Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gait instability and fractal dynamics of older adults with a “ cautious ” gait : why do certain older adults walk fearfully ?

Many older adults walk with a cautious and impaired gait of unknown origin, however, the relationship between fear of falling and the observed gait changes is not well understood. To better understand the “cautious” gait of the elderly, we tested the hypothesis that temporal gait variability, putatively a marker of intrinsic walking unsteadiness, is increased among older adults with a cautious gait and a higher-level gait disorder (HLGD), an altered gait that cannot be attributed to a well-defined cause. Twenty-five older adults (mean age: 78 years) with a HLGD were compared to healthy controls of similar age and sex ( n = 28). The clinical characteristics (e.g., neurological status, fear of falling), the magnitude of the stride-to-stride variations in gait cycle timing (a measure of temporal gait variability), and a fractal index of gait (a measure of the stride dynamics independent of the magnitude of the variability) were studied in both groups. Gait variability was significantly increased ( P < 0.0001) in HLGD subjects (52± 26 ms) compared to controls (27 ± 9 ms). Changes in frontal lobe and extra-pyramidal function were also found in the patient group. Among HLGD subjects, gait variability was not associated ( P > 0.05) with age, gender, MMSE score, muscle strength, # of co-morbidities, balance, cerebellar signs, or pyramidal signs, but was significantly associated with scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale ( r = 0.46,P < 0.02) and fear of falling ( r = 0.69,P < 0.0001). Among HLGD subjects, only a fractal index was significantly different in fallers and non-fallers. These findings underscore the idea that the gait changes in older adults who walk with fear may be an appropriate response to unsteadiness, are likely a marker of underlying pathology, and are not simply a physiological or psychological consequence of normal aging. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Reversible circuit synthesis using evolutionary algorithm

With the prospect of availability of quantum computers in not-so-distant future, research on the synthesis and testing of reversible logic circuits have gained momentum in recent years. There are many existing works for the synthesis of reversible logic circuits, some of them being exact while some others approximate and based on some heuristics. Many of these methods work for reasonably smaller circuits, but fail with the increase in the number of inputs, either in terms of large memory and computation time requirements, or in terms of failure in arriving at the solution. In this paper, we have proposed a synthesis approach that uses Genetic Algorithm (GA) for searching the solution space, and is based on a gate library consisting of NOT, CNOT and generalized Toffoli gates. This method gives good solutions to circuits with up to 5 or 6 inputs very fast. A divide-and-conquer approach is also proposed towards the end of the paper as a future work using which larger circuits can be handled.
‘Meaningful marketing’: A process investigation of how consumers reward noninterruptive, nonpersuasive marketing communication

In this research, we investigate brand benevolence, brand trust, and indebtedness toward the brand arising out of noninterruptive, nonpersuasive marketing communication that provides utility to the consumer independent of consumption of the brand's product or service [defined as meaningful marketing (MM)]. Through three experiments, two using a real website of a popular brand and one using a fake recruitment site, we show that MM increases purchase intentions through the mediating influence of perceived benevolence. The influence of perceived benevolence on purchase intentions is, in turn, mediated by indebtedness and brand trust. Further, consumers reward MM even if it directly promotes the brand. Suggestions for future research and limitations are discussed.
An empirical examination of the stakeholder strategy matrix

Purpose – This paper seeks to examine whether the stakeholder strategy matrix provides useful guidance for managers in dealing with stakeholders. The matrix suggests that strategies for dealing with stakeholders can be determined based on stakeholder ability to cooperate and threaten organisational outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a hypothetical scenario looking at the development of a new environmentally friendly product, where eight stakeholder groups and their influencing abilities are manipulated. Marketers reviewed one version of the scenario and were then asked the applicability of 13 strategies for each stakeholder group described. Mixed design analysis is then undertaken to examine the direct effects and interactions between the four combinations of influencing abilities, the stakeholder group examined or how the strategy suggested impacted on managers' views.Findings – The research found that there was an interaction effect suggesting that some strategies were more applicable.
Explicating Health Behavior for Effective Marketing Management of Health Intervention Services

The current study, proposing a framework that integrates relevant theoretical conceptualizations and empirical verifications to explicate health behavior, helps to enhance the effectiveness of marketing management for health intervention services. Validation of the proposed framework with a field experiment yields several noteworthy discoveries. The consumers of health intervention services must be categorized into two distinct segments with high and low levels of regularity in past health behavior. Instrumental attitude, affective attitude, perceived behavioral control, perceived self-efficacy, subjective norm, intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation exercise differentiated effects on the high-regularity and low-regularity consumer segments. These findings, alongside theoretical and strategic implications that facilitate the formulation of effective marketing strategies for health intervention services, are analyzed and discussed.
Heart Rate Turbulence: A New Predictor for Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death

