Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
OPEN INNOVATION PRACTICE: EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES AND POTENTIAL RISKS

In modern business reality, given a tendency towards digitalization of the economy, expanding network cooperation and the increasing role of knowledge and technology transfer, the principles of interaction between actors of innovation process are changing drastically. These factors determine a shift from the traditional “closed” innovation model towards open innovation practice. The advantages of open innovation activities are widely discussed, however, a large number of enterprises, involved in such projects face various challenges in managing open innovation. Thus, from a managerial perspective, it is essential for modern companies to find the right balance between benefits and potentially negative consequences of the open innovation model. Although it is an important issue for innovative enterprises to analyse possible risks and benefits of participation in open innovation projects, appropriate managerial instruments of exploring opportunities and threats of such collaboration are still not sufficiently researched. The purpose of the paper is to improve the typology of a company’s open innovation activities and to explore the opportunities and potential risks of open innovation in modern organizations. Methodology. To achieve the above-mentioned purpose of the research, the following scientific methods were used: structural-logical analysis, comparative analysis, systematization, formalization, graphical method. The results of the research show that companies need to develop specific innovation capabilities related to knowledge management in order to provide successful implementation of open innovation: knowledge absorptive capability, knowledge sharing capability and knowledge co-creation capability. A theoretical framework for understanding the linkages between a firm’s organizational capabilities related to knowledge management is offered as a result of the study. The improved typology of a company’s open innovation activities in accordance with the direction of knowledge flows (inbound or outbound) is presented. Based on research findings key potential risks of open innovation practice are systematized which include primarily loss of core knowledge and technologies, problems in protecting intellectual property and complexity in managing interactions with collaboration partners. Practical implications. From a managerial standpoint as a result of the conducted research, the main opportunities and risks of open innovation are defined, which should be taken into account in order to make the right decision on this type of collaboration. Appropriate managerial countermeasures are proposed in the paper to be practically applied to prevent risks of open innovation implementation. Value/originality. The improved typology of a company’s open innovation activities in accordance with the direction of knowledge flows (inbound or outbound) is presented, as well as main risks and managerial challenges of open innovation practice are systematized.
A DC–DC Boost Converter With Variation-Tolerant MPPT Technique and Efficient ZCS Circuit for Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting Applications

This paper presents a dc-dc boost converter with the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique for thermoelectric energy harvesting applications. The technique realizes variation tolerance by adjusting the switching frequency of the converter. A finely controlled zero-current switching (ZCS) scheme together with the accurate MPPT technique enhances the overall efficiency of the converter because of an optimal turn-on time generated by a one-shot pulse generator that is proposed. Moreover, the ZCS technique can deal with low- and high-temperature differences applied to the thermoelectric generator. This allows a wider range of conversion ratios compared to those of conventional converters used for thermal energy harvesting. Experimentally, the converter implemented in a 0.35-μm BCDMOS process had a peak efficiency of 72% at the input voltage of 500 mV while supplying a 5.62-V output.
A novel approach to thermal design of solar modules: Selective-spectral and radiative cooling

For commercial solar modules, up to 80% of the incoming sunlight may be dissipated as heat, potentially raising the temperature 20–30°C higher than the ambient. In the long run, extreme self-heating may erode efficiency and shorten lifetime, thereby, dramatically reducing the total energy output by almost ~10% Therefore, it is critically important to develop effective and practical cooling methods to combat PV self-heating. In this paper, we explore two fundamental sources of PV self-heating, namely, sub-bandgap absorption and imperfect thermal radiation. The analysis suggests that we redesign the optical and thermal properties of the solar module to eliminate the parasitic absorption (selective-spectral cooling) and enhance the thermal emission to the cold cosmos (radiative cooling). The proposed technique should cool the module by ∼10°C, to be reflected in significant long-term energy gain (∼ 3% to 8% over 25 years) for PV systems under different climatic conditions.
Modulation rate adaptation in urban and vehicular environments: cross-layer implementation and experimental evaluation

