Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Young drivers' responses to anti-speeding advertisements: Comparison of self-report and objective measures of persuasive processing and outcomes

ABSTRACT Objective: Self-report measures are typically used to assess the effectiveness of road safety advertisements. However, psychophysiological measures of persuasive processing (i.e., skin conductance response [SCR]) and objective driving measures of persuasive outcomes (i.e., in-vehicle Global Positioning System [GPS] devices) may provide further insights into the effectiveness of these advertisements. This study aimed to explore the persuasive processing and outcomes of 2 anti-speeding advertisements by incorporating both self-report and objective measures of speeding behavior. In addition, this study aimed to compare the findings derived from these different measurement approaches. Methods: Young drivers (N = 20, M age = 21.01 years) viewed either a positive or negative emotion–based anti-speeding television advertisement. While viewing the advertisement, SCR activity was measured to assess ad-evoked arousal responses. The RoadScout GPS device was then installed in participants' vehicles for 1 week to measure on-road speed-related driving behavior. Self-report measures assessed persuasive processing (emotional and arousal responses) and actual driving behavior. Results: There was general correspondence between the self-report measures of arousal and the SCR and between the self-report measure of actual driving behavior and the objective driving data (as assessed via the GPS devices). Conclusions: This study provides insights into how psychophysiological and GPS devices could be used as objective measures in conjunction with self-report measures to further understand the persuasive processes and outcomes of emotion-based anti-speeding advertisements.
The Kink Phenomenon in the Transistor  ${\rm S} _{22}$: A Systematic and Numerical Approach

This letter provides a valuable technique for evaluating the size and the shape of the kink effect in S22 for microwave transistors. Since this phenomenon can be detected as the appearance of a concave shape in Im(S22) versus Re(S22), the second derivative of such a function is exploited for defining a set of parameters to fully and systematically characterize it. The effectiveness of the developed technique is demonstrated by its application to quantify the increase of the kink effect with the gate periphery for 0.15 μm GaAs HEMTs.
Automatic detection of sleep macrostructure based on a sensorized T-shirt

In the present work we apply a fully automatic procedure to the analysis of signal coming from a sensorized T-shit, worn during the night, for sleep evaluation. The goodness and reliability of the signals recorded trough the T-shirt was previously tested, while the employed algorithms for feature extraction and sleep classification were previously developed on standard ECG recordings and the obtained classification was compared to the standard clinical practice based on polysomnography (PSG). In the present work we combined T-shirt recordings and automatic classification and could obtain reliable sleep profiles, i.e. the sleep classification in WAKE, REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM stages, based on heart rate variability (HRV), respiration and movement signals.
The Epidemiology of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department With Severe Sepsis

ABSTRACT Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a serious complication of sepsis, and sepsis-associated ARDS is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. To date, no study has directly examined the epidemiology of ARDS in severe sepsis from the earliest presentation to the health care system, the emergency department (ED). Methods: This was a single-center retrospective, observational cohort study of 778 adults with severe sepsis presenting to the ED. The primary outcome was the development of ARDS requiring mechanical ventilation during the first 5 hospital days. Acute respiratory distress syndrome was defined using the Berlin definition. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors associated independently with ARDS development. Results: The incidence of ARDS was 6.2% (48/778 patients) in the entire cohort. Acute respiratory distress syndrome development varied across the continuum of care: 0.9% of patients fulfilled criteria for ARDS in the ED, 1.4% admitted to the ward developed ARDS, and 8.9% admitted to the intensive care unit developed ARDS. Acute respiratory distress syndrome developed a median of 1 day after admission and was associated with a 4-fold higher risk of in-hospital mortality (14% vs. 60%, P < 0.001). Independent risk factors associated with increased risk of ARDS development included intermediate (2–3.9 mmol/L) (P = 0.04) and high (≥4) serum lactate levels (P = 0.008), Lung Injury Prediction score (P < 0.001), and microbiologically proven infection (P = 0.01). Conclusions: In patients presenting to the ED with severe sepsis, the rate of sepsis-associated ARDS development varied across the continuum of care. Acute respiratory distress syndrome developed rapidly and was associated with significant mortality. Elevated serum lactate levels in the ED and a recently validated clinical prediction score were independently associated with the development of ARDS in severe sepsis.
Approaches to small firm marketing

