Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An open architecture to develop a handheld device for helping visually impaired people

The wide availability of modern handheld devices equipped with powerful hardware, large memory and mass storage, a webcam and wireless connection suggests that they can also be used to develop aids for visually impaired people. Most of the handheld devices and software currently available for this purpose are quite expensive, cannot easily be expanded and are based on closed systems, while little or no effort seems to have been made to achieve integration between different applications. This paper introduces Blind Assistant, an integrated modular, expandable, open source software package intended for showing that producing effective and affordable aids for the visually impaired is possible, by easily porting software currently available only for cumbersome personal computers, with little effort and at low cost.
Prospective evaluation of abdominal sonography for the diagnosis of bowel obstruction.

OBJECTIVE The authors determined the utility of sonography compared with plain x-rays in the diagnosis of bowel obstruction. In a contemporaneous group of patients, they compared the cost of operative versus nonoperative management of small bowel obstruction. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA Nonoperative treatment of simple bowel obstruction usually succeeds. However, because of the difficulty in assured diagnosis and the possibility of strangulation or other complication, exploration of suspected bowel obstruction is recommended. Most of these explorations could be avoided if diagnostic accuracy were better, yielding a desirable decrease in the overall cost of managing bowel obstruction. METHODS Fifty patients whose clinical or plain x-ray findings suggested bowel obstruction underwent prospective evaluation by abdominal sonography and by flat and upright abdominal x-rays. Presence or absence of bowel obstruction was determined at laparotomy and by clinical evolution of the abdominal episode. Direct costs of care were determined from the hospital and physician bills of 54 patients treated contemporaneously with the sonography study. RESULTS Sonography demonstrated bowel obstruction by showing fluid-filled dilated bowel loops proximal to collapsed bowel in 22 patients with one false-positive and three false-negative examinations. X-rays demonstrated bowel obstruction in 32 patients with nine false-positive and one false-negative examination. Cost data showed that operative treatment of simple bowel obstruction increased costs nearly eightfold. CONCLUSIONS Sonography is as sensitive but more specific than plain x-rays in the diagnosis of bowel obstruction. Management based on sonographic findings has the potential to reduce costs of surgical care.
Switching period randomisation for multilevel converter modulation

The spectral energy associated with the carrier and sidebands of naturally sampled carrier based PWM can be spread by randomising the carrier (switch) half-period Tc = 1/2fc. So long as the switch duty cycle each period still correctly reflects the value of the modulating fundamental waveform as sampled during that switch period, then the fundamental component will remain undistorted. Natural sampling will ensure this occurs. Carrier based PWM can be extended to (m+1) level multilevel converter waveform generation by creating m triangular carriers, each with an equal 2π/m phase displacement. Alternatively the carrier disposition strategy calls for m amplitude displaced triangular carriers, each of amplitude 1/m and frequency mfc. Randomising these carrier sub-periods T0 = 1/2mfc is shown to generate (m+ 1) level PWM waveforms where the first (m-1) carrier groups are cancelled, while the remaining carrier and sidebands at multiples of mfc are spectrally spread. Numerous five level simulation and experimentally gathered randomised PWM waveforms are presented, showing the effects of the variation of the degree of randomisation, modulation depth and pulse number.
Inquiry‐based examination of chemical disruption of bacterial biofilms

Inquiry‐based instruction in the sciences has been demonstrated as a successful educational strategy to use for both high school and college science classrooms. As participants in the NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K‐12 Education (GK‐12) Program, we were tasked with creating novel inquiry‐based activities for high school classrooms. As a way to introduce microbiology, molecular biology, ecology, and human health to students, we created a laboratory activity involving formation of biofilms composed of environmental bacteria from pond water and investigation into the resistance of these biofilms to antimicrobial agents. Two high schools participated in this study in different ways. Pike High School biology and advanced environmental science classrooms obtained pond water samples and grew biofilms from the bacteria in the pond water on plastic plates. They also observed killing of these biofilms by common household antimicrobial agents. As a senior capstone project, students at Arsenal Technical High School built on these research findings by isolating two different bacterial strains from the pond water and demonstrating the stimulatory effect of ethanol on biofilms formed by isolated bacterial strains. These activities were successful at introducing complex biological topics to high school students in a unique and exciting way. The students scored significantly higher on postactivity surveys compared with preactivity surveys that measured microbiology knowledge and experimental design knowledge. Furthermore, these projects seemed to elicit an excitement for science in the students who participated.
Exploring the rhetorical orientations of design trends: a Kenneth Burkean approach

