Indecent Desires: Constructing Deviance and Morality in Doris Wishman’s Wide World of Sleaze

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College

What Code-Switching Strategies are Effective in Dialogue Systems?

Since most people in the world today are multilingual, code-switching is ubiquitous in spoken and written interactions. Paving the way for future adaptive, multilingual conversational agents, we incorporate linguistically-motivated strategies of code-switching into a rule-based goal-oriented dialogue system. We collect and release CommonAmigos, a corpus of 587 human-computer text conversations between our dialogue system and human users in mixed Spanish and English. From this new corpus, we analyze the amount of elicited code-switching, preferred patterns of user code-switching, and the impact of user demographics on code-switching. Based on these exploratory findings, we give recommendations for future effective code-switching dialogue systems, highlighting user\u27s language proficiency and gender as critical considerations

JOINT- AND LOAD-SPECIFIC ASYMMETRIES DURING THREE LOWER EXTREMITY RESISTANCE TRAINING EXERCISES

The purpose of this study was characterize the consistency of limb symmetries at the knee and hip in the front squat, hexagonal barbell deadlift, and Romanian deadlift across three loads (40%, 60%, 80% of front squat one-repetition maximum). Eight female collegiate soccer players performed three repetitions at each aforementioned load and for each exercise while motion capture and ground reaction force data were recorded. Bilateral net joint moments were calculated and used to quantify joint-specific limb symmetry indices (LSI) for each exercise and loading condition. Correlation analyses revealed similarity in LSI at the knee and hip within all exercises and between the front squat and hexagonal barbell deadlift. At the joint level, greater biomechanical similarity between tasks seems to result in greater consistency of interlimb asymmetries

Early neonatal mortality is modulated by gestational age, birthweight and fetal heart rate abnormalities in the low resource setting in Tanzania – a five year review 2015–2019

Background: Early Neonatal mortality (ENM) (\u3c7days) remains a signifcant problem in low resource settings. Birth asphyxia (BA), prematurity and presumed infection contribute signifcantly to ENM. The study objectives were to determine: frst, the overall ENM rate as well as yearly ENM rate (ENMR) from 2015 to 2019; second, the infuence of decreasing GA (\u3c37weeks) and BW (\u3c2500g) on ENM; third, the contribution of intrapartum and delivery room factors and in particular fetal heart rate abnormalities (FHRT) to ENM; and fourth, the Fresh Still Birth Rates (FSB) rates over the same time period. Methods: Retrospective cohort study undertaken in a zonal referral teaching hospital located in Northern Tanzania. Labor and delivery room data were obtained from 2015 to 2019 and included BW, GA, fetal heart rate (FHRT) abnormalities, bag mask ventilation (BMV) during resuscitation, initial temperature, and antenatal steroids use. Abnormal outcome was ENM\u3c7days. Analysis included t tests, odds ratios (OR), and multivariate regression analysis. Results: The overall early neonatal mortality rate (ENMR) was 18/1000 livebirths over the 5 years and did not change signifcantly comparing 2015 to 2019. Comparing year 2018 to 2019, the overall ENMR decreased signifcantly (OR 0.62; 95% confdence interval (CI) 0.45–0.85) as well as infants ≥37weeks (OR 0.45) (CI 0.23–0.87) and infants \u3c37weeks (OR 0.57) (CI 0.39–0.84). ENMR was signifcantly higher for newborns \u3c37 versus ≥37weeks, OR 10.5 (p\u3c0.0001) and BW \u3c2500 versus ≥2500g OR 9.9. For infants \u3c1000g / \u3c28weeks, the ENMR was ~588/1000 livebirths. Variables associated with ENM included BW - odds of death decreased by 0.55 for every 500g increase in weight, by 0.89 for every week increase in GA, ENMR increased 6.8-fold with BMV, 2.6-fold with abnormal FHRT, 2.2-fold with no antenatal steroids (ANS), 2.6-fold with moderate hypothermia (all \u3c0.0001). The overall FSB rate was 14.7/1000 births and decreased signifcantly in 2019 when compared to 2015 i.e., 11.3 versus 17.3/1000 live births respectively (p=0.02). Conclusion: ENM rates were predominantly modulated by decreasing BW and GA, with smaller/ less mature newborns 10-fold more likely to die. ENM in term newborns was strongly associated with FHRT abnormalities and when coupled with respiratory depression and BMV suggests BA. In smaller newborns, lack of ACS exposure and moderate hypothermia were additional associated factors. A composite perinatal approach is essential to achieve a sustained reduction in ENMR

