Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recognition of a vision approach for fall detection using a biologically inspired dynamic stereo vision sensor

In this thesis methodologies for learning based fall detection using a dynamic stereo vision sensor are elaborated. The main characteristic of the sensor is that data is generated asynchronously and only pixels with illumination changes produce an output. To obtain relevant information about the motion of the person, the 3D data is transformed into world coordinates with the help of the camera parameters. Intuitive features describing the pose and motion of the body are proposed and evaluated with regard to their significance for fall detection. For the evaluation a database of about 200 scenarios containing acted falls and normal movements is prepared. In the case of normal movements particular attention is paid to downwards movements like sitting or lying down, because these are similar to falls and assumed to cause false alarms more likely than walking or upward movements. For the falls it is taken care that they can happen from static poses as well as during normal everyday movements. That means, on the one hand falls are acted from the three poses, standing, sitting and lying. On the other hand also falls happening during movements like walking, sitting down or bending down are recorded. The recordings are used to generate samples in form of 3 seconds long sliding windows with associated features. The amount of sliding windows collected from all recordings serves as sample set for the training and evaluation. The set of sliding windows is divided into two classes, time windows containing a fall and time windows containing normal movements without fall. The features are investigated with regard to their alternation during fall and no fall time windows. The classification task is set to distinguish between fall time windows and no fall time windows in unseen samples with the help of the features. Therefore two different learning approaches, namely the Hidden Markov Model and the Multilayer Perceptron are used. A detailed methodology for the usage of the learning models for the fall detection is proposed. Optimal parameter settings for the architecture of the two classifiers are found with the help of cross validation on the sample set. The significance of the particular features for the classification performance is investigated by training and validating classifiers with subsets of the features.
Active Soft End Effectors for Efficient Grasping and Safe Handling

The end effector is a major part of a robot system and it defines the task the robot can perform. However, typically, a gripper is suited to grasping only a single or relatively small number of different objects. Dexterous grippers offer greater grasping ability but they are often very expensive, difficult to control and are insufficiently robust for industrial operation. This paper explores the principles of soft robotics and the design of low-cost grippers able to grasp a broad range of objects without the need for complex control schemes. Two different soft end effectors have been designed and built and their physical structure, characteristics, and operational performances have been analyzed. The soft grippers deform and conform to the object being grasped, meaning they are simple to control and minimal grasp planning is required. The soft nature of the grippers also makes them better suited to handling fragile and delicate objects than a traditional rigid gripper.
Clinical characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer harboring mutations in exon 20 of EGFR or HER2

Unlike common epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR) mutations that confer sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), mutations in exon 20 of either EGFR or the human EGFR2 gene (HER2) are associated with insensitivity to EGFR-TKIs, with treatment options for patients with such mutations being limited. Clinical characteristics, outcome of EGFR-TKI or nivolumab treatment, and the presence of coexisting mutations were reviewed for NSCLC patients with exon-20 mutations of EGFR or HER2 as detected by routine application of an amplicon-based next-generation sequencing panel. Between July 2013 and June 2017, 206 patients with pathologically confirmed lung cancer were screened for genetic alterations including HER2 and EGFR mutations. Ten patients harbored HER2 exon-20 insertions (one of whom also carried an exon-19 deletion of EGFR), and 12 patients harbored EGFR exon-20 mutations. Five of the 13 patients with EGFR mutations were treated with EGFR-TKIs, two of whom manifested a partial response, two stable disease, and one progressive disease. Among the seven patients treated with nivolumab, one patient manifested a partial response, three stable disease, and three progressive disease, with most (86%) of these patients discontinuing treatment as a result of disease progression within 4 months. The H1047R mutation of PIK3CA detected in one patient was the only actionable mutation coexisting with the exon-20 mutations of EGFR or HER2. Potentially actionable mutations thus rarely coexist with exon-20 mutations of EGFR or HER2, and EGFR-TKIs and nivolumab show limited efficacy in patients with such exon-20 mutations.
The Emergence of Endophytic Microbes and Their Biological Promise

