Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Verifying the proximity hypothesis for self-organizing maps

The Kohonen self-organizing map (SOM) is an unsupervised learning technique for summarizing high-dimensional data so that similar inputs are, in general, mapped close to each other. When applied to textual data, SOM has been shown to be able to group together related concepts in a data collection. This article presents research in which we sought to validate this property of SOM, called the proximity hypothesis, through a user evaluation study. Built upon our previous research in automatic concept generation and classification, we demonstrated that the Kohenen SOM was able to perform concept clustering effectively, based on its concept precision and recall scores judged by human experts. We believe this research has established Kohonen SOM algorithm as an intuitively appealing and promising neural network based textual classification technique for addressing part of the long-standing "information overload" problem.
Quantile based noise estimation for spectral subtraction and Wiener filtering

Elimination of additive noise from a speech signal is a fundamental problem in audio signal processing. In this paper we restrict our considerations to the case where only a single microphone recording of the noisy signal is available. The algorithms which we investigate proceed in two steps. First, the noise power spectrum is estimated. A method based on temporal quantiles in the power spectral domain is proposed and compared with pause detection and recursive averaging. The second step is to eliminate the estimated noise from the observed signal by spectral subtraction or Wiener filtering. The database used in the experiments comprises 6034 utterances of German digits and digit strings by 770 speakers in 10 different cars. Without noise reduction, we obtain an error rate of 11.7%. Quantile based noise estimation and Wiener filtering reduce the error rate to 8.6%. Similar improvements are achieved in an experiment with artificial, non-stationary noise.
Management accountants in France : A range of fragile, open-ended positionings

In France, management accountants do not form an officially recognized profession, and their careers follow many diverse trajectories, with positioning that is open-ended but also fragile in relation to operational staff and other related functions (such as IT or quality). In this chapter we show that the specificities of the French “pattern of action” and the historical dynamics of the function’s emergence help to shape the challenges and opportunities facing management accountants in France today
STRATEGIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN NIGERIA BANKING INDUSTRY

The study examines the effect of strategic entrepreneurship and competitive advantage: a study of Nigeria Banking Industry. The study objectively investigates the association between strategic entrepreneurship and competitive advantage in Nigeria. The study employed a survey research design. Analysis was based on primary data generated through a well structured strategic entrepreneurship and competitive advantage scale and was administered to one hundred and twenty-nine respondents. Responses to research statements were scaled and converted to quantitative data via code manual developed for the study to enable segmentation of the data responses into dependent and independent variables based on strategic entrepreneurship and associated competitive advantage variables. Regression models were specified, estimated and evaluated. The result showed that strategic entrepreneurship has significant positive individual and combined effect on competitive advantage. The study concluded that strategic entrepreneurship is a very important tool for improving competitive advantage by being creative and offering what the competitors are not willing and able to offer. And therefore, recommended that the more researches are carried out on how to best satisfy the customer the more they get customer loyalty which brings growth to the industry and adds to the goodwill of the firm.
Tissue tropism and vertical transmission of Coxiella in Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Rhipicephalus turanicus ticks.

Arthropod symbionts present tissue tropism that corresponds to the nature of the association and the mode of transmission between host generations. In ticks, however, our knowledge of symbiont tissue tropism and function is limited. Here, we quantified and localized previously described Coxiella-like symbionts in several organs of the tick Rhipicephalus turanicus. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed high densities of Coxiella in the female gonads, and both male and female Malpighian tubules. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization and transmission electron microscopy, we further showed that in the gonads of both Rh. turanicus and Rh. sanguineus, Coxiella does not colonize the primary oocytes but is found later in young and mature oocytes in a specific distribution, suggesting controlled vertical transmission. This method revealed the presence Coxiella in the distal part of the Malpighian tubules, suggesting a possible role in nitrogen metabolism. While testing Rickettsia symbionts, no specific tissue tropism was found, but a slightly higher densities in the tick gut. The low density of Rickettsia in the female ovaries suggests competition between Rickettsia and Coxiella for vertical transmission. The described tissue distribution supports an obligatory role for Coxiella in ticks.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of desvenlafaxine succinate in adult outpatients with major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of desvenlafaxine succinate (desvenlafaxine) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). METHOD In this 8-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adult outpatients (aged 18-75 years) with a primary diagnosis of MDD (DSM-IV criteria) were randomly assigned to treatment with desvenlafaxine (100-200 mg/day) or placebo. The primary outcome measure was the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D(17)) score at final on-therapy evaluation. The Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale (CGI-I) was the key secondary measure. Other secondary measures included the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale, Visual Analog Scale-Pain Intensity (VAS-PI) overall and subcomponent scores, and HAM-D(17) response and remission rates. The study was conducted from June 2003 to May 2004. RESULTS Of the 247 patients randomly assigned to treatment, 234 comprised the intent-to-treat population. Following titration, mean daily desvenlafaxine doses ranged from 179 to 195 mg/day. At endpoint, there were no significant differences in scores between the desvenlafaxine (N = 120) and placebo (N = 114) groups on the HAM-D(17) or CGI-I. However, the desvenlafaxine group had significantly greater improvement in MADRS scores (p = .047) and in VAS-PI overall pain (p = .008), back pain (p = .006), and arm, leg, or joint pain (p < .001) scores than the placebo group. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (at least 10% and twice the rate of placebo) were nausea, dry mouth, constipation, anorexia, somnolence, and nervousness. CONCLUSION Desvenlafaxine was generally safe and well tolerated. In this study, it did not show significantly greater efficacy than placebo on the primary or key secondary efficacy endpoints, but it did demonstrate efficacy on an alternate depression scale and pain measure associated with MDD. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00063206.
Television Exposure, Parents' Precautionary Warnings, and Young Adults' Perceptions of Crime