Initial acceleration and a subsequent deceleration of sinus rhythm following a ventricular ectopic beat with a compensatory pause has been termed heart rate turbulence (HRT). The changes in sinus rhythm are thought to be mediated by a baroreflex response to the lower stroke volume of the ectopic beat. HRT is vagally mediated and abolished by atropine, whereas β‐blockers have no effect. HRT has been shown to be an independent and powerful predictor of mortality after myocardial infarction. In patients on β‐blockers, it scores better than left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in its predictive value. Two common measures of HRT are turbulence onset and turbulence slope. When both these measures are abnormal, it is as powerful a predictor of mortality as LVEF. HRT correlates with other indices of cardiac autonomic functions like baroreflex sensitivity and heart rate variability. A composite autonomic index including all these three has been shown to be a powerful predictor of mortality. In patients undergoing direct percutaneous intervention for myocardial infarction, HRT improves in those attaining successful reperfusion. Abnormal values for HRT have been noted in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and Chagas disease. Diabetic and elderly individuals are more likely to have blunted HRT. HRT cannot be measured in patients lacking ventricular ectopic beats and in patients presenting with atrial fibrillation.
Evaluation of a Single-Platform Technology for Lymphocyte Immunophenotyping

ABSTRACT An accurate and reproducible CD4 count is a fundamental clinical tool for monitoring and treating human immunodeficiency virus infection and its complications. Two methods exist for calculating absolute CD4 counts: dual-platform technology (DPT) and single-platform technology (SPT). Numerous studies have documented the unacceptably wide range of variation in absolute CD4 counts between laboratories. SPT was introduced in 1996 to reduce the interlaboratory variation in absolute CD4 counts. The aim of this study was to compare DPT with the BD Biosciences Trucount method (an SPT method). Both the percentages of CD4 (r = 0.986; P = 0.0541) and the absolute CD4 counts (r = 0.960; P = 0.0001) had very good correlation between the two methods. However, poor correlation was observed for the CD8+ RO− (r = 0.314; P = 0.0002), CD8+ DR+ (r = 0.666; P = 0.0138), CD3+ CD38+ (r = 0.8000; P = 0.0004), CD3+ CD25+ (r = 0.464; P = 0.0082), and CD4+ CD38+ (r = 0.357; P = 0.0127) measurements.
Electron microscopic analysis of adrenalectomy‐induced hippocampal granule cell degeneration in the rat: Apoptosis in the adult central nervous system

As described in the preceding paper, adrenalectomy triggers hippocampal granule cell degeneration that begins within days after adrenalectomy, continues for months, and is the only apparent cell death anywhere within the brain. At the light microscopic level, granule cell degeneration is characterized by coalescing of nuclear chromatin into numerous spherical bodies. Since the morphology at the light microscopic level resembled the nuclear morphology characteristic of “apoptosis” rather than “necrosis”, we undertook this ultrastructural study to determine if adrenalectomy induces the morphological features characteristic of apoptosis. Electron microscopy revealed coalescing of nuclear chromatin, compaction of cytoplasm, and the budding‐off of cytoplasmic bodies that were engulfed by glia. Mitochondria, the Golgi apparatus, and rough endoplasmic reticulum appeared relatively normal early in the process of granule cell degeneration when nuclear changes were prominent. Presynaptic terminals innervating degenerating granule cells appeared normal. Electron‐dense degeneration of granule cell axon terminals in association with normal postsynaptic elements of CA3 pyramidal cells highlighted the extraordinary selectivity of adrenalectomy‐induced granule cell death. Ten weeks after adrenalectomy, astrocytes were filled with abnormally abundant glial fibrils and neuronal debris. This “apoptotic” morphology produced by adrenalectomy was clearly distinct from the “necrotic” granule cell morphology produced by intrahippocampal injection of the neurotoxin volkensin. These results indicate that, in a manner possibly analogous to castrationinduced prostate cell death, loss of adrenal hormone triggers a process in dentate granule cells that causes the morphological changes characteristic of “apoptosis. ”. Thus, adrenal steroids may be obligatory growth factors for dentate granule cells and their loss may initiate a selective process in the mature brain that is unique or that may normally occur only in the developing brain.
Preclinical Evaluation of a Poly (Vinyl Alcohol) Hydrogel Implant as a Replacement for the Nucleus Pulposus