This paper aims to offer a new perspective on the rhetorical analysis of aesthetic design trends, by employing the theories of literary theorist and critic, Kenneth Burke. Although Burke is occasionally mentioned in design scholarship, up to date there is no in-depth application of his theory in this domain. An overview of some of Burke’s key concepts is provided, after which the potential of his theoretical approach is illustrated by analysing a case study. The approach outlined here is referred to as meta-rhetorical insofar as it aims to analyse both the visual and discursive rhetorical strategies employed by designers. It is argued here that this meta-rhetorical approach is ideally suited to the interrogation of new design trends, since they are usually surrounded by explanations or justifications of motive. As a case study, the revitalised interest in craft values along with the appropriation of craft aesthetics, referred to here as neo-craft, is analysed. Although only this one example is analysed, the aim is to show how Burke’s rhetorical theory could be applied in the analysis of a wider range of design products, processes and discourses. Furthermore, Burke’s theory may shed light on the nature of trend dynamics and provide a foundation for questioning the motives that drive change.
Quality practices and their influence on customer results: an empirical study

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the critical factors of quality and customer results in the rural accommodation sector. An extensive review of the academic literature allows us to propose a theoretical model that explains this relationship, together with the hypotheses to be validated by the technique of structural equation modelling. Empirical data were collected from 100 rural accommodation establishments in Spain certified with the Quality Management System. The results show a direct, significant and positive relationship between employee management and process management with customer results. Knowing the structure of relationships between the critical factors of quality and customer results provides managers of rural accommodation establishments with information about which factors they should focus their efforts on when their goal is to improve the results in their clients. The relationship between the critical factors of quality and customers results has not been analysed in the rural accommodation sector, an essential component of rural tourism, which in recent years is consolidating as a major tourist destination.
Coherent optical phonon generation in Bi3Ge4O12

Time-domain spectroscopy of coherent optical phonons in bismuth germinate (Bi4Ge3O12) is presented. Utilizing both impulsive stimulated Raman scattering and time-domain terahertz spectroscopy, more than 12 unique vibrational states ranging in frequency from 2 to 11 THz are identified, each with coherent lifetimes ranging from 1 to 20 ps. These modes are highly sensitive to crystal orientation and demonstrate frequency shifts on picosecond timescales consistent with an anharmonic lattice potential.
The role of family caregivers in HIV medication adherence

Abstract This study examines the role that mid-life and older wives and mothers play in promoting medication adherence among their HIV-infected husbands or adult sons who require daily living assistance. Interviews were conducted with 112 caregiving dyads, with caregivers reporting on their own behaviours and attitudes towards medications, and care-recipients (persons living with HIV [PLH]) providing information about their own adherence practices. By examining how caregiver characteristics, behaviours, and attitudes may influence PLH adherence it is explicitly recognized that caregivers and PLH are linked within a caregiving dyad. Findings indicate that caregivers often remind PLH to take medications, but these reminders are not significantly associated with adherence. Caregivers also report strong attitudes about medication hassles, concerns over treatment failure and general concerns about adherence. Controlling for background characteristics, high perceived adherence hassles on the part of the caregiver were associated with low PLH adherence, providing evidence of shared influence within the caregiving dyad. Adherence interventions may maximize their effectiveness if they consider the role of the family caregiver because these data suggest that caregiver attitudes are linked with PLH adherence behaviours.
An Examination of the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit

A major policy response to the 2008 housing crisis was the First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000. To estimate the tax credit effects on homeownership, I construct a quarterly first-time homebuyer time-series using American Housing Survey data. Using both an event-study and a difference-in-difference framework, I estimate the tax credit induced 301,900 first-time homeowners and calculate the government paid $24,180 per additional homeowner. I find no evidence that first-time homebuyers bought more expensive houses or increased default rates. Estimating state and MSA-level effects I find a strong correlation between effect size and average home values, with a doubling in average home values implying a drop in effect size by 19.7 percentage points. These local effects also reveal larger effects in areas with smaller housing busts, had lower mortgage delinquency rates, and have higher housing supply elasticity.
Discovery of metabolic resistance to neonicotinoids in green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) in Australia.

