Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Si-LSI Based Stimulators for Retinal Prosthesis

In this presentation, we demonstrate a pulse-frequency-modulation (PFM)-based retinal stimulator for sub-retinal implantation using standard CMOS technology with low voltage operation of 1.2 V. A PFM-based photosensor converts input light intensity to electrical pulse trains whose frequency is proportional to the input light intensity. To employ simple image processing function, 1-bit pulse domain operation is introduced and demonstrated. A packaging technology for ocular implantation is also discussed. We have proposed and demonstrated a multi-chip architecture with expandability of the number of stimulus electrodes and flexibility of bending along the eye-ball. A fabricated stimulator based on this architecture is implanted in a rabbit eye and achieved to obtain EEP (electrical evoked potential) signals.
In vitro Testing of a Novel Fibre-In-Fibre Bioartificial Liver (FIF-BAL) With Bovine Plasma

there is at present no specific treatment for acute liver failure other than transplantation and intensive care management. However, in severe cases of acute liver failure, bioartificial liver BAL support may provide a bridge to transplantation or would allow the patients liver to regenerate. If effective BAL can be developed, then they may greatly reduce the need for the transplant. Use of available biotechnology to design and in vitro evaluation of a novel Fibre-in-Fibre bioartificial liver has been described. It is basically a conventional fibre cartridge as a cells culture system with the addition of a second set of hollow fibres places within the lumens of the primary set. This arrangement provides three discrete compartments. Fresh bovine plasma was used to assess inner membrane fouling under dead-ended and cross-flow operating conditions. For this test the change in transmembrane pressure with time was determined. The results demonstrated that 0.3um pore size polypropylene inner fibre works best with cross-flow configuration. It was also found that before cells inoculation, cross flow should be run for 14-25 hours to establish steady state flux conditions.
THz Pyro-Optical Detector Based on LiNbO3 Whispering Gallery Mode Microdisc Resonator

This study analyzes the capabilities of a LiNbO3 whispering gallery mode microdisc resonator as a potential bolometer detector in the THz range. The resonator is theoretically characterized in the stationary regime by its thermo-optic and thermal coefficients. Considering a Q-factor of 107, a minimum detectable power of 20 μW was evaluated, three orders of magnitude above its noise equivalent power. This value opens up the feasibility of exploiting LiNbO3 disc resonators as sensitive room-temperature detectors in the THz range.
Dynamic copula quantile regressions and tail area dynamic dependence in Forex markets

We introduce a general approach to nonlinear quantile regression modelling based on the copula function that defines the dependency structure between the variables of interest. Hence, we extend Koenker and Bassett's (1978. Regression quantiles. Econometrica, 46, no. 1: 33–50.) original statement of the quantile regression problem by determining a distribution for the dependent variable Y conditional on the regressors X, and hence the specification of the quantile regression functions. The approach exploits the fact that the joint distribution function can be split into two parts: the marginals and the dependence function (or copula). We then deduce the form of the (invariably nonlinear) conditional quantile relationship implied by the copula. This can be achieved with arbitrary distributions assumed for the marginals. Some properties of the copula-based quantiles or c-quantiles are derived. Finally, we examine the conditional quantile dependency in the foreign exchange market and compare our quantile approach with standard tail area dependency measures.
GLUT1 activity contributes to the impairment of PEDF secretion by the RPE

