Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bridging intention and behavior of knowledge sharing

Purpose – This paper seeks to present an innovative scale that sheds light on the ways in which intentions to share explicit and tacit knowledge impact actual knowledge-sharing behavior. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from a total of 278 hi-tech workers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess the research model. Findings – SEM shows that the intention to share explicit knowledge influences explicit knowledge-sharing behavior to an equal extent both directly and indirectly. By contrast tacit knowledge-sharing behavior is influenced directly to a greater extent by the intention to share tacit knowledge and less indirectly by the intention to share explicit knowledge. Research limitations/implications – The study provides a potential tool that may be applied by managers for the purpose of measuring explicit and tacit knowledge-sharing intention and behavior. Its limitations are due to the limited socio-economic and geographic variability of the companies and people that were studied, which may need further studies to substantiate. Originality/value – Whereas there is a consensus as to the need for and the benefits of sharing knowledge, there are no tools for measuring the roots of sharing behavior. The scale presented here captures the underlying intention, measures it, and assesses the resulting behavior.
Risk of infections in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with tocilizumab.

OBJECTIVES To investigate the occurrence and risk factors for infections in RA patients treated with tocilizumab. METHODS A cohort of all RA patients (n = 112) starting tocilizumab therapy between October 2008 and March 2010 in Northern Bavaria was screened for infections. Mild/moderate and severe infections were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to define risk factors for infection. RESULTS Overall, 26 patients developed infections [23.2%; 58.0/100 patient-years (py)], 18 of them were mild to moderate (16.1%, 40.1/100 py) and 8 were severe (17.9/100 py). Concomitant use of LEF and prednisone, high disease activity and previous therapy with rituximab were associated with the occurrence of mild/moderate infections. Severe infections were related to longer disease duration, exposure to more than three previous DMARDs and concomitant therapy with proton-pump inhibitors. CONCLUSION The rate of infection in RA patients treated with tocilizumab in clinical practice is higher than in the clinical trial populations. Increased attention should especially be given to patients with longer disease duration, previous exposure to multiple DMARDs, i.e. previous exposure to rituximab and those receiving concomitant LEF, prednisone or proton-pump inhibitor treatment.
Aliasing Artefact Suppression in Compressed Sensing MRI for Random Phase-Encode Undersampling

Goal: Random phase-encode undersampling of Cartesian k-space trajectories is widely implemented in compressed sensing (CS) MRI. However, its one-dimensional (1-D) randomness inherently introduces large coherent aliasing artefacts along the undersampled direction in the reconstruction and, thus, degrades the image quality. This paper proposes a novel reconstruction scheme to reduce the 1-D undersampling-induced aliasing artefacts. Methods: The proposed reconstruction progress is separated into two steps in our new algorithm. In step one, we transfer the original two-dimensional (2-D) image reconstruction into a parallel 1-D signal reconstruction procedure, which takes advantage of the superior incoherence property in the phase direction. In step two, using the new k-space data obtained from the 1-D reconstructions, we implement a follow-up 2-D CS reconstruction to produce a better solution, which exploits the inherent correlations between the adjacent lines of 1-D reconstructed signals. Results: We evaluated the performance on various cases of typical MR images, including cardiac cine, brain, foot, and angiogram at the reduction factor up to 10 and compared the results with the conventional CS method. Experiments using the proposed method demonstrated faithful reconstruction of the MR images. Conclusion: Compared with conventional method, the new method achieves more accurate reconstruction results with 2-5 dB gain in peak SNR and higher structural similarity index. Significance: The proposed method improves image quality of the reconstructions and suppresses the coherent artefacts introduced by the random phase-encode undersampling.
Non-adiabatic KPP fronts with an arbitrary Lewis number

We establish the existence of travelling fronts in thermo-diffusive systems of the KPP type in a shear flow with an arbitrary Lewis number and a positive heat loss at the boundary. We then prove that the leftover concentration behind the front is positive, and that it is small when the heat loss is small. On the other hand, when the heat loss approaches a critical value, the temperature becomes uniformly small. Finally, in the limit of large flow amplitudes A, we show that, depending on the flow structure, the infimum of the front speeds both may become 0 or grow linearly in A for A ≫ 1.
Anticipatory Control of Grasping: Independence of Sensorimotor Memories for Kinematics and Kinetics

