Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Encoding Video Narration as Text

This paper describes a solution to the problem of transmitting “talking head” video in real-time across low-bandwidth transmission media. Our solution is based on a video reconstruction system, which can generate realistic audio-visual narrations from arbitrary pieces of text. The system uses standard synthetic speech techniques to create an audio track and then produces a synchronized “talking head” using full-frame morphing of real-world facial images (key-frames). We discuss issues of original data capture, transmission protocols, synchronization, interpolation, and the modeling of various physical activities which are vital to maintaining the “plausibility” of the final synthetic video sequence.
Trends in Contemporary Holistic Nursing Research: 2010-2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe and summarize the characteristics of contemporary holistic nursing research (HNR) published nationally. Design: A descriptive research design was used for this study. Method: Data for this study came from a consecutive sample of 579 studies published in six journals determined as most consistent with the scope of holistic nursing from 2010 to 2015. The Johns Hopkins level of evidence was used to identify evidence generated, and two criteria—power analysis for quantitative research and trustworthiness for qualitative research—were used to describe overall quality of HNR. Findings: Of the studies, 275 were considered HNR and included in the analysis. Caring, energy therapies, knowledge and attitudes, and spirituality were the most common foci, and caring/healing, symptom management, quality of life, and depression were the outcomes most often examined. Of the studies, 56% were quantitative, 39% qualitative, and 5% mixed-methods designs. Only 32% of studies were funded. Level III evidence (nonexperimental, qualitative) was the most common level of evidence generated. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest ways in which holistic nurse researchers can strengthen study designs and thus improve the quality of scientific evidence available for application into practice and improve health outcomes.
The Prevalence and Clustering of Four Major Lifestyle Risk Factors in Hong Kong Chinese Older Adults

Objective: This study investigated the prevalence and clustering of four common lifestyle risk factors—cigarette smoking, heavy alcohol drinking, physical inactivity, and low consumption of vegetables and fruits—among older Chinese women and men in Hong Kong. Method: The author examined 4,812 community-dwelling older persons aged 60 and older in a cross-sectional representative study, collecting data on lifestyle risk factors and sociodemographics by in-person interviews during household visits. Results: About 5% of older persons had at least three lifestyle risk factors, and more than 90% of them were men. Clustering was found at both ends of the lifestyle spectrum, especially in older men. Prevalence of multiple risk factors was higher among men, older age groups, and those with higher levels of education but lower for those who were employed. Discussion: Findings suggest that common lifestyle risk factors cluster among older men, and the clustering of risk factors provides support for multiple-behavior interventions.
Feedback And Task Analysis For E-Commerce Sites

Abstract: Developers of e-commerce applications are often sceptical about Web-site usability guidelines. User testing is also usually not carried out because it is expensive in terms of time and expertise. The spectacular usability and commercial failure of some sites attest to the folly of such practices. The main reason for developers neglecting current evaluation practices is that they are often vague, and in the case of user testing, too difficult to do effectively. This paper therefore offers an alternative. The e-commerce shopping process has been analysed from a task-based point of view, and a set of task-weighted metrics to be used by developers in evaluating their sites has been proposed. These metrics have been applied to four sites and the results of the evaluation are given. Key words: Feedback, Task analysis, Usability, E-commerce, Evaluation, Task-weighted metrics. 1. INTRODUCTION Feedback during the user task can be used to assist in supporting understanding of the functionality and requirements of an E-commerce (EC) application and can be effectively harnessed to minimize website abandonment. In a previous paper [13] we chose to discuss one particular aspect of web-site usability, namely that of feedback. We now continue to advocate the extensive use of feedback to increase the user’s task support of systems, thus enhancing the ease of use of these systems. To support an understanding of the EC shopping process the purchasing part of the shopping cycle was analysed and two distinct and dissimilar phases were identified. Phase-specific evaluation metrics were applied to these. These
Sense of Mastery, Social Support, and Health in Elderly Canadians

Objective: This study aims to examine the structural relationships among sense of mastery (SOM), income level, social support, physical health, and stress in older Canadians, while controlling for demographic characteristics. Method: This research uses data collected in the National Population Health Survey on Canadians aged 65 years and older (N = 1,399). Results: Higher income predicts better health and more social support, which, in turn, predicts higher SOM. The relationship between physical health and stress is fully mediated through SOM for both genders. The SOM fully mediates the relationship between social support and stress for men and partially mediates this relationship for women. Discussion: Findings confirm the importance of a network of social services targeting older persons with low income, diminished physical health, and/or those living alone.
Does the Relationship Between Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Health Outcomes Persist Into Very Old Age? A Population-Based Study

