Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of dual tasks and dual-task training on postural stability: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The use of dual-task training paradigm to enhance postural stability in patients with balance impairments is an emerging area of interest. The differential effects of dual tasks and dual-task training on postural stability still remain unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to analyze the effects of dual task and training application on static and dynamic postural stability among various population groups. Systematic identification of published literature was performed adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, from inception until June 2016, on the online databases Scopus, PEDro, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and SportDiscus. Experimental studies analyzing the effects of dual task and dual-task training on postural stability were extracted, critically appraised using PEDro scale, and then summarized according to modified PEDro level of evidence. Of 1,284 records, 42 studies involving 1,480 participants met the review’s inclusion criteria. Of the studies evaluating the effects of dual-task training on postural stability, 87.5% of the studies reported significant enhancements, whereas 30% of the studies evaluating acute effects of dual tasks on posture reported significant enhancements, 50% reported significant decrements, and 20% reported no effects. Meta-analysis of the pooled studies revealed moderate but significant enhancements of dual-task training in elderly participants (95% CI: 1.16–2.10) and in patients suffering from chronic stroke (−0.22 to 0.86). The adverse effects of complexity of dual tasks on postural stability were also revealed among patients with multiple sclerosis (−0.74 to 0.05). The review also discusses the significance of verbalization in a dual-task setting for increasing cognitive–motor interference. Clinical implications are discussed with respect to practical applications in rehabilitation settings.
A Frame for the Simulation of Shared Memory on Distributed Memory

A brief survey on the most recent results concerning the simulation of PRAMs on DMMs is presented, along with the design of a Shared Memory Simulator (SMS) that is based on a distributed environment provided by many realistic architectures, based on the DMM model. The Shared Memory Simulation Frame (SMS-Frame) will give the opportunity of executing parallel algorithms designed for a variant of PRAM, over a purely distributed working environment, that will be considered to comply with the DMM model. The reason why the models of PRAM and DMM have been chosen, is that the former has proved to be the most popular cost model in the parallel algorithms community, while the latter is an abstracted model based on message passing, that is very close to, or is provided through specialized interfaces by the majority of the vendors of parallel machines.
’ s repository of research publications and other research outputs RefConcile – automated online reconciliation of bibliographic references Conference Item

Comprehensive bibliographies often rely on community contributions. In such settings, de-duplication is mandatory for the bibliography to be useful. Ideally, de-duplication works online, i.e., when adding new references, so the bibliography remains duplicate-free at all times. While de-duplication is well researched, generic approaches do not achieve the result quality required for automated reconciliation. To overcome this problem, we propose a new duplicate detection and reconciliation technique called RefConcile. Aiming specifically at bibliographic references, it uses dedicated blocking and matching techniques tailored to this type of data. Our evaluation based on a large realworld collection of bibliographic references shows that RefConcile scales well, and that it detects and reconciles duplicates highly accurately.
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Infection and Hepatic Steatosis

There are two discrete forms of steatosis that may be found in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Metabolic steatosis can coexist with HCV, regardless of genotype, in patients with risk factors such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. The second form of hepatic steatosis in HCV patients is a result of the direct cytopathic effect of genotype 3 viral infections. There have been proposed mechanisms for this process but it remains elusive. Both categories of steatosis tend to hasten the progression of liver fibrosis and therefore prompt recognition and management should be initiated in patients with HCV and steatosis. The authors review the current understanding of the relationship between hepatitis C infection and hepatic steatosis and discuss future research directions.
Optimal Coordination of Loosely-Coupled Self-InterestedRobots

We address the problem of optimally coordinating a group of loosely-coupled autonomous robots with private state info rmation, when each robot is self-interested and acts only to maximize its own personal reward stream. The general solution we propose makes honest reporting of private information a best-response strategy and leads to the system-optim al outcome in equilibrium, while assuming the existence of a currency so that payments can be collected. We also provide a specialized mechanism for the case in which local robot models are Markov chains, using Gittins allocation indices to compute the system-optimal policy in time linear in the number of robots. The majority of the computation is distribute d amongst the agents, with the coordinator primarily playing a enforcement role.
Management of Dementia and Depression Utilizing In- Home Passive Sensor Data.

