Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distribution Shift in Airline Customer Behavior during COVID-19

Traditional AI approaches in customized (personalized) contextual pricing applications assume that the data distribution at the time of online pricing is similar to that observed during training. However, this assumption may be violated in practice because of the dynamic nature of customer buying patterns, particularly due to unanticipated system shocks such as COVID-19. We study the changes in customer behavior for a major airline during the COVID-19 pandemic by framing it as a covariate shift and concept drift detection problem. We identify which customers changed their travel and purchase behavior and the attributes affecting that change using (i) Fast Generalized Subset Scanning and (ii) Causal Forests. In our experiments with simulated and real-world data, we present how these two techniques can be used through qualitative analysis.
Working memory capacity and dual mechanisms of cognitive control: An experimental-correlational approach

Working memory is thought to be strongly related to cognitive control. Recent studies have sought to understand this relationship under the prism of the dual mechanisms of control (DMC) framework, in which cognitive control is thought to operate in two distinct modes: proactive and reactive. Several authors have concluded that a high working memory capacity is associated with a tendency to engage the more effective mechanism of proactive control. However, the predicted pattern of proactive control use has never been observed; correlational evidence is made difficult to interpret by the overall superiority of participants with a high working memory capacity: they tend to perform better even when proactive control should be detrimental. In two experiments, we used an experimental-correlational approach to experimentally induce the use of reactive or proactive control in the AX-CPT. The relation between working memory capacity and performance was unaffected, incompatible with the hypothesis that the better performance of participants with a high working memory capacity in the task is due to their use of proactive control. It remains unclear how individual differences in working memory capacity relate to cognitive control under the DMC framework.
Nonparametric Approach to Managing Materials Quality

The normal distribution was tested for its goodness of fit to quality control data from 25 California Department of Transportation projects. The binder content and relative compaction of asphalt concrete were studied. In a significant number of cases, the assumption of normality was rejected. Closer examination of the observed distributions revealed instances of skewed, truncated, and bimodal distributions. Indications of nonnormality were found for a third of the asphalt content cases and nearly half of the relative compaction cases. An alternative nonparametric procedure for estimation of the percentage of material outside specification limits (POL) is proposed. Comparisons with the current methodology, which assumes that the data are normally distributed, indicated that somewhat lower, but arguably more accurate, estimates of POL are obtained by the nonparametric approach. Issues of accuracy and precision were addressed through a simulation study. The nonparametric method offers considerably greater statistical accuracy and power than the parametric approach when the data are not distributed normally and a performance comparable to that of the parametric approach when they are.
Some practical concerns on isothermal electromigration tests

The isothermal electromigration (EM) test at wafer level can greatly reduce the test time from months to minutes. This plausible feature makes inline reliability monitoring a promising approach to enhance product reliability. Although most wafer-level reliability (WLR) tests are applied for process monitors and comparisons, their applicability for qualification will be justified. The correlation between package-level reliability (PLR) and the isothermal EM is necessary and is discussed in this paper. Besides failure analysis, a 95% confidence interval of activation energy is constructed. Since the sizes of voids formed at isothermal EM are much smaller than those at PLR EM tests, the failure criterion should be changed (i.e., using a smaller OR). Issues for better test structure designs are described and verified. Generally, the straight-line test structure with four pads is recommended for the isothermal EM tests because of the uniform temperature profile. An extensive example is provided to illustrate the procedures on isothermal EM tests for WLR control. In the example, we propose using t/sub 50/ for routine Cpk review and the slope of the fitting line to monitor the degradation. The spec limits can be obtained based on customers' or internal reliability goals.
Mobilization Protocols for Hybrid Sensors for Environmental AOP Sampling (HySEAS) Observations

The protocols presented here enable the proper mobilization of the latest-generation instruments for measuring the apparent optical properties (AOPs) of aquatic ecosystems. The protocols are designed for the Hybrid Sensors for Environmental AOP Sampling (HySEAS) class of instruments, but are applicable to the community of practice for AOP measurements. The protocols are organized into eleven sections beyond an introductory overview: a) cables and connectors, b) HySEAS instruments, c) platform preparation, d) instrument installation, e) cable installation, f) test deployment, g) test recovery, h) maintenance, i) shipping, j) storage, and k) smallboat operations. Each section concentrates on documenting how to prevent the most likely faults, remedy them should they occur, and accomplishing both with the proper application of a modest set of useful tools. Within the twelve sections, there are Socratic exercises to stimulate thought, and the answers to these exercises appear in Appendix A. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) are summarized in a separate section after the answers to the exercises in Appendix B. For practitioners unfamiliar with the nautical terms used throughout this document plus others likely encountered at sea, an abbreviated dictionary of nautical terms appears in Appendix C. An abbreviated dictionary of radiotelephone terms is presented in Appendix D. To ensure familiarity with many of the tools that are presented, Appendix E provides a description of the tools alongside a thumbnail picture. Abbreviated deployment checklists and cable diagrams are provided in Appendix F. The document concludes with an acknowledgments section, a glossary of acronyms, a definition of symbols, and a list of references.
Risks of Stroke Recurrence and Mortality After First and Recurrent Strokes in Denmark

