Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large-scale public venues as medical emergency sites in disasters: lessons from COVID-19 and the use of Fangcang shelter hospitals in Wuhan, China

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Wuhan has adopted three methods of admitting patients for treatment: designated hospitals, newly built temporary hospitals and Fangcang shelter hospitals. It has been proven that converting large-scale public venues such as stadiums and exhibition centres into Fangcang shelter hospitals, which serve as hospitals for isolation, treatment and disease monitoring of patients with mild symptoms, is the most effective way to control virus transmission and reduce mortality. This paper presents some experiences learnt from treating COVID-19 in Wuhan, the first city to report the outbreak and which suffered from a shortage of emergency supplies, heavy workload among staff and a shortage of hospital beds during the early stages of the pandemic. The experiences include location, accessibility, spacious outdoor area, spacious indoor space, power supply, architectural layout design and partition isolation, ventilation, sewage, and problems in the construction and management of Fangcang shelter hospitals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional approaches to disaster preparedness have demonstrated intrinsic problems, such as poor economic performance, inefficiency and lack of flexibility. Converting large-scale public venues into Fangcang shelter hospitals is an important means to rapidly improve the function of the city’s healthcare system during a pandemic. This valuable experience in Wuhan will help other countries in their battle against the current COVID-19 pandemic and will also contribute to disaster preparedness and mitigation in the future.
Modeling Micro-Macro Relationships: Problems and Solutions

This article discusses several problems of the micro-macro model, as it is depicted in its simplest form as the Coleman scheme. There is a macroproposition, its independent variables have causal effects on independent variables of a micro-theory, and the dependent variable of the micro-theory has a causal impact on the dependent variable of the macroproposition. This scheme is used to identify the basic possible problems of micro-macro modeling which are then discussed. Strengths and possible weaknesses of a wide version of the theory of rational action are analyzed. The article further provides a detailed analysis of the relationships between the micro- and macro-level.
Foreign aid and subnational development: A grid cell analysis

We examine the impact of geo-referenced World Bank development programs on subnational development using equally sized grid cells with a spatial resolution of 0.5 decimal degrees latitude x longitude as the unit of investigation. The proposed grid cell approach solves a number of endogeneity problems discussed in the aid effectiveness literature that make it diffcult to identify the true effect of foreign aid on development outcomes due to the presence of unobserved heterogeneity, lack of key country-level controls, aggregation bias, simultaneity and/or the presence of reverse causality in the association between foreign aid and economic growth, measurement errors, and endogenous sample selection bias. The estimates reveal that World Bank foreign aid projects contribute signifcantly to grid cell economic activity measured by night-time lights growth. This finding is robust to the presence of unobserved country-year and grid-cell-specific unobserved heterogeneity, and to the inclusion of a full set of grid-cell-specifc socioeconomic, demographic, con ict-related, biogeographic, and climatic controls. Additional sensitivity tests confirm the robustness of the main findings to various econometric estimators, alternative model specifications, and different spatial aggregation levels.
Low-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layers

An investigation was undertaken to improve our understanding of low-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layers flowing over a smooth flat surface in nominally zero pressure gradients. In practice, such flows generally occur in close proximity to a tripping device and, though it was known that the flows are affected by the actual low value of the Reynolds number, it was realized that they may also be affected by the type of tripping device used and variations in free-stream velocity for a given device. Consequently, the experimental programme was devised to investigate systematically the effects of each of these three factors independently. Three different types of device were chosen: a wire, distributed grit and cylindrical pins. Mean-flow, broadband-turbulence and spectral measurements were taken, mostly for values of Rθ varying between about 715 and about 2810. It was found that the mean-flow and broadband-turbulence data showed variations with Rθ, as expected. Spectra were plotted using scaling given by Perry, Henbest & Chong (1986) and were compared with their models which were developed for high-Reynolds-number flows. For the turbulent wall region, spectra showed reasonably good agreement with their model. For the fully turbulent region, spectra did show some appreciable deviations from their model, owing to low-Reynolds-number effects. Mean-flow profiles, broadband-turbulence profiles and spectra were found to be affected very little by the type of device used for Rθ ≈ 1020 and above, indicating an absence of dependence on flow history for this Rθ range. These types of measurements were also compared at both Rθ ≈ 1020 and Rθ ≈ 2175 to see if they were dependent on how Rθ was formed (i.e. the combination of velocity and momentum thickness used to determine Rθ). There were noticeable differences for Rθ ≈ 1020, but these differences were only convincing for the pins, and there was a general overall improvement in agreement for Rθ ≈ 2175.
EGFP Reporters for Direct and Sensitive Detection of Mutagenic Bypass of DNA Lesions