PURPOSE This study investigates whether motion density maps based on passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors and the average time out and average density per hour measures of the density map are sensitive enough to detect changes in mental health over time. METHOD Within the sensor network, data are logged from PIR motion sensors which capture motion events as people move around the home. If there is continuous motion, the sensor will generate events at 7 second intervals. If the resident is less active, events will be generated less frequently. A web application displays the data as activity density maps showing events per hour with hours on the vertical axis and progressive days on the horizontal axis. Color and intensity provide textural indications of time spent away from home and activity level. Texture features from the co-occurrence matrix are used to capture the periodicity pattern of the activity (including homogeneity, local variation, and entropy) and are combined with the average motion density per hour and the average time away from home. The similarity of two different density maps is represented by a number that is computed in feature space as the distance from one map to the other, or a measure of dis-similarity. Employing a retrospective approach, density maps were compared with health assessment information (Geriatric Depression Scale, Mini Mental State Exam, and Short Form Health Survey -12) to determine congruence between activity pattern changes and the health information20. A case by case study method, analyzed the density maps of 5 individuals with identified mental health issues. These density maps were reviewed along with the averages of time out of apartment per day per hour and average density per hour for hours at home and mental health assessment scores to determine if there were activity changes and if activity patterns reflected changes in mental health conditions. RESULTS & DISCUSSION The motion density maps show visual changes in the client's activity, including circadian rhythm, time away from home, and general activity level (sedentary vs. puttering). The measures are sensitive enough, yielding averages of time out of apartment and average density per hour for hours at home that indicate significant change. There is evidence of congruence with health assessment scores. This pilot study demonstrates that density maps can be used as a tool for early illness detection. The results indicate that sensor technology has the potential to augment traditional health care assessments and care coordination.
Local object gist: meaningful shapes and spatial layout at a very early stage of visual processing

In his introduction, Pinna (2010) quoted one of Wertheimer’s observations: “I stand at the window and see a house, trees, sky. Theoretically I might say there were 327 brightnesses and nuances of color. Do I have ‘327’? No. I have sky, house, and trees. ” This seems quite remarkable, for Max Wertheimer, together with Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Koehler, was a pioneer of Gestalt Theory: perceptual organisation was tackled considering grouping rules of line and edge elements in relation to figure-ground segregation, i.e., a meaningful object (the figure) as perceived against a complex background (the ground).
Axiomatizing rational power series

Iteration semirings are Conway semirings satisfying Conway's group identities. We show that the semirings $\N^{\rat}\llangle \Sigma^* \rrangle$ of rational power series with coefficients in the semiring $\N$ of natural numbers are the free partial iteration semirings. Moreover, we characterize the semirings $\N_\infty^{\rat}\llangle \Sigma^* \rrangle$ as the free semirings in the variety of iteration semirings defined by three additional simple identities, where $\N_\infty$ is the completion of $\N$ obtained by adding a point of infinity. We also show that this latter variety coincides with the variety generated by the complete, or continuous semirings. As a consequence of these results, we obtain that the semirings $\N_\infty^{\rat}\llangle \Sigma^* \rrangle$, equipped with the sum order, are free in the class of symmetric inductive $^*$-semirings. This characterization corresponds to Kozen's axiomatization of regular languages.
Some identities for the generalized Laguerre polynomials

In this paper, we perform a further investigation for the generalized Laguerre polynomials. By applying the generating function methods and Padé approximation techniques, we establish some new identities for the generalized Laguerre polynomials, and give some illustrative special cases as well as immediate consequences of the main results. c ©2016 All rights reserved.
Determination of the Relationship Between Internet Addiction and the Level of Loneliness Among Nurses