Though academic research into the marketing/ entrepreneurship interface is of only relatively recent origin, it would seem that the basic principles of marketing appear to be equally valuable to both large and small firms. This article provides a critical review of the research into the role and process of marketing in small firms and attempts to classify the existing studies. In so doing, it identifies four approaches, namely the stages/growth model; the management styles model; the marketing as a management function model and the contingency model. From this, it concludes that in order to advance the theory of small business marketing a theoretical framework integrating the contingency approach and the process model appears to hold the greatest potential.
Automatic view selection in multi-view object recognition

We introduce a new method for automatic selection of optimal views in a shape-based method of multi-view 3D object representation and recognition. A 3D object is recognised by an optimum number of images taken from different views. The object boundary of each view is considered as a 2D shape and is represented by the locations of the maxima of its curvature scale space (CSS) image contours. An unknown object is then recognised by a single image taken from an arbitrary viewpoint. The method has been tested on a collection of 3D objects consisting of 15 aircraft of different shapes. Each object has been modelled using an optimised number of silhouette contours obtained from different view points. The results obtained show that robust and efficient 3D free form object recognition through multi-view representation can be achieved using the CSS representation even for large database retrieval applications.
The employer potential of MOOCs: a mixed-methods study of human resource professionals' thinking on MOOCs

While press coverage of MOOCs (massive open online courses) has been considerable and major MOOC providers are beginning to realize that employers may be a market for their courses, research on employers’ receptivity to using MOOCs is scarce. To help fill this gap, the Finding and Developing Talent study surveyed 103 employers and interviewed a subset of 20 about their awareness of MOOCs and their receptivity to using MOOCs in recruiting, hiring, and professional development. Results showed that though awareness of MOOCs was relatively low (31% of the surveyed employers had heard of MOOCs), once they understood what they were, the employers perceived MOOCs positively in hiring decisions, viewing them mainly as indicating employees’ personal attributes like motivation and a desire to learn. A majority of employers (59%) were also receptive to using MOOCs for recruiting purposes—especially for staff with technical skills in high demand. Yet an even higher percentage (83%) were using, considering using, or could see their organization using MOOCs for professional development. Interviews with employers suggested that obtaining evidence about the quality of MOOCs, including the long-term learning and work performance gains that employees accrue from taking them, would increase employers’ use of MOOCs not just in professional development but also in recruiting and hiring.
Speech Recognition Using Acoustic Similarity-Based Primitives

This paper proposes an algorithm that automatically acquires a new recognition primitive by splitting the training sample so that the likeness of the whole training sample to the model is maximized. The primitive obtained by the proposed method is a primitive integrating several time-continuous phonemes. It is called an acoustic similarity-based primitive (ASP). The algorithm proposed in this paper performs in parallel ASP acquisition and ASP modeling by HMnet. The two are simultaneously optimized. In phoneme recognition experiments for six specified speakers, the recognition rate was improved by approximately 3.5% on the average, compared to the conventional phoneme HMnet, by increasing the number of candidates by approximately 14.6% on the average. A method is also proposed in which an ASP is built in a large-vocabulary continuous speech recognition system. In a recognition experiment with eight specified speakers, the accuracy of word recognition was improved by approximately 2.6%, compared to the phoneme HMnet. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Syst Comp Jpn, 33(1): 8–17, 2002
Angular versus spatial resolution trade‐offs for diffusion imaging under time constraints

Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW‐MRI) are now widely used to assess brain integrity in clinical populations. The growing interest in mapping brain connectivity has made it vital to consider what scanning parameters affect the accuracy, stability, and signal‐to‐noise of diffusion measures. Trade‐offs between scan parameters can only be optimized if their effects on various commonly‐derived measures are better understood. To explore angular versus spatial resolution trade‐offs in standard tensor‐derived measures, and in measures that use the full angular information in diffusion signal, we scanned eight subjects twice, 2 weeks apart, using three protocols that took the same amount of time (7 min). Scans with 3.0, 2.7, 2.5 mm isotropic voxels were collected using 48, 41, and 37 diffusion‐sensitized gradients to equalize scan times. A specially designed DTI phantom was also scanned with the same protocols, and different b‐values. We assessed how several diffusion measures including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and the full 3D orientation distribution function (ODF) depended on the spatial/angular resolution and the SNR. We also created maps of stability over time in the FA, MD, ODF, skeleton FA of 14 TBSS‐derived ROIs, and an information uncertainty index derived from the tensor distribution function, which models the signal using a continuous mixture of tensors. In scans of the same duration, higher angular resolution and larger voxels boosted SNR and improved stability over time. The increased partial voluming in large voxels also led to bias in estimating FA, but this was partially addressed by using “beyond‐tensor” models of diffusion. Hum Brain Mapp 34:2688–2706, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Social factors and disease: the sociological perspective.