Crime-related television viewing may influence not only the viewer but also individuals with whom the viewer communicates. A matched sample of parents and their first semester college-age children were surveyed independently (N = 178 pairs)to test a model linking parents' crime-related television viewing with their college-age children's perceptions of crime prevalence. The model identifies parents' precautionary warnings as influenced by their own crime viewing and as influencing their college-age children's crime-prevalence estimates. Results indicate the relationship between parents' crime viewing and their issuance of precautionary warnings is mediated by their own estimates of crime prevalence and that parents' precautionary warnings influence young adults' perceptions of crime prevalence. Young adults' gender influences both the frequency of parental warnings and young adults' perceptions of how frequently they were warned by parents but appears not to influence perceptions of crime directly.
Social Networks and Household Dietary Diversity, Evidence from Smallholder Farmers in Kenya

An important driver of household dietary diversity is nutrition knowledge which can be improved through access to nutrition information. However, in many rural areas, formal flow of nutrition information is limited, and social networks could play an important role as an informal source of such information. This paper evaluates effects of social network on household dietary diversity in Kenya. Cross sectional data collected from 198 farmers using multi stage sampling technique, was analysed using a Poisson regression model. The results show that the average household dietary diversity of an individual s network members has a positive effect on the dietary diversity of the individual. The effects are more when the network includes at least a strong tie. Household size and farm size also have a positive effect on household dietary diversity. These results imply that farmers social networks could be used as a complementary tool for effective delivery of nutrition education which targets to enhance nutritional quality. Acknowledgement : Acknowledgements The field research of this paper was jointly carried out by the University of Nairobi, University of Gottingen and Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International. The authors warmly acknowledge the Germany Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture for funding this study through Agriculture and Dietary Diversity in Africa (ADDA) project (grant number ADDA-UGOE/UoN: 2813FSNU01) . Last but not list, our gratitude goes to Theda Godeke (University of Gottingen) for her support and guidance through the field research.
OSMOSE: Notes on being in Immersive virtual space

Abstract This paper discusses the original artistic intentions behind the immersive virtual environment OSMOSE (1995). The strategies employed to manifest them include the use of an embodying user interface of breath and balance and a visual aesthetic based on transparency and spatial ambiguity. The paper examines the medium of immersive virtual space as a spatio‐temporal arena in which mental constructs of the world can be given three‐dimensional form and be kinaesthetically explored through full‐body immersion and interaction. Throughout, comparisons are made between OSMOSE and conventional design approaches to virtual reality. The tendency of such approaches to reinforce the West's historic devaluation of nature and the body is also discussed. It is suggested that this medium can potentially be used to counteract such tendencies. In the case of OSMOSE, an experiential context is constructed in which culturally learned perceptual/conceptual boundaries are osmotically dissolved, causing conventional assu.
The Growth Determinant in the Industrial Sector Featured in East Java Province