AIM: In this study our aim was to compare the socio-demographic factors associated with internet addiction and loneliness level among nurses and determine a correlation between the two. METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with all volunteered nurses (N=361). Who had not had psychiatric diseases, and working in two hospitals, in Balıkesir Province Turkey between January 15 and December 15, 2015. A total of 203 nurses participated in this study, and all data were collected using the personal information form, Internet addiction scale and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Ethics Committee approval was received for the application of the research. In the analysis of the data, percentages, Mann-Whitney U, One Way ANOVA, Dunnett’s test and Spearman correlation analysis were used. RESULTS: The mean internet addiction and loneliness scores of the nurses were found to be lower relative to the lowest and highest mean scores that could be obtained from these scales. Internet addiction scores were found to be higher in males aged 35 years or below, those who used the internet at the service, spent more than 1 h online compared with females aged 36 years or above, those who did not use the internet at the service or spent less than 1 hour online, respectively. A weakly positive linear correlation was found between the loneliness score and problematic social relation and internet addiction of the nurses. CONCLUSIONS: There was a weak positive relationship between loneliness and internet addiction scores in nursing group in the study. Investigation of the internet addiction with a larger sample is recommended.
A Ferroxidase Encoded by FOX1 Contributes to Iron Assimilation under Conditions of Poor Iron Nutrition in Chlamydomonas

ABSTRACT When the abundance of the FOX1 gene product is reduced, Chlamydomonas cells grow poorly in iron-deficient medium, but not in iron-replete medium, suggesting that FOX1-dependent iron uptake is a high-affinity pathway. Alternative pathways for iron assimilation, such as those involving ZIP family transporters IRT1 and IRT2, may be operational.
Selected Multicriteria Shortest Path Problems: An Analysis of Complexity, Models and Adaptation of Standard Algorithms

Selected Multicriteria Shortest Path Problems: An Analysis of Complexity, Models and Adaptation of Standard Algorithms The paper presents selected multicriteria (multiobjective) approaches to shortest path problems. A classification of multi-objective shortest path (MOSP) problems is given. Different models of MOSP problems are discussed in detail. Methods of solving the formulated optimization problems are presented. An analysis of the complexity of the presented methods and ways of adapting of classical algorithms for solving multiobjective shortest path problems are described. A comparison of the effectiveness of solving selected MOSP problems defined as mathematical programming problems (using the CPLEX 7.0 solver) and multi-weighted graph problems (using modified Dijkstra's algorithm) is given. Experimental results of using the presented methods for multicriteria path selection in a terrain-based grid network are given.
Customizable SLO and Its Near-Precise Enforcement for Storage Bandwidth

Cloud service is being adopted as a utility for large numbers of tenants by renting Virtual Machines (VMs). But for cloud storage, unpredictable IO characteristics make accurate Service-Level-Objective (SLO) enforcement challenging. As a result, it has been very difficult to support simple-to-use and technology-agnostic SLO specifying a particular value for a specific metric (e.g., storage bandwidth). This is because the quality of SLO enforcement depends on performance error and fluctuation that measure the precision of SLO enforcement. High precision of SLO enforcement is critical for user-oriented performance customization and user experiences. To address this challenge, this article presents V-Cup, a framework for VM-oriented customizable SLO and its near-precise enforcement. It consists of multiple auto-tuners, each of which exports an interface for a tenant to customize the desired storage bandwidth for a VM and enable the storage bandwidth of the VM to converge on the target value with a predictable precision. We design and implement V-Cup in the Xen hypervisor based on the fair sharing scheduler for VM-level resource management. Our V-Cup prototype evaluation shows that it achieves satisfying performance guarantees through near-precise SLO enforcement.
On the Role of Learning Theories in Furthering Software Engineering Education

Learning theories describe how people learn. There is a large body of work concerning learning theories on which to draw, a valuable resource of which the domain of software engineering educational research has thus far not taken full advantage. In this chapter, we explore what role learning theories could play in software engineering education. We propose that learning theories can move the field of software engineering education forward by helping us to categorize, design, evaluate, and communicate about software engineering educational approaches. We demonstrate this by: (1) surveying a set of relevant learning theories, (2) presenting a categorization of common software engineering educational approaches in terms of learning theories, and (3) using one such approach (SimSE) as a case study to explore how learning theories can be used to improve existing approaches, design new approaches, and structure and guide the evaluation of an approach.
Cherry Picking: A Semantic Query Processing Strategy for the Evaluation of Expensive Predicates

