Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gait episode identification based on wavelet feature clustering of spectrogram images

Measurement of gait parameters can provide important information about a person's health and safety. Automatic analysis of gait using kinematic sensors is a newly emerging area of research. We propose a new approach to detect gait episodes using Neural Network and and clustering of wavelet-decomposed spectrogram images. Signals from a chest-worn inertial measurement unit (IMU) is processed using Explicit Complementary Filter (ECF) to estimate and track torso angle. Using the feature obtained from wavelet decomposition of spectrogram images, we use an Augmented Radial Basis Neural Network (ARBF) to classify walking episodes. Cluster centroids of ARBF are optimized using Rapid Cluster Estimation (RCE). A pilot study of 11 participants suggests that our approach is able to distinguish between walk and non-walk activities with up to 85.71% sensitivity and 91.34% specificity.
Short-Term Changes in and Predictors of Participation of Older Adults After Stroke Following Acute Care or Rehabilitation

Background. Stroke can lead to restrictions in participation in daily activities and social roles. Although considered an important rehabilitation outcome, little is known about participation after stroke and its predictors, and about the differences associated with the types of services provided following stroke. Objective . The aims of this study were 1) to follow and compare changes in participation of older adults discharged home after stroke from acute care or postacute rehabilitation, and 2) to identify the best predictors of participation after stroke from physical, cognitive, perceptual, and psychological ability measures taken shortly after discharge. Methods. Level of participation in daily activities and social roles of 197 older adults who had a stroke was evaluated at 2 to 3 weeks (T1), 3 months (T2), and 6 months (T3) after being discharged home from acute care (n = 86) or rehabilitation (n = 111). Physical, cognitive, perceptual, and psychological abilities were assessed at T1. Results. A significant increase in participation was found over time for both groups, mainly in the first 3 months. The best predictors of participation differed between the groups and between the daily activities and social roles domains. Walking and acceptance of the stroke or fewer depressive symptoms were the best predictors of the level of participation after stroke. Conclusions . Participation was not optimal at discharge because it continued to increase after the return home. The importance of psychological factors in participation after stroke is undeniable. Many predictors are amenable to interventions.
Low Temperature Mechanical Properties of RE-Ba-Cu-O Large Single-Grain Bulk 150 mm in Diameter

Evaluations on the mechanical properties such as fracture strength and fracture toughness were carried out at 77 K for an RE-Ba-Cu-O (RE: rare-earth elements) large single-grain superconducting bulk 150 mm in diameter through bending tests for specimens cut from the bulk. The average fracture strength value of the large single-grain bulk at 77 K was slightly higher than that at room temperature. While an inner region of the bulk has pores, a region near the top surface of the bulk has few pores. The maximum fracture strength value was obtained for a specimen cut from the low-porosity region near the top surface. While the porosity of the large single-grain bulk and that of a smaller single-grain bulk are similar to each other, the average fracture strength value at 77 K of the former bulk was lower than that of the latter bulk. The lower fracture strength of the large single-grain bulk corresponded to the lower fracture toughness.
The effects of hyperthermia on mammalian cell structure and function