This article aims toanalyzethe main determining factorof growthof industrialsector, especiallythe small scale industriesin East Javaover the past decade. Using theofthe Cobb-Douglas production functionapproach, this research assessedinputfactorconsisting oflabor, capitalandrawmaterials.This study used apooling regression modelto estimate the coefficient of production function fromfourgroups ofselected industries namely:the food industry, textile industry, wood industryandpaperindustry. The results showedthat the sourceof growthfor the industryisstilldominatedbythe physicalgrowth ofinputandnot byproductivity growth. As a result, in the long rungrowth ofthe industry is difficulttobesustainable and relativelyvulnerable toeconomic shocks. Based onthese findingssuggested thatpolicy makersfocus more onefforts toimprove the quality ofinputs, in particularinputqualityhuman resourcesor labor. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis faktor penentu utama pertumbuhan sektor industri, khususnya industri kecil di Jawa Timur selama satu dekade terakhir. Dengan pendekatan fungsi produksi Cobb-Douglas ditelaah faktor input yang terdiri atas tenaga kerja, kapital dan bahan mentah (raw material). Dalam penelitian ini digunakan model regresi dengan data poling dari empat kelompok jenis industri terpilih yaitu industri makanan, industri tekstil, industri kayu dan industri kertas.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa sumber pertumbuhan untuk industri dimaksud masih didominasi oleh pertumbuhan fisik input dan bukan oleh pertumbuhan produktivitas. Akibatnya, dalam jangka panjang pertumbuhan industri sulit untuk bersifat sustainable (berkelanjutan) dan relatif rentan terhadap gejolak ekonomi. Berdasarkan hasil temuan tersebut disarankan agar pengambil kebijakan lebih fokus pada upaya untuk meningkatkan kualitas input, khususnya kualitas input sumber daya manusia atau tenaga kerja.
Economic evaluation of single‐fraction versus multiple‐fraction palliative radiotherapy for painful bone metastases in breast, lung and prostate cancer

Single‐ and multiple‐fraction external beam radiotherapy (SFX‐EBRT and MFX‐EBRT) are palliative treatment options for localized metastatic bone pain. MFX is the preferred choice in many developed countries. Evidence shows little difference in how effectively SFX and MFX reduce pain. However, SFX is associated with higher retreatment and (in one meta‐analysis) pathological fracture rates. MFX is, however, more time‐consuming and expensive. We estimated the cost‐effectiveness of SFX versus MFX for metastatic bone pain in breast, prostate and lung cancer in New Zealand.
DNA Vaccine Construct Incorporating Intercellular Trafficking and Intracellular Targeting Motifs Effectively Primes and Induces Memory B- and T-Cell Responses in Outbred Animals

ABSTRACT We developed a vaccine construct in which a BVP22 domain and an invariant-chain major histocompatibility complex class II-targeting motif capable of enhancing dendritic cell antigen uptake and presentation were fused to a sequence encoding a B- and T-cell antigen from the Anaplasma marginale major surface protein 1a and tested whether this construct would prime and expand immune responses in outbred calves. A single inoculation with this construct effectively primed the immune responses, as demonstrated by a significant enhancement of CD4+ T-cell proliferation compared to that in calves identically inoculated but inoculated with a DNA construct lacking the targeting domains and compared to that in calves inoculated with an empty vector. These proliferative responses were mirrored by priming and expansion of gamma interferon-positive CD4+ T cells and immunoglobulin G responses against the linked B-cell epitope. Priming by the single immunization induced memory that underwent rapid recall following reexposure to the antigen. These results demonstrate that DNA vaccines targeting key intercellular and intracellular events significantly enhance priming and expansion and support the feasibility of single-dose DNA immunization in outbred populations.
Title A qPCR-based metric of Th 2 airway inflammation in asthma Permalink

Background: Using microarray profiling of airway epithelial cells, we previously identified a Th2-high molecular phenotype of asthma based on expression of periostin, CLCA1 and serpinB2 and characterized by specific inflammatory, remodeling, and treatment response features. The goal of the current study was to develop a qPCR-based assay of Th2 inflammation to overcome the limitations of microarray-based methods. Methods: Airway epithelial brushings were obtained by bronchoscopy from two clinical studies comprising 44 healthy controls and 62 subjects with asthma, 39 of whom were studied before and after a standardized 8 week course of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). The qPCR-based expression of periostin, CLCA1 and serpinB2 were combined into a single metric. Results: In asthma, the three-gene-mean of periostin, CLCA1 and serpinB2 correlated with FeNO (r = 0.75, p = 0.0002), blood eosinophils (r = 0.58, p = 0.003) and PC20 methacholine (r = -0.65, p = 0.0006), but not total serum IgE (r = 0.33, p = 0.1). Higher baseline three-gene-mean correlated with greater improvement in FEV1 with ICS at 2, 4 and 8 weeks (all p < 0.05). By ROC analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) of the three-gene-mean for FEV1 improvement with ICS at 4 and 8 weeks was 0.94 and 0.87, respectively, which are higher than the AUCs of FeNO, blood eosinophils, IgE or PC20. Th2 airway inflammation as measured by this three-gene-mean also had predictive capacity for an improvement in symptoms. Conclusions: The three-gene-mean of periostin, CLCA1 and serpinB2 in airway epithelial brushings identifies Th2-high and low populations, is correlated with other Th2 biomarkers, and performs well for prediction of FEV1 improvement with ICS. The three-gene-mean provides a measurement of Th2 airway inflammation that is clinically relevant and that can serve as a valuable tool to evaluate non-invasive biomarkers to predict treatment responses to existing and emerging asthma therapies.
Energy management for smart homes and smart cities

