Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mission Impossible? Genuine Economic Development in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is considered one of the most important regional entities in the world. It provides a framework for stability regarding world oil and gas supplies and facilitates great wealth from oil and gas exports. After more than thirty years of promises from GCC countries, however, how does oil and gas wealth impact actual economic development, particularly in the non-oil economy and private sector? This study highlights the existence of economic development in the GCC states in three aspects: the current demographic structure, economic growth and diversification, and the role of private sector development. The analysis shows that an unbalanced population structure causes a great drain on national income and turns the national population into a minority in some of the GCC states. Furthermore, the GCC countries’ economy still depends heavily on oil revenue, resulting in public sector domination. As a result, the private sector is underdeveloped and still does not exert significant influence on economic development. The study concludes that, in spite of the declaration of the GCC articles of association regarding the link between development and integration, the GCC is still far from demonstrating real long-term development.
Coiled Coil Rich Proteins (Ccrp) Influence Molecular Pathogenicity of Helicobacter pylori

Pathogenicity of the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori relies on its capacity to adapt to a hostile environment and to escape the host response. Although there have been great advances in our understanding of the bacterial cytoskeleton, major gaps remain in our knowledge of its contribution to virulence. In this study we have explored the influence of coiled coil rich proteins (Ccrp) cytoskeletal elements on pathogenicity factors of H. pylori. Deletion of any of the ccrp resulted in a strongly decreased activity of the main pathogenicity factor urease. We further investigated their role using in vitro co-culture experiments with the human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS modeling H. pylori - host cell interactions. Intriguingly, host cell showed only a weak “scattering/hummingbird” phenotype, in which host cells are transformed from a uniform polygonal shape into a severely elongated state characterized by the formation of needle-like projections, after co-incubation with any ccrp deletion mutant. Furthermore, co-incubation with the ccrp59 mutant resulted in reduced type IV secretion system associated activities, e.g. IL-8 production and CagA translocation/phosphorylation. Thus, in addition to their role in maintaining the helical cell shape of H. pylori Ccrp proteins influence many cellular processes and are thereby crucial for the virulence of this human pathogen.
Integrable Background Geometries

This work has its origins in an attempt to describe systematically the integrable geometries and gauge theories in dimensions one to four related to twistor theory. In each such dimension, there is a nondegenerate integrable geometric structure, governed by a nonlinear integrable differential equation, and each solution of this equation determines a background geometry on which, for any Lie group G, an integrable gauge theory is defined. In four dimensions, the geometry is selfdual conformal geometry and the gauge theory is selfdual Yang{Mills theory, while the lower-dimensional structures are nondegenerate (i.e., nonnull) reductions of this. Any solution of the gauge theory on a k-dimensional geometry, such that the gauge group H acts transitively on an l-manifold, determines a (k+l)-dimensional geometry (k+l≤4) fibering over the k-dimensional geometry with H as a structure group. In the case of an l-dimensional group H acting on itself by the regular representation, all (k +l)-dimensional geometries with symmetry group H are locally obtained in this way. This framework unifies and extends known results about dimensional reductions of selfdual conformal geometry and the selfdual Yang-Mills equation, and provides a rich supply of constructive methods. In one dimension, generalized Nahm equations provide a uniform description of four pole isomonodromic deformation problems, and may be related to the SU(∞) Toda and dKP equations via a hodograph transformation. In two dimensions, the Diff(S1) Hitchin equation is shown to be equivalent to the hyperCR Einstein{Weyl equation, while the SDiff(σ) Hitchin equation leads to a Euclidean analogue of Plebanski's heavenly equations. In three and four dimensions, the constructions of this paper help to organize the huge range of examples of Einstein{Weyl and selfdual spaces in the literature, as well as providing some new ones. The nondegenerate reductions have a long ancestry. More recently, degenerate or null reductions have attracted increased interest. Two of these reductions and their gauge theories (arguably, the two most significant) are also described.
Celebrity Endorsement Influence on Brand Credibility: A Critical Review of Previous Studies

Celebrity endorsement is a potent adverting strategy used to promote brands in the market space. In Africa and Asia, celebrity endorsement has developed dramatically as an essential promotional approach used by advertisers to influence consumers about their brands. The trust of this paper examines the nature and dimensions of celebrity endorsement influence on consumers. Furthermore, the locus of the paper critically examines the review of previous studies on celebrity endorsement influence on brand credibility. The paper concludes that the use of celebrity endorsement in the eyes of customers is the most compelling way of attracting their attention compared to a non-celebrity featured advertisement.
The CaT strength in Seyfert nuclei revisited : analysing young stars and non-stellar light contributions to the spectra