Accurately selecting modulation rates for time-varying channel conditions is critical for avoiding performance degradations due to rate overselection when channel conditions degrade or underselection when channel conditions improve. In this paper, we design a custom cross-layer framework that enables: 1) implementation of multiple and previously unimplemented rate adaptation mechanisms; 2) experimental evaluation and comparison of rate adaptation protocols on controlled, repeatable channels as well as residential urban and downtown vehicular and nonmobile environments in which we accurately measure channel conditions with 100-µs granularity; and 3) comparison of performance on a per-packet basis with the ideal modulation rate obtained via exhaustive experimental search. Our evaluation reveals that SNR-triggered protocols are susceptible to overselection from the ideal rate when the coherence time is low (a scenario that we show occurs in practice even in a nonmobile topology), and that "in situ" training can produce large gains to overcome this sensitivity. Another key finding is that a mechanism effective in differentiating between collision and fading losses for hidden terminals has severely imbalanced throughput sharing when competing links are even slightly heterogeneous. In general, we find trained SNR-based protocols outperform loss-based protocols in terms of the ability to track vehicular clients, accuracy within outdoor environments, and balanced sharing with heterogeneous links (even with physical layer capture).
EFFICACY OF VISUAL INSPECTION TECHNIQUES IN DETECTION OF HIGH GRADE CIN AND CERVICAL CANCER AMONG SYMPTOMATIC WOMEN

Cervical cancer is the leading gynaecological cancer and continues to be a major public health menace in India. e aim of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy of visual inspection techniques , both with acetic acid and lugols iodine in detecting high grade CIN and carcinoma cervix among symptomatic women. 120 women met the inclusion criteria and were evaluated with VIA and VILI. Biopsy was necessary in 81 women. e sensitivity and specificity of VIA and VILI in detecting high grade CIN and Carcinoma cervix were 90% & 68.86% and 70% & 80.16% respectively. Hence, VIA and VILI are simple and effective methods in detecting high grade CIN and Carcinoma cervix among symptomatic women.
The Role of Manufacturing and Service Sectors in Economic Growth: An Empirical Study of Developing Countries

Historically, manufacturing has played a key role in the economic development of developing countries. The experience of countries like India, which invested in services, and the failure of industrialization in Africa and Latin America have led to skepticism about the effectiveness of manufacturing to foster development. The paper examines the role of manufacturing and service sectors in economic development in the period (1950-2015). It presents raw data from 50 countries, 10 advanced economies and 40 developing countries. The results of the empirical analysis are in line with the manufacturing engine of growth hypothesis. The share of manufacturing of GDP is positively related to economic growth and this effect is more pronounced for the poorer countries, no such effects were found for services. The analysis of the role of manufacturing and service sectors in periods of growth acceleration show that the effects of manufacturing are particularly pronounced in periods of growth acceleration. The tentative conclusion is that manufacturing is especially important in periods of accelerated growth. Services also play a role in growth accelerations, but less important than manufacturing.
Experience with Retinoblastoma at a Tertiary Centre in Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Trends in Outcome

Background: Retinoblastoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in children, and remains the most curable of all childhood cancers in the developed world. However, ocular and patient survival rates have remained very low in resource limited countries, where more than 90% of children with retinoblastoma live. Objectives: To review the pattern of presentation of children with retinoblastoma at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Nigeria, and compare their treatment outcome with what was obtained in the previous decade in same centre. Methods: All patients with retinoblastoma admitted into the Paediatric Oncology Unit of the UPTH from January 2011 to June 2017 were reviewed. Their demographics, clinical profile and outcome of treatment were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results: Nineteen children had retinoblastoma which represented 11% of all childhood malignancies. Eight(42%) males and 11(58%) females, all under-fives, were studied with M:F=1:1.4. Mean duration of symptoms was 29.6 weeks, with majority (73.7%) having been ill for more than 3 months. White spot in the eye and eye protrusion were commonest presenting complaints while loss of vision was found in all affected eyes. More children (57.8% versus 30.8% previously) were lost to follow up, 5(26%) died and 3(15.7%) completed treatment, whereas none did a decade earlier. Conclusion: Retinoblastoma affected only under-five children. Late presentation with proptosis and loss of vision were common presenting features. A marginal improvement in outcome was noted while high default rate and lack of radiotherapy facilities in the State had remained important challenges to completion of therapy.
The antigenicity performance of divalent recombinant B. melitensis vaccines versus univalent ones