With a growing concern on environmental protection and resource conservation, the electric power industry is evolving towards smart grids, empowered by various technologies developed recently including demand side management, energy storage and renewable energy generation. Meanwhile, they are also useful in energy management of smart homes and smart cities. For instance, in-home energy management gives the occupants an intuitive view of the energy consumption and enables smart control of appliances for the purposes of cost saving and security. Smart cities with adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) require intelligent load control strategies to coordinate the charging activities in order to relieve the burden on the power grid. Interesting challenges that are specific to application scenarios thus occur. This thesis aims to address some issues arising from applying smart grid technologies to the environment of smart homes and smart cities. In particular, this thesis designs a smart home energy management system using non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM), and studies the optimal power dispatch (OPD) of a centralized EV battery charging station (BCS) with renewable generation integration. To make smart home systems more practical, we design a novel framework of smart home energy management systems incorporating both centralized NILM and decentralized smart control components. It features the capability of automatically mapping the appliances to the corresponding sockets, enabling intuitive human-toappliance interaction without manual initial setup. Numerical simulations prove the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed framework. To integrate renewable energy to a centralized EV BCS operating in the battery swapping mode, we develop a two-stage stochastic optimization framework for the OPD to either the conventional or the renewable power system. The conventional power is acquired from both day-ahead and real-time markets to compensate for intermittency of renewable generation. We demonstrate that the OPD minimizes the total expected charging cost with real pricing data.
A Persistent Simulation Environment for Autonomous Systems

The age of Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft Systems (AUAS) is creating new challenges for the accreditation and certification requiring new standards, policies and procedures that sanction whether a UAS is safe to fly. Establishing a basis for certification of autonomous systems via research into trust and trustworthiness is the focus of Autonomy Teaming and TRAjectories for Complex Trusted Operational Reliability (ATTRACTOR), a new NASA Convergent Aeronautics Solution (CAS) project
Does Stock Market-Based Financial Development Promotes Economic Growth in Emerging Markets? New Evidence from Nigeria

This study examines the effect of stock market development on economic growth in Nigeria. The study spans the period 1980-2016. It employs the ARDL approach to cointegration. Evidence from the study indicates that stock market development promotes economic growth in the short-run, but in the long-run, the growth impact of stock market development is not significant. The growth impact of market capitalization, value of shares traded, and market turnover ratio are all significant in the short run while that of trade openness is not. Meanwhile, trade openness is the only variable that significantly impacts economic growth in the long-run. The Bounds test for cointegration reveals a long-run relationship among the variables. All the variables, apart from trade openness, are positively correlated with economic growth. The results of this study imply that stock market development plays a major role in economic growth in Nigeria. It is recommended that the regulatory authority enacts policies that will promote liquidity, stability and accountability in the stock market which could possibly perpetuate economic growth in Nigeria.
Income Inequality, Social Mobility, and the Decision to Drop Out of High School

It is widely documented that places with higher levels of income inequality have lower rates of social mobility. But it is an open question whether and how higher levels of inequality actually lead to lower rates of mobility. We propose that one channel through which higher rates of income inequality might lead to lower rates of upward mobility is lower rates of human capital investment among low-income individuals. Specifically, we posit that greater levels of income inequality could lead low-income youth to perceive a lower rate of return on investment in their own human capital. Such an effect would offset any potential “aspirational” effect coming from higher educational wage premiums. The data are consistent with this prediction: Individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to drop out of school if they live in a place with a greater gap between the bottom and middle of the income distribution. This finding is robust in relation to a number of specification checks and tests for confounding factors. This analysis offers an explanation for how income inequality might lead to a perpetuation of economic disadvantage, and it has implications for the types of interventions and programs that would effectively promote upward mobility among youth of low socioeconomic status.
PREVALENCE OF LEFT-HANDEDNESS AMONG PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT RESPIRATORY DISEASES

We investigated the prevalence of left-handedness among patients with different respiratory diseases. Hand preference was assessed using the modified Edinburg Handedness Inventory. There was a statistically significant decline in left-handedness with shortened life span in patients. Difference among the rates of left-handedness in different pulmonary diseases was significant. The rate of left-handedness was lowest in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2.14%) and pneumonia (2.04%) and highest in patients with asthma (12.96%). The results suggest that left-handed subjects may be protected from certain pulmonary diseases while being more susceptible to others.