As is true with animal species, plants also have an associated microflora including endophytes as well as microbes associated with the phyllosphere and rhizosphere (plant surfaces) and this is considered the plant microbiome. However, those organisms within virtually all tissues and organs of the plant are known as endophytes. Most often fungi are the most frequently recovered endophytes from plant tissues, but bacterial forms generally occur in greater numbers, but not in species varieties. The exact biological/biochemical role of the endophyte in the plant and how it interacts with the plant and other endophytes and plant associated organisms has not been intensely and carefully examined. However, this has not stopped investigators in exploring the direct utility of endophytes in boosting plant production, and discovering that endophytes can directly influence the plant to resist temperature extremes, drought, as well as the presence of disease causing organisms. Also, because of the relationships that endophytes seem to have with their host plants, they make a myriad of biologically active compounds some of which are classified as antibiotics, antioxidants, anticancer agents, volatile antimicrobial agents, immunosuppressive compounds, plant growth promoting agents, and insecticides. These endophytic compounds represent a wide range of organic molecules including terpenoids, peptides, carbohydrates, aromatics, hydrocarbons and others and it seems that these compounds may have a role in the host microbe relationship. Most recently and quite surprisingly, some endophytes have been discovered that make hydrocarbons of the types found in diesel and gasoline fuels. In addition, recently discovered are epigenetic factors relating to the biology and biochemistry of endophytes. Interestingly, only about 1–2% of the entire spectrum of 300,000 known plants have been studied for their endophyte composition. Additionally, only a few plants have ever been completely studied including all tissues for the microbes within them. Likewise, the vast majority of plants, including those in oceans and lower plant forms, have never been examined for their endophytes. Furthermore, endophytes representing the “microbiome” of world’s major food plants as they exist in their native “centers of origin” are largely unknown. This non-classical review is intended to provide background information on aspects of developments in endophyte biology and more importantly the identification of new questions in this field that need to be addressed. The review is primarily based on the author’s long held experience in this field.
Beyond Cognition: Understanding Affective Impairments in Korsakoff Syndrome

As earlier research on Korsakoff syndrome (KS), a frequent neurological complication of alcohol-dependence (AD), mainly focused on cognition, affective impairments have been little investigated despite their crucial impact in AD. This article proposes new research avenues on this topic by combining two theoretical frameworks: (a) dual-process models, positing that addictions are due to an imbalance between underactivated reflective system and overactivated affective-automatic one; (b) continuity theory, postulating a gradual worsening of cognitive impairments from AD to KS. We suggest that this joint perspective may renew the current knowledge by clarifying the affective-automatic deficits in KS and their interactions with reflective impairments, but also by offering a direct exploration of the continuity between AD and KS regarding reflective and affective-automatic abilities.
Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Is Required for Macrophage Arachidonic Acid Release by Agonists That Do and Do Not Mobilize Calcium

The 85-kDa cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) mediates agonist-induced arachidonic acid release and eicosanoid production. Calcium and phosphorylation on Ser-505 by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) regulate cPLA2. Arachidonic acid release and eicosanoid production induced by stimuli that do (A23187, zymosan) or do not (phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), okadaic acid) mobilize calcium were quantitatively suppressed in cPLA2-deficient mouse peritoneal macrophages. The contribution of MAPKs to cPLA2-mediated arachidonic acid release was investigated. Both extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) and p38 contributed to cPLA2 phosphorylation on Ser-505. However, although ERK inhibition did not affect A23187-induced arachidonic acid release, it suppressed zymosan-, PMA-, and okadaic acid-induced arachidonic acid release under conditions where phosphorylation of cPLA2 on Ser-505 was unaffected. This indicates an additional regulatory mechanism for the ERK pathway. A role for transcriptional regulation is suggested by data showing that cycloheximide and actinomycin D inhibited arachidonic acid release induced by zymosan, PMA and, okadaic acid but not by A23187. Our results show that MAPK pathways contribute to arachidonic acid release in macrophages through alternative mechanisms in addition to their ability to phosphorylate cPLA2 on Ser-505 and suggest a role for new protein synthesis.
Fine particulate matter source apportionment using a hybrid chemical transport and receptor model approach

A hybrid fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) source apportionment approach based on a receptor model (RM) species balance and species specific source impacts from a chemical transport model (CTM) equipped with a sensi- tivity analysis tool is developed to provide physically and chemically consistent relationships between source emis- sions and receptor impacts. This hybrid approach enhances RM results by providing initial estimates of source impacts from a much larger number of sources than are typically used in RMs, and provides source-receptor relationships for secondary species. Further, the method addresses issues of source collinearities and accounts for emissions uncertain- ties. We apply this hybrid approach to conduct PM2.5 source apportionment at Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) sites across the US. Ambient PM2.5 concentrations at these re- ceptor sites were apportioned to 33 separate sources. Hybrid method results led to large changes of impacts from CTM estimates for sources such as dust, woodstoves, and other biomass-burning sources, but limited changes to others. The refinements reduced the differences between CTM-simulated and observed concentrations of individual PM2.5 species by over 98 % when using a weighted least-squares error mini- mization. The rankings of source impacts changed from the initial estimates, further demonstrating that CTM-only re- sults should be evaluated with observations. Assessment with RM results at six US locations showed that the hybrid results differ somewhat from commonly resolved sources. The hy- brid method also resolved sources that typical RM methods do not capture without extra measurement information for unique tracers. The method can be readily applied to large domains and long (such as multi-annual) time periods to pro- vide source impact estimates for management- and health- related studies.
Governing knowledge sharing in organisations : levels of analysis, mechanisms, and research directions