Objective: The purpose of this article is (a) to extend previous research on the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and health by considering a wide range of health-related measures derived from administrative health care records and (b) to explore whether this relationship persists into old age. Method: The study involved a complete cohort of community-dwelling residents in Winnipeg, Canada, who were 65 years or older in 2004/2005 (N = 77,930). Health measures were derived from administrative claims data. Census data were used to derive neighborhood-level SES. Results: Multilevel logistic regressions indicated that, relative to individuals living in the most affluent areas, those in the poorest areas had significantly higher odds of having arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, and stroke. Significant neighborhood income effects tended to be evident among individuals age 65 to 75 as well as those age 75+. Discussion: A wide range of health conditions among older adults are disproportionately clustered into the poorest areas. Programs and services should be designed to meet the needs of older adults of any age in such neighborhoods.
Adverse effects of the new tuberculosis treatment regimen recommended by the Brazilian National Ministry of Health* Efeitos adversos causados pelo novo esquema de tratamento da tuberculose preconizado pelo Ministério da Saúde do Brasil

Objective: To determine the principal adverse effects of the tuberculosis treatment regimen recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Methods: A prospective descriptive study involving 79 tuberculosis patients treated at the Clinical Research Center of the Cassiano Antonio Moraes University Hospital, in the city of Vitoria, Brazil, between 2003 and 2006. The treatment regimen consisted of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol for four months, followed by rifampicin and isoniazid for two months. During the treatment period, the patients were clinically evaluated every week and had a monthly medical visit. Results: The overall incidence of adverse effects was 83.54%. Articular/bone/muscle involvement was the most common, followed by skin involvement (24.94% and 22.09%, respectively). Adverse effects were more common in the second month of treatment (41.59%). Modification of the treatment regimen was unnecessary. One patient required concomitant medication to counter the adverse effects. The cure rate was 100%. Conclusions: The overall incidence of adverse effects related to the new treatment regimen recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health was high. However, none of those effects demanded a change in the regimen, which was effective in the patients evaluated.
Turbo Product Codes: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions

Turbo product codes (TPCs) have been integrated in several practical applications, and hence, they have been considered widely in the literature where the main aim is improving the error performance and/or reducing the computational and implementation complexity. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of the research that focuses on TPCs in terms of encoding, decoding, error performance, and complexity. Moreover, this paper also considers the advantages of integrating TPCs in hybrid automatic repeat request systems where power optimization becomes very efficient and the complexity can be reduced using the unique properties of TPCs such as error self-detection capabilities. Based on the surveyed literature, the pivotal open research issues in TPCs are presented and discussed.
How Do U.S. Chinese Older Adults View Elder Mistreatment? Findings From a Community-Based Participatory Research Study

Objectives: This study examines the perception, knowledge, and help-seeking tendency toward elder mistreatment among Chinese older adults. Method: A community-based participatory research approach was implemented to partner with the Chicago’s Chinese community. A total of 39 Chinese older adults (age 60+) participated in focus group interviews. Data analysis is based on grounded theory framework. Results: Chinese older adults mostly characterized elder mistreatment in terms of caregiver neglect and identified psychological mistreatment as the most serious form of mistreatment. Other forms included financial exploitation, physical mistreatment, and abandonment. Chinese older adults have limited knowledge of help-seeking resources other than seeking assistance from local community service centers. Discussion: This study has important practical implications for health care professionals, social service agencies, and concerned family members. Our results underscore the need for research and educational initiatives as well as community awareness programs that highlight the pervasive public health issue of elder mistreatment.
Frailty as a Predictor of Falls in Older Mexican Americans

Objective: Examine the relationship between frailty and falls. Method: A total of 847 Mexican Americans from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly were evaluated. The outcome variable was fall occurrence. Some predictor variables included were frailty, sociodemographic variables, functional and health status, and prior falls. Results: Those who fell were more likely to be women, not married, had prior falls, more functional problems and poorer health. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for falls was 1.9 for nonfrail individuals and 3.2 for frail individuals. Prefrail individuals had 1.36 higher odds of falls (95% CI [1.11, 1.67]), individuals with prior falls had 1.26 higher odds of falls (95% CI [1.15, 1.37]), and those with poor balance had 1.49 higher odds of falls (95% CI [1.15, 1.95]) over the 2 years (p < .01). Discussion: Frailty increases the odds of falls in older Mexican Americans. Interventions tailored to reduce fall incidence and improve health care quality for older Mexican Americans are needed.
Effect of a Fall Prevention Program on Balance Maintenance Using a Quasi-experimental Design in Real-World Settings

