Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Vacuum-Assisted Socket Suspension on Energetic Costs of Walking, Functional Mobility, and Prosthesis-Related Quality of Life

Introduction Proper suspension is critical to maintaining socket comfort and fit. Vacuum-assisted socket suspension (VASS) improves fit and comfort by reducing peak socket pressure and pistoning of the residual limb. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of VASS on metabolic costs of gait and performance-based outcomes by evaluating changes in these measures immediately after altering suspension and to compare self-reported outcome measures between groups of VASS and non-VASS users. Materials and Methods Eighteen current VASS users and 18 non-VASS users, all of whom were active community ambulators, participated in two related studies. For study 1, VASS users completed three tasks in the following order: 1) a quantitative gait analysis, 2) function and mobility tests (10-m walk test [10MWT] and timed up and go [TUG]); and 3) 6 minutes of walking at self-selected speed (SSS) to determine energetic costs of walking and socket comfort. Participants performed each task under three suspension conditions, in random order, before proceeding to the next task. The conditions were altering VASS by inactivating the vacuum and blocking the one-way valve. Participants completed tasks immediately after alterations in suspension; that is, we provided no specific accommodation period. All tasks in study 1 were completed during a single testing session. For study 2, both VASS and non-VASS subjects completed electronic versions of surveys to assess prosthetic use and locomotor function including sections of the Prosthetic Evaluation Questionnaire. Results Study 1: There was no effect of suspension on cost of transport (p = 0.47 for main effect of suspension). However, participants performed TUG in shorter time using VASS and suction (p = 0.02 VASS vs. sleeve; p = 0.049 suction vs. sleeve; p = 0.54 VASS vs. suction) and performed the 10MWT with greater speed while using VASS compared with both suction (p = 0.027) and sleeve (p = 0.011). The use of VASS resulted in a significant within-subject increase of 1.5 and 3 points in socket comfort compared to suction (p = 0.001) and sleeve (p = 0.001), respectively. Study 2: There were no significant differences in any self-reported outcomes measures between VASS and non-VASS users. Conclusions In absence of active vacuum, current users of VASS experience an immediate reduction in comfort, presumably reflecting worse fit, which may limit their ability to attain faster walking speeds but which does not have an immediate negative affect on the cost of transport. The self-reported measures used to quantify the effects of suspension on prosthetic use, locomotor capabilities, and domains reflecting prosthesis-related quality of life may have been ill-suited for identifying difference in the high-functioning heterogeneous population considered.
Green Entrepreneurship in The Quintaple Helix Model

The issue of green entrepreneurship has been receiving a great deal of attention. The purpose of this chapter is to indicate the importance of green entrepreneurs in the quintuple helix model with a supportive role of sustainability-oriented innovation intermediaries. In order to create a detailed review of the critical points of current knowledge on relationship between green entrepreneurship and the quintuple helix model, we employ a systematic literature review methodology. Thereby, the arguments based upon broadly accepted facts are presented and systematized.
Measuring activity limitation in low back pain : a comparison of five questionnaires.

xiv Statement of authorship xvii Acknowledgements xviii List of Publications during candidature xix CHAPTER ONE: Measuring Functional Outcomes in Low Back Pain Patients 1.1 Chapter Aims 1 1.2 Introduction 1 1.3 Health Measurement Scales 3 1.3.
STANDARDIZATION OF THE FORMULA OF PANCHAMULI LAGHU DRAKSHA KASHAYA: A TRADITIONAL HERBAL MEDICINE