We discuss and test recent claims that research on knowledge processes has paid insufficient attention to micro (individual) level constructs and mechanisms and to the role of formal organisation in governing knowledge processes. We review knowledge sharing research published in thirteen (top academic plus top practitioner-oriented) journals in the period 1996-2006 in relation to these two propositions. The review confirms the claim that the knowledge sharing literature is pre-occupied with constructs, processes, and phenomena defined at a macro (collective, organisational) level and pay comparatively little attention to micro level constructs. However, our review provides less support for the proposition that formal governance mechanisms have been under-researched in comparison to formal organisation. Still, the multiple ways in which formal governance mechanisms may interact in influencing knowledge sharing outcomes have been under-researched, as have the interaction between more informal aspects of the firm and formal governance mechanisms. We develop a series of recommendations for future research on knowledge sharing.
Urbanization, life style changes and the incidence/in-hospital mortality of acute myocardial infarction in Japan: report from the MIYAGI-AMI Registry Study.

BACKGROUND It remains to be examined whether urbanization and lifestyle changes are associated with the incidence and mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Japan. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 19,921 AMI patients (male/female 14,290/5,631) registered by the MIYAGI-AMI Registry Study from 1988 to 2009 were divided into 2 groups according to their residences; inside (urban area, n=7,316) and outside (rural area, n=11,402) of Sendai City. From 1988 to 2009, the incidence of AMI (/100,000 persons/year) increased more rapidly in the rural area (24.2 to 51.4) than in the urban area (31.3 to 40.8) (P<0.001), with rapid aging in both areas. Moreover, from 1998 to 2009, the age-adjusted incidence of AMI in young (<44 years) and middle-aged (45-64 years) male patients (both P<0.05) in the rural area increased significantly, along with a markedly increased prevalence of dyslipidemia (P<0.001). Although in-hospital mortality from AMI decreased in both areas over the last 20 years (both P<0.001), it remained relatively higher in female than in male patients and was associated with higher age of the onset, longer elapsing time for admission and lower prevalence of primary coronary intervention in female patients in both areas. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that urbanization and lifestyle changes have been associated with the incidence and mortality from AMI, although sex differences still remain to be improved.
Adaptation of New Colombian Food-based Complementary Feeding Recommendations Using Linear Programming

Objective: The aim of the study was to use linear programming (LP) analyses to adapt New Complementary Feeding Guidelines (NCFg) designed for infants aged 6 to 12 months living in poor socioeconomic circumstances in Bogota to ensure dietary adequacy for young children aged 12 to 23 months. Design: A secondary data analysis was performed using dietary and anthropometric data collected from 12-month-old infants (n = 72) participating in a randomized controlled trial. LP analyses were performed to identify nutrients whose requirements were difficult to achieve using local foods as consumed; and to test and compare the NCFg and alternative food-based recommendations (FBRs) on the basis of dietary adequacy, for 11 micronutrients, at the population level. Results: Thiamine recommended nutrient intakes for these young children could not be achieved given local foods as consumed. NCFg focusing only on meat, fruits, vegetables, and breast milk ensured dietary adequacy at the population level for only 4 micronutrients, increasing to 8 of 11 modelled micronutrients when the FBRs promoted legumes, dairy, vitamin A–rich vegetables, and chicken giblets. None of the FBRs tested ensured population-level dietary adequacy for thiamine, niacin, and iron unless a fortified infant food was recommended. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated the value of using LP to adapt NCFg for a different age group than the one for which they were designed. Our analyses suggest that to ensure dietary adequacy for 12- to 23-month olds these adaptations should include legumes, dairy products, vitamin A–rich vegetables, organ meat, and a fortified food.
Performance study of switching frequency signal injection algorithm in PMSMs for EV propulsion: A comparison in stator and rotor coordinates