Objectives: To examine the effect of a fall prevention program offered under real-world conditions on balance maintenance several months after the program. To explore the program’s impact on falls. Method: A quasi-experimental study was conducted among community-dwelling seniors, with pre- and postintervention measures of balance performance and self-reported falls. Ten community-based organizations offered the intervention (98 participants) and 7 recruited participants to the study’s control arm (102 participants). An earlier study examined balance immediately after the 12-week program. The present study focuses on the 12-month effect. Linear regression (balance) and negative binomial regression (falls) procedures were performed.falls. Results: During the 12-month study period, experimental participants improved and maintained their balance as reflected by their scores on three performance tests. There was no evidence of an effect on falls.falls. Discussion: Structured group exercise programs offered in community-based settings can maintain selected components of balance for several months after the program’s end.
On Multi-Access Edge Computing: A Survey of the Emerging 5G Network Edge Cloud Architecture and Orchestration

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) is an emerging ecosystem, which aims at converging telecommunication and IT services, providing a cloud computing platform at the edge of the radio access network. MEC offers storage and computational resources at the edge, reducing latency for mobile end users and utilizing more efficiently the mobile backhaul and core networks. This paper introduces a survey on MEC and focuses on the fundamental key enabling technologies. It elaborates MEC orchestration considering both individual services and a network of MEC platforms supporting mobility, bringing light into the different orchestration deployment options. In addition, this paper analyzes the MEC reference architecture and main deployment scenarios, which offer multi-tenancy support for application developers, content providers, and third parties. Finally, this paper overviews the current standardization activities and elaborates further on open research challenges.
Systematic Classification of Side-Channel Attacks: A Case Study for Mobile Devices

Side-channel attacks on mobile devices have gained increasing attention since their introduction in 2007. While traditional side-channel attacks, such as power analysis attacks and electromagnetic analysis attacks, required physical presence of the attacker as well as expensive equipment, an (unprivileged) application is all it takes to exploit the leaking information on modern mobile devices. Given the vast amount of sensitive information that are stored on smartphones, the ramifications of side-channel attacks affect both the security and privacy of users and their devices. In this paper, we propose a new categorization system for side-channel attacks, which is necessary as side-channel attacks have evolved significantly since their scientific investigations during the smart card era in the 1990s. Our proposed classification system allows to analyze side-channel attacks systematically, and facilitates the development of novel countermeasures. Besides this new categorization system, the extensive survey of existing attacks and attack strategies provides valuable insights into the evolving field of side-channel attacks, especially when focusing on mobile devices. We conclude by discussing open issues and challenges in this context and outline possible future research directions.
Evaluating Reporting Heterogeneity in Self-Rated Health Among Adults Aged 50 Years and Above in India

Objective: To use anchoring vignettes to evaluate reporting heterogeneity (RH) in self-rated mobility and cognition in older adults. Method: We analyzed vignettes and self-rated mobility and cognition in 2,558 individuals aged 50 years and above. We tested for assumptions of vignette equivalence (VE) and response consistency (RC). We used a joint hierarchical ordered probit (HOPIT) model to evaluate self-rating responses for RH. Results: The assumption of VE was met except for “learning” vignettes. Higher socioeconomic status (SES) and education significantly lowered thresholds for cognition ratings. After correction for RH, women, lower SES, and older respondents were significantly more likely to report greater difficulty in mobility. The influence of age, SES, and education on thresholds was less apparent for cognition. Discussion: Our study provides strong evidence of RH in self-rated mobility and cognition. We highlight the need to formally test basic assumptions before using vignettes to adjust self-rating responses for RH.
Comparative Aspects of Human, Canine, and Feline Obesity and Factors Predicting Progression to Diabetes

