Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Elderly’s Independent Living in Smart Homes: A Characterization of Activities and Sensing Infrastructure Survey to Facilitate Services Development

Human activity detection within smart homes is one of the basis of unobtrusive wellness monitoring of a rapidly aging population in developed countries. Most works in this area use the concept of “activity” as the building block with which to construct applications such as healthcare monitoring or ambient assisted living. The process of identifying a specific activity encompasses the selection of the appropriate set of sensors, the correct preprocessing of their provided raw data and the learning/reasoning using this information. If the selection of the sensors and the data processing methods are wrongly performed, the whole activity detection process may fail, leading to the consequent failure of the whole application. Related to this, the main contributions of this review are the following: first, we propose a classification of the main activities considered in smart home scenarios which are targeted to older people’s independent living, as well as their characterization and formalized context representation; second, we perform a classification of sensors and data processing methods that are suitable for the detection of the aforementioned activities. Our aim is to help researchers and developers in these lower-level technical aspects that are nevertheless fundamental for the success of the complete application.
Are Commonly Ordered Lab Tests Useful Screens for Alcohol Disorders in Older Male Veterans Receiving Primary Care?

Although mean corpuscular volume (MCV), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferases (ALT), and the AST/ALT ratio are sometimes used as markers of alcohol disorders, their utility has not been established in older persons. We determined the tests’ performance characteristics for (1) at-risk drinking, (2) CAGE positivity, (3) at-risk drinking and CAGE positivity, and (4) a clinician-recorded diagnosis of alcohol abuse/dependence in a study of older male veterans receiving primary care. Participants (n = 587) included patients who had MCV, AST, and/or ALT data collected as part of routine care no more than 12 weeks before or after enrollment. MCV, AST, and ALT test results were obtained from the VA's database. At enrollment, the Timeline Followback and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) were used to identify at-risk drinkers (≥15 drinks per week or AUDIT score ≥ 8), and the CAGE questionnaire was administered to identify participants with a history abuse/dependent drinking (CAGE score ≥ 2). Participants’ medical records were reviewed to identify subjects with a clinician-recorded diagnosis of alcohol abuse/dependence. The prevalence of abnormal test results for MCV (threshold value = > 98), AST (> 41), ALT (> 41), and the AST/ALT ratio (> 2) was 11%, 4%, 4%, and 5%, respectively. The occurrence of at-risk drinking, CAGE positivity, at-risk drinking and CAGE positivity, and a clinician-recorded diagnosis of alcohol abuse/dependence was 11%, 25%, 5%, and 9%, respectively. Test sensitivity ranged from 3.9% to 25.4% and specificity from 88.5% to 97.1%, whereas positive likelihood ratios varied from 0.72 to 4.01 and negative likelihood ratios from 0.82 to 1.04. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were similar (range = 0.50–0.58) across tests. In conclusion, MCV, AST, ALT, and the AST/ALT ratio are not useful markers of alcohol disorders in older male veterans.
Evaluation of a Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for Pathogen Detection in Septic Patients under Routine Condition: An Observational Study

Background Treatment of septic shock relies on appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Current culture based methods deliver final results after days, which may delay potentially lifesaving adjustments in antimicrobial therapy. This study was undertaken to compare PCR with blood culture results under routine conditions regarding 1. impact on antimicrobial therapy, and 2. time to result, in patients with presumed sepsis. Methodology/Principal Findings This was an observational study in a 50 beds ICU of a university hospital. In 245 patients with suspected sepsis, 311 concomitant blood cultures and blood for multiplex PCR (VYOO®) were obtained. 45 of 311 blood cultures (14.5%) and 94 of 311 PCRs (30.1%) were positive. However, blood culture or microbiological sampling from the presumed site of infection rarely confirmed PCR results and vice versa. Median time to positivity and interquartile range were 24.2 (18.0, 27.5) hours for the PCR and 68 (52.2, 88.5) hours for BC (p<0.01). PCR median time to result was dependent on technician availability (53.5 hours on Saturdays, 7.2 hours under optimal logistic conditions). PCR results showed good correlation with procalcitonin (p<0.001). In 34% of patients with positive PCRs antimicrobial therapy was considered inadequate according to assessment of clinical arbitrators including 5 patients with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), 3 cases with multiresistant staphylococci, and 4 patients with fungi. Conclusions The results of this observational study support the hypothesis that PCR results are available faster, are more frequently positive, and may result in earlier adjustment of antimicrobial therapy. However, shorter time to result can only be fully exploited when the laboratory is adequately staffed for a 24 hour/7 day service, or when point of care/automated assay systems become available.
The treatment of early-morning awakening insomnia with 2 evenings of bright light.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of brief bright-light therapy for the treatment of early-morning awakening insomnia. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-four healthy adults with early-morning awakening insomnia were assigned to either the bright-light condition (2,500-lux white light) or the control (dim red light) condition. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The circadian phase of rectal temperature and urinary melatonin rhythms were assessed with 26-hour constant routines before and after 2 evenings of light therapy. Sleep and daytime functioning were monitored using sleep diaries, activity monitors, and mood scales before light therapy and for 4 weeks during the follow-up period. While there were no significant circadian phase changes in the dim-light control group, the bright-light group had significant 2-hour phase delays of circadian temperature and melatonin rhythm. Compared to pretreatment measures, over the 4-week follow-up period, the bright-light group had a greater reduction of time awake after sleep onset, showed a trend toward waking later, and had a greater increase of total sleep time. Participants in the bright-light condition also tended to report greater reductions of negative daytime symptoms, including significantly fewer days of feeling depressed at the 4-week follow-up, as compared with the control group. CONCLUSION Two evenings of bright-light exposure phase delayed the circadian rhythms of early-morning awakening insomniacs. It also improved diary and actigraphy sleep measures and improved some indexes of daytime functioning for up to 1 month after light exposure. The study suggests that a brief course of evening bright-light therapy can be an effective treatment for early-morning awakening insomniacs who have relatively phase advanced circadian rhythms.
Environmental Policy and Technological Change