ABSTRACT Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by different Brucella species. The outer membrane proteins 25 and 31 play a significant role in stimulation of immunity against Brucella. Herein, the humoral and cellular immune responses of selected recombinant proteins emulsified in chitosan nanoparticles as individual (univalent) and simultaneous (divalent) injections were assessed. The humoral and cellular immune responses were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 12 groups (individual and simultaneous injections of rOMP25 and rOMP31 in different protein concentrations) and lymphocyte proliferation was measured using 3–4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay based on average Optical density (OD) of stimulated cells/average OD of unstimulated cells. Finally, data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. rOMP25 + rOMP31 group stimulated higher titer of INF-γ than other groups, whilst there were no statistically significant differences between all uni/divalent immunized groups. Tumor necrosis factor alpha titer showed no significant difference between divalent immunized groups (except rOMP31 + rOMP25(1) and rOMP31 + rOMP25(3)) and positive control group. Interleukin-4 analysis results demonstrated that there were no significant differences between positive control and uni/divalent vaccinated groups. In addition, analysis of antibody responses revealed rOMP25 + rOMP31, rOMP25 + rOMP31(2), and rOMP25 + rOMP31(3) groups induced higher level of total antibody compared to other immunized groups, although both univalent and divalent immunized mice induced higher IgG2a titer than IgG1 with the mean of IgG2a/IgG1 ratio ~1.01 indicating strong bent of Th1 immune response. The cell proliferation assay demonstrated the vaccination with rOMP25 + rOMP3, rOMP25 + rOMP31(2), and rOMP25 + rOMP31(3) elicited vigorous antigen-specific cell proliferative. rOMP25 + rOMP3, rOMP25 + rOMP31(2), and rOMP25 + rOMP31(3) treatments could be used as potential candidates for developing new subunit vaccines.
Use of Ecuadorian natural and acid-surfactant modified zeolites for remediation of oil- contaminated soils

Oil spills have been one of the greatest environmental problems worldwide. The contamination of soils due to oil spills generates an oil migration down the soil until reaching groundwater. The research focused on remediation of oil-contaminated soils by Ecuadorian natural and acid-surfactant modified zeolites of the Cayo Formation. The natural and modified zeolites were characterized by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence, X-ray powder diffraction, environmental scanning electron microscopy, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and solid-state magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The natural and modified zeolites were added to an artificially oil-contaminated soil to immobilize and limit the uptake of contaminants by rape through changing soil physical and chemical properties in the pot experiment under greenhouse conditions. Several oil contaminated soil-zeolite mixes were tested in replicated laboratory analyses in terms of their ability to absorb oil. Results indicated that the addition of natural and modified zeolites could increase or decrease soil pH and absorption capacity, with high potential in removing oil from soil. Statistical analysis of the experimental data was performed by the variance test analysis. The absorption process had an efficiency of 46% under well-optimized experimental conditions, with an absorbent dose of 30-M, pH = 3.8 and 15 days of contact time.
Determinants of Health-seeking Behaviour in Northeast India

India’s northeast region comprises eight states, which, together, is home to 3.8 per cent of the country’s population. The quality of healthcare and manpower availability remains a cause for concern in the region, affecting the overall health-seeking behaviour of the people. This study attempts to understand the determinants of utilization of healthcare services in Northeast India. Healthcare and morbidity data for this study are based on a Northeast India sample from the National Sample Survey Organization’s (NSSO’s) health consumption data (2014). Probit, multinomial and mixed conditional logit models were employed in the study. In Northeast India, uneducated, higher-aged, Schedule Castes/Schedule Tribes (SCs/STs), Muslims, rural people and district people are served less by medical institutions and because of poor road connectivity they either remain untreated or seek care at underequipped primary healthcare services, while their counterparts utilize private facilities mostly for outpatient care and either public hospital or private facilities for inpatient care. There is also a tendency to substitute alternative healthcare when the cost of an inpatient healthcare service rises. To protect the interest of marginalized people and achieve the target of accessible, affordable and quality healthcare, the government needs to strengthen the primary healthcare in rural areas and improve the quality of healthcare in urban areas without increasing the cost of treatment.
Guilt by Association: White Collective Guilt in American Politics

Decades of research have illuminated the pernicious effects of white racial prejudice on American politics. However, by focusing on prejudice, scholars have neglected other racial attitudes that might be relevant to whites’ political preferences. Our project addresses this omission by exploring how American politics is affected by white collective guilt—defined as remorse that a white person experiences due to her group’s actions toward black people. We expect collective guilt to motivate white support for both policies perceived to benefit African Americans and black politicians; we also theorize conditions under which collective guilt is uniquely activated. We examine these expectations using original data from five national surveys, including two embedded experiments. The results reveal that collective guilt has considerable explanatory power, even after taking standard measures of racial attitudes into account. We conclude that collective guilt is an independent racial attitude with significant consequences for white opinion.
The trials of China’s technoburbia: the case of the Future Sci-tech City Corridor in Hangzhou

ABSTRACT Set against the wider background of global suburbanization, this paper contributes to the emerging literature on the formation of technoburbia in China, and more importantly, the potential “urban contradictions” accompanying this process. Through a bottom-up empirical exploration of the Future Sci-tech City Corridor in Hangzhou and its embedded Featured Town initiative in particular, we observe how the future of technoburbia in China is by no means free from similar challenges in housing affordability and labor stratification. However, these contradictions are managed entirely differently in China. Nevertheless, the highly planned nature of China’s technoburbia also rubs up against political decentralization, demographic change and economic upgrading, implying significant trials and tribulations along the way.
Pedestrian Detection Using Visual Saliency and Deep Learning

