Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in the daily activity of patients with diabetic foot ulcers compared to controls in their free‐living environments

The aims of our study were to investigate multiple daily activity outcomes in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) compared to diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and diabetes (DM) controls in their free‐living environments. We examined daily activity outcomes of 30 patients with DFU, 23 DPN and 20 DM. All patients wore a validated multi‐sensor device for > 5 days (>22 hours per day) to measure their daily activity outcomes: steps, energy expenditure (kJ), average metabolic equivalent tasks (METs), physical activity (>3·0 METs) duration and energy expenditure, lying duration, sleep duration and sleep quality. We found that DFU patients recorded fewer median (interquartile ranges, IQR) daily steps [2154 (1621–4324)] than DPN [3660 (2742–7705)] and DM [5102 (4011–7408)] controls (P < 0·05). In contrast, DFU patients recorded more mean ± SD daily energy expenditure (kJ) (13 006 ± 3559) than DPN (11 085 ± 1876) and DM (11 491 ± 1559) controls (P < 0·05). We found no other differences in daily activity outcomes (P > 0·1). We conclude that DFU patients typically take fewer steps but expend more energy during their normal daily activity than DPN and DM controls. We hypothesise that the increased energy expenditure for DFU patients may be due to wound healing or an inefficient gait strategy. Further investigations into this energy imbalance in DFU patients may improve healing in future.
Remarks on Hadamard conjugation and combinatorial phylogenetics

Hadamard conjugation can be used in the reconstruction of evolutionary trees and analysis of molecular sequence evolution. Despite the number of advantages Hadamard conjugation provides the number of evolutionary substitution models that can be used with this technique is limited. In this paper, we consider the question of whether Hadamard conjugation is limited to group-based evolutionary models, both for nucleotide substitution models and for codon substitution models. We expand the number of nucleotide substitution models that can be used with Hadamard conjugation and suggest new connections between phylogenetics and algebraic combinatorics especially with (commutative) association schemes.
Shooting a Moving Target: Use of Real-Time Cine Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessment of the Small Bowel

ABSTRACT The chronic nature of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) creates a lifelong effect on the morbidity of children affected by the disease. The ability to confidently identify and characterize complications resulting from IBD in the pediatric patient is of critical importance. Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) is especially valuable in the diagnostic assessment of IBD; however, precise elucidation of complications including strictures can be difficult with standard MRE sequences. The recent development of faster MRI pulse sequences provides rapid, real-time imaging of the intestinal tract. In this review, we describe how the addition of cine MRE confidently pinpoints areas of stricture, aids in lesion detection and diagnosis, and provides valuable information on intestinal motility.
IoT Data Analytics Using Deep Learning

Deep learning is a popular machine learning approach which has achieved a lot of progress in all traditional machine learning areas. Internet of thing (IoT) and Smart City deployments are generating large amounts of time-series sensor data in need of analysis. Applying deep learning to these domains has been an important topic of research. The Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) network has been proven to be well suited for dealing with and predicting important events with long intervals and delays in the time series. LTSM networks have the ability to maintain long-term memory. In an LTSM network, a stacked LSTM hidden layer also makes it possible to learn a high level temporal feature without the need of any fine tuning and preprocessing which would be required by other techniques. In this paper, we construct a long-short term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network structure, use the normal time series training set to build the prediction model. And then we use the predicted error from the prediction model to construct a Gaussian naive Bayes model to detect whether the original sample is abnormal. This method is called LSTM-Gauss-NBayes for short. We use three real-world data sets, each of which involve long-term time-dependence or short-term time-dependence, even very weak time dependence. The experimental results show that LSTM-Gauss-NBayes is an effective and robust model.
To Bribe or Not to Bribe? Determinants in the Indian Context

In the present study, using a sample of 113 MBA students from a premier management institute in India, we examined the influences on the propensity to bribe. As hypothesized, the results of the logistic regression model indicated that individuals' perception of distributive injustice in their organization resulted in an increased propensity to bribe. Contrary to our hypothesis, individuals' perception of procedural fairness increased the probability of propensity to bribe. Additionally, the hypothesis that the propensity to bribe would increase when the financial benefits accrue to the individual rather than the organization and its members received marginal support. The results also showed that the propensity to bribe increased when the bribe‐giver had greater concern for the employees of the organization; and the propensity to bribe decreased when the bribe‐giver exhibited greater concern for customers. Finally, we discuss the implications of our study for research and practice.
Money and Prices: A Model of Search and Bargaining