Studies on the cellular effects of hyperthermia have been motivated by two different aspects of the cellular response to elevated temperatures, both of which have evolved over the last two decades. On one hand, the renewed interest in hyperthennia as a possible modality for cancer therapy has focused research on the phenomenon of cell killing by hyperthermia. Thus, a significant effort has been extended towards documenting and analysing the pleiotropic effect of hyperthermia to uncover the mechanisms of heat-induced cell killing. On the other hand, the discovery of altered gene expression by heat shock leading to the accumulation of heat shock proteins (hsp) has led to studies on the cellular effects of hyperthermia. In this case, the focus has been to generate a paradigm €or the understanding of the functions of the heat shock proteins under normal and stressed conditions Such comprehensive undertakings have generated a tremendous quantity of data which has been reviewed extensively (Hahn 1982, Lindquist & Craig 1988, Roti Roti & Laszlo 1988, Morimoto, Tissieres & Georgopoulos 1990, Nover 1991). In this report, an effort is made to update the hyperthermia literature since the last review (Roti Roti & Laszlo 1988). This review will focus exclusively on higher vertebrates, mainly avian and mammalian cells in culture. Even with this limitation, the review cannot be comprehensive and must be selective. Thus, some omissions may occur, and an apology is offered in advance to those authors whose work is not cited. This selectivity is due partly to space limitations, and partly to an attempt to present results with cell systems familiar to the audience of this journal. In the consideration of heat-induced cell killing, two points must be illustrated. Firstly, in a given cell line, the total cell killing is a complex function of timehemperature combinations, which have recently been modelled with a single parameter (Mackey & Roti Roti 1992). Nevertheless, it is clear from Figure 1 that the effects of lower temperatures (c 42.5" C) are different than those of higher temperatures (> 42.5"C). Secondly, there is a great difference between different species in their inherent thennosensitivities (Figure 2); there is a significant difference between rodent and human cells, which should be kept in mind when comparing the response of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and HeLa cells Also, it is important to keep in mind that differences in survival have been obtained with the same cell line grown in monolayers or in suspension, including CHO and HeLa cells (Warters & Henle 1982, Yasui & Fink 1990).
Growing healthy families: family use of pedometers to increase physical activity and slow the rate of obesity.

OBJECTIVE We conducted a study to determine if wearing a pedometer affects weight, body mass index (BMI), or mediators of physical activity among families. METHODS Eighty-seven families were randomized to 1 of 3 treatments: pedometer plus education (PE), pedometer (P), or control (C). Participants in the PE and P groups wore pedometers and were encouraged to walk 10,000 steps daily for 12 weeks. PE group participants attended 6 sessions on healthy eating and exercise. Participants were surveyed about their knowledge and attitudes about healthy eating and physical activity prior to randomization, at the end of the intervention, and 9 months later. Their heights and weights were measured and BMI calculated. RESULTS Children's BMI percentile decreased from baseline to end of intervention (-0.18%) and at 9-month follow-up (-0.08%) but did not differ by treatment. Children's BMI percentile varied by parental obesity status (average BMI percentile was 88.7% for children of obese parents and 78.5% for children of non-obese parents). Parents' weight decreased slightly by intervention's end (0.6 pounds) and at 9 months (1.2 pounds), but change was similar among groups. Attitudes about their physical activity level relative to their peers improved significantly among children and parents wearing the pedometer. Self-efficacy improved for parents wearing the pedometer. Both children and parents felt the pedometer increased their activity level, but most were unlikely to wear it beyond the intervention. CONCLUSIONS The pedometer had little impact on the activity level, weight, or BMI of participants.
Scrub typhus- An emerging disease in South India

Background: Aim: Methods: Results: Conclusion: Scrub typhus is a mite borne Rickettsial disease caused by 'Orientia tsutsugamushi'. It is an emerging disease in India. The clinical manifestations are protean and therefore diagnosis warrants a high index of suspicion. To study the clinico epidemiological pattern of Scrub typhus among patients presenting to our hospital. All clinically suspected cases of scrub typhus presenting to our hospital over a period of six months were analysed retrospectively. Forty five patients above the age of twelve years were diagnosed clinically and confirmed by immunochromatography test for IgM antibodies. Scrub typhus is a re- emerging disease in South India. Early diagnosis and treatment with Doxycycline is highly effective. eschar, immunochromatography, doxycycline, Orientia tsutsugamushi
Midazolam and atropine alter theta oscillations in the hippocampal CA1 region by modulating both the somatic and distal dendritic dipoles