This paper studies the performance of the switching frequency signal injection (SFSI) algorithm to estimate the rotor position in permanent magnets synchronous machines (PMSM) intended for electric vehicle (EV) propulsion. A simple and effective demodulation algorithm is proposed to carry out this estimation by using only current measurements. As opposed to recent literature on the subject, the proposed algorithm is not based on the inductance matrix from the high-frequency impedance model of the PMSM, therefore neither voltage sensors nor voltage reconstructions from the inverter switching states are necessary, thus reducing the system complexity. The analytical expressions in both stationary (αβ) and rotating (dq) reference frames are consistently derived. A performance comparison of sensorless control of PMSM in stator and rotor coordinates is carried out considering the dynamics model of a 1,200 Kg mass car. The simulation results obtained through MATLAB®-SimPowerSystems™ demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed demodulation algorithm and its superiority in the rotating frame.
A Caching Filesystem for Increasing Locality in the Second Cache in a Virtualized Environment

Virtualized environments with virtual machines are widely used in various situations such as cloud computing. In these environments, two caches are utilized for disk accesses. One is a guest operating system page cache and the other is a host operating system page cache. In this situation, the accesses to the host operating system page cache have negative temporal locality of reference and the hit ratio of the host operating system cache is severely decreased by this locality. In this study, we propose a novel filesystem for increasing the hit ratio of a host operating system cache. The filesystem works in a guest operating system and manages memory instead of page cache. The filesystem stably retains certain data and does not replace them. As a result, the accesses to some data always result in a cache hit, while the accesses to other data always result in a cache miss. Therefore, the locality of reference of accesses to host operating system page cache is increased, and its hit ratio is expected to improve. We implement the proposed filesystem and evaluate its performance. Our evaluation demonstrates that the filesystem can significantly improve the host operating system page cache hit ratio and I/O performance in a virtualized environment.
Internet Development Opportunities for Small to Medium Sized Enterprises in Ukraine

It has been argued that the development of the small business sector in Ukraine is central to economic reforms and the creation of wealth and employment. Given the inherent instability and general weakness of the Ukrainian economy to date, there have been many structural and political obstacles to entrepreneurial activity and the development of small enterprises in a variety of business sectors. However, the relatively recent emergence of the Internet as a vehicle for business transformation has already provided opportunities for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ukraine to enter global markets. The extent to which this has been the case for developing economies is a continuing research issue, given that various studies have already identified tangible benefits for the growth of SMEs in developed economies. This paper looks at the development of SMEs in Ukraine and outlines the factors that have affected their growth. The paper then focuses on the role of the Internet in promoting the development of SMEs in Ukraine, and considers the facilitation of opportunities provided by the available infrastructure. Recent progress towards developing a better infrastructure to support entrepreneurial activity and SME growth are discussed, including the need for further research. [Brendan Dcruz, Shafqat Hameed. Internet Development Opportunities for Small to Medium Sized Enterprises in Ukraine. Life Science Journal. 2012;9(3):41-47] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 6
PRDX1 and MTH1 cooperate to prevent ROS-mediated inhibition of telomerase

In this study, Ahmed et al. demonstrate that oxidative damage of telomeres inhibits telomerase activity at chromosome ends in cancer cells. Deletion of two antioxidant enzymes—PRDX1 and MTH1, needed for protecting telomeres from oxidative damage—results in loss of telomeric DNA in an oxygen concentration-dependent manner due to inhibition of telomerase, thus providing new insights into the role of antioxidant systems that are required to protect telomeres from oxidation.
Enhanced uplink non-orthogonal multiple access for 5G and beyond systems

Uplink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is a promising technique to meet the requirements of the fifth generation (5G) and beyond systems. Various NOMA schemes have been proposed in both academia and industry. However, most existing schemes assume equal average received power, which limits the performance. We propose three enhancements of uplink NOMA to achieve the requirements of massive connectivity and high reliability in 5G, where unequal average received power is exploited as part of the multiple access signature. First, the optimal sequences targeting to generalized Welch-bound equality (GWBE) are obtained for unequal average received power. Then user grouping with multi-level received powers is proposed for better successive interference cancellation (SIC) at the receiver. Finally, sequence grouping based on the cross-correlation properties of sequences is proposed to reduce inter- and intra-group interference. Simulation results show that by incorporating multi-level received powers and sequence grouping into existing NOMA schemes, for an NOMA system with 400% overloading and fixed signature allocation, 3 dB and 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gains at 0.1 block error rate (BLER) target can be achieved compared with existing NOMA schemes and orthogonal multiple access (OMA), respectively. Besides, 0.01 BLER target can be achieved while an error floor exists in existing NOMA schemes. Under random sequence selection, collision probability is reduced by multi-level powers. In addition, GWBE sequences achieve lower BLER than existing sequences and the gain is large especially for low BLER requirements. This shows that the proposed scheme can support larger connectivity and higher reliability.