Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Field Study of RFID Deployment and Return Expectations

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology promises to transform supply chain management. Building on previous research in information systems and supply chain management, this paper proposes a theoretical framework for RFID adoption and benefits, and tests the framework using data on U.S. firms. Our analysis suggests that there is a positive association between information technology (IT) application deployment and RFID adoption. We find that RFID implementation spending and partner mandate are associated with an expectation of early return on RFID investment, and a perceived lack of industry-wide standards is associated with an expectation of delayed return on RFID investment. These results suggest that firms with broad IT application deployment and a critical mass of RFID implementation spending are more likely to report early returns from RFID deployments. This paper extends previous research to understand the relationship between organization characteristics and adoption and expected benefits of the emerging RFID technology.
Comparison of Left Atrial Bipolar Voltage and Scar Using Multielectrode Fast Automated Mapping versus Point‐by‐Point Contact Electroanatomic Mapping in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Repeat Ablation

Bipolar voltage criteria to delineate left atrial (LA) scar have been derived using point‐by‐point (PBP) contact electroanatomical mapping. It remains unclear how PBP‐derived LA scar correlates with multielectrode fast automated mapping (ME‐FAM) derived scar. We aimed to correlate scar and bipolar voltages from LA maps created using PBP versus ME‐FAM.
Memory for emotional stimuli in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Although a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is memory impairment, there is speculation that recall may be enhanced when an emotional component is associated with an event. The current study aims to assess whether patients with AD would recall emotionally laden material better than neutral stimuli. DSMIVdiagnosed AD patients with mild to moderate dementia, as well as groups of young and elderly healthy controls, participated in this study. All subjects were administered three word lists for three trials each. The words were positive, negative, or neutral in valence and matched for concreteness, emotionality, and pleasantness. As expected, the controls performed significantly better than the AD patients. Importantly, the pattern of recall for the emotions was different, such that both control groups recalled all emotions equally, whereas the AD patients recalled significantly more negative words than positive or neutral. These findings of improved immediate memory for emotional material in AD lends support to the notion that mnemonic functions are differentially affected in the disease.
Multiple Delivery of siRNA against Endoglin into Murine Mammary Adenocarcinoma Prevents Angiogenesis and Delays Tumor Growth

Endoglin is a transforming growth factor-β (TGF- β) co-receptor that participates in the activation of a signaling pathway that mediates endothelial cell proliferation and migration in angiogenic tumor vasculature. Therefore, silencing of endoglin expression is an attractive approach for antiangiogenic therapy of tumors. The aim of our study was to evaluate the therapeutic potential of small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules against endoglin in vitro and in vivo. Therapeutic potential in vitro was assessed in human and murine endothelial cells (HMEC-1, 2H11) by determining endoglin expression level, cell proliferation and tube formation. In vivo, the therapeutic potential of siRNA molecules was evaluated in TS/A mammary adenocarcinoma growing in BALB/c mice. Results of our study showed that siRNA molecules against endoglin have a good antiangiogenic therapeutic potential in vitro, as expression of endoglin mRNA and protein levels in mouse and human microvascular endothelial cells after lipofection were efficiently reduced, which resulted in the inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation and tube formation. In vivo, silencing of endoglin with triple electrotransfer of siRNA molecules into TS/A mammary adenocarcinoma also significantly reduced the mRNA levels, number of tumor blood vessels and the growth of tumors. The obtained results demonstrate that silencing of endoglin is a promising antiangiogenic therapy of tumors that could not be used as single treatment, but as an adjunct to the established cytotoxic treatment approaches.
Lacrimal Surgery Success After External Dacryocystorhinostomy: Functional and Anatomical Results Using Strict Outcome Criteria

Purpose: To present the results of external dacryocystorhinostomy (ext-DCR) for epiphora using strict outcome criteria and provide an accurate baseline and evidence from which to compare the results of endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy. Methods: Retrospective case notes review of 158 consecutive adult patients who underwent primary ext-DCR. Functional success was assessed according to the patients’ symptoms and anatomical success was measured using objective tests of lacrimal system patency: 1) the functional endoscopic dye test and/or endoscopic endonasal inspection of the ostium; 2) syringing of the lacrimal system; and 3) the fluorescein dye retention test. Patients without complete follow-up data were recalled for clinical reevaluation. A minimum follow-up of 6 months was required. Comparison of overall functional and anatomical success was further analyzed according to etiology using logistic regression and for different grades of surgeon using the chi-squared test. Results: The results for 124 of 158 ext-DCRs showed an overall functional success of 69% and anatomical success of 74%. Patients with primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction (PANDO) who had surgery by the specialist lacrimal surgeon had high success: 83% functional success and 100% anatomical success. Patients with watering eyes from non-PANDO aetiology including canalicular disease who had surgery by the specialist lacrimal surgeon had moderate success: 78% functional success and 70% anatomical success. The results of all surgery by trainees were lower but only significantly so for PANDO. The mean duration of follow-up was 2.6 years (range, 6 months to 8.3 years); median follow-up was 1.9 years. Conclusion: This study used strict criteria to assess functional and anatomical outcomes of primary ext-DCR and thus provide baseline measures of success with a minimal follow-up of 6 months. When canalicular disease was excluded, results for PANDO were higher. Surgery performed by the specialist lacrimal surgeon had higher success rates than when performed by trainee.
Key feature-based approach for efficient exploration of structured environments