The sustainment of replication and transcription of damaged DNA is essential for cell survival under genotoxic stress; however, the damage tolerance of these key cellular functions comes at the expense of fidelity. Thus, translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) over damaged nucleotides is a major source of point mutations found in cancers; whereas erroneous bypass of damage by RNA polymerases may contribute to cancer and other diseases by driving accumulation of proteins with aberrant structure and function in a process termed “transcriptional mutagenesis” (TM). Here, we aimed at the generation of reporters suited for direct detection of miscoding capacities of defined types of DNA modifications during translesion DNA or RNA synthesis in human cells. We performed a systematic phenotypic screen of 25 non-synonymous base substitutions in a DNA sequence encoding a functionally important region of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). This led to the identification of four loss-of-fluorescence mutants, in which any ulterior base substitution at the nucleotide affected by the primary mutation leads to the reversal to a functional EGFP. Finally, we incorporated highly mutagenic abasic DNA lesions at the positions of primary mutations and demonstrated a high sensitivity of detection of the mutagenic DNA TLS and TM in this system.
FOGPLAN: A Lightweight QoS-Aware Dynamic Fog Service Provisioning Framework

Recent advances in the areas of Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and machine learning have contributed to the rise of a growing number of complex applications. These applications will be data-intensive, delay-sensitive, and real-time as smart devices prevail more in our daily life. Ensuring quality of service (QoS) for delay-sensitive applications is a must, and fog computing is seen as one of the primary enablers for satisfying such tight QoS requirements, as it puts compute, storage, and networking resources closer to the user. In this paper, we first introduce FOGPLAN, a framework for QoS-aware dynamic fog service provisioning (QDFSP). QDFSP concerns the dynamic deployment of application services on fog nodes, or the release of application services that have previously been deployed on fog nodes, in order to meet low latency and QoS requirements of applications while minimizing cost. FOGPLAN framework is practical and operates with no assumptions and minimal information about IoT nodes. Next, we present a possible formulation (as an optimization problem) and two efficient greedy algorithms for addressing the QDFSP at one instance of time. Finally, the FOGPLAN framework is evaluated using a simulation based on real-world traffic traces.
Population genetics and geometric morphometrics of the key silverside, Menidia conchorum, a marine

Gene flow between populations is restricted in fragmented habitats, which can promote a more rapid genetic diversification as evolutionary forces act on isolated gene pools. Here, we compare two silverside species occurring in a continuous coastal habitat (tidewater silverside, Menidia peninsulae Goode and Bean, 1879) vs a highly fragmented habitat consisting of hypersaline pools (key silverside, Menidia conchorum Hildebrand and Ginsburg, 1927). First, we aim to better resolve the morphological and genetic relationships between the two nominal species using a haplotype analysis at two loci (NADH dehydrogenase 2, internal transcribed space r2) and geometric morphometrics. Despite some haplotype sharing and incomplete lineage sorting, they were both genetically differentiated (ΦST = 0.2186 and 0.4198, respectively, P < 0.0001) and showed significant discriminating morphometric characteristics. Second, we made a temporal comparison of genetic diversity and effective population size (Ne) in key silversides over time using seven polymorphic microsatellite loci and found that genetic diversity and Ne of key silversides were lower in these pools compared to tidewater silversides in the marine environment and decreased over time. We conclude that key silversides more likely represent an ecotype of the tidewater silverside and thus harbor a distinct adaptive potential. Further, our results support the hypothesis that highly fragmented aquatic habitats promote rapid genetic change and species diversification. Finally, we discuss the management applications of our study pertaining to the current listing of key silversides as a National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern. 1 School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook,
Clinical outcomes of percutaneous thermal ablation for pulmonary metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective study

Abstract Purpose To determine the effectiveness of ablation for pulmonary metastases (PM) from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Between 2010 and 2017, the study analyzed 39 patients who had a median age of 59 years. Primary HCC was under control and the number of PM was less than 5 (median: 2), with a maximum diameter of ≤60 mm (median: 15 mm). The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and local tumor progression-free survival (LTPFS). Secondary endpoints included technique success (TS), complication and tumor response. TS referred to PM treated using the treatment protocol. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model was conducted on the potential risk factors (univariate: p < 0.5) to determine the independent factors (multivariate: p < 0.05). Results The TS rate was 100%. Major complications included pneumothorax (n = 3) requiring chest tube placement and pleural effusion requiring drainage (n = 2). Complete ablation was achieved in 32/38 patients (valid percent: 84.2%) at 1 month after ablation. The 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 79.8, 58 and 30.9%, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year LTPFS rates were 60.7, 34.2 and 22.8%, respectively. The extent (unilateral vs. bilateral) of PM (hazard ratio (HR): 0.197, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.043–0.890, p = 0.035) and the number (≤2 vs. >2) of PM (HR: 0.555, 95% CI: 0.311–0.991, p = 0.047) were found to be the independent risk factors for predicting OS. Conclusion Percutaneous thermal ablation is a safe and effective treatment for PM from HCC.
A seawater throttle on H2 production in Precambrian serpentinizing systems