Background and Objectives To examine risks of stroke recurrence and mortality after first and recurrent stroke. Methods Using Danish nationwide health registries, we included patients age ≥18 years with first-time ischemic stroke (n = 105,397) or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) (n = 13,350) from 2004 to 2018. Accounting for the competing risk of death, absolute risks of stroke recurrence were computed separately for each stroke subtype and within strata of age groups, sex, stroke severity, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, Essen stroke risk score, and atrial fibrillation. Mortality risks were computed after first and recurrent stroke. Results After adjusting for competing risks, the overall 1-year and 10-year risks of recurrence were 4% and 13% following first-time ischemic stroke and 3% and 12% following first-time ICH. For ischemic stroke, the risk of recurrence increased with age and was higher for men and following mild vs more severe stroke. The most marked differences were across Essen risk scores, for which recurrence risks increased with increasing scores. For ICH, risks were similar for both sexes and did not increase with Essen risk score. For ischemic stroke, the 1-year and 10-year risks of all-cause mortality were 17% and 56% after a first-time stroke and 25% and 70% after a recurrent stroke; corresponding estimates for ICH were 37% and 70% after a first-time event and 31% and 75% after a recurrent event. Discussion The risk of stroke recurrence was substantial following both subtypes, but risks differed markedly among patient subgroups. The risk of mortality was higher after a recurrent than first-time stroke.
When numbers eclipse narratives: a cultural-political critique of the ‘ethical’ impacts of short-term experiences in global health in Dominican Republic bateyes

With the rising demand for short-term experiences in global health (STEGH) is an ever-increasing volume of literature that focuses attention on ethics and ethical concerns, such as the effects of STEGH on host populations. Such concerns have driven the development of ethical principles and guidelines, with discussions and debates largely centred around normative questions of positive/negative and benefit/harm for us/them. Using a critical medical humanities lens, this paper blurs these dichotomous framings and offers a more complex understanding of the effects and effectiveness of STEGH on hosts. I explore STEGH that send volunteers from North American universities to the Dominican Republic to participate in service-learning activities aimed at improving the lives of impoverished Haitian migrants living in bateyes. I address the following questions: What perspectives about the impacts of interventions on host communities manifest through STEGH? What tensions emerge through interactions among diverse stakeholders related to those perspectives, and with what effects? Drawing together critical theory and ethnography, I examined the perspectives of three stakeholder groups: student and faculty volunteers, host organisation staff, and hosts in batey communities. Data collected from observations and interviews were counterposed; I analysed interactions and interplay between stakeholders. My findings revealed conflicts around an emergent theme: counting efforts, or volunteers’ proclivity for numerical evidence of impactful STEGH for hosts. With attention on power relations, I argue that a preoccupation with quantifiable evidence eclipsed and erased the lived realities of hosts, thereby blocking a fully ethical engagement. These sociopolitical effects, often overlooked in conventional ethics assessments, are no less harmful and may reinforce rather than reduce inequalities that the global health movement seeks to eliminate. My study offers a compelling case for how the critical medical humanities lend critical insights in the name of improving global health.
Generics about categories and generics about individuals: Same phenomenon or different?

Language can be used to express broad, unquantified generalizations about both categories (e.g., "Dogs bark") and individuals (e.g., "Daisy barks"). Although these two classes of statements are commonly assumed to arise from the same linguistic phenomenon-genericity-the literature to date has not offered a direct experimental comparison of the conditions under which they are endorsed (i.e., their truth conditions). Here, we provide such a comparison by testing whether endorsement of generics about categories and individuals is affected in similar ways by the conceptual content of the properties being generalized. Consistent with this possibility, six experiments (N = 1,265) and an internal meta-analysis reveal that endorsement of generics about both categories and individuals is facilitated when the properties being generalized are distinctive or dangerous, suggesting systematic similarities in the truth conditions of generics about categories and individuals. The experiments also suggest that these facilitative effects do not extend to statements with overt quantification (all/always and some/sometimes). Thus, the present studies provide the first empirical evidence indicating that generics about categories and generics about individuals represent a unified phenomenon. These findings contribute to theories of genericity and inform our understanding of how language shapes social interactions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Modulating microRNAs in cancer: next-generation therapies

