A polynomial-time approximation algorithm for the number of k-matchings in bipartite graphs

We show that the number of $k$-matching in a given undirected graph $G$ is equal to the number of perfect matching of the corresponding graph $G_k$ on an even number of vertices divided by a suitable factor. If $G$ is bipartite then one can construct a bipartite $G_k$. For bipartite graphs this result implies that the number of $k$-matching has a polynomial-time approximation algorithm. The above results are extended to permanents and hafnians of corresponding matrices.Comment: 6 page

Underemployment: Consequences for the Health and Well-Being of Workers

This paper addresses the question of how the adequacy of a person's employment status influences their health. We draw on and extend the Labor Utilization Framework to distinguish between different forms of underemployment (hours, income, skills, and status) and test their relative effects on a range of physical health and psychological well-being outcomes. Using data drawn from a nationally representative sample ( N =1,429) of adults of working age, we assess the concurrent effects of underemployment through a longitudinal design that controls for prior levels of health and well-being. The results indicate that underemployed workers do report lower levels of health and well-being than adequately employed workers. However, the relationship varies by both types of underemployment and indicator of health and well-being. We conclude by discussing future research to explore the relationship between underemployment and health and well-being.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44065/1/10464_2004_Article_471979.pd

Exhaled Nitric Oxide is Not a Biomarker for Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

To reduce transmission of tuberculosis (TB) in resource-limited countries where TB remains a major cause of mortality, novel diagnostic tools are urgently needed. We evaluated the fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) as an easily measured, noninvasive potential biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring of treatment response in participants with pulmonary TB including multidrug resistant-TB in Lima, Peru. In a longitudinal study however, we found no differences in baseline median FeNO levels between 38 TB participants and 93 age-matched controls (13 parts per billion [ppb] [interquartile range (IQR) = 8-26] versus 15 ppb [IQR = 12-24]), and there was no change over 60 days of treatment (15 ppb [IQR = 10-19] at day 60). Taking this and previous evidence together, we conclude FeNO is not of value in either the diagnosis of pulmonary TB or as a marker of treatment response

ESTIMATING THE DOMINANT PERSON IN MULTI-PARTY CONVERSATIONS USING SPEAKER DIARIZATION STRATEGIES

In this paper, we apply speaker diarization strategies from a single source to the task of estimating the dominant person in a group meeting. Previous work has shown that speaking length is strongly correlated with perceived dominance. Here we investigate this in more depth by considering two dominance tasks where there is full and majority agreement amongst ground-truth annotators. In addition, we investigate how 24 different speed-up and algorithmic strategies, and source types lead to interesting outcomes when applied to dominance estimation. We obtained the best performance of $77\%$ using our slowest scheme and a single distant microphone (SDM). Within the top 3 out of 24 performing experiments in both dominance tasks, we show that we can use the furthest SDM, with no prior knowledge of the number of speakers and the fastest diarization scheme, which performs $1.3$ times faster than real-time

Natural ventilation reduces high TB transmission risk in traditional homes in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Background: Transmission of drug susceptible and drug resistant TB occurs in health care facilities, and community and households settings, particularly in highly prevalent TB and HIV areas. There is a paucity of data regarding factors that may affect TB transmission risk in household settings. We evaluated air exchange and the impact of natural ventilation on estimated TB transmission risk in traditional Zulu homes in rural South Africa. Methods: We utilized a carbon dioxide decay technique to measure ventilation in air changes per hour (ACH). We evaluated predominant home types to determine factors affecting ACH and used the Wells-Riley equation to estimate TB transmission risk. Results: Two hundred eighteen ventilation measurements were taken in 24 traditional homes. All had low ventilation at baseline when windows were closed (mean ACH = 3, SD = 3.0), with estimated TB transmission risk of 55.4% over a ten hour period of exposure to an infectious TB patient. There was significant improvement with opening windows and door, reaching a mean ACH of 20 (SD = 13.1, p < 0.0001) resulting in significant decrease in estimated TB transmission risk to 9.6% (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis identified factors predicting ACH, including ventilation conditions (windows/doors open) and window to volume ratio. Expanding ventilation increased the odds of achieving ≥12 ACH by 60-fold. Conclusions: There is high estimated risk of TB transmission in traditional homes of infectious TB patients in rural South Africa. Improving natural ventilation may decrease household TB transmission risk and, combined with other strategies, may enhance TB control efforts

Survival from XDR-TB Is Associated with Modifiable Clinical Characteristics in Rural South Africa

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is a major threat to global public health. Patients with extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), particularly those with HIV-coinfection, experience high and accelerated mortality with limited available interventions. To determine modifiable factors associated with survival, we evaluated XDR-TB patients from a community-based hospital in rural South Africa where a large number of XDR-TB cases were first detected.A retrospective case control study was conducted of XDR-TB patients diagnosed from 2005-2008. Survivors, those alive at 180 days from diagnostic sputum collection date, were compared with controls who died within 180 days. Clinical, laboratory and microbiological correlates of survival were assessed in 69 survivors (median survival 565 days [IQR 384-774] and 73 non-survivors (median survival 34 days [IQR 18-90]). Among 129 HIV+ patients, multivariate analyses of modifiable factors demonstrated that negative AFB smear (AOR 8.4, CI 1.84-38.21), a lower laboratory index of routine laboratory findings (AOR 0.48, CI 0.22-1.02), CD4>200 cells/mm(3) (AOR 11.53, 1.1-119.32), and receipt of antiretroviral therapy (AOR 20.9, CI 1.16-376.83) were independently associated with survival from XDR-TB.Survival from XDR-TB with HIV-coinfection is associated with less advanced stages of both diseases at time of diagnosis, absence of laboratory markers indicative of multiorgan dysfunction, and provision of antiretroviral therapy. Survival can be increased by addressing these modifiable risk factors through policy changes and improved clinical management. Health planners and clinicians should develop programmes focusing on earlier case finding and integration of HIV and drug-resistant TB diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive activities

Interleukin-8 and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Thailand

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31036/1/0000713.pd

Using Audio and Video Features to Classify the Most Dominant Person in a Group Meeting

The automated extraction of semantically meaningful information from multi-modal data is becoming increasingly necessary due to the escalation of captured data for archival. A novel area of multi-modal data labelling, which has received relatively little attention, is the automatic estimation of the most dominant person in a group meeting. In this paper, we provide a framework for detecting dominance in group meetings using different audio and video cues. We show that by using a simple model for dominance estimation we can obtain promising results

Performative Work: Bridging Performativity and Institutional Theory in the Responsible Investment Field

Callon’s performativity thesis has illuminated how economic theories and calculative devices shape markets, but has been challenged for its neglect of the organizational, institutional and political context. Our seven-year qualitative study of a large financial data company found that the company’s initial attempt to change the responsible investment field through a performative approach failed because of the constraints posed by field practices and organizational norms on the design of the calculative device. However, the company was subsequently able to put in place another form of performativity by attending to the normative and regulative associations of the device. We theorize this route to performativity by proposing the concept of performative work, which designates the necessary institutional work to enable translation and the subsequent adoption of the device. We conclude by considering the implications of performative work for the performativity and the institutional work literatures