This paper presents an exploration approach for robots to determine sensing actions that facilitate the building of surface maps of structured partially-known environments. This approach uses prior knowledge about key environmental features to rapidly generate an estimate of the rest of the environment. Specifically, in order to quickly detect key features, partial surface patches are used in combination with pose optimisation to select a pose from a set of nearest neighbourhood candidates, from which to make an observation of the surroundings. This paper enables the robot to greedily search through a sequence of nearest neighbour poses in configuration space, then converge upon poses from which key features can best be observed. The approach is experimentally evaluated and found to result in significantly fewer exploration steps compared to alternative approaches.
Sensing the News: User Experiences when Reading Locative News

This article focuses on user experiences on reading location-aware news on the mobile platform and aims to explore what experiences this kind of locative journalism generates and how such experiences change the users’ social interaction with news. We produced a specially designed mobile application and tailored news stories specific to this project called LocaNews in order to explore participants’ relation to the content in this journalistic format. The result is generated through a field study and a questionnaire of 32 people to find out how they experience the news presented in this format. The user participants’ responses are analyzed based on their news experiences, contextualizing places and their social interaction with the news within this form of journalism. Results showed that the local, semi-local and non-local user approaches the locative news in a different manner, but that the average user found this kind of news more interesting and more informative than ordinary news. The participants also have a problem identifying this as journalism, rather than an information service.
DSA: Decentralized Double Stochastic Averaging Gradient Algorithm

This paper considers optimization problems where nodes of a network have access to summands of a global objective. Each of these local objectives is further assumed to be an average of a finite set of functions. The motivation for this setup is to solve large scale machine learning problems where elements of the training set are distributed to multiple computational elements. The decentralized double stochastic averaging gradient (DSA) algorithm is proposed as a solution alternative that relies on: (i) The use of local stochastic averaging gradients. (ii) Determination of descent steps as differences of consecutive stochastic averaging gradients. Strong convexity of local functions and Lipschitz continuity of local gradients is shown to guarantee linear convergence of the sequence generated by DSA in expectation. Local iterates are further shown to approach the optimal argument for almost all realizations. The expected linear convergence of DSA is in contrast to the sublinear rate characteristic of existing methods for decentralized stochastic optimization. Numerical experiments on a logistic regression problem illustrate reductions in convergence time and number of feature vectors processed until convergence relative to these other alternatives.
Citizen Science

Citizen science can raise people’s understanding of science while helping scientists conduct their research. Yet its potential for driving transformative learning is empirically underexplored. We present the results of a preliminary study with secondary school students engaged in a long-term citizen science project, from the formulation of the research questions to data analysis and discussion. Students learnt about and increased their interest in neuroscience. They were also able to reflect on the role of science for society and valued their involvement as active participants in the research. We discuss the opportunities and challenges of approaching citizen science for transformative learning.
Elements of Multiple Intelligences in Teaching and Learning Activities and the Effect on Students' Achievement Based on Gender

This research article discusses the study on the effect of integrating elements of multiple intelligences in teaching and learning activities on students' achievement based on gender. The participants in the study were from a selected Malaysia National Primary School comprised of 47 male and 55 female students. Intervention was done to the participants in the form of teaching and learning activities which integrate elements of multiple intelligences. The effect of the intervention was measured based on the students' achievement in acquiring knowledge of science and science process skills with KS Test and SPS Test respectively. Data were analyzed using MANCOVA with pretest data as covariate. Results of the study revealed that integrating elements of multiple intelligences in teaching and learning activities has significantly no gender bias ( = .960, at F(2, 97) = 2.041, p = . 135) amongst students in acquiring the knowledge of science and acquiring science process skills. As a whole, the result of this study shows that teaching and learning activities which integrate elements of MI have a positive impact on upgrading students' achievement democratically and has no gender bias amongst student.
Direct observation of the translocation mechanism of transcription termination factor Rho

