Under-specification as the Source of Ambiguity and Vagueness in Narrative Phenotype Algorithm Definitions

IntroductionCurrently, one of the commonly used methods for disseminating electronic health record (EHR)-based phenotype algorithms is providing a narrative description of the algorithm logic, often accompanied by flowcharts. A challenge with this mode of dissemination is the potential for under-specification in the algorithm definition, which leads to ambiguity and vagueness. MethodsThis study examines incidents of under-specification that occurred during the implementation of 34 narrative phenotyping algorithms in the electronic Medical Record and Genomics (eMERGE) network. We reviewed the online communication history between algorithm developers and implementers within the Phenotype Knowledge Base (PheKB) platform, where questions could be raised and answered regarding the intended implementation of a phenotype algorithm. ResultsWe developed a taxonomy of under-specification categories via an iterative review process between two groups of annotators. Under-specifications that lead to ambiguity and vagueness were consistently found across narrative phenotype algorithms developed by all involved eMERGE sites. Discussion & ConclusionOur findings highlight that under-specification is an impediment to the accuracy and efficiency of the implementation of current narrative phenotyping algorithms, and we propose approaches for mitigating these issues and improved methods for disseminating EHR phenotyping algorithms.

Depression Therapy Using Chatbot

The objective of this paper is to build a Web Application based on Virtual voice and chat Assistant. The current study focuses on development of voice and text/chat bot specifically. It is specially being built for people who feel depressed and insists them to talk open mindedly which in turn pacifies them. As the name of the application suggests, App: An application to pacify people and make them as happy as a cat would be with his or her mother (the reason why a cat purrs). We will be using Dialog flow for the application design and Machine Learning as a part of Artificial Intelligence for Natural Language Processing (NLP), an easiest way to use Machine Learning libraries. At the back-end we will be using a database to store the communication history between the user and the bot. This application will only work on devices with Web operating system version-5.0 and above.

Histories of transport and communication in South Asia: A first review

History of transport and communication has surely entered an exciting phase of research in South Asia. The authors of the select titles as well as others working on related fields have been exploring different facets of, what could broadly be labelled as, “transport and communication” history of South Asia. This review article looks at some of the recent writings in the fields of technology, transport, and railways to map the newness in South Asia's transport history. While doing this, it also suggests some possible future areas of research, which will surely build upon these insightful works. In particular, this review essay covers the themes of technology and its scale, questions related to modernity, and imperialism. It makes a plea for going beyond “railway-centrism” towards exploring the intersectional fields of infrastructural histories.

Das Flugblatt im Medienverbund der Frühen Neuzeit

One characteristic feature of the early modern media ensemble were the so-called ‘small’ and ‘occasional’ prints – a variety of pamphlet publications and single-sheet items that may be referred to as Flugpublizistik. In this article, one distinctive single-sheet variation, namely the early modern broadside with image and text parts, will be highlighted both as image transporting media and as a recycling product of the media ensemble. As is demonstrated using approaches from communication history and media economics, the early modern broadside with image and text parts is just another product of the most typical and constant processing of observed media-flows into new streams of media.

PriFi: Low-Latency Anonymity for Organizational Networks

Organizational networks are vulnerable to trafficanalysis attacks that enable adversaries to infer sensitive information fromnetwork traffic—even if encryption is used. Typical anonymous communication networks are tailored to the Internet and are poorly suited for organizational networks.We present PriFi, an anonymous communication protocol for LANs, which protects users against eavesdroppers and provides high-performance traffic-analysis resistance. PriFi builds onDining Cryptographers networks (DC-nets), but reduces the high communication latency of prior designs via a new client/relay/server architecture, in which a client’s packets remain on their usual network path without additional hops, and in which a set of remote servers assist the anonymization process without adding latency. PriFi also solves the challenge of equivocation attacks, which are not addressed by related work, by encrypting traffic based on communication history. Our evaluation shows that PriFi introduces modest latency overhead (≈ 100ms for 100 clients) and is compatible with delay-sensitive applications such as Voice-over-IP.

The epistemic project of open diplomacy and the League of Nations: Co-evolution between diplomacy, PR and journalism

PurposeThe article discusses findings from a research project on the communication history of the League of Nations. It departs from the League's normative goal of “open diplomacy”, which, from an analytical standpoint, can be framed as an “epistemic project” in the sense of a non-linear and ambivalent negotiation by communication of what “open diplomacy” should and could be. The notion of the “epistemic project” serves as an analytical concept to understand this negotiation of open diplomacy across co-evolving actors' constellations from journalism, PR and diplomacy.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a mixed-method approach, including hermeneutic document analysis of UN archival sources and collective biography/prosopography of 799 individual journalists and information officers.FindingsIt finds that the League's conceptualisations of the public sphere and open diplomacy were fluent and ambivalent. They developed in the interplay of diverse actors' collectives in Geneva. The involved roles of information officers, journalists and diplomats were permeable, heterogenous and – not least from a normative perspective – conflictive.Originality/valueThe subject remains under-researched, especially from the perspective of communication studies. The study is the first to approach it with the described research framework.