Yahoo!

About: Yahoo! is a company organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Web search query. The organization has 26749 authors who have published 29915 publications receiving 732583 citations. The organization is also known as: Yahoo! Inc. & Maudwen-Yahoo! Inc.

Predictors of Incorrect Inhalation Technique in Patients with Asthma or COPD: A Study Using a Validated Videotaped Scoring Method

Abstract: Background: Inadequate technique reduces the effects of inhalation medication. Errors in inhalation technique have been reported to range up to 85%. Not only various patients' characteristics but also the device has an effect on correct inhalation technique. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of patients' characteristics and type of inhaler device on inhalation technique in patient with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: A validated scoring method was used that consisted of triple viewing of video-recorded inhalations, using device-specific checklists. The following patient characteristics were investigated: gender, age, education level, diagnosis, treatment by a pulmonary physician, previously received inhalation instruction, exacerbation frequency, knowledge, self-management competence, pulmonary function, and use of multiple inhaler devices. Chi-square statistics were used for univariate associations between potential determinants and correctnes...

GreenHDFS: towards an energy-conserving, storage-efficient, hybrid Hadoop compute cluster

Abstract: Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) presents unique challenges to the existing energy-conservation techniques and makes it hard to scale-down servers. We propose an energy-conserving, hybrid, logical multi-zoned variant of HDFS for managing data-processing intensive, commodity Hadoop cluster. Green HDFS's data-classification-driven data placement allows scale-down by guaranteeing substantially long periods (several days) of idleness in a subset of servers in the datacenter designated as the Cold Zone. These servers are then transitioned to high-energy-saving, inactive power modes. This is done without impacting the performance of the Hot zone as studies have shown that the servers in the data-intensive compute clusters are under-utilized and, hence, opportunities exist for better consolidation of the workload on the Hot Zone. Analysis of the traces of a Yahoo! Hadoop cluster showed significant heterogeneity in the data's access patterns which can be used to guide energy-aware data placement policies. The trace-driven simulation results with three-month-long real-life HDFS traces from a Hadoop cluster at Yahoo! show a 26% energy consumption reduction by doing only Cold zone power management. Analytical cost model projects savings of $14.6 million in 3-year total cost of ownership (TCO) and simulation results extrapolate savings of $2.4 million annually when Green-HDFS technique is applied across all Hadoop clusters (amounting to 38000 servers) at Yahoo.

Atrial Fibrillation Originating From Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava

Abstract: Background— The left superior vena cava (LSVC) is the embryological precursor of the ligament of Marshall, which has been implicated in the initiation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). Rarely, the LSVC may persist and has been associated with some organized arrhythmias, though not with AF. We report 5 patients in whom the LSVC was a source of ectopy, initiating AF. Methods and Results— In 5 patients (4 men; age, 46±11 years) with symptomatic drug-refractory AF, ectopy from the LSVC resulting in AF was observed after pulmonary vein isolation. The ectopics were spontaneous in 2 and induced by isoproterenol in the others and preceded P-wave onset by 67±13 ms. During multielectrode or electroanatomic mapping, venous potentials were recorded circumferentially at the proximal LSVC near its junction with the coronary sinus (CS), but at the mid-LSVC level, they were recorded only on part of the circumference. The LSVC was electrically connected to the lateral left atrium (LA) and through the CS to the ...

Anatomy of the long tail: ordinary people with extraordinary tastes

Abstract: The success of "infinite-inventory" retailers such as Amazon.com and Netflix has been ascribed to a "long tail" phenomenon. To wit, while the majority of their inventory is not in high demand, in aggregate these "worst sellers," unavailable at limited-inventory competitors, generate a significant fraction of total revenue. The long tail phenomenon, however, is in principle consistent with two fundamentally different theories. The first, and more popular hypothesis, is that a majority of consumers consistently follow the crowds and only a minority have any interest in niche content; the second hypothesis is that everyone is a bit eccentric, consuming both popular and specialty products. Based on examining extensive data on user preferences for movies, music, Web search, and Web browsing, we find overwhelming support for the latter theory. However, the observed eccentricity is much less than what is predicted by a fully random model whereby every consumer makes his product choices independently and proportional to product popularity; so consumers do indeed exhibit at least some a priori propensity toward either the popular or the exotic.Our findings thus suggest an additional factor in the success of infinite-inventory retailers, namely, that tail availability may boost head sales by offering consumers the convenience of "one-stop shopping" for both their mainstream and niche interests. This hypothesis is further supported by our theoretical analysis that presents a simple model in which shared inventory stores, such as Amazon Marketplace, gain a clear advantage by satisfying tail demand, helping to explain the emergence and increasing popularity of such retail arrangements. Hence, we believe that the return-on-investment (ROI) of niche products goes beyond direct revenue, extending to second-order gains associated with increased consumer satisfaction and repeat patronage. More generally, our findings call into question the conventional wisdom that specialty products only appeal to a minority of consumers.

Antenatal and postnatal care service utilization in southern Ethiopia: a population-based study.

Abstract: Background : Access to antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) services has a great deal of impacts on major causes of infant death and significantly affects trends of mortality in a population. Antenatal care may play an indirect role in reducing maternal mortality by encouraging women to deliver with assistance of a skilled birth attendant or in a health facility. In most rural settings of Ethiopia, there are challenges in increasing such health care service utilization mainly due to the fact that the decisions that lead women to use the services seem to occur within the context of their marriage , household and family setting. Objective : Examining the prevalence and factors associated with antenatal Care (ANC) and Postnatal Care (PNC) service utilizations. Methods : This was a cross-sectional population based study undertaken in 10 rural villages of the Sidama zone, southern Ethiopia. The data were collected from a representative sample of 1,094 households drawn from the study population using a combination of simple random and multistage sampling techniques. Two dependent variables were used in the analysis: The ANC, measured by whether a woman got the service (at least once) from a health professional or not during her last pregnancy and PNC which was approximated by whether the last born child completed the required immunization or not. Household and women’s characteristics were used as explanatory variables for both dependent variables. Results : The study revealed that the level of ANC and PNC service utilizations is 77.4 % and 37.2% respectively. The predicted probabilities, using logistic regression, showed that women who are literate, have exposure to media, and women with low parity are more likely to use both ANC and PNC services. Conclusion : Antenatal care service utilization was generally good while the postnatal care given to new born children was very low compared to other population groups in the region. Promoting women’s education and behavioral change communication at grass root level, provision of the services at both home and health facilities, and improving the quality and capacity of the health providers are some of the recommendations forwarded. Keywords : Antenatal Care, postnatal care, service utilization, complete immunization, Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia African Health Sciences 2011; 11(3): 390 - 397