BACKGROUND Myzus persicae is a serious pest that attacks a broad range of agricultural crops. This species has developed chemical resistance to many insecticides globally, and within Australia resistance to multiple chemical groups has been identified. Resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides has been discovered in several countries, but has not previously been confirmed in Australia. We use biomolecular assays and bioassays on field-collected populations to investigate neonicotinoid resistance in M. persicae within Australia. RESULTS Several geographically and genetically distinct populations showed evidence for resistance in bioassays. Genetic markers identified that the mechanism of neonicotinoid resistance in Australia is metabolic resistance through the enhanced expression of a cytochrome P450 gene, CYP6CY3. CONCLUSION M. persicae populations in parts of Australia are now resistant to four different insecticide chemical groups, raising concerns about the long-term management of this pest. While higher copy numbers of CYP6CY3 were seen in all resistant populations, the number of gene copies was not strongly correlated with the level of resistance as determined by LD50 values generated through bioassays. This finding sheds further light on the complexity of the P450 genes in regulating neonicotinoid resistance. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
Examining a Home Environmental Strategy to Reduce Availability of Legal Products That Can Be Misused by Youth

This article presents results from a study of a home environmental strategy (HES) designed to reduce availability of harmful legal products (HLPs) in the home that can be used by youth to get high. HLPs include inhalants, prescription and nonprescription drugs, and household products that can be ingested to get high. Availability is one of the most consistent predictors of substance use among youth. Parents of 5th- to 7th-grade students in four Alaskan communities participated in telephone interviews as part of a larger study of a multicomponent Community Prevention Model (CPM) that included a HES. The strategy was designed to encourage parents to reduce availability of HLPs by removing them from the home, and by locking up and monitoring the supplies of HLPs in the home. Data from 402 parents at Wave 1 and 371 parents at Wave 2 were analyzed using Hierarchical Non-Linear Modeling (HNLM). Results show there was a significant decrease in HLPs in the home from Wave 1 to Wave 2, mostly inhalants and prescription and nonprescription drugs. Parents also reported a significant increase in locking up prescription and nonprescription drugs in the home. Parents’ direct exposure to the HES was marginally associated with the change over time in HLP availability in the home. Indirect exposure through others and media was not associated with this change. Study lessons learned and conclusions are highlighted.
A third major locus for autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia maps to 1p34.1-p32.

Autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia (ADH), one of the most frequent hereditary disorders, is characterized by an isolated elevation of LDL particles that leads to premature mortality from cardiovascular complications. It is generally assumed that mutations in the LDLR and APOB genes account for ADH. We identified one large French pedigree (HC2) and 12 additional white families with ADH in which we excluded linkage to the LDLR and APOB, implicating a new locus we named "FH3. " A LOD score of 3.13 at a recombination fraction of 0 was obtained at markers D1S2892 and D1S2722. We localized the FH3 locus to a 9-cM interval at 1p34.1-p32. We tested four regional markers in another set of 12 ADH families. Positive LOD scores were obtained in three pedigrees, whereas linkage was excluded in the others. Heterogeneity tests indicated linkage to FH3 in approximately 27% of these non-LDLR/non-APOB ADH families and implied a fourth locus. Radiation hybrid mapping located four candidate genes at 1p34.1-p32, outside the critical region, showing no identity with FH3. Our results show that ADH is genetically more heterogeneous than conventionally accepted.
Corporate social responsibility disclosures in Malaysia: evidence from large companies

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine whether there is any improvement in the extent and quality of corporate social responsibility disclosures (CSRD) in Malaysia between 2011 and 2014 and to determine the factors that influence the extent and quality of CSRD in these two years. Also, this study examines the methods of disclosures and the items that largest Malaysian companies addressed. Design/methodology/approach - A self-constructed CSR is utilised to measure the extent and quality of CSRD in the annual reports of the top 71 Malaysian companies listed in Bursa Malaysia for the years 2011 and 2014. Multiple regressions along with their associated toolkits for data verification and diagnostic tests are used to assess the improvement in CSRD between 2011 and 2014 and the factors that affect CSRD. Findings - Results show a slight increase in the extent and quality of CSRD between 2011 and 2014. With regards to the factors influencing the CSRD, only awards is found to be significant in determining the extent and quality of CSRD either in 2011 or in 2014. Board size, ownership concentration, independent non-executives, and returns on assets (ROA) influence both the extent and quality of CSRD in 2011. Director ownership and firm size determine the extent and quality of CSRD in 2014. Government ownership only influences the extent of CSRD in 2011. Research limitations/implications - Some traditional limitations are found to be considered in future research such as the use of annual reports as the only source of CSRD information. Results support the legitimacy theory that assumes that Malaysian companies disclose CSR information as a reflection of the incidents that happen in that environment of the firm without ignoring the role of government in pushing those companies towards being socially responsible by issuing regulations, or in motivating those companies by introducing awards and giving fiscal facilities. Practical implications - The results help the policy makers to introduce more awards in some domains that Malaysian companies were less addressed and also to examine the causes behind the non-influencing of the new Malaysia code of corporate governance (MCCG 2012) on CSRD. Originality/value - The study can be considered as one of the limited empirical studies that assess the changes in CSRD before and after the issuance of MCCG2012 in Malaysia.
Effects of joint macrocell and residential picocell deployment on the network energy efficiency