This paper makes commodities divisible and incorporates bargaining into the search-theoretic model of money to determine the purchasing power of money (or price). It is shown that two monetary equilibria always coexist where flat money is universally accepted. The two equilibria differ in price, output, welfare and the velocity of money. Sunspot monetary equilibria exist in which money is universally accepted in all states of the economy. Multiplicity has novel implications on the effectiveness of currency substitution and exchange market intervention.
Adaptations to aerobic interval training: interactive effects of exercise intensity and total work duration

To compare the effects of three 7‐week interval training programs varying in work period duration but matched for effort in trained recreational cyclists. Thirty‐five cyclists (29 male, 6 female, VO2peak 52 ± 6 mL kg/min) were randomized to four training groups with equivalent training the previous 2 months (∼6 h/wk, ∼1.5 int. session/wk). Low only (n=8) trained 4–6 sessions/wk at a low‐intensity. Three groups (n=9 each) trained 2 sessions/wk × 7 wk: 4 × 4 min, 4 × 8 min, or 4 × 16 min, plus 2–3 weekly low‐intensity bouts. Interval sessions were prescribed at the maximal tolerable intensity. Interval training was performed at 88 ± 2, 90 ± 2, and 94 ± 2% of HRpeak and 4.9, 9.6, and 13.2 mmol/L blood lactate in 4 × 16, 4 × 8, and 4 × 4 min groups, respectively (both P<0.001). 4 × 8min training induced greater overall gains in VO2peak, power@VO2peak, and power@4 mM bLa‐ (Mean ± 95%CI): 11.4 (8.0–14.9), vs 4.2 (0.4–8.0), 5.6 (2.1–9.1), and 5.5% (2.0–9.0) in Low, 4 × 16, and 4 × 4 min groups, respectively (P<0.02 for 4 × 8 min vs all other groups). Interval training intensity and accumulated duration interact to influence the adaptive response. Accumulating 32 min of work at 90% HR max induces greater adaptive gains than accumulating 16 min of work at ∼95% HR max despite lower RPE.
ℒ1 adaptive output feedback controller for minimum phase systems

This paper presents an £1 adaptive output feed back controller for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems in the presence of time and output dependent unknown nonlinearities. As compared to earlier introduced £1 adaptive output feedback control architectures, the architecture in this paper relies on system inversion, and is therefore limited to minimum phase systems. Similar to prior solutions in £1 adaptive control theory, the feedback structure is comprised of the three main elements, involving predictor, adaptation laws and low-pass filter, with the only difference that the predictor here is an input predictor and not a state predictor. Whereas in prior architectures of £1 adaptive output feedback control the verification of the sufficient condition for stability, written in terms of £1 norm of cascaded systems, was not straightforward, the solution proposed in this paper, under mild assumptions on system dynamics, provides a complete parametrization of the low-pass filters for the design purposes. The closed-loop system achieves arbitrarily close tracking of the input and the output signals of the reference system. Simulations verify the theoretical findings.
Sex differences and central protective effect of 17beta-estradiol in the development of aldosterone/NaCl-induced hypertension.

The present study tested the hypotheses that male and female rats respond differently to subcutaneous infusions of aldosterone (Aldo; 1.8 microg.kg(-1). h(-1), 1% NaCl to drink; 28 days) and that central estrogen plays a protective role against the development of hypertension. In rats with blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) measured by Data Sciences International telemetry, chronic Aldo/NaCl treatment induced a greater increase in BP in males (Delta25.4 +/- 2.4 mmHg) than in females (Delta7.1 +/- 2.2 mmHg). Gonadectomy augmented Aldo/NaCl-induced hypertension in females (Delta18.2 +/- 2.0 mmHg) but had no effect in males (Delta23.1 +/- 2.9 mmHg). Immunohistochemistry for Fra-like activity was higher in the paraventricular nucleus of intact males, castrated males, and ovariectomized (OVX) females compared with intact females after 28 days of Aldo/NaCl treatment. In intact males, central 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) inhibited the Aldo/NaCl increase in BP (Delta10.5 +/- 0.8) compared with that in central vehicle plus systemic Aldo/NaCl (Delta26.1 +/- 2.5 mmHg) rats. Combined administration of E(2) and estrogen receptor antagonist ICI182780 (ICI) blocked the protective effect of E(2) (Delta23.2 +/- 2.4 mmHg). In intact females central, but not peripheral, infusions of ICI augmented the Aldo/NaCl (Delta20.4 +/- 1.8 mmHg) BP increase. Finally, ganglionic blockade after Aldo infusions resulted in a smaller reduction in BP in intact females (-23.9 +/- 2.5 mmHg) and in central estrogen-treated males (-30.2 +/- 1.0 mmHg) compared with other groups (intact males, -39.3 +/- 3.4; castrated males, -41.8 +/- 1.9; intact males with central E(2) + ICI, -42.3 +/- 2.1; OVX females, -40.3 +/- 3.3; and intact females with central ICI, -39.1 +/- 1.3 mmHg). Chronic Aldo infusion produced increases in NaCl intake and decreases in HR that were both similar in all groups. Taken together, the results indicate that central estrogen plays a protective role in the development of Aldo/NaCl-induced hypertension and that this may result from reduced sympathetic outflow.
Micro Estimates of Public Spending Demand Functions and Tests of the Tiebout and Median-Voter Hypotheses