Purpose In this study, we aimed to understand whether glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) activity affects the secretion capacity of antiangiogenic factor pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) by the RPE cells, thus explaining the reduction in PEDF levels observed in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods Analysis of GLUT1 expression, localization, and function was performed in vitro in RPE cells (D407) cultured with different glucose concentrations, corresponding to non-diabetic (5 mM of glucose) and diabetic (25 mM of glucose) conditions, further subjected to normoxia or hypoxia. The expression of PEDF was also evaluated in the secretome of the cells cultured in these conditions. Analysis of GLUT1 and PEDF expression was also performed in vivo in the RPE of Ins2Akita diabetic mice and age-matched wild-type (WT) controls. Results We observed an increase in GLUT1 under hypoxia in a glucose-dependent manner, which we found to be directly associated with the translocation and stabilization of GLUT1 in the cell membrane. This stabilization led to an increase in glucose uptake by RPE cells. This increase was followed by a decrease in PEDF expression in RPE cells cultured in conditions that simulated DR. Compared with non-diabetic WT mice, the RPE of Ins2Akita mice showed increased GLUT1 overexpression with a concomitant decrease in PEDF expression. Conclusions Collectively, our data show that expression of GLUT1 is stimulated by hyperglycemia and low oxygen supply, and this overexpression was associated with increased activity of GLUT1 in the cell membrane that contributes to the impairment of the RPE secretory function of PEDF.
Impact of automated calls with nurse follow-up on diabetes treatment outcomes in a Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE We evaluated automated telephone disease management (ATDM) with telephone nurse follow-up as a strategy for improving diabetes treatment processes and outcomes in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics. We also compared the results with those of a prior ATDM trial conducted in a county health care system. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 272 VA patients with diabetes using hypoglycemic medications were randomized. During the 1-year study period, intervention patients received biweekly ATDM health assessment and self-care education calls, and a nurse educator followed up with patients based on their ATDM assessment reports. Telephone surveys were used to measure patients' self-care, symptoms, and satisfaction with care. Outpatient service use was evaluated using electronic databases and self-reports, and glycemic control was measured by HbA1c and serum glucose testing. RESULTS At 12 months, intervention patients reported more frequent glucose self-monitoring and foot inspections than patients receiving usual care and were more likely to be seen in podiatry and diabetes specialty clinics. Intervention patients also were more likely than control patients to have had a cholesterol test. Among patients with baseline HbA1c levels > or =8%, mean end-point values were lower among intervention patients than control patients (8.7 vs. 9.2%, respectively; P = 0.04). Among intervention and control patients with baseline values > or =9%, mean end-point values were 9.1 and 10.2%, respectively (P = 0.04). At follow-up, intervention patients reported fewer symptoms of poor glycemic control than control patients and greater satisfaction with their health care. CONCLUSIONS This intervention improved the quality of VA diabetes care. Intervention effects for most end points replicated findings from the prior county clinic trial, although intervention-control differences in the current study were smaller because of the relatively good self-care and health status among the current study's enrollees.
Multinationals and Interdependence in Internationalisation Processes ( 1 )

This article deals with interdependence and the internationalisation process of multinationals (MNCs); a topic that has received scarce attention in the literature (e.g. Bell & Young, 1998; Holm et al., 1995). By reviewing the literature on behavioural models of internationalisation, initially, the article suggests that MNCs should be regarded as loosely coupled systems in which independence and interdependence of operations shape how MNCs evolve and organise activities across borders. Subsequently, the article models the internationalisation process of MNCs by highlighting three dimensions that characterise their pattern of evolution uniformity, direction and rhythm, and lays out three hypotheses on the relationship between these dimensions and interdependence. The direction of the relationship is suggested to be negative, i.e., other things being equal, interdependence is negatively related to uniformity, direction and the rhythm of the internationalisation processes. The article concludes by claiming that the internationalisation of MNCs results from an intricate combination of independent, yet interdependent, internationalisation processes that evolve in various spatial and temporal contexts within the MNC network.
United States Air Force Security Forces Merger and Career Satisfaction Relating to Retention

The relationship between the Air Force merger of Law Enforcement personnel, Security Police personnel, and Combat Arms Training and Maintenance personnel into the Air Force Security Forces Career Field; and job retention was investigated among 209 Air Force Security Forces Enlisted Personnel at five different Air Force bases (Columbus Air Force Base (AFB), MS, Keesler AFB, MS, Eglin AFB, FL, Hurlburt Field Air Base, FL, and Moody AFB, GA). Participants completed a 91-item survey designed to measure merger satisfaction, career and job satisfaction, life satisfaction, job involvement, job stress, turnover intentions and demographic data. The results showed only four items significantly related to job retention. In a simple regression analysis, satisfaction with the merger was significantly associated with retention but was not the best predictor. Career satisfaction was also a significant predictor of job retention and a stronger one. Merger satisfaction was also significantly related to career satisfaction. In a simple multiple regression analysis, however, merger satisfaction was not significantly related to retention. The results in this population of Air Force Personnel indicated that retention was significantly related to whether the major satisfaction in one’s life came from the job, the level of satisfaction with the career field, and the amount of time off from work.
Scenes from a Power Struggle: The Rise of Retail Investors in the US Stock Market

This chapter examines the mass movement of Americans into investing during the 1990s as both a consequence and a cause of contested power between corporations and individuals. This movement was part of a larger historical pattern of economically marginalized people consolidating their power through associational strategies in the realm of finance. Using US investment clubs as a case study, the chapter draws on Foucault's theories to illuminate the bilateral power structure of modern capitalism, in which market institutions and small groups at the grassroots level mutually influence one another. While the investment club movement was in part a response to economic domination by corporate and political elites, it also catalyzed genuine shifts in the power dynamics between individuals and corporations.
Orbitally Induced Climate and Geochemical Variability Across the Oligocene/Miocene Boundary