We have recently provided evidence for anticipatory grasp control mechanisms in the kinematic domain by showing that subjects modulate digit placement on an object based on its center of mass (CM) when it can be anticipated (Lukos et al., 2007). This behavior relied on sensorimotor memories about digit contact points and forces required for optimal manipulation. We found that accurate sensorimotor memories depended on the acquisition of implicit knowledge about object properties associated with repeated manipulations of the same object. Whereas implicit knowledge of object properties is essential for anticipatory grasp control, the extent to which subjects can use explicit knowledge to accurately scale digit forces in an anticipatory manner is controversial. Additionally, it is not known whether subjects are able to use explicit knowledge of object properties for anticipatory control of contact points. We addressed this question by asking subjects to grasp and lift an object while providing explicit knowledge of object CM location as visual or verbal cues. Contact point modulation and object roll, a measure of anticipatory force control, were assessed using blocked and random CM presentations. We found that explicit knowledge of object CM enabled subjects to modulate contact points. In contrast, subjects could not minimize object roll in the random condition to the same extent as in the blocked when provided with a verbal or visual cue. These findings point to a dissociation in the effect of explicit knowledge of object properties on grasp kinematics versus kinetics, thus suggesting independent anticipatory processes for grasping.
A deep learning model for air quality prediction in smart cities

In recent years, Internet of Things (IoT) concept has become a promising research topic in many areas including industry, commerce and education. Smart cities employ IoT based services and applications to create a sustainable urban life. By using information and communication technologies, IoT enables smart cities to make city stakeholders more aware, interactive and efficient. With the increase in number of IoT based smart city applications, the amount of data produced by these applications is increased tremendously. Governments and city stakeholders take early precautions to process these data and predict future effects to ensure sustainable development. In prediction context, deep learning techniques have been used for several forecasting problems in big data. This inspires us to use deep learning methods for prediction of IoT data. Hence, in this paper, a novel deep learning model is proposed for analyzing IoT smart city data. We propose a novel model based on Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks to predict future values of air quality in a smart city. The evaluation results of the proposed model are found to be promising and they show that the model can be used in other smart city prediction problems as well.
A new model for parent-of-origin effect analyses applied to Brown Swiss cattle slaughterhouse data

Genomic imprinting is a phenomenon that arises when the expression of genes depends on the parental origin of alleles. Epigenetic mechanisms may induce the full or partial suppression of maternal or paternal alleles, thereby leading to different types of imprinting. However, imprinting effects have received little consideration in animal breeding programmes, although their relevance to some agricultural important traits has been demonstrated. A recently proposed model (imprinting model) with two path-of-transmission (male and female)-specific breeding values for each animal accounts for all types of imprinting simultaneously (paternal, maternal, full and partial). Imprinting effects (or more generally: parent-of-origin effects (POE)) are determined by taking the difference between the two genetic effects in each animal. However, the computation of their prediction error variance (PEV) is laborious; thus, we propose a new model that is equivalent to the aforementioned imprinting model, which facilitates the direct estimation of imprinting effects instead of taking the differences and the PEV is readily obtained. We applied the new model to slaughterhouse data for Brown Swiss cattle, among which imprinting has never been investigated previously. Data were available for up to 173 051 fattening bulls, where the pedigrees contained up to 428 710 animals representing the entire Brown Swiss population of Austria and Germany. The traits analysed comprised the net BW gain, fat score, EUROP class and killing out percentage. The analysis demonstrated that the net BW gain, fat score and EUROP class were influenced significantly by POE. After estimating the POE, the new model yielded estimates with reliabilities ranging between 0.4 and 0.9. On average, the imprinting variances accounted for 9.6% of the total genetic variance, where the maternal gamete was the main contributor. Moreover, our results agreed well with those obtained using linear models when the EUROP class and fat score were treated as categorical traits by applying a GLMM with a logit link function.
Congestion state-based dynamic FEC algorithm for media friendly transport layer

TCP-friendliness has been adopted as the most important property for the design of new media-specific transport layers in the Internet. The TCP protocol is mainly concerned with achieving as much throughput as possible while preventing long-term congestion. Various TCP protocol designs do this by inducing brief episodes of network congestion, measuring it, then reducing the offered load quickly to remove the congestion. Media flows, on the other hand, are very sensitive to even brief episodes of congestion. The question therefore arises: how can we protect media flows against TCP-induced network congestion? In this paper, we focus on combining the TCP Friendly Rate Control (TFRC) protocol with Forward Error Correction (FEC) to achieve such protection. We observe that FEC methods that solely rely on loss statistics generate significant overhead in terms of the redundant parity packets transmitted over the network. Accordingly, we investigate the loss and delay characteristics in several TCP-induced congestion scenarios in order to identify potential periods of increased congestion and apply FEC protection during those periods judiciously. We find out that indeed efficient models can be developed and incorporated into a dynamic FEC framework which can achieve substantially better overhead vs. reliability tradeoff (e.g., up to 60% improvement at high reliability region) than an FEC approach that uses fixed coding rate to satisfy a given reliability.
Learning for Structured Prediction Using Approximate Subgradient Descent with Working Sets

