Toward a universal decoder of linguistic meaning from brain activation.

Prior work decoding linguistic meaning from imaging data has been largely limited to concrete nouns, using similar stimuli for training and testing, from a relatively small number of semantic categories. Here we present a new approach for building a brain decoding system in which words and sentences are represented as vectors in a semantic space constructed from massive text corpora. By efficiently sampling this space to select training stimuli shown to subjects, we maximize the ability to generalize to new meanings from limited imaging data.

A comparative evaluation of off-the-shelf distributed semantic representations for modelling behavioural data.

In this paper we carry out an extensive comparison of many off-the-shelf distributed semantic vectors representations of words, for the purpose of making predictions about behavioural results or human annotations of data. In doing this comparison we also provide a guide for how vector similarity computations can be used to make such predictions, and introduce many resources available both in terms of datasets and of vector representations. Finally, we discuss the shortcomings of this approach and future research directions that might address them.

A TASER conducted electrical weapon with cardiac biomonitoring capability: Proof of concept and initial human trial.

Introduction: Despite research demonstrating the overall safety of Conducted Electrical Weapons (CEWs), commonly known by the brand name TASER(®), concerns remain regarding cardiac safety. The addition of cardiac biomonitoring capability to a CEW could prove useful and even lifesaving in the rare event of a medical crisis by detecting and analyzing cardiac rhythms during the period immediately after CEW discharge.

Objective: To combine an electrocardiogram (ECG) device with a CEW to detect and store ECG signals while still allowing the CEW to perform its primary function of delivering an incapacitating electrical discharge.

Tuning out the noise: cognitive biases.

In my brief training as an emergency physician, I have experienced numerous distracting cognitive biases that have interfered with establishing proper diagnoses. Recognizing these potential barriers and appreciating them is essential to excellent patient care.

Cor triatriatum with single atrium presenting in adulthood.

We present the case of an asymptomatic 21-year-old woman referred because of an abnormal routine electrocardiogram. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a complete absence of the atrial septum, a common atrium septated posteriorly from the pulmonary venous chamber, a partial atrioventricular canal, a cleft mitral valve and a persistent left superior vena cava draining into an enlarged coronary sinus. These findings were confirmed during surgical correction.