Background: Standardization of herbal formulations is an essential factor in order to assess the quality, purity, safety and efficacy of drugs based on the concentration of their active principles. Panchamuli Laghu Drakhsa (PLD) Kashaya is a herbal decoction used in Sri Lankan traditional medicine consisting of nine medicinal plants. In the present study, an attempt was made to standardize the formula of PLD Kashaya by detection of physico-chemical parameters, screening of phytochemicals and development of TLC fingerprint profile. Method: Standardization of PLD Kashaya was done according to WHO guide lines. Results: 10.5±0.2% of total ash, 6.4±0.8% of water soluble ash 0.7 ± 0.1% of acid insoluble ash, 18.5±4.3% of hot water extractable matter and 12.3±0.2% of cold water extractable matter were contained in the formula of PLD Kashaya. Phytochemical screening reveals the presence of phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, steroid glycosides, coumarins, alkaloids and saponins in both hot water and hot methanolic extracts of the drug. TLC fingerprint profile of the dichloromethane extract of formula of PLD Kashaya was developed using methanol: dichloromethane: cyclohexane in a ratio of 0.1: 7.9: 2 (v/v/v) and eight prominent spots were present at 254 nm. Conclusion: Formula of PLD Kashaya was standardized for the first time and output of the present study can be used as a reference standard for quality of this drug.
The Effect of Age on Daily Positive Emotions and Work Behaviors

This study draws on socioemotional selectivity and person–job fit theories to investigate the emotional bases for age-related differences in daily task crafting and in-role performance. We tested a mediation model in which age is related to positive emotions that in turn predict task crafting and in-role performance. A total of 256 people working in multiple organizations participated in a 5-day diary study. Multilevel modeling showed that, at the person level of analysis, age is significantly and positively related to positive emotions and task crafting and, via crafting, to in-role performance. No significant mediation of high- and low-arousal positive emotions was found between age and task crafting. However, at the day level of analysis, high-arousal positive emotions are positively related to task crafting, and this in turn is positively related to in-role performance. These findings make important theoretical contributions to understanding within-person processes associated with employee age in addition to more traditional between-person factors. They also have implications for managing an age-diverse workforce by means of job crafting.
XNOR-SRAM: In-Memory Computing SRAM Macro for Binary/Ternary Deep Neural Networks

We present XNOR-SRAM, a mixed-signal in-memory computing (IMC) SRAM macro that computes ternary-XNOR-and-accumulate (XAC) operations in binary/ternary deep neural networks (DNNs) without row-by-row data access. The XNOR-SRAM bitcell embeds circuits for ternary XNOR operations, which are accumulated on the read bitline (RBL) by simultaneously turning on all 256 rows, essentially forming a resistive voltage divider. The analog RBL voltage is digitized with a column-multiplexed 11-level flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) at the XNOR-SRAM periphery. XNOR-SRAM is prototyped in a 65-nm CMOS and achieves the energy efficiency of 403 TOPS/W for ternary-XAC operations with 88.8% test accuracy for the CIFAR-10 data set at 0.6-V supply. This marks <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$33\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> better energy efficiency and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$300\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> better energy–delay product than conventional digital hardware and also represents among the best tradeoff in energy efficiency and DNN accuracy.
Clinical Utility of CBNAAT in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis – Our Experience

*Corresponding Author Dr Thammana Sridevi Door. No. 6-15-46/3, B-2, Sea Winds Apartments, East Point Colony, Visakhapatnam – 530017, Andhra Pradesh, India Abstract Introduction: WHO End TB Strategy calls for the early diagnosis of TB and universal drug susceptibility testing (DST). Molecular assays based on nucleic acid amplification techniques such as polymerase chain reaction have been developed for rapid TB diagnosis and are being implemented in developing countries. CBNAAT is cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test an automated polymerase chain reaction test utilizing the GeneXpert platform. Aim and Objectives: The study aims to determine the clinical utility of CBNAAT in the diagnosis of pulmonary TB in a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: 129 cases OF PRESUMPTIVE PTB CASES were included in the study after exclusion criteria. All patients were subjected to routine blood investigations and Sputum, BAL specimens for AFB smear, CBNAAT and liquid cultures. Results were analysed using SPSS software. Results: Of the 129 cases males were 82 (63.5%), and females were 47(36.5%). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of all samples for AFB smear were 54.79%, 98.43%, 95.24% and 79.11% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of all samples for CBNAAT were 84.93%, 92.13%, 86.11% and 91.41% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of smear positive, culture positive cases was (26/29) 96.30% and 100% with a positive predictive value 100% and negative predictive value of 66.67%. The sensitivity and specificity of smear negative culture positive cases was 70%, 92.5% respectively with a PPV of 70% and NPV of 92.5%. Conclusions: CBNAAT has good clinical utility in smear negative culture positive cases both in pulmonary cases. CBNAAT has higher diagnostic efficacy than AFB smear in all pulmonary samples.
Privacy-Preserving Truth Discovery in Crowd Sensing Systems