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenously expressed non-coding regulators of the genome with an ability to mediate a variety of biological and pathological processes. There is growing evidence demonstrating frequent dysregulation of microRNAs in cancer cells, which is associated with tumor initiation, development, migration, invasion, resisting cell death, and drug resistance. Studies have shown that modulation of these small RNAs is a novel and promising therapeutic tool in the treatment of a variety of diseases, especially cancer, due to their broad influence on multiple cellular processes. However, suboptimal delivery of the appropriate miRNA to the cancer sites, quick degradation by nucleases in the blood circulation, and off target effects have limited their research and clinical applications. Therefore, there is a pressing need to improve the therapeutic efficacy of miRNA modulators, while at the same time reducing their toxicities. Several delivery vehicles for miRNA modulators have been shown to be effective in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we will discuss the role and importance of miRNAs in cancer and provide perspectives on currently available carriers for miRNA modulation. We will also summarize the challenges and prospects for the clinical translation of miRNA-based therapeutic strategies.
Childhood stress and midlife depression in women: the influence of diet quality

ABSTRACT Objective How does diet quality (DQ) moderate associations between serious childhood stress exposures and adult depression? Methods We analyzed a cohort of Californian women at midlife (N=382; age 36-42). Serious childhood stress was defined as high perceived stress during childhood or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and/or household substance abuse. Women were dichotomized by current depression risk (high/low). The Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 and Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)-2010 measured current DQ from 3-day food records. Interactions between childhood stress exposures and DQ indices were tested one-by-one in multivariable Poisson regression models. Results Depression risks associated with endorsing all 3 ACEs differed by HEI and AHEI scores, as did risks associated with endorsing high perceived stress, physical abuse, and sexual abuse by AHEI. Where DQ moderated stress-depression associations, predicted prevalences of high depression risk did not vary with DQ among women endorsing the particular childhood stressors. However, among non-endorsing women, predicted high depression risk prevalences were significantly lower with higher DQ compared to in their stress-exposed counterparts – e.g. at the 90th AHEI percentile, depression prevalences were ∼20% among ‘non-childhood-stressed’ women versus 48.8% (high perceived stress, sexual abuse), 52.0% (physical abuse), and 73.0% (3 ACEs) in ‘childhood-stressed’ women. Conclusions Higher current DQ, particularly as aligned with chronic disease prevention guidelines, predicts lower depression risk in women with low childhood adversity. DQ did not buffer depression risk in women with high childhood stress. Further research is warranted to examine persistent pathways of depression risk and diet's role within.
Prognostic value of right ventricular native T1 mapping in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Background Right ventricular function is an important prognostic marker for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Native T1 mapping using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging can characterize the myocardium, but accumulating evidence indicates that T1 values of the septum or ventricular insertion points do not have predictive potential in pulmonary arterial hypertension. We aimed to elucidate whether native T1 values of the right ventricular free wall (RVT1) can predict poor outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Methods This retrospective study included 30 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (median age, 45 years; mean pulmonary artery pressure, 41±13 mmHg) and 16 healthy controls (median age, 43 years) who underwent native T1 mapping. RVT1 was obtained from the inferior right ventricular free wall during end systole. Results Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension had significantly higher native RVT1 than did controls (1384±74 vs. 1217±57 ms, p<0.001). Compared with T1 values of the septum or ventricular insertion points, RVT1 correlated better with the effective right ventricular elastance index (R = −0.53, p = 0.003), ventricular-arterial uncoupling (R = 0.46, p = 0.013), and serum brain natriuretic peptide levels (R = 0.65, p<0.001). Moreover, the baseline RVT1 was an accurate predictor of the reduced right ventricular ejection fraction at the 12-month follow-up (delta -3%). RVT1 was independently associated with composite events of death or hospitalization from any cause (hazard ratio = 1.02, p = 0.002). Conclusions RVT1 was predictive of right ventricular performance and outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Thus, native T1 mapping in the right ventricular free wall may be an effective prognostic method for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Protective activity of mRNA vaccines against ancestral and variant SARS-CoV-2 strains