Study Design. An in vivo investigation into the safety of a novel hydrogel implant designed to replace the diseased nucleus pulposus. Objectives. To determine the local and systemic safety of this new implant in a nonhuman primate model. Summary of Background Data. A poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel has been developed as a prosthetic replacement for the diseased nucleus pulposus. Methods. PVA implants were inserted into discectomy defects created in the L3–L4 or L4–L5 intervertebral disc in 20 male baboons. Empty discectomy defects served as a surgical control in 8 additional animals. Routine follow-up evaluations included radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, gross pathology, and histopathology of both local and remote tissues. Results. Insertion of the PVA hydrogel from an anterior direction produced extrusions in 5 animals from the first series of 15 surgeries (33%). A modified surgical technique, involving an anterolateral rather than anterior approach, was used in 5 animals, but the extrusion rate remained high (20%). Despite these surgical complications, the PVA implants were well tolerated over 24 months in vivo, with no evidence of device-related pathology in the adjacent disc tissue, spinal cord, or remote tissues. Conclusion. Implantation of the PVA implant for periods of up to 24 months produced no evidence of local or systemic toxicity. Additional studies are now needed to determine the efficacy of the device in its intended application.
Evaluation Index System and Method of Enterprise Competitiveness

With global economic integral and China's entrance to WTO, Chinese enterprise will face new challenge. If enterprise can keep on competing advantage, the key is enterprise's competitiveness. If enterprise governors can make a sound evaluation on enterprise's competitiveness and understand clearly to each main factor of competitiveness, those count for much to maintenance, promoting and development of enterprise's competitiveness. Therefore, the enterprise's competitiveness evaluation index system was designed, and points out the meaning and evaluation method of each concrete index. In the process of evaluating enterprise's whole competitiveness, the weight was settled based on analytic hierarchy way. Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is main model. According to the evaluation result, enterprise governor can make a sound judgment on own enterprise's competitiveness. Finally this paper enumerates an example and makes a detail analysis.
Foraging, growth and habitat choice in turbid water: an experimental study with fish larvae in the Baltic Sea

Eutrophication is a large problem in many marine and brackish-water areas. One of the consequences is algae-induced turbidity affecting visually feeding organisms, and behavioural changes of fish and other animals are common in turbid water. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of larval pike Esox lucius in turbid and clear water. We experimentally studied habi- tat choice, prey attacks and swimming activity of newly hatched larvae in the presence of a predator and competitors in relation to algae-induced turbidity. Our results demonstrated that the larvae spent less time in vegetation, performed more prey attacks and spent less time swimming in turbid water than in clear conditions. The presence of competitors increased the number of prey attacks, while the presence of a visual predator decreased the number of attacks. We also showed that pike larval weight was lower in high turbidity than in low turbidity. Our results show that algae-induced water turbidity affects both direct (i.e. feeding and habitat choice) and indirect qualities (i.e. weight) of pike larvae and may therefore affect larval survival and potentially even recruitment into the population.
INVESTMENT CRITERIA SET BY VENTURE CAPITALISTS

Different funders, like bankers, business angels or venture capitalists, put the accent on various investment criteria while making investment decisions. Entrepreneurs need to be familiar with these criteria or different requirements of potential investors in order to adjust their business plans. Motivated by the phenomenon of venture capital, numerous researchers worldwide are trying to identify the venture capitalists’ investment criteria. Despite the large number of studies, there is still no unambiguous answer to what the key venture capitalists’ investment criteria are. This paper provides an overview of research about investment criteria set by different suppliers of capital with a special emphasis on venture capitalists’ investment criteria. The most used VCs’ investment criteria discussed in the literature are identified and analysed in order to provide a new set of VC investment criteria. Keywords: Venture capital, venture capitalists, entrepreneur, investment criteria
The appropriate use of contract types in development contracts: A systems approach with emphasis on the European space sector

Development contracts are relatively new and are closely related to recent technological developments. The traditional types of contract (firm fixed price and pure cost reimbursement) were found to be an inadequate means of controlling the expenditure and management of such developments. An historical review shows that as a result of a gradual heuristic process a number of 'inter­ mediate' types of contract have come into being, most of them containing 'incentive provi­ sions'. These variants originated mainly in the USA, where they were used for government procurements, and have only hesitantly been adopted elsewhere. ESA, the European Space Agency, has been almost the only promotor of these innovative types of contract in Europe. It was for this reason that ESA was chosen as the pilot environment for the purposes of this study. A systematic modelling approach has been followed. A general contract model and its characteristics have been established, while specific models have been developed for the three contractual parameters of major influence (cost, delivery time and performance). As a result of this approach, it has been possible to establish specific formulas for cost and delivery incen­ tives. Qualitative guidelines are presented for performance and multiple incentives. Finally, a model is presented in the form of a decision tree. This makes it possible to select objectively the most appropriate type of contract while taking into account the various environ­ mental influencing factors together with the interests of both parties (client and contractor). In addition, the model and its underlying rationale help to bridge the communication gap that separates technical staff and contract administrators. In this study, the model has been successfully tested and has shown itself to be a valid and practical tool that greatly assists the users in making a correct choice of contract type on the basis of systematic and logical considerations. IV ESA STR-222 (October 1987)
It's unwritten in the Cloud: the technology enablers for realising the promise of Cloud Computing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate, through arguments, the enabling factors that are expected to facilitate the adoption of Cloud Computing.Design/methodology/approach – The approach is based on the study of the recent developments in ICT and the authors' views and arguments as to how such advancements are expected to lead to an increased adoption of Cloud Computing.Findings – Several ICT areas have to be developed in conjunction for the promise of Cloud Computing to be realised. These include (but are not limited to) the development of parallel programming paradigms and open source software, Cloud access to high performance computing, Green IT, investment in low‐cost access‐cum‐computing devices and hi‐speed networks.Originality/value – The paper identifies the current advances in ICT and its expected influence on the adoption of Cloud computing. Furthermore, it lays emphasis on the developing economies and discusses the low‐cost technologies and infrastructure investments (including gove.
Hybrid robust adaptive control for a class of uncertain fuzzy systems with time-varying delay