In a former paper, we have presented spectra of 64 active, nine normal and five starburst galaxies in the region around the near-infrared calcium triplet (CaT) absorption lines and the [S III]λ9069 line. In the present paper, we analyse the CaT strength (W CaT ) and kinematical products derived in that study, namely stellar (σ*) and ionized gas (σ gas ) velocity dispersions. Our main results may be summarized as follows. (1) Type 2 Seyfert galaxies show no sign of dilution in W CaT with respect to the values spanned by normal galaxies, even when optical absorption lines such as the Ca II K band at 3933 A are much weaker than in old, bulge-like stellar populations. (2) The location of type 2 Seyfert galaxies in the W CaT -W CaK plane is consistent with evolutionary synthesis models. The implication is that the source responsible for the dilution of optical lines in these active galactic nuclei (AGN) is a young stellar population, rather than an AGN featureless continuum, confirming the conclusion of the pioneer study of Terlevich, Diaz & Terlevich. (3) In type 1 Seyfert galaxies, both W [s III] and W CaT tend to be diluted due to the presence of a non-stellar component, in agreement with the unification paradigm. (4) A comparison of σ* with σ gas (obtained from the core of the [S III] emitting line) confirms the existence of a correlation between the typical velocities of stars and clouds of the narrow line region. The strength and scatter around this correlation are similar to those previously obtained from the [O III]λ5007 linewidth.
Human Parechovirus Genotypes -10, -13 and -15 in Pakistani Children with Acute Dehydrating Gastroenteritis

Human parechoviruses are known to cause asymptomatic to severe clinical illness predominantly respiratory and gastroenetric infections. Despite their global prevalence, epidemiological studies have not been performed in Pakistan. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed 110 fecal specimen and found 26 (24%) positive for viral RNA with HPeV-10 (n = 3, 23%), HPeV-13 (n = 4, 31%) and HPeV-15 (n = 6, 46%) genotypes. Clinical features of patients with different HPeV genotypes were compared. All HPeV positive children were aged ≤4 years (mean 13.92 months). The male-to-female ratio was 1: 1.17 (46.2 vs 53.8%) with significant association (p = .031) to HPeV infectivity. HPeV-10 and -13 were found during summer while HPeV-15 was only detected during late winter season. Disease symptoms were more severe in children infected with HPeV-10 and -13 as compared to HPeV-15. Fever and vomiting were observed in 100% cases of HPeV-10 and -13 while only 17% patients of HPeV-15 had these complaints. Phylogenetic analyses showed that HPeV-10, -13 and -15 strains found in this study have 9–13%, 16.8% and 21.8% nucleotide divergence respectively from the prototype strains and were clustered to distinct genetic lineages. This is the first report of HPeV-15 infection in humans although first identified in rhesus macaques. The arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif present at the C-terminal of VP1 responsible for the viral attachment to cellular integrins was not found in all of these strains. In conclusion, these findings enhance our knowledge related to the epidemiology and genetic diversity of the HPeV in Pakistan and support the need for continued laboratory based surveillance programs especially in infants and neonatal clinical settings. Further, the parechovirus pathogenesis, cross-species transmission and disease reservoirs must be ascertained to adopt better prevention measures.
Compressive Radar Imaging

We introduce a new approach to radar imaging based on the concept of compressive sensing (CS). In CS, a low-dimensional, nonadaptive, linear projection is used to acquire an efficient representation of a compressible signal directly using just a few measurements. The signal is then reconstructed by solving an inverse problem either through a linear program or a greedy pursuit. We demonstrate that CS has the potential to make two significant improvements to radar systems: (i) eliminating the need for the pulse compression matched filter at the receiver, and (ii) reducing the required receiver analog-to-digital conversion bandwidth so that it need operate only at the radar reflectivity's potentially low "information rate" rather than at its potentially high Nyquist rate. These ideas could enable the design of new, simplified radar systems, shifting the emphasis from expensive receiver hardware to smart signal recovery algorithms.
The Role of Sperm Chromatin Integrity and DNA Damage on Male Infertility

Infertility affects approximately a quarter of all couples. Of these cases, roughly half are due to male factors. However, more than 50% of the causes of male factor infertility are still obscure. Contemporary Andrology includes a thorough analysis of the sperm looking at the cellular and subcellular imperfections which may have an adverse effect on fertility. Defects in DNA and chromatin structure are examples of such analysis. The structure of spermatozoa DNA is very unique, highly specialized in order to control time-appropriate maturation of the zygote. Damage to sperm DNA may occur as a result of intrinsic factors such as limited defenses against oxidative stress, ageing and varicocele, or as a result of extrinsic determinants such as medications and environmental factors. This damage thereby may have negative effects on ART procedures, and could lead to failure of fertilization. Sperm DNA damage significantly contributes to the growing number of infertility cases, and should be a part of a modern andrology lab.
Entropy-Based Term Weighting Schemes for Text Categorization in VSM