Theta (4–12 Hz) oscillations in the hippocampus play an important role in learning and memory. They are altered by a wide variety of drugs that impair memory, and these effects may underlie or contribute to drug‐induced amnesia. However, the network mechanisms linking drug actions with changes in memory formation remain poorly defined. Here, we used a multisite linear electrode array to measure local field potentials simultaneously across the CA1 layers of the hippocampus during active exploration, and employed current source density analysis and computational modeling to investigate how midazolam and atropine—two amnestic drugs that are used clinically and experimentally—change the relative timing and strength of the drivers of θ‐oscillations. We found that two dipoles are present, with active inputs that are centered at the soma and the distal apical dendrite and passive return pathways that overlap in the mid‐apical dendrite. Both drugs shifted the position of the phase reversal in the local field potential that occurred in the mid‐apical dendritic region, but in opposite directions, by changing the strength of the dendritic pole, without altering the somatic pole or relative timing. Computational modeling showed that this constellation of changes, as well as an additional effect on a variably present mid‐apical pole, could be produced by simultaneous changes in the active somatic and distal dendritic inputs. These network‐level changes, produced by two amnestic drugs that target different types of receptors, may thus serve as a common basis for impaired memory encoding. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessing the Effects of Government Spending Shocks : Evidence from OECD and Non-OECD Countries [ Preliminary and Incomplete ]

We estimate the effects of government spending shocks (multipliers) for different components of government spending (e.g. wages, government investment, use of goods and services and social benefits), using a panel of OECD and Non-OECD countries (49 countries). We find, in line with the existing literature, that multipliers are well below unity in most cases. We also document that multipliers are state-dependent, varying markedly across exchange rate regimes, the level of public indebtedness, the soundness of the financial system and the state of the business cycle. For instance, during a financial crisis spending multipliers are negative; under pegged exchange rates the multipliers are near zero; under fiscal-strain conditions spending multipliers are found to be somewhat larger than in normal times.
Age estimation via unsupervised neural networks

In this work, we investigate an unsupervised neural network framework for the problem of facial image age estimation. Unlike previous approaches in age estimation where a predefined feature extraction framework is used, the features used in this work are directly learned from the data. A single-layer convolutional neural network and recursive convolutional neural networks are used to extract features from an image. Manifold learning scheme is incorporated in the framework, which maps the features into the discriminative subspace. Furthermore, several popular regression and classification methods are evaluated using this scheme. As far as we know, this is the first work where an unsupervised neural network has been introduced to the age estimation problem. We evaluate the proposed scheme on two widely used datasets. The experimental results show that there is a significant improvement compared to the state-of-the-art.
Immunological consequences of selective BRAF inhibitors in malignant melanoma

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) potently repress antitumor immunity. The amount of MDSC in the blood of melanoma patients declines in response to vemurafenib, an inhibitor of oncogenic BRAF signaling that abrogates the ability of malignant cells to induce MDSC. This suggests that vemurafenib may be used in combination with various immunotherapeutic agents for the induction of long-lasting tumor regression.
Assessing the Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation on Small And Medium Enterprises performance

This study set out to assessing the influence of entrepreneurial orientat ion and SMEs’ performance. A descriptive research design was adopted to gather information from registered SMEs as captured by Corporate Affairs Commission in Nigeria. The data gathered were sourced via the administration of structured questionnaire to 436 owner - managers of SMEs. The study employed the use of structural equation modelling of AMOS 22 to test the hypothesis. The results from statistical analysis indicates a significant impact from all dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation, such as busines s opportunity, inclusive innovation, dynamic operations, value adding activity, risk taking and innovative decisions have significant influence on SMEs performance.
Genetic Generalized Epilepsies

Summary: In the International League Against Epilepsy's most recent revision of classification and terminology, the term idiopathic epilepsy, previously used to describe those epilepsies whose cause was unknown, but presumed genetic, has been removed. It has been replaced by the term genetic epilepsy, only to be used to describe epilepsy in which the etiology has a known or presumed genetic defect in which seizures are the core symptom of the disorder. The purpose of this article was to review the electroclinical spectrum of those epilepsies that would fall under this new designation of genetic epilepsies in the context of specific generalized epilepsy syndromes providing an update in the clinical, electroencephalographic, and genetic findings in these syndromes.
Melatonin, endocrine pancreas and diabetes