Although mRNA vaccines encoding the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) prevent COVID-19, the emergence of new viral variants jeopardizes their efficacy. Here, we assessed the immunogenicity and protective activity of historical (mRNA-1273, designed for Wuhan-1 spike protein) or modified (mRNA-1273.351, designed for B.1.351 spike protein) Moderna mRNA vaccines in 129S2 and K18-hACE2 mice. Mice were immunized with either high-dose or low-dose formulations of the mRNA vaccines, where low-dose vaccination modeled suboptimal immune responses. Immunization with formulations at either dose induced neutralizing antibodies in serum against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 WA1/2020 and several virus variants, although serum titers were lower against the B.1. 617.2 (Delta) virus. Protection against weight loss and lung pathology was observed with all high-dose vaccines against all viruses. However, low-dose formulations of the vaccines, which produced lower magnitude antibody and T cell responses, showed breakthrough lung infections with B.1. 617.2 and development of pneumonia in K18-hACE2 mice. Thus, in individuals with reduced immunity after mRNA vaccination, breakthrough infection and disease may occur with some SARS-CoV-2 variants. Description mRNA-1273–based vaccines protect against historical and variant SARS-CoV-2 strains in 129S2 and K18-hACE2 mice. A variant vaccine The success of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 is being challenged by the emergence of variants of concern (VOC). To address this, it may be necessary to develop vaccines that encode spike proteins from these VOC. Here, Ying et al. compared two SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, the mRNA-1273 vaccine, which is now in use globally, and a variant version, mRNA-1273.351. The authors showed that mRNA-1273, mRNA-1273.351, and a mix of the two, mRNA-1273.211, conferred protection against SARS-CoV-2 in two different mouse models when administered at a higher dose. Both vaccines also conferred some degree of protection at a lower dose of vaccine, which the authors use to recapitulate suboptimal vaccine responses. Together, these results support the continued development of mRNA vaccines for SARS-CoV-2.
Multilevel factors predict medication adherence in rheumatoid arthritis: a 6-month cohort study

Non-adherence challenges efficacy and costs of healthcare. Knowledge of the underlying factors is essential to design effective intervention strategies. Objectives To estimate the prevalence of treatment adherence in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to evaluate its predictors. Methods A 6-month prospective cohort study of patients with RA selected by systematic stratified sampling (33% on first disease-modifying rheumatic drug (DMARD), 33% on second-line DMARD and 33% on biologics). The outcome measure was treatment adherence, defined by a score greater than 80% both in the Compliance Questionnaire in Rheumatology and the Reported Adherence to Medication scale, and was estimated with 95% CIs. Predictive factors included sociodemographic, psychological, clinical, drug-related, patient–doctor relationship related and logistic. Their effect on 6-month adherence was examined by multilevel logistic models adjusted for baseline covariates. Results 180 patients were recruited (77% women, mean age 60.8). The prevalence of adherence was 59.1% (95% CI 48.1% to 71.8%). Patients on biologics showed higher adherence and perceived a higher medication need than the others; patients on second-line DMARDs had experienced more adverse events than the others. The variables explaining adherence in the final multivariate model were the type of treatment prescribed (second-line DMARDs OR=5.22, and biologics OR=3.76), agreement on treatment (OR=4.57), having received information on treatment adaptation (OR=1.42) and the physician perception of patient trust (OR=1.58). These effects were independent of disease activity. Conclusion Treatment adherence in RA is far from complete. Psychological, communicational and logistic factors influence treatment adherence in RA to a greater extent than sociodemographic or clinical factors.
Enhanced magnetic performance in exchange-coupled CoFe2O4–LaFeO3 nanocomposites

Nanocomposite oxide system of (x)CoFe2O4–(100-x)LaFeO3 with different weight percent of core-shell structured CoFe2O4 (x = 0, 20, 40, 50, 80, 100) and LaFeO3 were fabricated, via a two-step sol-gel wet-chemical synthesis technique. The phase formation of the composites was confirmed by x-ray diffraction and the structural parameters of both the phases were attained from the Rietveld refinement results of XRD patterns. The elemental composition and microstructure of the resulting nanocomposites were examined by using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy technique, respectively. The detailed magnetometry studies at 300 K and 5 K reveal that the inter-and intra-phase magnetic interactions affect the saturation magnetization (M S), remanence magnetization (M R) and coercivity (H C) values of this bi-magnetic system. The remarkable feature of ‘pinched magnetic hysteresis loop’ was evidenced in the [(50) CoFe2O4 - (50)LaFeO3] composite, leading to a lesser magnetic loss factor and better magnetic performance of this sample. The report depicts an improved interfacial exchange coupling at 5 K, for the nanocomposites of core-shell morphology and offers an understanding or explanation of improved magnetic performance for the (50)CoFe2O4 - (50)LaFeO3 nanocomposite and opens up an important way to design new multiferroic applications in low magnetic fields.