A common requirement of many scienti c applications is the ability to process queries involving expensive predicates corresponding to user programs. Optimizing such queries is hard because static cost predictions and statistical estimates are not applicable. In this paper, we propose a novel approach, called Cherry Picking (CP), based on the modelling of data dependencies among expensive predicate input values as a k-partite graph. We show how CP can be easily integrated into a cost-based query processor. We propose a CP Greedy algorithm that processes the graph by selecting candidate values that minimize query execution cost, and the Epredicate algorithm that processes tuples in pipeline following the CP approach. Based on performance simulation, we show that these algorithms yields executions up to 86% faster than statically chosen pipeline strategies.
A New Multi-metric QoS Routing Protocol in Wireless Mesh Network

Real-time applications such as multimedia applications have high requirements on bandwidth, delay, jitter etc, which requires WMN (Wireless Mesh Networks) to support QoS. QoS routing is crucial to provide QoS. This paper focuses on QoS routing with bandwidth constraint in multi-radio multi-channel WMN, and proposes a new multi-metric and a QoS routing protocol MMQR. The routing metric has two advantages. First, it replaces the transmission rate of ETT with available bandwidth so that the nodes with light load are more likely to be selected. Second, it takes the channel diversity into account and assigns a weight to each link according to the channels of links within the range of three hops. MMQR addresses the problems that real QoS cannot be satisfied due to interference and congestion and the link doesn't work because of node failure.
Fledgling survival increases with development time and adult survival across north and south temperate zones

Slow life histories are characterized by high adult survival and few offspring, which are thought to allow increased investment per offspring to increase juvenile survival. Consistent with this pattern, south temperate zone birds are commonly longer-lived and have fewer young than north temperate zone species. However, comparative analyses of juvenile survival, including during the first few weeks of the post-fledging period when most juvenile mortality occurs, are largely lacking. We combined our measurements of fledgling survival for eight passerines in South Africa with estimates from published studies of 57 north and south temperate zone songbird species to test three predictions: (1) fledgling survival increases with length of development time in the nest; (2) fledgling survival increases with adult survival and reduced brood size controlled for development time; and (3) south temperate zone species, with their higher adult survival and smaller brood sizes, exhibit higher fledgling survival than north temperate zone species controlled for development time. We found that fledgling survival was higher among south temperate zone species and generally increased with development time and adult survival within and between latitudinal regions. Clutch size did not explain additional variation, but was confounded with adult survival. Given the importance of age-specific mortality to life history evolution, understanding the causes of these geographical patterns of mortality is important.
Does China and Africa South-South cooperation lead to economic development in Africa?

Since a few decades now Chinese enterprises’ investments abroad have seen a continuous and steady ascension. At first cautious and just across the Chinese national borders, these investments, slowly but surely, spread like a sheet of water that seeps into the heart of each continent on the globe. This global infiltration of Chinese companies coincides with the popularity in the use of the expression “South-South Cooperation” to characterize a type of relations between countries categorized as being “developing”. Accordingly this paper seeks to examine the role of the use of this concept as a “channel to achieve common development” in the context of Chinese enterprises’ outward direct investments in Africa adopting insights from international business production theories combined with an historical analysis of the notion of South-South Cooperation. Drawing on primary data gathered during my fieldwork in China in the period stretching from December 2011 to February 2012 and secondary data sources, it is argued that these Chinese investments supported by the Chinese government rhetoric on South-South cooperation, cannot lead to significant economic development in Africa like it has happened in China in the eighties. Rather and at most Chinese investments in Africa show some “trickle-down” effects characterised by very limited economic development in scattered localities throughout the African continent.
Review of the mechanisms by which anthropogenic noise may cause cetacean strandings

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