Abstract: Melatonin influences insulin secretion both in vivo and in vitro. (i) The effects are MT1‐and MT2‐receptor‐mediated. (ii) They are specific, high‐affinity, pertussis‐toxin‐sensitive, Gi‐protein‐coupled, leading to inhibition of the cAMP‐pathway and increase of insulin release. Furthermore, melatonin inhibits the cGMP‐pathway, possibly mediated by MT2 receptors. In this way, melatonin likely inhibits insulin release. A third system, the IP3‐pathway, is mediated by Gq‐proteins, phospholipase C and IP3, which mobilize Ca2+ from intracellular stores, with a resultant increase in insulin. (iii) Insulin secretion in vivo, as well as from isolated islets, exhibits a circadian rhythm. This rhythm, which is apparently generated within the islets, is influenced by melatonin, which induces a phase shift in insulin secretion. (iv) Observation of the circadian expression of clock genes in the pancreas could possibly be an indication of the generation of circadian rhythms in the pancreatic islets themselves. (v) Melatonin influences diabetes and associated metabolic disturbances. The diabetogens, alloxan and streptozotocin, lead to selective destruction of β‐cells through their accumulation in these cells, where they induce the generation of ROS. β‐cells are very susceptible to oxidative stress because they possess only low‐antioxidative capacity. Results suggest that melatonin in pharmacological doses provides protection against ROS. (vi) Finally, melatonin levels in plasma, as well as the arylalkylamine‐N‐acetyltransferase (AANAT) activity, are lower in diabetic than in nondiabetic rats and humans. In contrast, in the pineal gland, the AANAT mRNA is increased and the insulin receptor mRNA is decreased, which indicates a close interrelationship between insulin and melatonin.
Real-time demonstration of low-complexity time-domain chromatic dispersion equalization

We demonstrate real-time CD equalization (CDE) for coherent optical transmission systems using a low complexity time-domain (TD) multiplierless finite-impulse response (FIR)-based equalizer, based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation. The real-time operation is performed for a single-channel 2.5 Gb/s QPSK optical signal with a performance penalty of only ∼0.15 dB with respect to the maximum performance. The hardware complexity is also evaluated in terms of occupation in a Virtex-6 FPGA-XC6VLX240T, revealing the high efficiency of the proposed CDE algorithm.
Consumer behavior and corporate social responsibility: An evaluation by a choice experiment

The relationship between corporate social responsibility and consumer's behavior is more and more strong today: so it influences management of ethical and social effects of companies. The aim of the study is to investigate to what extent the socially responsible behaviors of companies influence consumer purchasing decisions and, moreover, the possible willingness to pay higher prices for good practice products. A choice experiment was conducted in Italy for this purpose on ready‐made foods, where socially responsible initiatives of companies are compared with four levels of price and the presence or absence of a known brand. The analysis shows a positive relationship between socially responsible initiatives of companies and attitudes of consumers towards them and their products. However, by investigation, only few people adopt corporate social responsibility as choice criterion for purchases still, because traditional purchasing criteria continue to prevail, in particular the price. The conclusions are also a matter for thought for further discussion.
Measuring the Permeability of Open‐Framework Gravel

Open‐framework gravel has permeability, k, above the measurement range of most laboratory constant‐head permeameters because the head difference across the length of conventional permeameters is too small to be measured. Here we addressed the challenge of measuring the high k by using a 3 m long permeameter. The head difference over this length was of the order of 10−2 to 10−3 m, which we could measure to the nearest 10−5 m. We collected data over the range of linear, laminar flow to nonlinear, laminar flow to verify that k was measured using data collected within the Darcian regime. We measured k between 4000 and 100,000 Darcies among experiments using different sediments.
Internal Shariah Audit Effectiveness and its Determinants: Case of Islamic Financial Institutions in Malaysia