We propose a working set based approximate sub gradient descent algorithm to minimize the margin-sensitive hinge loss arising from the soft constraints in max-margin learning frameworks, such as the structured SVM. We focus on the setting of general graphical models, such as loopy MRFs and CRFs commonly used in image segmentation, where exact inference is intractable and the most violated constraints can only be approximated, voiding the optimality guarantees of the structured SVM's cutting plane algorithm as well as reducing the robustness of existing sub gradient based methods. We show that the proposed method obtains better approximate sub gradients through the use of working sets, leading to improved convergence properties and increased reliability. Furthermore, our method allows new constraints to be randomly sampled instead of computed using the more expensive approximate inference techniques such as belief propagation and graph cuts, which can be used to reduce learning time at only a small cost of performance. We demonstrate the strength of our method empirically on the segmentation of a new publicly available electron microscopy dataset as well as the popular MSRC data set and show state-of-the-art results.
Rossby waves: synergy in action

Rossby waves are an important phenomenon, linking processes in the west of ocean basins with forcing that occurred earlier in the east. We show evidence for such features in satellite–derived datasets of sea–surface height, temperature and ocean colour, using a section of the south Indian Ocean as an example. We discuss the possible mechanisms for an effect on chlorophyll, and we investigate this by comparing the ocean colour signal with the other datasets. In this region, the primary mechanism for a Rossby–wave signal in ocean colour appears to be meridional advection of water across a strong chlorophyll gradient. However, this cannot fully explain the observations in the westernmost basin.
Content validity of the Quebec licensing examination (OSCE). Assessed by practising physicians.

OBJECTIVE To assess content validity of the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), which uses multiple encounters with standardized patients and which is included in the Quebec licensing examination (QLEx). DESIGN Descriptive study using written questionnaires based on Likert-type scales. SETTING Examination centres of the QLEx. PARTICIPANTS Thirteen practising family physicians with 3 to 6 years' practice experience who passed the QLEx OSCE in May 1993. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Opinion whether the QLEx OSCE globally measured the competence of family physicians; opinion whether OSCE cases and stations made it possible to assess the main clinical abilities required of a family physician; opinion on specific statements about each case, such as how frequently the case was seen in the participants' practice, if the participants knew how to deal with the problem, if the simulated patient was believable, if the clinical situation was realistic, and if the duration of the station was adequate; and participants' self-assessment of their performance on the case. RESULTS Eleven participants (84.6%) agreed that the OSCE globally measured the competence of a family physician. All agreed that the OSCE cases and stations made it possible to assess the main clinical skills required of a family physician. For most of the cases, participants believed that they knew how to deal with the problem, that the clinical situation was realistic, that the simulated patient was believable, and that the case duration was adequate. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study support the content validity of the QLEx OSCE and confirm that it assesses the main skills needed for practising family medicine and adequately samples possible encounters or cases seen in family practice.
Hyperthyroidism as a Cause of Autonomic Dysreflexia

Chang JH, Han JE, Sohn HJ, Shin YB, Ko H-Y: Hyperthyroidism as a cause of autonomic dysreflexia. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2008;87:768–772. A 25-yr-old female tetraplegic patient experienced autonomic dysreflexia episodes involving hypertension, headache, facial flushing, and tachycardia. The symptoms were not related to the bladder or bowel. The episodes did not seem to be linked to any mechanical cause. The patient was incidentally diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Treatment with antithyroid medication resulted in resolution of the autonomic dysreflexia. This case suggests that hyperthyroidism may trigger autonomic dysreflexia in tetraplegic patients.
An Input-to-State-Stability Approach to Economic Optimization in Model Predictive Control

This paper presents a model predictive control (MPC) scheme where a combination of a stabilizing stage cost and an economic stage cost is employed to allow the minimization of an economic performance index while still guaranteeing convergence toward a desired steady state. Input-to-state-stability with respect to the economic stage cost is provided. More precisely, for the case of an economic stage cost converging to zero, the economic optimization only affects the transient behavior of the closed-loop trajectories preserving the convergence to the desired steady state. Alternatively, if the economic stage cost is merely bounded, or convergent to a bound, the closed-loop state trajectory is ultimately bounded around the desired steady state with the size of the bound being monotonically increasing with the magnitude of the economic stage cost. The loosening of the closed-loop guarantees, i.e., moving from convergence to ultimate boundedness, gives space to the increase of economic performance. Numerical results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method on an energy efficient trajectory-tracking control problem of a marine robotic vehicle navigating in the presence of water currents.
HYPERTENSION-RELATED KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICE AND DRUG ADHERENCE AMONG INPATIENTS OF A HOSPITAL IN SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN

ABSTRACT Hypertension is one of the most important preventable causes of premature morbidity and mortality in the world. Many people with hypertension both in developing and developed countries have no adequate control of their blood pressure (BP). Hypertension-related knowledge and practice of patients play an important role in controlling hypertension and in preventing its long-term complications. The objective here was to study hypertension-related knowledge, practice and drug adherence of inpatients, and to examine an association between the knowledge regarding hypertension with BP control status and drug adherence. We studied hypertension-related knowledge, practice and drug adherence of patients in a hospital setting. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 209 patients with the diagnosis of primary hypertension at the Samarkand State Medical Institute. The study was conducted from June to September 2012. Drug adherence was studied using the Morisky 4-item self-report measure of medication-taking behavior. The reasons for drug non-adherence were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated by a logistic model. The BP control rate and drug adherence of the patients were suboptimal (24.4% and 36.8%, respectively). Overall, 64.6% of patients had good or adequate and 35.5% had inadequate knowledge about hypertension. Good knowledge of patients was significantly associated with controlled BP (OR=5.4, 95% CI, 1.7–16.2) and drug adherence (OR=3.8, 95% CI, 1.4–10.8). In conclusion, the inpatients of the secondary hospital had sufficient general knowledge about hypertension, but they had inadequate knowledge about specific issues such as treatment for and symptoms of hypertension. Both drug adherence and BP control rate were suboptimal and significantly associated with hypertension knowledge. This study specifies potential areas of hypertension education that could be improved by patients’ knowledge of hypertension.
A hepatoid carcinoma of the ovary

A rare case of primary hepatoid carcinoma of the ovary in a 64-year-old Taiwanese woman, who had high serum levels of afetoprotein (AFP) and CA-125, is reported. Histologically, the tumor resembled hepatocellular carcinoma by its architectural and cytological features. To date, no more than 10 cases have been reported in the literature. Clinically, our case was allocated as an ovarian carcinoma Stage IIIc. Poor prognosis was expected from reviewing the previous reports. However, the patient in our case had a relatively successful 5-year survival through proper chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
ISASS Recommendations/Coverage Criteria for Decompression with Interlaminar Stabilization - Coverage Indications, Limitations, and/or Medical Necessity

Broadly defined, lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is the progressive narrowing of the spinal canal and neural foramen resulting in pressure upon the nerve(s) leading to pain and/or numbness in the extremities, muscle weakness, bowel and bladder issues, and/or other pain related issues. However, the
Quantitative analysis of cuneate neurone responsiveness in the cat in association with reversible, partial deafferentation

1 Partial deafferentation, based on peripheral nerve section or local anaesthetic blockade, has been reported to induce both immediate loss of responsiveness and/or immediate reorganization in receptive fields of neurones in the somatosensory system. In the present study, in anaesthetized cats, we have used a rapid, reversible deafferentation procedure based on cold block of the median nerve in order to evaluate quantitatively the response characteristics of cuneate neurones (n= 39) before, during and after partial deafferentation. 2 The first hypothesis tested was that cuneate neurones with input from ulnar or superficial radial nerve fields in the vicinity of the median nerve field should undergo, in association with median nerve blockade, an increased level of responsiveness to tactile stimuli within the ulnar or radial nerve zone, and an expansion of their cutaneous receptive fields. However, among eighteen cuneate neurones of this type, there was no evidence for any systematic enhancement of responsiveness nor, in at least sixteen of the eighteen neurones, any evidence for receptive field expansion. 3 The second hypothesis tested was that cuneate neurones whose input came from both the median nerve and another peripheral nerve source should undergo, in association with median nerve blockade, an increase in responsiveness to the remaining input and an expansion of the receptive field into the field of that remaining nerve source. However, in none of thirteen neurones of this type tested was there evidence of such a change. 4 The third hypothesis was that cuneate neurones whose ‘control’ receptive fields werewithin the median nerve zone of deafferentation should show an emergence of novel receptive fields and responsiveness from areas around the field of innervation of the median nerve. However, in none of eight neurones of this type was there evidence for such changes in adjacent skin areas. 5 In conclusion, with the use of cold block of the median nerve for partial deaffferentation, the present study has confirmed previous findings of denervation‐related loss of responsiveness in dorsal column nuclei neurones. The conflicting findings in studies of central nervous system plasticity indicate the need to understand better factors that do and do not lead to acute central changes.
Conflict Management Training and Nurse-Physician Collaborative Behaviors

Collaboration between nurses and physicians continues to be elusive although it is a desirable goal for most in health care. This study used a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the outcomes of a conflict resolution (management) training program on nurses' perception of their collaboration with the physicians with whom they work. Results showed no differences between the experimental and control groups following the intervention. Individual readiness and evaluation of the antecedents of collaboration should be determined before implementing such an intervention.