The recent proliferation of human-carried mobile devices has given rise to the crowd sensing systems. However, the sensory data provided by individual participants are usually not reliable. To better utilize such sensory data, the topic of truth discovery, whose goal is to estimate user quality and infer reliable aggregated results through quality-aware data aggregation, has drawn significant attention. Though able to improve aggregation accuracy, existing truth discovery approaches fail to address the privacy concerns of individual users. In this article, we propose a novel privacy-preserving truth discovery (PPTD) framework, which can protect not only users’ sensory data but also their reliability scores derived by the truth discovery approaches. The key idea of the proposed framework is to perform weighted aggregation on users’ encrypted data using a homomorphic cryptosystem, which can guarantee both high accuracy and strong privacy protection. In order to deal with large-scale data, we also propose to parallelize PPTD with MapReduce framework. Additionally, we design an incremental PPTD scheme for the scenarios where the sensory data are collected in a streaming manner. Extensive experiments based on two real-world crowd sensing systems demonstrate that the proposed framework can generate accurate aggregated results while protecting users’ private information.
Scaffolding Feedback Between Cowriters With Different Levels of English-Language Proficiency

When students cowrite with others who have different levels of proficiency with the English language, they can experience unproductive conflict related to feedback avoidance. The author interviewed 20 professionals with experience cowriting across such different English proficiencies and found three strategies that can facilitate feedback and collaboration: calibrate genre and reader expectations, establish protocols for reviewing texts, and frame feedback as a learning opportunity. She suggests that these strategies can be a step toward helping students mitigate their anxieties about feedback and feel more empowered to engage with linguistically diverse peers.
Security System Implementation of Safe Deposit Box Using Iris Pattern Based Matlab

This research explains about a biometric system that uses iris pattern for Safe Deposit Box Users. Matlab is used for processing the iris pattern. In the process of image processing, there are several processes such as segmentation, extraction and identification. The initial phase of segmentation will be proceed using canny edge detection then continued by hough circle transform to detect the center circle of iris. The second process is by extracting where the image of segmentation will be proceed by using haar wavelet transformation, the image will be changed to another form by decomposition of the vertical and horizontal image of the iris in order to get the data from iris image of user. The last phase is identification. In this stage, hamming distance method that will read the iris data in the database that has get through both phases and compare it with image captured by the webcam camera. If the image of user has been detected, then the safe deposit box will be opened. The advantages of this system is the iris pattern is very stable and different form each individual so it is not easy to be manipulated. The average identifying of this research is 76.70%. As security system, using iris pattern can be developed to prevent unwanted act.
Treatment patterns of rheumatoid arthritis in Japanese hospitals and predictors of the initiation of biologic agents