Rising energy costs and the recent international focus on climate change issues has resulted in a high interest in improving the energy efficiency in the telecommunications industry. In this paper the effects of a joint deployment of macrocells for area coverage and publicly accessible residential picocells on the total energy consumption of the network is investigated. The decreasing energy efficiency of todaypsilas macrocellular technologies with increasing user demand for high data rates is discussed. It is shown that a joint deployment of macro- and publicly accessible residential picocells can reduce the total energy consumption by up to 60% in an urban area with todaypsilas technology. Furthermore the impact of future technologies for both macro- and femtocells on the energy efficiency is investigated. It is shown that the benefits of a joint macro- and picocell deployment will increase further as both technologies mature, and will result in a significant reduction of the network energy consumption as the user demand for high data rates increases.
Metabolism of lactose and citrate by mutants of Lactococcus lactis producing excess carbon dioxide

Mutants of Lactococcus lactis producing excess carbon dioxide could be isolated on LDHA-20 agar (described by El Attar et al. Journal of Dairy Research67 641–646 2000). The use of these mutants in the manufacture of Roquefort cheese has the potential to improve the formation of openings in this cheese. The aim of this work was to examine the stability of these mutants, their enzymic activities and their metabolism of lactose and citrate during growth in milk. They produced less l-lactate than the parent strain and their lactate dehydrogenase activity was lower. Nevertheless none of the mutants produced no L-lactate at all and the most active gas generators among them generally produced 30–50 mM-L-lactate. Unexpectedly, all the strains produced some D-lactate, some > 10 mM. We found that carbon dioxide production by the mutants could be determined indirectly by assaying acetoin, citrate and 2,3-butanediol by high-performance liquid chromatography. Generally, spontaneous mutants were more stable than those obtained after treating with nitrosoguanidine or u.v. irradiation.
LiDAR point clouds correction acquired from a moving car based on CAN-bus data

In this paper, we investigate the impact of different kind of car trajectories on LiDAR scans. In fact, LiDAR scanning speeds are considerably slower than car speeds introducing distortions. We propose a method to overcome this issue as well as new metrics based on CAN bus data. Our results suggest that the vehicle trajectory should be taken into account when building 3D large-scale maps from a LiDAR mounted on a moving vehicle.
Diabeto-anaesthesia: A subspecialty needing endocrine introspection

The advent of mechanical ventilators was a boon for anaesthesia and intensive care in the 1950s. These ventilators revolutionised modern-day anaesthesia and intensive care practices, thus contributing hugely to decreased anaesthesia-related morbidity and mortality. [1] No single discovery since then has contributed so much to improving the outcome of critically ill patients, until recently, when Van den Berghe used insulin to achieve tight glycaemic control in critically ill patients. Insulin usage was found to decrease both morbidity and mortality dramatically in critically ill diabetic patients. [2] This discovery spurred interest regarding diabetes amongst anaesthetists.
Endodontic treatment of dens evaginatus by performing a splint guided access cavity

AIM Dens evaginatus (DE) is described as an unusual dental malformation. Tooth structure variations attached to this anatomical disturbance complicates the performance of a conservative access cavity for a conventional root canal treatment. Author's purpose is to describe the treatment of a type V DE by using splits as guides to perform access cavity. CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS This clinical case shows a root canal treatment of a type V DE diagnosed by using a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Access cavity was planned through an osseointegrated implant planning software and guided by a stereolithographied split. After endodontic treatment, tooth was sculpted for placing a veneer, processed by a chair-side system in a single session. CONCLUSIONS CBCT is an effective method for obtaining internal anatomical information of teeth with anatomical malformations. The osseointegrated implant planning software is an effective method for planning root canal treatment and designing stereolithograped splits (for performing minimally invasive access cavities). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Stereolithographed splints allow performing a guided and conservative access cavity of teeth affected by dental malformations whereas digital technology allows us to esthetically reconstruct a tooth in a single session.
Enhancing Risk Parity by Including Views

Within the finance literature, there is an apparent gap between the inherent ignorance of expected returns of a risk parity approach on the one hand, and the assumed certainty of expected returns in a mean–variance approach on the other. The authors propose a portfolio selection framework that allows an investor to position herself between these two extremes. Depending on the confidence in one’s expected return estimates, the optimal portfolio will be tilted more toward the risk parity portfolio or the mean–variance portfolio. The authors illustrate the framework for an investor in an asset allocation context.