Rho is a ring-shaped, ATP-fueled motor essential for remodeling transcriptional complexes and R-loops in bacteria. Despite years of research on this fundamental model helicase, key aspects of its mechanism of translocation remain largely unknown. Here, we used single-molecule manipulation and fluorescence methods to directly monitor the dynamics of RNA translocation by Rho. We show that the efficiency of Rho activation is strongly dependent on the force applied on the RNA but that, once active, Rho is able to translocate against a large opposing force (at least 7 pN) by a mechanism involving ‘tethered tracking’. Importantly, the ability to directly measure dynamics at the single-molecule level allowed us to determine essential motor properties of Rho. Hence, Rho translocates at a rate of ∼56 nt per second under our experimental conditions, which is 2–5 times faster than velocities measured for RNA polymerase under similar conditions. Moreover, the processivity of Rho (∼62 nt at a 7 pN opposing force) is large enough for Rho to reach termination sites without dissociating from its RNA loading site, potentially increasing the efficiency of transcription termination. Our findings unambiguously establish ‘tethered tracking’ as the main pathway for Rho translocation, support ‘kinetic coupling’ between Rho and RNA polymerase during Rho-dependent termination, and suggest that forces applied on the nascent RNA transcript by cellular substructures could have important implications for the regulation of transcription and its coupling to translation in vivo.
Growth stimulating antibodies in endemic goitre: a reappraisal

OBJECTIVE Previous studies, using a variety of methods, have reported growth‐promoting Immunoglobulins (IGs) In a large proportion of patients with endemic goitre. We sought to determine whether thyroid growth‐promoting Immunoglobulins (TGI) are present in the serum of Indian patients with endemic goitre.
Why cross-national differences in role overload? Don't overlook ambient temperature!

The finding that, across nations, power distance (expected and accepted unequal interpersonal influence) Is positively related to role overload (Peterson et al., 1995) might he an artifact of the relation between role overload and ambient temperature or other third factors. We related data on power distance and role overload to other data sets, making explicit how much is often not considered when countries are compared. Results show a mysterious but unmistakable heat-overload link, which is discussed from both a physiopsychological and an evolutionary cultural perspective.
Cognitive Function in Childhood and Lifetime Cognitive Change in Relation to Mental Wellbeing in Four Cohorts of Older People

Background Poorer cognitive ability in youth is a risk factor for later mental health problems but it is largely unknown whether cognitive ability, in youth or in later life, is predictive of mental wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether cognitive ability at age 11 years, cognitive ability in later life, or lifetime cognitive change are associated with mental wellbeing in older people. Methods We used data on 8191 men and women aged 50 to 87 years from four cohorts in the HALCyon collaborative research programme into healthy ageing: the Aberdeen Birth Cohort 1936, the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921, the National Child Development Survey, and the MRC National Survey for Health and Development. We used linear regression to examine associations between cognitive ability at age 11, cognitive ability in later life, and lifetime change in cognitive ability and mean score on the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and meta-analysis to obtain an overall estimate of the effect of each. Results People whose cognitive ability at age 11 was a standard deviation above the mean scored 0.53 points higher on the mental wellbeing scale (95% confidence interval 0.36, 0.71). The equivalent value for cognitive ability in later life was 0.89 points (0.72, 1.07). A standard deviation improvement in cognitive ability in later life relative to childhood ability was associated with 0.66 points (0.39, 0.93) advantage in wellbeing score. These effect sizes equate to around 0.1 of a standard deviation in mental wellbeing score. Adjustment for potential confounding and mediating variables, primarily the personality trait neuroticism, substantially attenuated these associations. Conclusion Associations between cognitive ability in childhood or lifetime cognitive change and mental wellbeing in older people are slight and may be confounded by personality trait differences.
Conventional and Ambulatory Blood Pressure as Predictors of Retinal Arteriolar Narrowing