To assess the influence of orbital-scale variations on late Oligocene to early Miocene climate and ocean chemistry, high-resolution (∼5 kyr) benthic foraminiferal carbon and oxygen isotope and percent coarse fraction time series were constructed for Ocean Drilling Program site 929 on Ceara Rise in the western equatorial Atlantic. These time series exhibit pervasive low- to high-frequency variability across a 5-Myr interval (20.5–25.4 Ma). The records also reveal several large-scale secular variations including two positive (∼1.6‰) oxygen isotope excursions at 22.95 and 21.1 Ma, suggestive of large but brief glacial maxima (Mi-1 and Mi-1a events of Miller et al. [1991]), and a long-term cyclical increase in the carbon isotopic composition of seawater (shift of ∼1.52‰) that reaches a maximum coincident with peak δ18O values at 22.95 Ma. Lower-resolution (∼25 kyr) records constructed from benthic and planktonic foraminifera as well as bulk carbonate at a shallower site on Ceara Rise (site 926) for the period 21.7–24.9 Ma covary with site 929 δ18O values reflecting changes in Antarctic ice-volume. Likewise, covariance among carbon isotopic records of bulk sediment, benthic, and planktonic foraminifera suggest that the low-frequency cycles (∼400 kyr) and long-term increase in δ13C values represent changes in the mean carbon composition of seawater ΣCO2. The time series presented here constitute the longest, most continuous, and highest-resolution records of pre-Pliocene climate and oceanography to date. The site 929 carbon and oxygen isotope power spectra show significant concentrations of variance at ∼400, 100, and 41 kyr, demonstrating that orbitally induced oscillations have been a normal characteristic of the global climate system since at least the Oligocene, including periods of equable climate and times with no apparent Northern Component Water production.
Examining Collaboration Among Nonprofit Organizations for Social Responsibility Programs

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) increasingly implement socially responsible programs to address their responsibilities toward society. Although collaborations are a valuable means to tackle complex social issues, NPOs also similarly collaborate with other NPOs for delivering socially responsible programs. However, the motivations driving NPOs to collaborate with likeminded organizations for socially responsible programs remain unclear. Using a single embedded in-depth case study research design, our purpose is to examine the formation of collaborations among sport federations and sport clubs for socially responsible programs. Reflecting the interplay between resource-based view and institutional perspectives, our findings intrinsically indicate that partners demonstrate similarity in their motivations to collaborate due to their organizational fit, but with some key differences in the complementary resources they seek. Organizational legitimacy and resource exchange needs for socially responsible programs are driving the collaboration rather than organizational survival needs. The potential to create social value makes this nonprofit collaboration form unique.
Bird Species Categorization Using Pose Normalized Deep Convolutional Nets

We propose an architecture for fine-grained visual categorization that approaches expert human performance in the classification of bird species. Our architecture first computes an estimate of the object's pose; this is used to compute local image features which are, in turn, used for classification. The features are computed by applying deep convolutional nets to image patches that are located and normalized by the pose. We perform an empirical study of a number of pose normalization schemes, including an investigation of higher order geometric warping functions. We propose a novel graph-based clustering algorithm for learning a compact pose normalization space. We perform a detailed investigation of state-of-the-art deep convolutional feature implementations and fine-tuning feature learning for fine-grained classification. We observe that a model that integrates lower-level feature layers with pose-normalized extraction routines and higher-level feature layers with unaligned image features works best. Our experiments advance state-of-the-art performance on bird species recognition, with a large improvement of correct classification rates over previous methods (75% vs. 55-65%).
Opposing Effects of Aging on Large-Scale Brain Systems for Memory Encoding and Cognitive Control

Episodic memory declines with advancing age. Neuroimaging studies have associated such decline to age-related changes in general cognitive-control networks as well as to changes in process-specific encoding or retrieval networks. To assess the specific influence of aging on encoding and retrieval processes and associated brain systems, it is vital to dissociate encoding and retrieval from each other and from shared cognitive-control processes. We used multivariate partial-least-squares to analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging data from a large population-based sample (n = 292, 25–80 years). The participants performed a face-name paired-associates task and an active baseline task. The analysis revealed two significant network patterns. The first reflected a process-general encoding-retrieval network that included frontoparietal cortices and posterior hippocampus. The second pattern dissociated encoding and retrieval networks. The anterior hippocampus was differentially engaged during encoding. Brain scores, representing whole-brain integrated measures of how strongly an individual recruited a brain network, were correlated with cognitive performance and chronological age. The scores from the general cognitive-control network correlated negatively with episodic memory performance and positively with age. The encoding brain scores, which strongly reflected hippocampal functioning, correlated positively with episodic memory performance and negatively with age. Univariate analyses confirmed that bilateral hippocampus showed the most pronounced activity reduction in older age, and brain structure analyses found that the activity reduction partly related to hippocampus atrophy. Collectively, these findings suggest that age-related structural brain changes underlie age-related reductions in the efficient recruitment of a process-specific encoding network, which cascades into upregulated recruitment of a general cognitive-control network.
Intravitreal Anti-vascular Endothelial Growth Factor versus Observation in Acute Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: One-year Results