The relationship between technological changeand environmental policy has receivedincreasing attention from scholars and policymakers alike over the past ten years. This ispartly because the environmental impacts ofsocial activity are significantly affected bytechnological change, and partly becauseenvironmental policy interventions themselvescreate new constraints and incentives thataffect the process of technologicaldevelopments. Our central purpose in thisarticle is to provide environmental economistswith a useful guide to research ontechnological change and the analytical toolsthat can be used to explore further theinteraction between technology and theenvironment. In Part 1 of the article, weprovide an overview of analytical frameworksfor investigating the economics oftechnological change, highlighting key issuesfor the researcher. In Part 2, we turn ourattention to theoretical analysis of theeffects of environmental policy ontechnological change, and in Part 3, we focuson issues related to the empirical analysis oftechnology innovation and diffusion. Finally,we conclude in Part 4 with some additionalsuggestions for research.
Uptake and Release of Norepinephrine by Serotonergic Terminals in Norepinephrine Transporter Knock-Out Mice: Implications for the Action of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

Our aim was to investigate the functional properties of the noradrenergic system in genetically modified mice lacking the norepinephrine transporter (NET). We measured the uptake and release of [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE) from hippocampal and cortical slices of NET-/- knock-out (KO) and NET+/+ wild-type (WT) mice and investigated the presynaptic α2-adenoceptor-mediated modulation of NE release in vitro and in vivo. The [3H]NE uptake was reduced to 12.6% (hippocampus) and 33.5% (frontal cortex) of WT control in KO mice. The neuronal component of this residual uptake was decreased by 79.4 and 100%, respectively, when a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram was present during the loading. The more preserved neuronal release of [3H]NE (hippocampus, 28.1%; frontal cortex, 74.4%; compared with WT) almost completely disappeared in both regions (94.1 and 95.3% decrease compared with KO, respectively) in the presence of citalopram, suggesting that [3H]NE was taken up and released by serotonergic varicosities. This was further supported by the finding that the release of [3H]NE from hippocampal slices of KO mice was not modulated by the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist 7,8-(methylenedioxy)-14-α-hydroxyalloberbane HCl, whereas the endogenous release of NE measured by microdialysis was even more efficiently enhanced by this drug in NET-deficient mice. These experiments indicate that serotonergic varicosities can accumulate and release NE as a result of the heterologous uptake of transmitters. Because the diffusion of NE may be spatially limited by serotonin transporters, the SSRIs, despite their selectivity, might enhance not only serotonergic but also noradrenergic neurotransmission, which might contribute to their antidepressant action.
Biochemical and Functional Characterization of RNF213 (Mysterin) R4810K, a Susceptibility Mutation of Moyamoya Disease, in Angiogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo

Background P.R4810K of RNF213 (mysterin: rs112735431), which is an AAA+ ATPase, is the susceptibility polymorphism for moyamoya disease (MMD) in East Asians. However, the role of RNF213 R4810K in the etiology of MMD is unknown. Methods and Results To clarify the role of RNF213 in known angiogenic pathways, RNF213 expression was analyzed in endothelial cells (ECs) treated with several angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors, including interferons (IFNs). RNF213 was upregulated by IFN-β through signal transducer and activator of transcription x in the promoter and mediated antiangiogenic activity of IFN-β. RNF213 wild-type (WT) overexpression could not lower angiogenesis without IFN-β, but RNF213 R4810K overexpression could. To correlate biochemical function as ATPase and the role of RNF213 oligomer formation with antiangiogenic activity, we investigated the effects of mutations in the AAA+ module. A mutation of the Walker B motif (WEQ), which stabilizes oligomerization, inhibited angiogenesis, but AAA+ module deletion, which cannot initiate oligomerization, did not. Intriguingly, R4810K, similar to WEQ, decreased ATPase activity, suggesting its antiangiogenic activity through stabilizing oligomers. To confirm the antiangiogenic effect of RNF213 upregulation in vivo, vascular EC- or smooth muscle cell-specific Rnf213 R4757K (R4810K ortholog) or WT transgenic (Tg) mice were exposed to hypoxia. Cerebral angiogenesis by hypoxia was suppressed in EC-specific Rnf213 R4757K Tg mice, whereas it was not suppressed in other mice. Conclusions This study suggests the importance of inflammatory signals as environmental factors and R4810K carriers for susceptibility to cerebral hypoxia. A specific inhibitor of ATP binding to the first AAA+ could be a promising therapeutic candidate for MMD.
Genomic and transcriptomic analyses reveal adaptation mechanisms of an Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans strain YL15 to alpine acid mine drainage

Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans is an acidophile that often occurs in low temperature acid mine drainage, e.g., that located at high altitude. Being able to inhabit the extreme environment, the bacterium must possess strategies to copy with the survival stress. Nonetheless, information on the strategies is in demand. Here, genomic and transcriptomic assays were performed to illuminate the adaptation mechanisms of an A. ferrivorans strain YL15, to the alpine acid mine drainage environment in Yulong copper mine in southwest China. Genomic analysis revealed that strain has a gene repertoire for metal-resistance, e.g., genes coding for the mer operon and a variety of transporters/efflux proteins, and for low pH adaptation, such as genes for hopanoid-synthesis and the sodium:proton antiporter. Genes for various DNA repair enzymes and synthesis of UV-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids precursor indicated hypothetical UV radiation—resistance mechanisms in strain YL15. In addition, it has two types of the acquired immune system–type III-B and type I-F CRISPR/Cas modules against invasion of foreign genetic elements. RNA-seq based analysis uncovered that strain YL15 uses a set of mechanisms to adapt to low temperature. Genes involved in protein synthesis, transmembrane transport, energy metabolism and chemotaxis showed increased levels of RNA transcripts. Furthermore, a bacterioferritin Dps gene had higher RNA transcript counts at 6°C, possibly implicated in protecting DNA against oxidative stress at low temperature. The study represents the first to comprehensively unveil the adaptation mechanisms of an acidophilic bacterium to the acid mine drainage in alpine regions.
Perfluoroalkyl substances in eggs and plasma of an avian top predator, great skua (Stercorarius skua), in the north Atlantic

Temporal, biological, and environmental factors affecting accumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are poorly understood in comparison with legacy lipid‐soluble persistent organic pollutants. Temporal and biological comparisons of PFAS concentrations were made in great skuas (Stercorarius skua), a marine apex predator. Concentrations of 16 PFASs were quantified, including C4–C10 perfluorosulfonates (PFSAs), perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), and C5–C14 perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs). Concentrations of PFASs (ng/g wet wt) were significantly higher in eggs collected in Shetland in 2008 compared with 1980 for most compounds. However, the magnitude of the differences was small, with a mean increase of 3 ng/g. Levels of PFASs in great skuas were low compared with those of other seabirds in similar ecological niches; and in contrast to other contaminants measured in the same eggs, concentrations of PFASs did not correlate with trophic level. Concentrations of PFASs in adult plasma were significantly higher in males than in females for most PFASs. This suggests that maternal transfer through egg laying may be a significant mode of elimination of PFASs in female great skuas. The low concentrations of PFASs in eggs and plasma compared with other halogenated organic contaminants and other species suggest that great skuas do not bioaccumulate PFASs to the same extent as some other seabirds. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013;32:569–576. © 2012 SETAC
A novel mammalian social structure in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.): complex male alliances in an open social network