Abstract Objective: To describe the usage of different biologic agents for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Japan over time and to identify factors that affects the decision to initiate treatment with biologic agents. Determinants of a switch to another biologic agent for patients who are already on biologic treatment were also analyzed. Research design and methods: We utilized a hospital claims database containing 36,504 Japanese patients with a confirmed RA diagnosis. To analyze the determinants of treatment choices, we applied logistic regression analysis taking into account socio-demographic and medical factors. Results: Analyses determined that 11.8% of diagnoses and 25.4% of treated patients in Japan receive a biologic agent. Significant factors associated with biologic treatment initiation include younger age, female sex, and a higher comorbidity index. The route of administration plays a major role when it comes to a switch between different biologic agents. Conclusions: The lower likelihood of elderly patients to be initiated on biologic treatment might be explained by the risk aversion of Japanese physicians’ and patients who are afraid of the potential side effects of biologics. This finding is also consistent with the notion of an age bias that impedes elderly patients from optimal access to biologic treatment. Because claims data does not contain clinical parameters such as disease activity the results should be validated in a clinical context.
Ergonomic Evaluation of Postural Strain and Musculoskeletal Disorders among Workers associated with Upper Extremity Intensive Jobs at Construction Sites of West Bengal, India

Work related musculoskeletal disorder is a major cause of injury and absenteeism among construction workers. Predominantly upper extremity intensive works are repetitively performed monotask. Hazards associated with monotask are higher than multitask performance. This study aimed to evaluate task specific postural strain associated with painting, stone cutting, manual piling, carpenting, plastering, plumbing which involve awkward static posture and upper extremity intensive activity. Videography of each task was performed and subsequent posture analysis with Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Moore and Garg was done using Ergofellow 2.0 Software. Questionnaire was employed to identify the pain map. Borg scale was used to evaluate task specific perceived exertion among workers. Thermal stress was measured by Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index. REBA and Moore and Garg scores were much above safe standards and required immediate implementation. Painters were identified to have highest REBA and Moore and Garg score. Incidence of pain was observed in back, shoulder, upper and lower limb. Painting was perceived to involve heavy exertion while other jobs were categorized to be ‘somewhat hard’. Ergonomic interventions are required to modify tool design, work place orientation. Properly scheduled work rest cycle and job rotation may mitigate the work stress.
Perceptions and Attitudes of a Sample of Primary Care Patients Receiving Psychological Care from their PCP

With millions of Americans suffering from a mental health disorder and slightly more than half receiving treatment, the demand for psychological services far outweighs the number of practitioners available to provide direct care. Therefore, the majority of all primary-care visits are based on psychosocial factors; one third of a PCP’s caseloads consist of patients with mental-health problems. Given the fact that PCPs provide comprehensive psychosocial care, it is important to determine the beliefs and perceptions of their patients. Results from this study identified numerous factors that influence the relationship between patients receiving mental health care from their PCP. Specifically, if a patient believes that he or she has a good relationship with the PCP, he or she is more likely to view the physician as a resource and, therefore, it is probable that the patient will seek guidance and treatment thru the PCP. Additionally, patients are more likely to seek services and discuss mental health concerns with their PCP if they perceive that a positive relationship exists between them. Also, a patient who perceives his or her PCP as empathic and as a resource for mental health is more likely to continue with mental health services as well as have better treatment results. Should a patient hold these perceptions and beliefs of his or her PCP, the patient is more likely to seek treatment, less likely to drop out of services and have overall better clinical outcomes. Results of this study highlight the need for additional education regarding the factors that contribute to positive clinical outcomes when treating patients with mental health concerns.
Automatic Detection of Proliferative Cells in Immunohistochemically Images of Meningioma Using Fuzzy C-Means Clustering and HSV Color Space

 Abstract — Visual search and identification of immunohistochemically stained tissue of meningioma was performed manually in pathologic laboratories to detect and diagnose the cancers type of meningioma. This task is very tedious and time-consuming. Moreover, because of cell's complex nature, it still remains a challenging task to segment cells from its background and analyze them automatically. In this paper, we develop and test a computerized scheme that can automatically identify cells in microscopic images of meningioma and classify them into positive (proliferative) and negative (normal) cells. Dataset including 150 images are used to test the scheme. The scheme uses Fuzzy C-means algorithm as a color clustering method based on perceptually uniform hue, saturation, value (HSV) color space. Since the cells are distinguishable by the human eye, the accuracy and stability of the algorithm are quantitatively compared through application to a wide variety of real images.
Scale effects of sediment retention, water yield, and net primary production: A case‐study of the Chinese Loess Plateau