Term weighting schemes have been widely used in information retrieval and text categorization models. In this paper, we first investigate into the limitations of several state-of-the-art term weighting schemes in the context of text categorization tasks. Considering that category-specific terms are more useful to discriminate different categories, and these terms tend to have smaller entropy with respect to these categories, we then explore the relationship between a term's discriminating power and its entropy with respect to a set of categories. To this end, we propose two entropy-based term weighting schemes (i.e., tf.dc and tf.bdc) which measure the discriminating power of a term based on its global distributional concentration in the categories of a corpus. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed term weighting schemes, we compare them with seven state-of-the-art schemes on a long-text corpus and a short-text corpus respectively. Our experimental results show that the proposed schemes outperform the state-of-the-art schemes in text categorization tasks with KNN and SVM.
Data dependencies and program slicing: from syntax to abstract semantics

We discuss the relation between program slicing and data dependencies. We claim that slicing can be defined, and therefore calculated, parametrically on the chosen notion of dependency, which implies a different result when building the program dependency graph. In this framework, it is possible to choose dependency in the syntactic or semantic sense, thus leading to compute possibly different, smaller slices. Moreover, the notion of abstract dependency, based on properties instead of exact data values, is investigated in its theoretical meaning. Constructive ideas are given to compute abstract dependencies on expressions, and to transform properties in order to rule out some dependencies. The application of these ideas to information flow is also discussed.
Online detection of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease patients: a performance characterization

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a common gait deficit in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). It is often a cause of falls, interferes with daily activities and significantly impairs quality of life. PD patients can be assisted by auditory cueing. In daily life cueing should be automatic during gait freeze. This paper describes our ambulatory research platform for context-aware online FOG detection and auditory cueing. The system analyzes frequency components of body motion to detect FOG and provides a metronome sound until the patient resumes walking. We characterize the sensitivity and specificity of the system as functions of: sensor placement and orientation, walking style and algorithm parameters. We have performed a study with ten PD patients, which have worn our system performing several walking tasks. Over 8h of data has been recorded and 237 FOG events have been identified by professional physiotherapists in a post-video analysis. The system detected the FOG events online with a sensitivity of 73.1% and a specificity of 81.6%. We show that the theoretical maximum performance of this algorithm with patient specific optimal parameter sets is 88.6% sensitivity and 92.8% specificity. By separating the patients into saccadic and smooth walker with separate feature sets a detection accuracy of 85.9% sensitivity and 90.9% specificity was measured. The vertical axis of the sensor at the knee is the best sensor position and orientation for FOG detection. However the detection performance is relatively insensitive to the location and orientation, showing the robustness of the algorithm.
Effects of DA-9701, a Novel Prokinetic Agent, on Phosphorylated Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Expression in the Dorsal Root Ganglion and Spinal Cord Induced by Colorectal Distension in Rats

Background/Aims DA-9701, a standardized extract of Pharbitis Semen and Corydalis Tuber, is a new prokinetic agent that exhibits an analgesic effect on the abdomen. We investigated whether DA-9701 affects visceral pain induced by colorectal distension (CRD) in rats. Methods A total of 21 rats were divided into three groups: group A (no CRD+no drug), group B (CRD+no drug), and group C (CRD+DA-9701). Expression of pain-related factors, substance P (SP), c-fos, and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal cord was determined by immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting. Results The proportions of neurons in the DRG and spinal cord expressing SP, c-fos, and p-ERK were higher in group B than in group A. In the group C, the proportion of neurons in the DRG and spinal cord expressing p-ERK was lower than that in group B. Western blot results for p-ERK in the spinal cord indicated a higher level of expression in group B than in group A and a lower level of expression in group C than in group B. Conclusions DA-9701 may decrease visceral pain via the downregulation of p-ERK in the DRG and spinal cord.
On the Benefits and Barriers When Adopting Software Modelling and Model Driven Techniques - An External, Differentiated Replication

Context: Applying model driven techniques can lead to several benefits, but their adoption entails also numerous issues. Goal: We aim at understanding the benefits and barriers on the adoption of the modelling techniques for embedded systems developed in a large German research project. Method: We replicate a survey conducted in the Italian industry about relevance, benefits, and problems of software modelling and model driven techniques. Results: With respect to the original study, we could confirm design support and quality of software as achieved benefits. On the side of the barriers, too much effort required, lack of competencies and lack of supporting tools were confirmed. Other barriers were confirmed as not having an impact: refusal from management, cost of supporting tool, fear of lock-in. Conclusions: We observed that even for the not mature modelling techniques in our context of study, a few benefits and a large number of barriers (or lack of) reported in the original study and in literature were confirmed.
THE SELF-FORCE OF A CHARGED PARTICLE IN CLASSICAL ELECTRODYNAMICS WITH A CUTOFF

