27s use of the English Skills Assessment test as a means of identifying students with writing problems and show that any remedial writing programme based solely on the areas identified by the test will have a limited impact on the development of students\u27 written literacy. In addition to the data originally sought for this study, other information came to light which showed the limitations of the way in which the Faculty conceptualises students\u27 literacy needs. The emphasis of this programme is diagnosis and remediation. This conceptualisation has produced a literacy unit which is peripheral to the mainstream academic programme and which teaches the surface features of language in decontextualised, skills-based lessons. As a consequence, the unit: (a) is accorded marginal status by lecturers and students alike, ( b ) bears little relationship to what is happening in other units of the course, and (c) contributes little, if anything, to students\u27 literacy development. It is clear from the findings of this study that the Faculty of Educator\u27s remedial literacy programme contains serious flaws which cannot be rectified by attempting to modify the existing programme, The study concludes by recommending that the Faculty of Education should abandon its existing programme, along with its remedial emphasis, and institute a new programme designed to cater for the literacy needs of all its students. That is, all incoming students should be required to undertake a foundation unit which outlines the Faculty of Education\u27s requirements and expectations of students, and teaches them the structures and processes (reading, writing, and thinking) required for successful learning in Bachelor of Arts (Education) courses

Developing a measure of student literacy competencies at a tertiary level using Rasch measurement

This paper reports an Australian investigation into concerns about student writing at University level and the construction of an objective measure of literacy. The English Skills Assessment (ESA) test, involving multiple choice items, and an essay, marked according to specified criteria, was administered to newly enrolled students (N = 495) in a University\u27s Education programme. Analyses reveal inconsistencies between subtests of the ESA test, but the written test shows more promise. While some association is observed between the two measures, comparable subtests (such as spelling, punctuation, sentence structure) do not appear to be measuring the same thing