Shariah compliance is utmost importance for the sustainability of Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) in the industry as stakeholders will only invest and deal with IFIs that operate within Shariah precepts. As such, Shariah audit is required by Bank Negara Malaysia to provide assurance that IFIs indeed do operate on the basis of Shariah principles. Therefore, this conceptual paper proposes the constructs of Shariah audit effectiveness (SAE) in IFIs. This paper reviews and synthesizes prior literature on internal audit effectiveness and Shariah audit in developing the construct of SAE. The construct consists of criteria of SAE as well as its possible determinants. The determinants comprise of top management support, organizational independence and objectivity, and internal Shariah audit process and activities. The development of appropriate measures for SAE is crucial to assist IFIs in monitoring and assessing how well resources are being utilized in the performance of Shariah audit. Effective Shariah audit practice is expected to provide value-added service to ensure IFIs are operating within the limits of Shariah as well as generating halal profits from its financing and investment activities.
The hybrid competitive strategy framework : a managerial theory for combining differentiation and low-cost strategic approaches based on a case study of a European textile manufacturer

14 DECLARATION. 15 COPYRIGHT STATEMENT . 16 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . 17 DEDICATION. 18 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION . 19 1.1 RESEARCH BACKGROUND . 19 1.2 RESEARCH PROBLEM AND QUESTIONS . 21 1.3 CHAPTER OUTLINE . 22 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK . 26 2.1 CHAPTER INTRODUCTION . 26 2.2 DEFINING AND CLARIFYING THE CONCEPT OF MIXED STRATEGY . 26 2.2.1 THE PORTER ́S GENERIC STRATEGIES MODEL AS THE FOUNDATION OF THE MIXED STRATEGIC APPROACH . 28 2.2.1.1 The Porter ́s generic competitive strategy of differentiation . 28 2.2.1.2 The Porter ́s generic competitive strategy of cost leadership . 28 2.2.1.3 Scope of Porter’s generic strategies . 31 2.2.1.4 Trade-offs, “stuck-in-the-middle” trap and the strategy formulation in Porter’s generic strategies model . 31 2.2.1.5 Disambiguation between Porter’s generic strategies model and operational efficiency . 33 2.2.1.6 Competitive advantage through the differentiation or cost leadership specialization . 34 2.2.2 CRITICISM OF PORTER’S GENERIC STRATEGIES MODEL . 34 2.2.2.1 Limitation of Porter’s generic competitive strategy of differentiation . 34 2.2.2.2 Limitation of Porter’s generic competitive strategy of cost leadership . 36 2.2.2.3 Trap of specialization in the Porter ́s generic strategies model . 38 2.2.3 THE MIXED COMPETITIVE STRATEGIC APPROACH . 39 2.2.3.1 The mixed strategy definition . 39 2.2.3.2 Competitive advantage through combination of differentiation and low-cost . 40 2.2.3.3 Risk of mixed strategy . 40 2.2.3.4 Disambiguation of the concept of mixed strategy . 41 2.2.3.5 Mixed strategy and the concepts of operational efficiency and marketing improvement . 52 2.2.3.6 Discussion and contribution on the concept of mixed strategy . 56 2.2.3.7 A proposition of normalization of the definitions of mixed strategy . 58 2.3 EXPLORING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MIXED STRATEGY ADOPTION . 60 2.3.1 MIXED STRATEGY ADOPTION AND ENVIRONMENT . 60 2.3.1.1 Mixed strategy adoption in environments characterized by dynamism, hypercompetition and high market attractiveness . 60 2.3.1.2 Mixed strategy adoption in environments market by volatility, hypercompetition and low market attractiveness . 63 2.3.1.3 Mixed strategy adoption and competitive factor . 66
Technologies and Second Language: Nigerian Students’ Adaptive Strategies to Cope With Language Barrier in Northern Cyprus

This study sought to investigate how Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus cope with language barrier and increase interactions with people of the host community beyond the classroom via utilizing technological adaptive strategies. In order to complete this study, a descriptive design based on a survey conducted among 238 Nigerian students studying in a North Cyprus university was used. Result shows that mobile translation apps such as Google Translate, iVoice translator pro and iTranslate voice mobile were frequently used by Nigerian students more than other technological adaptive strategies. We also found that male students use ICT to cope with language barrier more than the females, and that social media was widely used, second to the translation assistant apps.