Significance Our current understanding of the redox state of Earth’s ancient atmosphere is heavily dependent on the assumption that ancient low-temperature serpentinizing systems produced abundant H2, as they do today. Here, we examine this assumption using data that constrain Fe partitioning in serpentine minerals. We find that H2 production is linked to a Si deficiency in the serpentine structure, which itself is caused by low SiO2(aq) concentrations in fluids derived from modern seawater. Calculations accounting for this dependence of H2 production on seawater SiO2(aq) imply that Precambrian serpentinizing systems would have produced up to about two orders of magnitude less H2 than today, prompting a reexamination of atmospheric redox state and H2-dependent origins of life scenarios on early Earth. Since the initial discovery of low-temperature alkaline hydrothermal vents off the Mid-Atlantic Ridge axis nearly 20 y ago, the observation that serpentinizing systems produce abundant H2 has strongly influenced models of atmospheric evolution and geological scenarios for the origin of life. Nevertheless, the principal mechanisms that generate H2 in these systems, and how secular changes in seawater composition may have modified serpentinization-driven H2 fluxes, remain poorly constrained. Here, we demonstrate that the dominant mechanism for H2 production during low-temperature serpentinization is directly related to a Si deficiency in the serpentine structure, which itself is caused by low SiO2(aq) concentrations in serpentinizing fluids derived from modern seawater. Geochemical calculations explicitly incorporating this mechanism illustrate that H2 production is directly proportional to both the SiO2(aq) concentration and temperature of serpentinization. These results imply that, before the emergence of silica-secreting organisms, elevated SiO2(aq) concentrations in Precambrian seawater would have generated serpentinites that produced up to two orders of magnitude less H2 than their modern counterparts, consistent with Fe-oxidation states measured on ancient igneous rocks. A mechanistic link between the marine Si cycle and off-axis H2 production requires a reevaluation of the processes that supplied H2 to prebiotic and early microbial systems, as well as those that balanced ocean–atmosphere redox through time.
Reduced HIV-1 latent reservoir outgrowth and distinct immune correlates among females in Rakai, Uganda.

HIV-1 remains incurable due to the persistence of proviral DNA integrated into host cells, providing a reservoir for viral rebound upon cessation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is evidence for sex-based differences in HIV-1 immune responses and pathogenesis, but little is known about differences in HIV-1 persistence. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified persistent HIV-1 in 90 adults on suppressive ART in Rakai, Uganda (57 females). Total HIV-1 DNA was quantified by PCR and replication competent provirus by the quantitative viral outgrowth assay (QVOA). Immune phenotyping of T cell subsets and plasma biomarkers was also performed. We found that while both sexes had similar levels of total HIV DNA, females had significantly fewer cells harboring replication-competent virus, as measured by viral outgrowth in the QVOA. Predictors of viral outgrowth differed by sex; notably, frequency of PD-1+ CD4 T cells correlated with reservoir size in males, but not females. The sex-based differences in HIV-1 persistence observed in this cohort warrant additional research, especially given the widespread use of the QVOA to assess reservoir size and current explorations of PD-1 agonists in cure protocols. Efforts should be made to power future cure studies to assess outcomes in both males and females.
Optimal demand shaping for a dual-channel retailer under growing e-commerce adoption

Abstract The e-commerce adoption level within our society has been growing in the past decade, leading to dynamically evolving demand patterns across retailing channels. In this work, we study a dual-channel retailer’s optimal demand shaping strategy, through e-commerce marketing efforts and store service levels, in the presence of this dynamic evolution. Our stylized model integrates the growing adoption of e-commerce within society with individual consumers’ channel choice, and explicitly models the reference effects of the retailer’s prior decisions on consumer decision-making in a multi-period setting. This model allows us to characterize the settings in which e-commerce marketing is beneficial for the retailer, and to show that the retailer’s optimal demand shaping strategy depends on the product’s e-commerce adoption phase. Interestingly, we find that if the retailer provides the consumers with information on store availability levels, then the retailer’s optimal service levels stay constant over time, even if e-commerce adoption in the society grows.
Who Consults an Adult Psychiatric Emergency Department? Pertinence of Admissions and Opportunities for Telepsychiatry