Responses to questions given to a random sample of Michigan households are used to estimate public spending demand functions. While income and price elasticities are similar to those obtained from aggregate data, positive income elasticities appear to arise because public services are distributed in a prorich manner. A relatively small variance in spending demands among urban and suburban communities in metropolitan areas with substantial public service variety suggests that the Tiebout mechanism works. This interpretation is supported by the fact that actual spending conforms substantially to desired levels in urban areas, but less so in rural areas with little public sector choice.
Convergent Connectivity and Graded Specialization in the Rostral Human Temporal Lobe as Revealed by Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Probabilistic Tractography

In recent years, multiple independent neuroscience investigations have implicated critical roles for the rostral temporal lobe in auditory and visual perception, language, and semantic memory. Although arising in the context of different cognitive functions, most of these suggest that there is a gradual convergence of sensory information in the temporal lobe that culminates in modality- and perceptually invariant representations at the most rostral aspect. Currently, however, too little is known regarding connectivity within the human temporal lobe to be sure of exactly how and where convergence occurs; existing hypotheses are primarily derived on the basis of cross-species generalizations from invasive nonhuman primate studies, the validity of which is unclear, especially where language function is concerned. In this study, we map the connectivity of the human rostral temporal lobe in vivo for the first time using diffusion-weighted imaging probabilistic tractography. The results indicate that convergence of sensory information in the temporal lobe is in fact a graded process that occurs along both its longitudinal and lateral axes and culminates in the most rostral limits. We highlight the consistency of our results with those of prior functional neuroimaging, computational modeling, and patient studies. By going beyond simple fasciculus reconstruction, we systematically explored the connectivity of specific temporal lobe areas to frontal and parietal language regions. In contrast to the graded within-temporal lobe connectivity, this intertemporal connectivity was found to dissociate across caudal, mid, and rostral subregions. Furthermore, we identified a basal rostral temporal region with very limited connectivity to areas outside the temporal lobe, which aligns with recent evidence that this subregion underpins the extraction of modality- and context-invariant semantic representations.
TRIM Proteins: Another Class of Viral Victims

Influenza A virus suppresses the host interferon response by interfering with the RIG-I and TRIM25 antiviral molecules. TRIM (tripartite motif) proteins are a family of RING (really interesting new gene) domain–containing proteins comprising more than 70 human members, with new members still being described. In addition to their involvement in cell proliferation, differentiation, development, morphogenesis, and apoptosis, roles in immune signaling and antiviral functions are emerging. In response to viral infection, TRIM25 ubiquitinates the N terminus of the viral RNA receptor retinoic acid–inducible gene-I (RIG-I), and this modification is essential for RIG-I to interact with its downstream partner mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS). TRIM25 activity thus leads to activation of the RIG-I signaling pathway, which results in type I interferon production to limit viral replication. Recently, it has been demonstrated that influenza A viruses target TRIM25 and disable its antiviral function, thereby suppressing the host interferon response. This Journal Club article highlights the emerging roles of TRIM proteins in antiviral defense mechanisms and an immune evasion strategy in which influenza viruses target a member of the TRIM family.
Financial intermediation and economic growth: evidence from Western Africa

The relationship between finance and economic growth has received considerable attention in economic development literature during recent decades. However, little interest has been devoted to African countries, and specifically, to West African countries. This paper tries to fill that gap, by using causality tests to empirically examine the relationship between finance and economic growth, in the context of West African country members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In all but a few countries, results indicate a weak causal relationship between finance and economic development on one side, and between economic development and finance on the other side. These results imply, ceteris paribus, that leaders of West African countries should focus their economic and monetary policies on the development of financial intermediation, which in turn will favour economic growth.
An analysis of cross-sectional differences in big and non-big public accounting firms' audit programs

A significant body of prior research has shown that audits by the Big 5 (now Big 4) public accounting firms are quality differentiated relative to non‐Big 5 audits. This result can be derived analytically by assuming that Big 5 and non‐Big 5 firms face different loss functions for “audit failures” and is consistent with a variety of empirical evidence from studies of audit fees, auditor changes, and the stock price reaction to audited earnings. However, there is no existing evidence (of which we are aware) concerning the underlying production differences between Big 5 and non‐Big 5 audits. As a result, existing empirical evidence cannot distinguish between the possibility that Big 5 audits are simply perceived to be different (e.g., by investors) or actually differ in how they are produced. Our research objective is to identify the production characteristics of audit engagements that may explain the differences in expected audit quality between Big 5 and non‐Big 5 firms. In this archival study, we examine.
Asymmetries and tails in stock index returns: are their distributions really asymmetric?