This paper studies robust adaptive control for a class of uncertain T-S fuzzy systems with time-varying delay by using controller switching technique. Based on the switching Lyapunov function and parallel distributed compensation principle (PDC), sufficient conditions for the existence of the switching fuzzy controller are derived when the time-delay is precisely known via memory state control strategy. An adaptive switching fuzzy controller is designed to guarantee the stability of the systems when the time-delay is unavailable, in which the controller parameter is tuned in a switching manner. And these results can be formulated in the form of a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs).
A novel hybrid energy storage system for electric vehicles

A novel Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) for Electric Vehicles (EVs) is proposed in this paper. It consists of a battery pack and an ultra-capacitor module (UC), which are suitably coupled through a Three-Level Neutral-Point Clamped Converter (NPC). Particularly, although the UC is integrated within the DC-link, its voltage can be varied within a wide range, thus assuring its full exploitation without the need of any DC-DC converter. This is achieved by means of an appropriate HESS control system, which also prevents the battery pack from handling sudden power fluctuations. The effectiveness of the proposed HESS is verified through a simulation study, which refers to an electric propulsion system based on a Surface-Mounted Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine (SPM), which is supplied by the proposed HESS through the NPC.
Development of a supplier satisfaction index model

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to develop a scale and model to measure suppliers' satisfaction index (SSI) in buyer‐suppliers relationships.Design/methodology/approach – Based on the literature review and opinion of the suppliers, this paper first explores the factors that influence suppliers' satisfaction (SS). Subsequently a questionnaire is designed based on these factors and survey was conducted among 300 suppliers' organizations. Partial least square (PLS) approach is used to validate the model and investigate the relationships of factors or constructs with SS. Finally, the authors compute the extent of SSI using analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Findings – The results indicate that purchase policy, payment policy, coordination policy and corporate image of the buying firm have positive impact on SS. The purchase policy and corporate image have strong impact on SS compared to other factors. The computed value of SSI in this study is 65.25 on the scale of 1‐100.Research limitations/implicatio.
Relationship between measures of service quality and satisfaction of spectators in professional sports

This paper attempts to examine the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in spectator sports. The relationship between these two constructs is examined, first, by a review of the literature to date and, second, by the results of almost 200 questionnaires completed by spectators at two professional basketball games in Athens, Greece. The results of the questionnaire study are examined and, in conclusion, the implications and limitations of the study are discussed. Areas for further research are also suggested.
A Successful Enterprise System Re-Implementation Against All Odds - A Multisourcing Case Study

Abstract Achieving success in enterprise systems (ES) implementations is challenging. The success rate is not high in view of the sums invested by many organizations in these companywide systems. The literature is charged with reasons for unsuccessful implementations, such as a lack of top management support and insufficient change management. Contrary to this research, empirical data from an ES re-implementation in a Scandinavian high-tech company shows successful implementation despite many problematic shifts in outsourcing partners. Therefore, it is natural to ask: why was the re-implementation of the ES at SCANDI successful despite the major troubles encountered during the project? Building on critical success factor (CSF) analysis of ten CSFs combined with an investigation into the institutional structures at play, we present several reasons for the successful implementation. The CSF analysis shows an equivocal result: four fulfilled, three partially fulfilled and three not fulfilled. Even the two top CSFs, top management support and change management, are either not fulfilled or only partial fulfilled. However, the institutional analysis provides additional explanations, such as a few heroes acting as glue in a conflicting multi sourcing environment and resilience towards ES implementations created over many years. Important implications from this study are that one should be critical of CSFs and that the combined analysis can guide both practitioners and researchers to understand and position factors better for success in ES implementations.