Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing trunk control recovery after intensive rehabilitation in post-stroke patients: a multicentre prospective study

ABSTRACT Background Trunk control plays a crucial role in the stroke rehabilitation, but it is unclear which factors could influence the trunk control after an intensive rehabilitation treatment. Objectives To study which demographic, clinical and functional variables could predict the recovery of trunk control after intensive post-stroke inpatient rehabilitation. Methods Subjects with acute, first-ever stroke were enrolled and clinical and data were collected at admission and discharge. The primary outcome was considered the trunk control measured by the Trunk Control Test (TCT). The data were analyzed by a univariate and multivariate logistic regressions. Results Two hundred forty-one post-stroke patients were included. All baseline variables significantly associated to TCT at discharge in the univariate analysis (i.e. gender, NIHSS neglect item at admission, presence of several complexity markers, TCT total score at admission, NIHSS total score, pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale, Fugl-Meyer Assessment motor and sensitivity score) were entered in the multivariate analysis. The multivariate regression showed that age (p = .003), admission NIHSS total score (p = .001), admission TCT total score (p < .001) and presence of depression (p = .027) independently influenced the TCT total score at discharge (R 2 = 61.2%). Conclusions Age, admission neurological impairment (NIHSS total score), trunk control at the admission (TCT total score), and presence of depression independently influenced the TCT at discharge. These factors should be carefully assessed at the baseline to plan a tailoring rehabilitation treatment achieving the best trunk control performance at discharge.
Improving Fast Charging-Discharging Performances of Ni-Rich LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 Cathode Material by Electronic Conductor LaNiO3 Crystallites

Fast charging-discharging is one of the important requirements for next-generation high-energy Li-ion batteries, nevertheless, electrons transport in the active oxide materials is limited. Thus, carbon coating of active materials is a common method to supply the routes for electron transport, but it is difficult to synthesize the oxide-carbon composite for LiNiO2-based materials which need to be calcined in an oxygen-rich atmosphere. In this work, LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) coated with electronic conductor LaNiO3 (LNO) crystallites is demonstrated for the first time as fast charging-discharging and high energy cathodes for Li-ion batteries. The LaNiO3 succeeds in providing an exceptional fast charging-discharging behavior and initial coulombic efficiency in comparison with pristine NCM811. Consequently, the NCM811@3LNO electrode presents a higher capacity at 0.1 C (approximately 246 mAh g−1) and a significantly improved high rate performance (a discharge specific capacity of 130.62 mAh g−1 at 10 C), twice that of pristine NCM811. Additionally, cycling stability is also improved for the composite material. This work provides a new possibility of active oxide cathodes for high energy/power Li-ion batteries by electronic conductor LaNiO3 coating.
Insights into the Structure and Protein Composition of Moorella thermoacetica Spores Formed at Different Temperatures

The bacterium Moorella thermoacetica produces the most heat-resistant spores of any spoilage-causing microorganism known in the food industry. Previous work by our group revealed that the resistance of these spores to wet heat and biocides was lower when spores were produced at a lower temperature than the optimal temperature. Here, we used electron microcopy to characterize the ultrastructure of the coat of the spores formed at different sporulation temperatures; we found that spores produced at 55 °C mainly exhibited a lamellar inner coat tightly associated with a diffuse outer coat, while spores produced at 45 °C showed an inner and an outer coat separated by a less electron-dense zone. Moreover, misarranged coat structures were more frequently observed when spores were produced at the lower temperature. We then analyzed the proteome of the spores obtained at either 45 °C or 55 °C with respect to proteins putatively involved in the spore coat, exosporium, or in spore resistance. Some putative spore coat proteins, such as CotSA, were only identified in spores produced at 55 °C; other putative exosporium and coat proteins were significantly less abundant in spores produced at 45 °C. Altogether, our results suggest that sporulation temperature affects the structure and protein composition of M. thermoacetica spores.
ONLINE-TICS: Internet-Delivered Behavioral Treatment for Patients with Chronic Tic Disorders

Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) is considered a first-line therapy for tics. However, availability of CBIT is extremely limited due to a lack of qualified therapists. This study is a multicenter (n = 5), randomized, controlled, observer-blind trial including 161 adult patients with chronic tic disorders (CTD) to provide data on efficacy and safety of an internet-delivered, completely therapist-independent CBIT intervention (iCBIT Minddistrict®) in the treatment of tics compared to placebo and face-to-face (f2f) CBIT. Using a linear mixed model with the change to baseline of Yale Global Tic Severity Scale-Total Tic Score (YGTSS-TTS) as a dependent variable, we found a clear trend towards significance for superiority of iCBIT (n = 67) over placebo (n = 70) (−1.28 (−2.58; 0.01); p = 0.053). In addition, the difference in tic reduction between iCBIT and placebo increased, resulting in a significant difference 3 (−2.25 (−3.75; −0.75), p = 0.003) and 6 months (−2.71 (−4.27; −1.16), p < 0.001) after the end of treatment. Key secondary analysis indicated non-inferiority of iCBIT in comparison to f2f CBIT (n = 24). No safety signals were detected. Although the primary endpoint was narrowly missed, it is strongly suggested that iCBIT is superior compared to placebo. Remarkably, treatment effects of iCBIT even increased over time.
In Vitro Regeneration of Tea (Camellia sinensis (L). O. Kuntze) By Somatic Embryogenesis from Immature Cotyledon Tissues

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is the world's most popular beverage plant, as well as an important plantation crop with high commercial value. It has been maintained for centuries through conventional vegetative propagation. Tea clonal propagation in vitro has the advantage of producing a large number of elite plants. If an efficient in vitro regeneration technology is available, this technique could be exploited for selection of tea plants for desired trait. The selected plants could be later on multiplied through in vitro or ex vitro techniques. The study aimed to induced somatic embryogenesis from immature embryo explants to genetic variaton. Different concentrations of phenylboronic acid with benzyladenine and phenylboronic acid with kinetin were tested in MS medium with 30 g/L sucrose and 8 g/L agar. MS medium without any plant growth regulators was used as control group. Considering the embryo survival rate, 1.5 mg/ L-1 phenylboronic acid + 1 mg/ L-1 kinetin produced highest result as 87.3% while lowest was in control group as 36.7%. The highest plant regeneration rate was found in 1,5 mg/ L-1 phenylboronic acid + 1 mg/ L-1 kinetin and 1.5 mg/ L-1 phenylboronic acid + 1 mg/ L-1 benzyladenine medium respectively as 58.3% and 55.6%. Kinetin treatment with increasing phenylboronic acid concentrations gave the best results in terms of somatic embryo survival rate. Also, kinetin treatment produced better results when compared to benzyladenine concentrations.
The Infinite Wardrobe: Female Consumers’ Value Perceptions Regarding Collaborative Consumption of Apparel

Abstract Understanding the potential factors and underlying mechanisms to engage in collaborative consumption practices has become a significant concern for academics and practitioners. However, collaborative consumption research is still considered in its early stage; thus, further research is needed. Based on this need, this study extends existing research by providing empirical support for the importance of value perceptions and empathy on female consumers’ attitudes and behavioral intentions to engage in collaborative consumption in the apparel industry. This study also shows a significant moderating effect for materialism and the need for uniqueness in the collaborative consumption of apparel. These findings are believed to be particularly valuable in contributing to the broader literature on collaborative consumption and guiding, especially practitioners, to develop strategic tactics for motivating consumers to engage in collaborative consumption practices.
ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF Jatropha curcus L. AS AFFECTED BY FERTILIZER AND PLANT SPACING