At variance with the long established paradigm that retinal arteriolar narrowing trails hypertension, several longitudinal studies, all based on conventional blood pressure (CBP) measurement, proposed that retinal arteriolar narrowing indicates heightened microvascular resistance and precedes hypertension. In 783 randomly recruited Flemish (mean age, 38.2 years; 51.3% women), we investigated to what extent CBP and daytime (10 AM to 8 PM) ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) measured at baseline (1989–2008) predicted the central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) in retinal photographs obtained at follow-up (2008–2015). Systolic/diastolic hypertension thresholds were 140/90 mm Hg for CBP and 135/85 mm Hg for ABP. In multivariable-adjusted models including both baseline CBP and ABP, CRAE after 10.3 years (median) of follow-up was unrelated to CBP (P≥0.14), whereas ABP predicted CRAE narrowing (P⩽0.011). Per 1-SD increment in systolic/diastolic blood pressure, the association sizes were −0.95 µm (95% confidence interval, −2.20 to 0.30)/−0.75 µm (−1.93 to 0.42) for CBP and −1.76 µm (−2.95 to −0.58)/−1.48 µm (−2.61 to −0.34) for ABP. Patients with ambulatory hypertension at baseline (17.0%) had smaller CRAE (146.5 versus 152.6 µm; P<0.001) at follow-up. CRAE was not different (P≥0.31) between true normotension (normal CBP and ABP; prevalence, 77.6%) and white-coat hypertension (elevated CBP and normal ABP, 5.4%) and between masked hypertension (normal CBP and elevated ABP, 10.2%) and hypertension (elevated CBP and ABP, 6.8%). In conclusion, the paradigm that retinal arteriolar narrowing precedes hypertension can be explained by the limitations of CBP measurement, including nonidentification of masked and white-coat hypertension.
Low-Magnitude, High-Frequency Vibration Fails to Accelerate Ligament Healing but Stimulates Collagen Synthesis in the Achilles Tendon

Background: Low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration accelerates fracture and wound healing and prevents disuse atrophy in musculoskeletal tissues. Purpose: To investigate the role of low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration as a treatment to accelerate healing of an acute ligament injury and to examine gene expression in the intact Achilles tendon of the injured limb after low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Complete surgical transection of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) was performed in 32 Sprague-Dawley rats, divided into control and low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration groups. Low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration started on postoperative day 2, and rats received vibration for 30 minutes a day for 12 days. All rats were sacrificed 2 weeks after the operation, and their intact and injured MCLs were biomechanically tested or used for histological analysis. Intact Achilles tendons from the injured limb were evaluated for differences in gene expression. Results: Mechanical testing revealed no differences in the ultimate tensile load or the structural stiffness between the control and vibration groups for either the injured or intact MCL. Vibration exposure increased gene expression of collagen 1 alpha (3-fold), interleukin 6 (7-fold), cyclooxygenase 2 (5-fold), and bone morphogenetic protein 12 (4-fold) in the intact Achilles tendon when compared with control tendons (P < .05). Conclusion: While no differences were observed in the mechanical or histological properties of the fully transected MCL after low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration treatment, significant enhancements in gene expression were observed in the intact Achilles tendon. These included collagen, several inflammatory cytokines, and growth factors critical for tendons. Clinical Relevance: As low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration had no negative effects on ligament healing, vibration therapy may be a useful tool to accelerate healing of other tissues (bone) in multitrauma injuries without inhibiting ligament healing. Additionally, the enhanced gene expression in response to low-magnitude, high-frequency vibration in the intact Achilles tendon suggests the need to further study its potential to accelerate tendon healing in partial injury or repair models.
EEG-Based Brain-Computer Interaction: Improved Accuracy by Automatic Single-Trial Error Detection

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), as any other interaction modality based on physiological signals and body channels (e.g., muscular activity, speech and gestures), are prone to errors in the recognition of subject's intent. An elegant approach to improve the accuracy of BCIs consists in a verification procedure directly based on the presence of error-related potentials (ErrP) in the EEG recorded right after the occurrence of an error. Six healthy volunteer subjects with no prior BCI experience participated in a new human-robot interaction experiment where they were asked to mentally move a cursor towards a target that can be reached within a few steps using motor imagination. This experiment confirms the previously reported presence of a new kind of ErrP. These "Interaction ErrP" exhibit a first sharp negative peak followed by a positive peak and a second broader negative peak (~290, ~350 and ~470 ms after the feedback, respectively). But in order to exploit these ErrP we need to detect them in each single trial using a short window following the feedback associated to the response of the classifier embedded in the BCI. We have achieved an average recognition rate of correct and erroneous single trials of 81.8% and 76.2%, respectively. Furthermore, we have achieved an average recognition rate of the subject's intent while trying to mentally drive the cursor of 73.1%. These results show that it's possible to simultaneously extract useful information for mental control to operate a brain-actuated device as well as cognitive states such as error potentials to improve the quality of the brain-computer interaction. Finally, using a well-known inverse model (sLORETA), we show that the main focus of activity at the occurrence of the ErrP are, as expected, in the pre-supplementary motor area and in the anterior cingulate cortex.