Ecosystem services are generated by ecological processes over a range of scales. Studying the scale effects on ecosystem services is important for exploring the driving mechanisms and conducive to prudent ecological managements. Unfortunately, quantitative testing the scale effects of ecosystem services' associations, as well as identifying the driving mechanisms across scales, has rarely been documented. This study used the Loess Plateau as study area to test the scale effects and the correlations between sediment retention, water yield, and net primary production (NPP) and their driving mechanisms. A model of Integrated valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoff 3.0 and the Carnegie‐Ames‐Stanford Approach were used to assess the services of sediment retention, water yield, and NPP in 2000 and 2008. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was used to quantify the driving mechanisms of ecosystem services. The results indicated that the ecosystem services are more varied in spatial patterns at small scale than at large scale. The average values of sediment retention, water yield, and NPP at small scale increased during the period. However, at large scale, the average values of sediment retention and water yield decreased and the NPP value increased simultaneously. Generally, the correlations between ecosystem services weakened when the spatial scale increased. The results from CCA indicated that, at small scale, the natural factors of precipitation, hours of sunshine, and temperature were the principal driving factors underlying ecosystem services. When the scale increased, the socioeconomic factors of population, grain production, and nonfarming production were gradually integrated into the factors driving the patterns of ecosystem services.
Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Populations With Liver‐Related Diseases in the Middle East and North Africa

We investigated hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemiology in populations with liver‐related diseases (LRDs) in the Middle East and North Africa. The data source was standardized databases of HCV measures populated through systematic reviews. Random‐effects meta‐analyses and meta‐regressions were performed, and genotype diversity was assessed. Analyses were based on 252 HCV antibody prevalence measures, eight viremic rate measures, and 30 genotype measures on 132,358 subjects. Pooled mean prevalence in LRD populations was 58.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 51.5%‐66.0%) in Egypt and 55.8% (95% CI, 49.1%‐62.4%) in Pakistan; these values were higher than in other countries, which had a pooled prevalence of only 15.6% (95% CI, 12.4%‐19.0%). Mean prevalence was highest in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma at 56.9% (95% CI, 50.2%‐63.5%) and those with cirrhosis at 50.4% (95% CI, 40.8%‐60.0%). Type of LRD population and country were the strongest predictors of prevalence, explaining 48.6% of the variation. No evidence for prevalence decline was found, but there was strong evidence for prevalence increase in Pakistan. A strong, positive association was identified between prevalence in the general population and that in LRD populations; the Pearson correlation coefficient ranged between 0.605 and 0.862. The pooled mean viremic rate was 75.5% (95% CI, 61.0%‐87.6%). Genotype 4 was most common (44.2%), followed by genotype 3 (34.5%), genotype 1 (17.0%), genotype 2 (3.5%), genotype 6 (0.5%), and genotype 5 (0.3%). Conclusion: HCV appears to play a dominant role in liver diseases in Egypt and Pakistan and has a growing role in Pakistan. Testing and treatment of LRD populations are essential to reduce disease burden and transmission and to reach HCV elimination by 2030.
Speech and Language Therapy for Aphasia After Stroke: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

Aphasia significantly affects the individual, families, and communities. Timely, effective intervention is vital. Speech and language therapy (SLT) is a complex rehabilitation intervention targeting improvement in language and communication abilities (verbal comprehension, spoken language, reading, writing), activity, and participation. Therapy may vary in intervention regimen, theoretical approach, or delivery model. Our comprehensive updated review1 synthesized evidence of the effectiveness of SLT for aphasia after stroke found in randomized control trials compared with (1) no therapy and (2) other SLT interventions. We searched a range of databases, including the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Library Databases, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine Database), LLBA (Linguistics and Language Behaviour Abstracts), and SpeechBITE (Speech Pathology Database for Best Interventions and Treatment Efficacy) (all from inception to September 2015). We also searched …