Purpose To evaluate the efficacy of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) compared with observation for treating acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Methods A retrospective study of 36 patients with acute CSC, including 21 patients treated with anti-VEGF (anti-VEGF group) and 15 patients with observation (observation group). Patients in the anti-VEGF group received a single dose of bevacizumab or ranibizumab at baseline. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central foveal thickness (CFT) and resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF) on optical coherence tomography (OCT) were assessed. The integrity of the foveal inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) line at 12 months was also analyzed. Results Resolution of SRF was achieved in 20 of 21 eyes in the anti-VEGF group and in 12 of 15 eyes in the observation group (p = 0.151). Mean BCVA and CFT were not different between the two groups at 12 months (p > 0.05). The amount of change in BCVA, however, differed significantly between the groups (p = 0.044). Final OCT more frequently detected the foveal IS/OS line in the anti-VEGF group than in the observation group (p = 0.012). Conclusions In terms of BCVA, anti-VEGF and observation only had similar therapeutic effects in acute CSC patients. In some patients, however, the rapid resolution of SRF by anti-VEGF might reduce the risk of photoreceptor degeneration and improve long-term visual acuity.
Exploiting Computational Resources in Distributed Heterogeneous Platforms

We have been witnessing a continuous growth of both heterogeneous computational platforms (e.g., Cell blades, or the joint use of traditional CPUs and GPUs) and multi- core processor architecture; and it is still an open question how applications can fully exploit such computational potential efficiently. In this paper we introduce a run-time environment and programming framework which supports the implementation of scalable and efficient parallel applications in such heterogeneous, distributed environments. We assess these issues through well-known kernels and actual applications that behave regularly and irregularly, which are not only relevant but also demanding in terms of computation and I/O. Moreover, the irregularity of these, as well as many other applications poses a challenge to the design and implementation of efficient parallel algorithms. Our experimental environment includes dual and octa-core machines augmented with GPUs and we evaluate our framework performance for standalone and distributed executions. The evaluation on a distributed environment has shown near to linear scale-ups for two data mining applications, while the applications performance, when using CPU and GPU, has been improved into around 25%, compared to the GPU-only versions.
AMAZING GRACE: TAX AMNESTIES AND COMPLIANCE

Does a tax amnesty raise or lower compliance over time? This paper uses experimental methods to analyze the long run impact of an amnesty. The results indicate that the average level of compliance falls after an amnesty. However, a well-designed amnesty may be able to overcome this decline. If post-amnesty enforcement efforts increase, then aggregate compliance actually increases. In fact, post-amnesty compliance is higher when an amnesty is accompanied by increased enforcement efforts than when enforcement increases without an amnesty. An amnesty may therefore be an effective tool for easing the transition to a tougher tax regime.
What should the business know about information systems?

This paper presents an exploratory study of Information Systems (IS) competencies of business managers in Europe. Following resource-based theory and a knowledge-based view of IS competencies, an extensive review of the literature is conducted to identify a comprehensive list of IS competencies of business managers. In order to validate the business IS competence model, a Delphi study is conducted using two panels consisting of general managers and IS managers. The results indicate that IS competencies of business managers involve a fluid mix of both explicit and tacit knowledge components, and suggest that ‘core’ IS competencies of business managers involve knowledge and experience in the strategic management of IS. Core business IS competencies involve having knowledge about IS strategy, IS investment management, IS resource allocation, IS sourcing options, IS relationship management and IS change management, and professional experience in IS projects and managing IS. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings and provides several directions for future research.
A Cardiac Early Warning System with Multi Channel SCG and ECG Monitoring for Mobile Health

Use of information and communication technology such as smart phone, smart watch, smart glass and portable health monitoring devices for healthcare services has made Mobile Health (mHealth) an emerging research area. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is considered as a leading cause of death world wide and an increasing number of people die prematurely due to CHD. Under such circumstances, there is a growing demand for a reliable cardiac monitoring system to catch the intermittent abnormalities and detect critical cardiac behaviors which lead to sudden death. Use of mobile devices to collect Electrocardiography (ECG), Seismocardiography (SCG) data and efficient analysis of those data can monitor a patient’s cardiac activities for early warning. This paper presents a novel cardiac data acquisition method and combined analysis of Electrocardiography (ECG) and multi channel Seismocardiography (SCG) data. An early warning system is implemented to monitor the cardiac activities of a person and accuracy assessment of the early warning system is conducted for the ECG data only. The assessment shows 88% accuracy and effectiveness of our proposed analysis, which implies the viability and applicability of the proposed early warning system.