Abstract This paper examines the symmetry of the distribution of four major stock index returns: Standard and Poor's 500, Dow-Jones Industrial, Nikkei 225, and Financial Times 100, from the stock markets of New York, Tokyo and London. The symmetry of the whole distributions, of the different intervals, and of the tails, is analysed. Clear, strong asymmetries are not found. In particular, for different stock indexes and for different sample periods, the probabilities of occurrence of extreme downward and upward movements do not seem to be different.
Towards incorporating language morphology into statistical machine translation systems

In this paper, a novel algorithm for incorporating morphological knowledge into statistical machine translation (SMT) systems is proposed. First, word stems are acquired automatically for the source and target languages using an unsupervised morphological acquisition algorithm. Then a word-stem based SMT system is built and combined with a phrase-based word level SMT system using a general statistical framework. The combined lexical and morphological SMT system is implemented using late integration and lattice re-scoring. The system is then evaluated on the Europarl corpus, using automatic evaluation methods for various training corpus sizes. It is shown, that both the BLEU and NIST scores of the lexical-morphological system improve by about 14% over the baseline English to Greek translation system when using a 1M word training corpus
Male tolerance and male–male bonds in a multilevel primate society

Significance Recent theoretical approaches to understanding the evolution of cooperation point to a close link between spatial structure and cooperative tendencies and question the importance of kin relations. We here show that Guinea baboon males living in a multilevel society maintain strong male bonds, irrespective of relatedness, and exhibit low levels of overt aggression. Although our results are compatible with the idea that kin relations may have favored male tolerance and bond formation in the course of evolution, they also support the notion that these relations are not necessary to maintain cooperative relationships in a multilevel society. Guinea baboons thus may constitute a valuable model for understanding the conditions that played a role in the emergence of human social evolution. Male relationships in most species of mammals generally are characterized by intense intrasexual competition, with little bonding among unrelated individuals. In contrast, human societies are characterized by high levels of cooperation and strong bonds among both related and unrelated males. The emergence of cooperative male–male relationships has been linked to the multilevel structure of traditional human societies. Based on an analysis of the patterns of spatial and social interaction in combination with genetic relatedness data of wild Guinea baboons (Papio papio), we show that this species exhibits a multilevel social organization in which males maintain strong bonds and are highly tolerant of each other. Several “units” of males with their associated females form “parties,” which team up as “gangs. ” Several gangs of the same “community” use the same home range. Males formed strong bonds predominantly within parties; however, these bonds were not correlated with genetic relatedness. Agonistic interactions were relatively rare and were restricted to a few dyads. Although the social organization of Guinea baboons resembles that of hamadryas baboons, we found stronger male–male affiliation and more elaborate greeting rituals among male Guinea baboons and less aggression toward females. Thus, the social relationships of male Guinea baboons differ markedly from those of other members of the genus, adding valuable comparative data to test hypotheses regarding social evolution. We suggest that this species constitutes an intriguing model to study the predictors and fitness benefits of male bonds, thus contributing to a better understanding of the evolution of this important facet of human social behavior.
Sustainable climate policy integration in the European Union

The European Union increasingly integrates climate objectives into other policy areas. However, minimizing greenhouse gas emissions is not necessarily compatible with environmental protection or sustainable development, as the examples of nuclear energy, hydropower and biofuels illustrate. Therefore, climate policy integration needs to be compatible with the overarching objective of sustainable development. This article discusses under which conditions legislation that integrates climate objectives contributes to sustainable development and how this can be evaluated at the policy proposal stage. The key contribution is to illustrate in the European context how legislation on climate policy integration can be designed to also contribute to sustainable development. Based on the European Sustainable Development Strategy, this paper proposes four criteria: policy integration and coherence, environmental protection, social and economic development and justice/participation. These criteria are used to evaluate the Renewable Energy Directive and the 2014-2020 Common Agricultural Policy proposal. The paper concludes that both case studies can serve as best-practice examples for other policies on the European and national levels of how climate policy integration can be designed to also meet minimum levels of sustainable development. Policy implications are the inclusion of these criteria for sustainable climate policy integration into EU impact assessments and their use as minimum benchmarks in the policy debate as an evaluation tool that can be easily used by policy makers and stakeholders to evaluate if a negotiated compromise on a policy that integrates climate objectives still contributes to both reducing emissions and sustainable development.