Much of the work of medical sociology is concerned with how disease and illness are defined and managed,' but with all this activity little, particularly in Britain, has been focused on the facts of disease and suffering (M Jeffreys, unpublished paper). I will restrict myself to the neglected issues of the aetiology and course of disease as I believe that they present sociology with the toughest intellectual challenge. In dealing with these issues it is not unreasonable to expect sociology to take a grand perspective, and Richard Warner's recent impressive inquiry Recovery from Schizophrenia does just this. It argues for important social influences both on the medical management of this potentially chronic and highly handicapping disorder and on its course. At its core is a claim that the recovery rate from schizophrenia was lower during the great depression in the 1930s than either earlier or later, and particularly that the dramatic changes in the care of schizophrenic patients in the 1950s were a consequence of the extremely low rates of unemployment and a postwar demand for labour.2
Resolving Auditor-Client Conflicts Concerning Financial Statement Issues

This study explores the conflict management styles used by auditors when resolving disputes with clients concerning financial statement issues. Rahim? s (1983a) ROCI-II conflict management instrument was used to establish both the styles generally used and also those used in a scenario concerning possible inventory obsolescence. Size of the client and the strength of its corporate governance mechanisms were manipulated in the scenario. It was found that auditors indicate that they primarily use the integrating style to resolve disputes. The compromising and dominating styles are used to a lesser extent while the obliging and avoiding styles are rarely used. Partners are more likely than managers to use more assertive styles of conflict management. The size of the client and the strength of corporate governance mechanisms in place have a significant but relatively minor impact on the choice of styles. The study also identifies the parties whom the auditor would expect to help resolve the dispute. It was found that, when resolving a dispute with the client? s chief financial officer, the audit committee is perceived to give the most assistance, followed by the chief executive officer.
Modeling electrical activity of myocardial cells incorporating the effects of ephaptic coupling

Existing models of electrical activity in myocardial tissue are unable to easily capture the effects of ephaptic coupling. Homogenized models do not account for cellular geometry, while detailed spatial models are too complicated to simulate in three dimensions. Here we propose a unique model that accurately captures the geometric effects while being computationally efficient. We use this model to provide an initial study of the effects of changes in extracellular geometry, gap junctional coupling, and sodium ion channel distribution on propagation velocity in a single 1D strand of cells. In agreement with previous studies, we find that ephaptic coupling increases propagation velocity at low gap junctional conductivity while it decreases propagation at higher conductivities. We also find that conduction velocity is relatively insensitive to gap junctional coupling when sodium ion channels are located entirely on the cell ends and cleft space is small. The numerical efficiency of this model, verified by comparison with more detailed simulations, allows a thorough study in parameter variation and shows that cellular structure and geometry has a nontrivial impact on propagation velocity. This model can be relatively easily extended to higher dimensions while maintaining numerical efficiency and incorporating ephaptic effects through modeling of complex, irregular cellular geometry.
Synthesis of N-halamine-functionalized silica–polymer core–shell nanoparticles and their enhanced antibacterial activity

N-halamine-functionalized silica–polymer core–shell nanoparticles with enhanced antibacterial activity were synthesized through the encapsulation of silica nanoparticles as support with polymeric N-halamine. The as-synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDX), dynamic light scattering (DLS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). These N-halamine-functionalized silica–polymer core–shell nanoparticles displayed powerful antibacterial performance against both Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria, and their antibacterial activities have been greatly improved compared with their bulk counterparts. Therefore, these N-halamine-functionalized silica–polymer core–shell nanoparticles have the potential for various significant applications such as in medical devices, healthcare products, water purification systems, hospitals, dental office equipment, food packaging, food storage, household sanitation, etc.
Blood Pulsation Imaging