Field experiment were conducted at the Nursery site of the Federal College of Forestry, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria during the 2009, 2010 and 2011 wet seasons to investigate the effect of fertilizer rates and plant spacing on the growth performance of Jatropha curcus. The treatments consisted of three levels of plant spacing (1, 2, and 3cm) and six levels of fertilizer (0, 250, 300 and 350kgNPK/ha, 2500kg/ha of poultry manure and 2500kg/ha of cowdung) which were arranged and laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results of these experiments revealed that the growth indicators investigated were significantly affected by fertilizer and plant spacing. The 350kg NPK/ha produced the highest leaf area index, leaf area ratio, net assimilation rate, relative growth rate and crop growth rate in 2009 and 2010 seasons. However, in 2011, 2500kg/ha of cow dung produced the highest leaf area ratio. Planting at a spacing of 1m between plants consistently produced higher leaf area index in both years. However the 3m plant spacing had the highest leaf area ratio, net assimilation rate, relative growth rate and crop growth rate in three years of the study. Based on the results of this study therefore, it could be concluded that for maximum growth of Jatropha curcus L. The 350kg NPK/ha and 3m plant spacing could be suggested for farmers adoption in the Nigerian Savannah.
Securely Outsourcing Neural Network Inference to the Cloud With Lightweight Techniques

Neural network (NN) inference services enrich many applications, like image classification, object recognition, facial verification, and more. These NN inference services are increasingly becoming an essential offering from cloud computing providers, where end-users’ data are offloaded to the cloud for inference under a customized model. However, current cloud-based inference services operate on clear inputs and NN models, raising paramount privacy concerns. Individual user data may contain private information that should always remain confidential. Meanwhile, the NN model is deemed proprietary to the model owner as model training requires substantial resources. In this article, we present, tailor, and evaluate <monospace>Sonic</monospace>, a lightweight secure NN inference service delegated in the cloud. <monospace>Sonic</monospace> leverages the cloud computing paradigm to fully outsource the secure inference, freeing end devices and model owners from being actively online for assistance. <monospace>Sonic</monospace> guards both user input and model privacy along the whole service flow. We design a series of secure and efficient NN layer functions purely using lightweight cryptographic primitives. Extensive evaluations demonstrate that <monospace>Sonic</monospace> achieves up to <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$60\times$</tex-math><alternatives><mml:math><mml:mrow><mml:mn>60</mml:mn><mml:mo>×</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:math><inline-graphic xlink:href="zheng-ieq1-3141391.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> bandwidth saving in online inference compared to prior art.
Cell-Free DNA Screening for Sex Chromosome Abnormalities and Pregnancy Outcomes, 2018–2020: A Retrospective Analysis

To evaluate the efficacy of non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPT) for detecting fetal sex chromosome abnormalities, a total of 639 women carrying sex chromosome abnormalities were selected from 222,107 pregnant women who participated in free NIPT from April 2018 to December 2020. The clinical data, prenatal diagnosis results, and follow-up pregnancy outcomes of participants were collected. The positive predictive value (PPV) was used to analyze the performance of NIPT. Around 235 cases were confirmed with sex chromosome abnormalities, including 229 cases with sex chromosome aneuploidy (45, X (n = 37), 47, XXX (n = 37), 47, XXY (n = 110), 47, XYY (n = 42)) and 6 cases with structural abnormalities. The total incidence rate was 0.11% (235/222,107). The PPV of NIPT was 45.37% (235/518). NIPT accuracy for detecting sex chromosome polysomes was higher than that for sex chromosome monomers. The termination of pregnancy rate for fetal diagnosis of 45, X, and 47, XXY was higher than that of 47, XXX, and 47, XYY. The detection rate of fetal sex chromosome abnormalities was higher in 2018–2020 than in 2010–2012 (χ2 = 69.708, P < 2.2 × 10−16), indicating that NIPT is greatly efficient to detect fetal sex chromosome abnormalities.
Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography Analysis of a Selected Eye’s Anterior Segment Parameters in Patients with Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome

Background: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) is a systemic, age-related disorder characterized by the production and accumulation of pseudoexfoliation material. To date, detailed characteristics have not been published regarding the iridocorneal angle and cornea in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome determined through swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Methods: A total of 150 eyes of patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (ages 69–86 years) and 166 eyes in a control group (ages 54–79 years) were analyzed. Results: The central corneal thickness in the PEX group was 549.56 μm and was slightly (insignificantly) higher than that of the control group (540.56 µm). The anterior chamber of the eye was visibly shallower in patients with PEX syndrome than in those of the control group (2.49 mm vs. 3.07 mm; p < 0.001). The Fourier analysis parameters of the cornea showed multiple differences between the PEX and control groups. With respect to iris area, the parameters showed statistically significant differences between the PEX and control groups in all four quadrants of the eye. No statistical significance was found in the PEX group for the iridocorneal angle parameters, or corneal and lens parameters depending on gender and age. Conclusions: PEX syndrome is characterized by a significant impact on the anterior eye segment, including higher anterior and posterior keratometric values, lower anterior chamber depth, higher iris thickness, and narrower angle parameters. The characteristic anterior eye segment features of PEX syndrome can be detected using SS-OCT, which could potentially assist clinicians in properly managing the disease.
Fiscal Policy and Optimal Taxation in Sierra Leone: Testing for Tax Smoothing Hypothesis

This paper empirically investigate whether the budget imbalances in Sierra Leone over the review period is consistent with optimal tax policy. The procedure involves testing if tax smoothing hypothesis hold for Sierra Leone. In this regard, three different empirical approaches were performed. Firstly, I examine the random walk property of the tax rate. The null hypothesis of non-stationarity of tax rate could not be rejected, which implies the tax rate follows random walk. Second, I examined whether changes in tax rate is predictable by regressing changes in tax rate by its own lagged values. The result shows that tax rate is unpredictable, as changes in tax cannot be determined by its lagged values. Finally, a VAR model was employed to examine whether tax rate can be predicted by its own lagged values together with changes in the government spending rate and the growth rate of real GDP. The results indicate that all the variables employed were found not be significant is predicating the tax rate. Overall, all the empirical estimations support the existence of tax smoothing over the sample period and that the budget inbalances over the review period is consistent with optimal tax policy.
A Qualitative Examination of Perceived Stigma and its Sources Among Adolescents Living With HIV in Western Kenya

Introduction. Adolescents (10-19 years) living with HIV (ALWH) face unique challenges in controlling HIV long-term, including stigma and perception of stigma within their communities. Methods. We conducted a qualitative investigation of the sources of perceived HIV-related stigma with ALWH in western Kenya. Forty-six ALWH on ART, aware of their status, and engaged in care were enrolled. Interviews explored perceived stigma by probing the individuals and experiences that adolescents identify as causing or perpetuating their ongoing fears. Results. Participants (54% male, mean age 17.4) reported ongoing fears of stigmatization related to friends and peers not living with HIV. They described previous enacted and first-hand observations of stigma, most often occurring in pre-adolescence, by age mates or peers at school as the most common cause for their ongoing fears. Conclusions. Perceived stigma is prevalent among ALWH and develops from experiences in pre-adolescence. Anti-HIV stigma interventions addressing educators and children in school settings to combat perceived stigma at its source should be investigated.
A Stochastic Frontier Model to Determine Technical Efficiency of the Purse Seine Fishery in the Gulf of Cadiz (Spain)

In this paper we analyse different econometric procedures of technical efficiency to estimate fishing capacity. These procedures are then applied to the purse seine fishery located in the Gulf of Cadiz. The target species of this fishery has changed quite a lot over the past few years. It used to be mackerel (Scomber spp.). Afterwards, it was anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus) and, recently, sardine (Sardina pilchardus). The regulation of anchovy and sardine fisheries by European Union is only based on Total Allowable Catch for vessels which are longer than 10 metres. This management measure could be unsuitable in this fishery for two reasons. Firstly, most of the vessels measure less than 10 metres and, secondly, there is a small interrelation between vessel efficiency and length.
The Need for Health Education and Vaccination—Importance of Teacher Training and Family Involvement