Background and Objectives: Psychiatric disorders constitute frequent causes of emergency department (ED) admissions and these rates are increasing. However, referring to ED a whole range of conditions that could or should be dealt with elsewhere is imposing itself as a problematic situation. We aimed: (1) to provide a descriptive picture of the socio-demographic and diagnostic characteristics of the visits among adults at the psychiatric ED; (2) to estimate the clinical pertinence of these visits. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of diagnostic/socio-demographic characteristics and clinical trajectories of patients admitted for a psychiatric condition at the adult psychiatric ED of the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), Switzerland, during a 6-week timespan. Results: In our sample (n = 763 total admissions for psychiatric conditions; n = 702 for inclusion of patients having received a medical evaluation), depression/anxiety, suicidal behavior (SB), psychotic episode, and substance use disorder (SUD), in descending order, were the most common diagnoses for referral. Patients belonged to younger age groups (≤65 years), had a familial status other than married/in couple, and did not present an unfavorable socio-demographic profile. Concerning the pertinence for a psychiatric ED, primary diagnosis of depression/anxiety is the only variable significantly associated with different grade of degree. By the examination of the patients’ trajectory from admission to discharge, the clinical pertinence for a psychiatric ED admission existed for cases assigned to the Echelle Suisse du Tri (EST®) scale degree 1 (corresponding to most urgent and severe conditions), particularly for diagnoses of depression/anxiety associated with SB, SB as primary or comorbid diagnosis, and psychotic and manic/hypomanic episode. However, diagnoses of depression/anxiety without urgent and severe features (degrees 2, 3, 4) constituted the most frequent mode of presentation. Conclusions: Ambulatory and community-integrated settings could be more appropriate for the majority of patients admitted to adult psychiatric EDs. Moreover, the implementation of telepsychiatry strategies represents a very promising opportunity to offer these patients care continuity, reduce costs and filter the demand for psychiatric ED.
Awareness and Knowledge Regarding the Consumption of Dietary Fiber and Its Relation to Self-Reported Health Status in an Adult Arab Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

The objective of this study was to examine the awareness, knowledge, and habits regarding dietary fiber intake and to analyze its relationship with self-reported health status among Saudi adults. A survey-based study using face-to-face interview was designed, and 1363 apparently healthy adult Saudi males and females participated. Most participants were females (81.2%), aged 25 and above (87.2%), and were educated at least up to the secondary level of education (80.8%). The majority of the participants were aware of the role of fiber-rich foods in health conditions such as obesity (70.5%), cardiovascular diseases (68.9%), and regulation of blood sugar (68.9%), with females significantly having higher nutrition knowledge than males. A disconnect in translating this nutrition knowledge was observed particularly in food choices when eating out, where preferences for white bread (84.4%), fried potatoes (69.9%) and peeled fruits (60.6%) were significantly higher than preferences for cooked vegetables (29.6%) and brown bread (18.1%). The most common reason for this disconnect was due to perception that foods rich in dietary fibers were expensive (72.1%), have less health benefits (56.5%), were not readily available (51.6%), and participants’ disliking of the taste (52.8%). Participants in the highest quartile (Q4) for dietary fiber consumption reported a lower prevalence of constipation (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval of 0.40, 0.28–0.57, p < 0.01), high cholesterol (0.43, 0.27–0.68, p < 0.01) and obesity (0.67, 0.44–0.98, p = 0.03) than participants in the lowest quartile (Q1). Dietary fiber intake appears to be protective against constipation, high cholesterol and obesity in Saudi adults. However, a disparity observed between knowledge and attitude towards intake of dietary fibers could limit its health benefits. Further studies including adolescents should be conducted to impart knowledge on the emotional, cognitive and sensory factors related to food choices in order to minimize the gap between nutrition knowledge and the consumption of healthy high-fiber diets.
Working Paper Series Consumption inequality across heterogeneous families

This paper studies the transmission of wage shocks into consumption across families that exhibit unobserved preference heterogeneity. Heterogeneity and preferences over consumption and family labor supply are nonparametric. I show that any moment of the joint distribution of policy-relevant wage elasticities of consumption and labor supply is identified separately from the distributions of incomes and outcomes. I decompose consumption inequality into components pertaining to wage inequality, preference heterogeneity and heterogeneity in wealth, and I show that preference heterogeneity always increases consumption inequality. To illustrate these points empirically, I fit second and third moments of consumption, earnings and wages in the PSID. I find that: (i) the distributions of permanent and transitory wage shocks exhibit strong negative skewness; (ii) there is substantial heterogeneity in consumption elasticities but not in elasticities of labor supply; (iii) consumption is on average fully insured against transitory shocks but tracks permanent shocks much more closely than previously found; moreover, there is substantial heterogeneity in the response of consumption to such shocks involving both the magnitude and the sign of the response; (iv) preference heterogeneity accounts for up to 58% of consumption inequality in the US since 1999. Seen together, these results suggest that preference heterogeneity has substantial implications for consumption inequality and partial insurance.