The non-invasive imaging technique is invaluable medical tool for diagnostics and monitoring of the numerous vascular and neurological diseases. The simple and easily available in vivo imaging technique can serve as a good alternative to the expensive and complex medical imagers, such as nowadays widely used MRI or PET, capable of characterization of the blood dynamics in a live body. This thesis is devoted to the description of a novel optical technique, which we called Blood Pulsation Imaging (BPI). The BPI technique exploits the photoplethysmographic imaging based on the processing of the video recordings of the live tissue in the reflectance geometry. The algorithm for the data processing in BPI allows evaluating of two-dimensional maps of key parameters of the blood pulsations: (i) the blood pulsation amplitude and (ii) the blood pulsation relative phase. The mapping of these BPI parameters can be done with the high spatial resolution in the large object’s areas after each cardiac cycle. The image processing in BPI technique is based on the amplification of those pixel values in the recorded video frames, which vary synchronously with each heart beat. A reference function required for the synchronous amplification of cardiovascular pulse waves can be formed from the same video frames, which means that the technique does not demand any external device for detecting of the heart beating. Validated experimental results presented in the thesis demonstrate the reliability of the blood pulsation imaging technique, which allowed us to apply BPI successfully to the study of such complicated neurological phenomena as cortical spreading depression in animal model of migraine and to study vascular phenomena in humans suffering from migraine. Our study of vascular dynamics in healthy adults carried out with BPI revealed the ambiguity of the relative phase of blood pulsations in human body, which was never reported before. The proposed non-invasive BPI technique is technologically simple and cost-effective, which makes it applicable for many tasks related with monitoring and diagnostics of the physiological parameters.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Interferential Therapy on the Upper Trapezius in Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Study

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and interferential therapy (IFT) both in combination with hot pack, myofascial release, active range of motion exercise, and a home exercise program on myofascial pain syndrome patients with upper trapezius myofascial trigger point. DesignA total of 105 patients with an upper trapezius myofascial trigger point were recruited to this single-blind randomized controlled trial. Following random allocation of patients to three groups, three therapeutic regimens—control-standard care (hot pack, active range of motion exercises, myofascial release, and a home exercise program with postural advice), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation-standard care and IFT-standard care—were administered eight times during 4 wks at regular intervals. Pain intensity and cervical range of motions (cervical extension, lateral flexion to the contralateral side, and rotation to the ipsilateral side) were measured at baseline, immediately after the first treatment, before the eighth treatment, and 1 wk after the eighth treatment. ResultsImmediate and short-term improvements were marked in the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation group (n = 35) compared with the IFT group (n = 35) and the control group (n = 35) with respect to pain intensity and cervical range of motions (P < 0.05). The IFT group showed significant improvement on these outcome measurements than the control group did (P < 0.05). ConclusionTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with standard care facilitates recovery better than IFT does in the same combination.
Impact of Experimentally Induced Positive and Anxious Mood on Alcohol Expectancy Strength in Internally Motivated Drinkers

The effects of musically‐induced positive and anxious mood on explicit alcohol‐related cognitions (alcohol expectancy strength) in 47 undergraduate students who consume alcohol either to enhance positive mood states (for enhancement motives) or to cope with anxiety (for anxiety‐related coping motives) were investigated. Pre‐ and post‐mood induction, participants completed the emotional reward and emotional relief subscales of the Alcohol Craving Questionnaire – Now. The hypothesis that anxiety‐related coping motivated drinkers in the anxious mood condition (but not those in the positive mood condition) would exhibit increases in strength of explicit emotional relief alcohol expectancies after the mood induction was supported. An additional, unanticipated finding was that enhancement‐motivated drinkers in the anxious condition also showed significant increases in strength of explicit emotional relief (but not emotional reward) alcohol expectancies. The hypothesis that enhancement‐motivated (but not anxiety‐related coping motivated) participants would exhibit increases in explicit emotional reward expectancies following exposure to the positive mood induction procedure was not supported. Taken together with past research findings, the current results highlight the importance of distinguishing between subtypes of negative affect (i.e., anxious and depressed affect) in exploring the affective antecedents of explicit alcohol outcome expectancies.