The health emergency due to COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of vaccination and its impact on social welfare. Inequalities have surfaced that affect the most vulnerable and those millions of children do not receive the necessary vaccines. Health education becomes a fundamental resource for citizens to access universal rights. One thousand people from 76 countries on five continents participated in this research in 2019–2020, from the health, education, and economic sectors. A descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative design was used. The instrument used was a correctly validated questionnaire: VACUNASEDUCA. The objectives were to reflect on the adequacy of teacher training and their awareness for the proper use of vaccines and to analyze the knowledge of parents about the consequences of vaccination. The results demonstrate the importance of teacher training and health education, with positive involvement of the family. The most favorable group is female, under 30 years, from the European continent, with a very high Human Development Index (HDI), and from the education sector. In conclusion, it is noted that, within the framework of the fourth industrial revolution, education must be configured with innovative approaches and tools, making it necessary to intervene in the context considering their cultural characteristics and promoting healthy lifestyle habits.
Prediction Of Fundamental Factors On Quotation Prices

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of fundamental factors on stock prices and to examine differences in the effects of fundamental factors on stock prices during the period of changes in mineral export policies. Fundamental factors are proxied by earning per share (EPS), net profit margin (NPM), return on equity (ROE), return on assets (ROA), and debt to equity ratio (DER). The research object is all companies in the mining sector listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) during the period 2014 – 2019, with a total population of 269 observations. The sampling technique was purposive sampling, with the results of 176 observations. The observation data came from 37 companies. Methods of data analysis using multiple regression and paired t-test. The results showed that only the EPS variable did not affect stock prices. Then, the study results also show that there is no difference in the influence of fundamental factors on stock prices during the export ban period and the reopening of the raw mineral export ban. This condition illustrates that investors still have confidence in the fundamental factors reported by companies in the mining sector.
A New Goodness-of-Fit Test for the Two-Parameter Gamma Distribution

This paper proposes a new goodness-of-fit for the two-parameter distribution. It is based on a function of squared distances between empirical and theoretical quantiles of a set of observations being hypothesized to have come from the gamma distribution. The critical values of the proposed statistic are evaluated through extensive simulations of the unit-scaled gamma distributions and computations. The empirical powers of the statistic are obtained and compared with some well-known tests for the gamma distribution, and the results show that the proposed statistic can be recommended as a test for the gamma distribution.
An Exploration of Applying Knowledge Based Engineering into a Quality Management Framework - Extending the Quality Triangle for Establishing the first Principles of Knowledge Business Modelling

The construct of quality management has moved on greatly since the “quality policing” concepts of the 1980’s. Continual improvement and customer centric business development philosophies have become the norm within a “total” business environment. Typically, organisations exploit a series of matrices, templates and models to monitor and control their operations. It has however been noted that, often, due to minimal formal user centric instructions being available, even simple quality and business models are misused and fail to deliver their potential to impact on the business. This paper discusses the possibilities of applying knowledge based engineering fundamentals into quality and business frameworks and discusses a scenario where live, interactive benchmarking and predicative analysis could become common place within business design and improvement modelling.
The Impact of Tax Planning on Firm Value

The purpose of this research to determine the effect of tax planning that is measured using Cash ETR and Book Tax Difference (BTD) on company value. In addition to that, the purpose of doing tax planning is also to streamline corporate tax expenditures following applicable regulations, so that with the existence of corporate tax planning can estimate the company's tax expenses. This study uses the dependent variable that is the value of the company that is proxy using Tobins' Q while the independent variable is tax planning which is proxy using Cash ETR and Book Tax Different. The control variables used in this study are Size and Leverage. The samples used in this study were all manufacturing sector companies in a row from 2016 to 2018 with a total sample of 135 companies for 3 consecutive years. This study uses the Eviews 9 test tool and uses a multiple regression test. The results of this study indicate that Cash ETR has a positive effect on firm value while Book Tax Different has a negative effect on firm value.