We discuss, in the context of classical electrodynamics with a Lorentz invariant cutoff at short distances, the self-force acting on a point charged particle. It follows that the electromagnetic mass of the point charge occurs in the equation of motion in a form consistent with special relativity. We find that the exact equation of motion does not exhibit runaway solutions or non-causal behavior, when the cutoff is larger than half of the classical radius of the electron.
Background for Real-Time Monitoring and Intervention Related to Alcohol Use

Real-time assessment, known as ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and real-time intervention (ecological momentary intervention [EMI]) can significantly extend the reach and impact of interventions to help individuals reduce their drinking behavior. For EMA, the user provides information on the variable of interest (e.g., drinking or craving) via a mobile device. This data reporting can occur either at pre-specified times or in certain high-risk situations. The primary benefits of EMA include external validity, minimized recall bias, and the ability to capture dynamic patterns in human behavior. EMI refers to interventions that are delivered via mobile devices at the time when the user needs it (i.e., in a high-risk situation). Key constructs of EMI are what interventions are delivered and when they are delivered. The timing of the EMI often is determined by the user’s EMA reports. Both EMA and EMI have been studied in people with alcohol use disorders. EMA and EMI often are used in conjunction with each other because EMA can help inform the optimal timing of EMI and help tailor its content. Further development of high-impact, algorithm-driven, technology-mediated real-time intervention may help reduce drinking and promote positive health behavior change.
Identification of depressive disorder among older people in care homes – a feasibility study

Background Depression is common among older people but more common among those living in care homes. Depression is not easily detected among older adults because of the presentation, and the tendency for older people not to complain of depression, particularly those living in care homes. In general, care home staff have limited training in recognising depression. Depression is undertreated and residents may not receive a therapeutic dose of antidepressant. The true prevalence of depression among care home residents is uncertain. Method This feasibility study aimed to explore the level of depression among older people in care homes by comparing the outcome of an assessment by care home staff with the outcome of a diagnostic clinical interview, using ICD-10 criteria and the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), conducted by a psychiatrist. Results In all, 47 older people from four care homes were interviewed by a psychiatrist. Of them, 39.1% (18/46) of residents were prescribed an antidepressant and were no longer depressed; 8.7% (4/46) were prescribed an antidepressant and remained depressed; and 6.5% (3/46) of residents assessed as being depressed, had not been prescribed an antidepressant. That is, 54% (25/46) of residents had been or were currently depressed. Using ICD-10 criteria, the sensitivity of the GDS at a threshold of 10 and 11 was 100%. In total, 89.4% of residents received a correct diagnosis (presence or absence of depression) using the GDS at the 11 threshold. Summary The prevalence of depression in these homes was 54%. Of the residents with depression, 72% (18/25) were managed with an antidepressant and 28% (7/25) were receiving ineffective or no treatment. The 30-item GDS can provide more useful information than a home care staff assessment for identifying depression. More research should explore the value of training home care staff to administer the 30-item GDS to optimise the management of depression in older people in care homes.
Does Meaningful Work Explains the Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Innovative Work Behaviour?

Executive Summary Transformational leaders motivate their followers to relook their job by elevating the status of the job from being boring, repetitive and menial into something more meaningful and significant. This ascendance of employee’s job as something important and its contribution to overall organizational vision is what prompts them to engage in innovative work behaviour. Therefore, it would be interesting to test the indirect effect of transformational leadership on followers’ innovative work behaviour as mediated through followers’ perception of meaningful work. The current study is set to serve two purposes. First, to clear the confusion regarding the findings related to transformational leadership’s influence on employee’s innovative work behaviour. Second, to investigate the mediating role of meaningful work in explaining the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative work behaviour. Data was collected from two samples, Sample I (349 executives) and Sample II (539 executives), working in two different manufacturing organizations in Eastern India. The results of both the samples confirm that transformational leadership significantly influences employee’s innovative work behaviour. Also, the study (both Samples I and II) finds meaningful work to partially mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and employees’ innovation. In order to lend further credibility to our mediation finding, we carried out Sobel test and bootstrapping technique to strengthen our assertion. This study replicates previous empirical investigations by exploring the relationship between transformational leadership and employee’s innovative behaviour at work in Indian manufacturing context. The study also strives to enrich the extant literature by testing the mediating role of meaningful work in explaining the relationship between transformational leadership and employee innovation.