This paper explores the use of Visual Saliency to detect pedestrian for images. Our method computes visual saliency map from the image, then the input image is multiplied by the multiplied visual salient map and product is fed to the Convolutional Neural Network. Using deeply supervised network with short connections (DSS) to compute visual saliency map and pedestrian detection is carried out using Faster R-CNN. DSS Network is trained on MSRA and ECSSD datasets, Faster R-CNN is trained on three challenging databases - Penn-Fudan, INRIA and Daimler datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed achieves state-of-the-art performance on Penn-Fudan Dataset with 91% detection accuracy and it achieves average miss-rate of 15% on the INRIA Dataset and achieves average miss-rate of 28% on the Daimler Dataset.
Effect of hand splinting versus stretching exercises for reducing spasticity and improving hand function in poststroke hemiplegia: A comparative interventional study

Background: Hand splints are used to prevent muscular hyperactivity in adult poststroke patients. Reflex inhibitory splints may be used as an integrative treatment of poststroke upperlimb spasticity. Hand splints are used by occupational therapists as a method of reducing the increased muscle tone of the upper extremity following stroke. Muscle stretching is becoming a very common practice in the rehabilitative management of spasticity. It includes several types of muscle stretching such as passive stretching, active stretching and prolonged stretching, isotonic stretching, and isokinetic stretching. Objectives: The objective of this study was to study the difference between the effects of splinting and stretching in reducing spasticity and improving hand function in poststroke hemiplegia. Study Design: This was a two-arm comparative interventional study. Methods: A total of 30 poststroke hemiplegic patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria which mainly include patients having tone of the affected upper extremity at wrist and fingers ≥2, according to the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale (MMAS), having score ≥25 on Mini-Mental State Examination and having age between the age group of 35 and 65 years are enrolled for the study. Consecutive sampling was done by putting all odd number patients in the splinting group and all even number patients in the stretching group. Assessment tools and outcome measures were B and C subscales of Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Physical Performance for Upper Extremity and MMAS. The patients of the splinting group were given a resting hand splint to wear for 10–12 h continuously per day for 6 weeks. Stretching exercise using a prolonged slow stretch technique was carried out to patients of the stretching group. Results: The patients of splinting group showed more improvement in spasticity and hand function than stretching group with mean difference of 1, P= 0.695, and 95% confidence interval (CI) = −26.41–−22.39 for wrist flexor spasticity, for finger flexor spasticity mean difference was 4, P= 0.143, and 95% CI = −8.28–−5.42 and for hand function mean difference was 4, P= 0.13, and 95% CI = 14.62–20.47. Conclusion: There was the statistically nonsignificant difference between the efficacy of hand splinting and stretching exercises, in reducing spasticity and improving hand functions in poststroke hemiplegia. However, clinically, hand splinting is more beneficial than stretching exercises for the desired outcomes.
Formative Learning Experiences of Urban Mathematics Teachers’ and Their Role in Classroom Care Practices and Student Belonging

Mathematics teachers’ preteaching experiences as mathematics learners can affect their identity and practice in supporting their own students’ learning and motivation in mathematics. However, little empirical data exist on teachers’ formative experiences to guide these assumptions, particularly how teachers draw on these experiences when teaching, motivating, and caring for underserved students of color. This exploratory sequential mixed-methods study examines the formative mathematical experiences of 12 teachers currently serving Black and Latinx adolescents in an urban school district with concentrated poverty. Semi-structured interviews allowed teachers to reflect on their formative experiences as mathematics students, structured classroom observations assessed their current classroom care practices as teachers, and finally, questionnaires and a standardized mathematics assessment were used to examine their students’ (n = 329) mathematical outcomes. This integration of methods provided three levels of inquiry for triangulation and interpretation. Results showed that teachers developed an ethic of perseverance through their formative experiences, which closely tied to their mathematics identity. However, teachers’ perceptions on what enabled them to persevere through challenges as students (i.e., people-support vs. personal-initiative) revealed clear differences in the emotional and instructional support techniques they provided in their classrooms and subsequently their students’ sense of belonging in mathematics. Teachers who discussed the role of people-support in their formative reflections were more likely to possess a critical consciousness on the interpersonal and systemic forces that work against Black and Latinx adolescents and thus enact empathetic care patterns. Furthermore, their observed classroom care patterns mediated the relation between their formative experiences and their students’ sense of belonging in mathematics.