The impact of COVID-19 on individuals with ASD in the US: Parent perspectives on social and support concerns

The COVID-19 pandemic’s disruptions to daily routines and services have proven especially challenging for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. The current retrospective study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic’s social environmental changes on parental ratings of personal and child concerns about family conflict, opportunities for social interaction, and loss of institutional support (school and therapy services). Analyses of responses from families with ASD in the US determined differences in concerns across three time points which were measured simultaneously: prior to COVID-19, at the start of COVID-19, and at the time of survey completion. From our sample of 246 school-aged children, parents retrospectively reported significantly increasing levels of concern for both themselves and their children over time, with parents’ personal concern levels rated consistently higher than their ratings of their child’s level of concern. Concerns about loss of institutional support were higher for parents of children reported as having co-occurring intellectual disability. Further, parents of younger children also reported more concerns about loss of services, as well as more social concerns. For parent ratings of child concerns, children who were reportedly aware of COVID-19 were determined to have higher levels of social concerns and concerns about loss of institutional support. Meanwhile, the child’s age and gender did not impact their parent ratings of child concerns. The increased level of parental and child-perceived concerns over the course of the pandemic suggests a need for improved service delivery and support for these families. The high levels of concerns observed in the current study provide support for the need to assess families’ priorities and tailor services to best meet families’ needs. This will potentially increase the quality of life of family members, and improve ASD services across the lifespan, and improve outcomes

Innovative package for frontline maternal, newborn and child health workers in South Sudan

Improving maternal, newborn, and child health is a leading priority worldwide. It is a particularly urgent issue in South Sudan, which suffers from the world’s worst maternal mortality and among the worst newborn and child mortalities. A leading barrier to improving these health indices is limited frontline health worker capacity. In partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Division of Global Health and Human Rights (Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA) has developed and is currently implementing its novel Maternal, Newborn, and Child Survival (MNCS) Initiative throughout much of South Sudan. The purpose of MNCS is to build frontline health worker capacity through a training package that includes:1. A participatory training course2. Pictorial checklists to guide prevention, care, and referral3. Re-useable medical equipment and commodities.Program implementation began in November 2010 utilizing a training-of-trainers model. To date, 72 local trainers and 632 frontline health workers have completed the training and received their MNCS checklists and commodities. Initial monitoring and evaluation results are encouraging as further evaluation continues. This innovative training package may also serve as a model for building capacity for maternal, newborn, and child health in other resource limited settings beyond South Sudan

Simulation-driven design of stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike S2 immunogens.

The full-length prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) is the principal antigen of COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine efficacy has been impacted by emerging variants of concern that accumulate most of the sequence modifications in the immunodominant S1 subunit. S2, in contrast, is the most evolutionarily conserved region of the spike and can elicit broadly neutralizing and protective antibodies. Yet, S2s usage as an alternative vaccine strategy is hampered by its general instability. Here, we use a simulation-driven approach to design S2-only immunogens stabilized in a closed prefusion conformation. Molecular simulations provide a mechanistic characterization of the S2 trimers opening, informing the design of tryptophan substitutions that impart kinetic and thermodynamic stabilization. Structural characterization via cryo-EM shows the molecular basis of S2 stabilization in the closed prefusion conformation. Informed by molecular simulations and corroborated by experiments, we report an engineered S2 immunogen that exhibits increased protein expression, superior thermostability, and preserved immunogenicity against sarbecoviruses

Human adipose derived stromal/stem cells (hASCs) protect against STZ-induced hyperglycemia; analysis of hASC-derived paracrine effectors

Adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs) ameliorate hyperglycemia in rodent models of islet transplantation and autoimmune diabetes, yet the precise human ASC (hASC)-derived factors responsible for these effects remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that systemic administration of hASCs improved glucose tolerance, preserved β cell mass, and increased β cell proliferation in streptozotocin-treated nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice. Coculture experiments combining mouse or human islets with hASCs demonstrated that islet viability and function were improved by hASCs following prolonged culture or treatment with proinflammatory cytokines. Analysis of hASC-derived factors revealed vascular endothelial growth factor and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) to be highly abundant factors secreted by hASCs. Notably, TIMP-1 secretion increased in the presence of islet stress from cytokine treatment, while TIMP-1 blockade was able to abrogate in vitro prosurvival effects of hASCs. Following systemic administration by tail vein injection, hASCs were detected in the pancreas and human TIMP-1 was increased in the serum of injected mice, while recombinant TIMP-1 increased viability in INS-1 cells treated with interleukin-1beta, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. In aggregate, our data support a model whereby factors secreted by hASCs, such as TIMP-1, are able to mitigate against β cell death in rodent and in vitro models of type 1 diabetes through a combination of local paracrine as well as systemic effects

A multicenter study of acute testicular torsion in the time of COVID-19

Background: Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency, and time to detorsion is imperative for testicular salvage. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients may delay emergency care due to stay-at-home orders and concern of COVID-19 exposure. Objective: To assess whether emergency presentation for testicular torsion was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the rate of orchiectomy increased compared to a retrospective period. Study design: Patients were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter study from seven institutions in the United States and Canada. Inclusion criteria were patients two months to 18 years of age with acute testicular torsion from March through July 2020. The retrospective group included patients from January 2019 through February 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal–Wallis tests, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression. Results: A total of 221 patients were included: 84 patients in the COVID-19 cohort and 137 in the retrospective cohort. Median times from symptom onset to emergency department presentation during COVID-19 compared to the retrospective period were 17.9 h (IQR 5.5–48.0) and 7.5 h (IQR 4.0–28.0) respectively (p = 0.04). In the COVID-19 cohort, 42% of patients underwent orchiectomy compared to 29% of pre-pandemic controls (p = 0.06). During COVID-19, 46% of patients endorsed delay in presentation compared to 33% in the retrospective group (p = 0.04). Discussion: We found a significantly longer time from testicular torsion symptom onset to presentation during the pandemic and a higher proportion of patients reported delaying care. Strengths of the study include the number of included patients and the multicenter prospective design during the pandemic. Limitations include a retrospective pre-pandemic comparison group. Conclusions: In a large multicenter study we found a significantly longer time from testicular torsion symptom onset to presentation during the pandemic and a significantly higher proportion of patients reported delaying care. Based on the findings of this study, more patient education is needed on the management of testicular torsion during a pandemic

A multicenter study of acute testicular torsion in the time of COVID-19

Background: Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency, and time to detorsion is imperative for testicular salvage. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients may delay emergency care due to stay-at-home orders and concern of COVID-19 exposure. Objective: To assess whether emergency presentation for testicular torsion was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether the rate of orchiectomy increased compared to a retrospective period. Study design: Patients were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter study from seven institutions in the United States and Canada. Inclusion criteria were patients two months to 18 years of age with acute testicular torsion from March through July 2020. The retrospective group included patients from January 2019 through February 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal–Wallis tests, Chi-square tests, and logistic regression. Results: A total of 221 patients were included: 84 patients in the COVID-19 cohort and 137 in the retrospective cohort. Median times from symptom onset to emergency department presentation during COVID-19 compared to the retrospective period were 17.9 h (IQR 5.5–48.0) and 7.5 h (IQR 4.0–28.0) respectively (p = 0.04). In the COVID-19 cohort, 42% of patients underwent orchiectomy compared to 29% of pre-pandemic controls (p = 0.06). During COVID-19, 46% of patients endorsed delay in presentation compared to 33% in the retrospective group (p = 0.04). Discussion: We found a significantly longer time from testicular torsion symptom onset to presentation during the pandemic and a higher proportion of patients reported delaying care. Strengths of the study include the number of included patients and the multicenter prospective design during the pandemic. Limitations include a retrospective pre-pandemic comparison group. Conclusions: In a large multicenter study we found a significantly longer time from testicular torsion symptom onset to presentation during the pandemic and a significantly higher proportion of patients reported delaying care. Based on the findings of this study, more patient education is needed on the management of testicular torsion during a pandemic