Obesity and diabetes mellitus are common diseases in humans, dogs and cats and their prevalence is increasing. Obesity has been clearly identified as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes in humans and cats but recent data are missing in dogs, although there is evidence that the unprecedented rise in canine obesity in the last decade has led to a rise in canine diabetes of similar magnitude. The insulin resistance of obesity has often been portrayed as major culprit in the loss of glucose control; however, insulin resistance alone is not a good indicator of progression to diabetes in people or pets. A loss of beta cell function is necessary to provide the link to impaired fasting and post-prandial plasma glucose. Increased endogenous glucose output by the liver is also a prerequisite for the increase in fasting blood glucose when non-diabetic obese humans and pets develop diabetes. This may be due to decreased hepatic insulin sensitivity, decreased insulin concentrations, or a combination of both. While inflammation is a major link between obesity and diabetes in humans, there is little evidence that a similar phenomenon exists in cats. In dogs, more studies are needed to examine this important issue.
Pulmonary and Pleural Kaposi's Sarcoma in the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

In 1981 a new and aggressive form of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) was recognized to be associated with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). " By mid-1986 nearly 5000 cases of AIDS-associated KS had been reported in the United States. At initial diagnosis, KS is found in about 2596 of all reported cases of AIDS. It is noteworthy that the prevalence of KS among various AIDS risk groups is not uniform and that 95% of AIDS-associated KS occurs in homosexuals or bisexuals. Although approximately 40% of homosexuals with AIDS will eventually develop KS, it will occur in only 4% of intravenous drug abusers. In AIDS cases occurring in children, hemophiliacs, and recipients of blood transfusions, Kaposi's sarcoma is extremely rare. In the United States, therefore, KS in AIDS patients is primarily a disease of homosexual or bisexual men. The causal relationship between KS and infection with the presumed infective agent of AIDS, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is incompletely understood. Patients with the classic nonepidemic form of KS do not have antibodies to HIV. On the other hand, nearly all patients with AIDS-associated KS have antibodies to HIV. This highly suggests that HIV is not the direct etiologic agent of KS, but it is reasonable to speculate that the immunodeficiency state caused by HIV infection plays a role in the development of AIDS-associated KS. This theory is supported by pre-AIDS era clinical observations in which it was well established that some cases of KS were associated with impaired immunity. Patients who receive immunosuppressive therapy for renal transplants or collagen vascular diseases have been reported to develop a relatively aggressive form of KS. Immunodeficiency alone cannot explain the development of KS in AIDS, since most patients with AIDS do not develop KS, even though most have a severe immunodeficiency. The peculiar and almost exclusive clustering of KS cases in homosexuals suggests that other cofactors are operative in the pathogenesis of this form of KS. For example, infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the use of nitrate inhalers are more common in the homosexual population and have been associated with a higher risk of developing KS.
Foreign-Born Care Givers in Washington State Nursing Homes

Objective: Following national trends, Washington State relies heavily on foreign-born workers to provide long-term care. Our study assesses state nursing facility characteristics, quality ratings, and the views of facility administrators about the implications of an increasing number of foreign-born employees. Methods: We used independently available data to supplement a survey of nursing home administrators. Results: Nearly half of the administrators reported difficulty hiring U.S.-born job applicants. Three in four administrators reported problems related to language differences, and just more than a third reported challenges related to cultural and/or religious differences. Nonetheless, the proportion of foreign-born employees was positively associated with independent facility quality ratings. Almost half of the administrators reported discrimination by patients/clients toward their foreign-born workers. Quality ratings were negatively associated with for-profit, chain, or multi-ownership status. Discussion: The proportion of foreign-born employees in nursing facilities may be associated with improved performance.
Calculating Iraq's Death Toll: WHO Study Backs Lower Estimate

EPIDEMIOLOGYA new estimate of the number of Iraqis who died violently in the first 40 months following the U.S.-led invasion--between 104,000 and 223,000--hews close to some other attempts to quantify the toll but comes in far below a controversial 2006 estimate of 600,000 violent deaths during the same period.
Type of Insurance and Use of Preventive Health Services Among Older Adults in Mexico

Objective: The main purpose of this article was to assess the differences between Seguro Popular (SP) and employer-based health insurance in the use of preventive services, including screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer among older adults at more than a decade of health care reform in Mexico. Method: Logistic regression models were used with data from the Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey, 2012. Results: After adjusting for other factors influencing preventive service utilization, SP enrollees were more likely to use screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, hypertension, and cervical cancer than the uninsured; however, those in employment-based and private insurances had higher odds of using preventive care for most of these services, except Pap smears. Discussion: Despite all the evidence that suggests that SP has increased access to health insurance for the poor, inequalities in health care access and utilization still exist in Mexico.