Terrestrial mammals with differentiated social relationships live in ‘semi-closed groups’ that occasionally accept new members emigrating from other groups. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, exhibit a fission–fusion grouping pattern with strongly differentiated relationships, including nested male alliances. Previous studies failed to detect a group membership ‘boundary’, suggesting that the dolphins live in an open social network. However, two alternative hypotheses have not been excluded. The community defence model posits that the dolphins live in a large semi-closed ‘chimpanzee-like’ community defended by males and predicts that a dominant alliance(s) will range over the entire community range. The mating season defence model predicts that alliances will defend mating-season territories or sets of females. Here, both models are tested and rejected: no alliances ranged over the entire community range and alliances showed extensive overlap in mating season ranges and consorted females. The Shark Bay dolphins, therefore, present a combination of traits that is unique among mammals: complex male alliances in an open social network. The open social network of dolphins is linked to their relatively low costs of locomotion. This reveals a surprising and previously unrecognized convergence between adaptations reducing travel costs and complex intergroup–alliance relationships in dolphins, elephants and humans.
Biomasa en acahuales de tres unidades ecogeográficas del estado de Tabasco

La escasa información sobre los atributos de los acahuales en Tabasco contribuye a que no se les dé la debida importancia a esos ecosistemas en programas de conservación y como reservorios de carbono. El presente trabajo contribuye a subsanar el poco conocimiento que se tiene de la magnitud de la biomasa existente en acahuales. En tres unidades ecogeográficas, se establecieron 18 conglomerados de cuatro parcelas (10 × 40 m), en un arreglo de Y invertida, con un total de 28 800 m2. Los años de abandono en las áreas de estudio fueron de 15, 20, 30 y 100; en cada uno se tomaron parámetros dasonómicos para determinar rasgos básicos estructurales y su biomasa. Los acahuales con menor tiempo de abandono mantuvieron mayor densidad de individuos, distribuidos principalmente en dos clases diamétricas (2-10 y 10-18 cm, DN) y tres estratos de altura (2-7, 7-12 y 12-17 m). El área basal y la biomasa no cambiaron, proporcionalmente, con respecto a la etapa sucesional. A pesar de la variabilidad en su estructura, estos ecosistemas mostraron tener un potencial de captura y reservorio de carbono importante, en relación a la vegetación primaria en menores lapsos de tiempo; por lo que, si se siguen manteniendo hacia etapas avanzadas de sucesión pueden ser una alternativa de vegetación estable que genere servicios ambientales de captura de carbono y biodiversidad.
Working Papers on Information Systems Organizational Culture and Information Systems Implementation: a Structuration Theory Perspective

The structure and culture of an organization does affect implementation of projects. In this paper we try to identify organizational factors that could affect the implementation efforts of an Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). The information system in question has taken overtly a long time and itâââs not complete yet. We set out to find out whether organizational issues are at play in this particular project. The project under study is a large-scale integrated information system which aims at strengthening and further developing Financial Management Information in the wider public service in Kenya. We borrow concepts from Structuration Theory as applied in sociology to understand the organizational perspective in the project. We use the theory to help explain some of the meanings, norms and issues of power experienced during the implementation of the IFMIS. Without ruling out problems of technological nature, the findings suggest that many of the problems in the IFMIS implementation may be attributed to organizational factors, and that certain issues are related to the existing organization culture within government.
When video search goes wrong: predicting query failure using search engine logs and visual search results

The recent increase in the volume and variety of video content available online presents growing challenges for video search. Users face increased difficulty in formulating effective queries and search engines must deploy highly effective algorithms to provide relevant results. Although lately much effort has been invested in optimizing video search engine results, relatively little attention has been given to predicting for which queries results optimization is most useful, i.e., predicting which queries will fail. Being able to predict when a video search query would fail is likely to make the video search result optimization more efficient and effective, improve the search experience for the user by providing support in the query formulation process and in this way boost the development of video search engines in general. While insight about a query's performance in general could be obtained using the well-known concept of query performance prediction (QPP), we propose a novel approach for predicting a failure of a video search query in the specific context of a search session. Our 'context-aware query failure' prediction approach uses a combination of 'user indicators' and 'engine indicators' to predict whether a particular query is likely to fail in the context of a particular search session. User indicators are derived from the search log and capture the patterns of query (re)formulation behavior and the click-through data of a user during a typical video search session. Engine indicators are derived from the video search results list and capture the visual variance of search results that would be offered to the user for the given query. We validate our approach experimentally on a test set containing 1+ million video search queries and show its effectiveness compared to a set of conventional QPP baselines. Our approach achieves a 13% relative improvement over the baseline.
Exports and Productivity: A Survey of the Evidence from Firm Level Data

While the role of exports in promoting growth in general, and productivity in particular, has been investigated empirically using aggregate data for countries and industries for a long time, only recently have comprehensive longitudinal data at the firm level been used to look at the extent and causes of productivity differentials between exporters and their counterparts which sell on the domestic market only. This paper surveys the empirical strategies applied, and the results produced, in 45 microeconometric studies with data from 33 countries that were published between 1995 and 2004. Details aside, exporters are found to be more productive than non-exporters, and the more productive firms self-select into export markets, while exporting does not necessarily improve productivity.