Common things are common, but what is common? A foundation for probabilistic diagnosis.

The well-known clinical axiom stating that “common things are common” attests to the pivotal role of probability in diagnosis. Despite the popularity of this and related axioms, there is no operationalized definition of a common disease, and no practicable way of incorporating actual disease frequencies into differential diagnosis. In this expository essay, we aim to reduce the ambiguity surrounding the definition of a common (or rare) disease and show that incidence – not prevalence – is the proper metric of disease frequency for diagnosis. We explore how a numerical estimates of disease frequencies based on incidence can be incorporated into differential diagnosis as well as the inherent limitations of this method. These concepts have important implications for diagnostic decision making and medical education, and hold promise as a method to improve diagnostic accuracy.

A Probabilistic Extension of Action Language

We present a probabilistic extension of action language${\cal BC}$+$. Just like${\cal BC}$+$is defined as a high-level notation of answer set programs for describing transition systems, the proposed language, which we callp${\cal BC}$+$, is defined as a high-level notation of LPMLNprograms—a probabilistic extension of answer set programs. We show how probabilistic reasoning about transition systems, such as prediction, postdiction, and planning problems, as well as probabilistic diagnosis for dynamic domains, can be modeled inp${\cal BC}$+$and computed using an implementation of LPMLN.

Prueba cognitiva–cuantitativa para identificar el Acercamiento Comunicativo Dialógico Textual del docente

Este artículo tiene como objetivo proponer una prueba cognitiva–cuantitativa para identificar el Acercamiento Comunicativo Dialógico Textual en el docente de nivel medio superior con relación al texto científico, a partir de la elaboración de una rúbrica integrada por categorías (dimensiones cognitivas) y niveles de comprensión de lectura, al tiempo de ser una base para la elaboración de ítems. Actualmente la prueba se encuentra en etapa diagnóstica y es de corte cuantitativo no probabilístico. Los primeros resultados señalan que sí es posible identificar el ACDT, justo donde la decodificación que realiza el sujeto sobre el objeto textual, determina la profundidad del diálogo y la adquisición del conocimiento científico en torno al mensaje. AbstractThe objective of this article is to propose a cognitive–quantitative test to identify the Dialogic–Textual Communicative Approach Of the upper middle education's teaching staff about scientific texts, from a rubric integrated by categories (cognitive dimensions) and reading comprehension levels. It's important to mention that this rubric was also used to elaborate the items. Currently the test is on a quantitative not probabilistic diagnosis stage. The first results conclude that certainly the ACDT, can be identifiable, where the decoding that the subject is doing about the textual object, determines the depth of the dialogue and the scientific knowledge acquisition about the message. Recibido: 17 de agosto de 2015 Aceptado: 01 de marzo de 2016