Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Ecosystem Perspective of Entrepreneurship in Local Economic Development

Pro-growth Local Economic Development is an approach recommended to developing countries fighting to eradicate widespread poverty in Southern Africa. Entrepreneurship is a key construct under pro-growth approaches. However, other studies found that its effectiveness is dependent on the stage of economic development of a country such that entrepreneurship does not effect economic growth in low income countries but in high income countries. Therefore the factors influencing productive entrepreneurships have been of interest to scholars to inform policy for the development of entrepreneurship which remains a key area of focus in national development plans of many developing countries. An analysis of literature was conducted on the ecosystem perspective of entrepreneurship and it revealed that entrepreneurship can influence economic growth when the requisite key resources and key stakeholders' functionality are developed in a balanced way. Local territories that adopt pro-growth approaches require: effective political, legal, regulatory and economic frameworks that enable higher pay offs from entrepreneurship; policies for the development of financial, physical, human, knowledge and natural capital as well as policies for attracting or supporting key stakeholders mainly the ambitious entrepreneurial class, who are able to develop productive growth oriented entrepreneurships. However, the ecosystem perspective focuses on exogenous factors to the concept. Entrepreneurship is a multidimensional concept with varying perspectives, activities and outputs that influence outcomes and impacts. The effects of this multidimensionality on the performance of entrepreneurship in low income and high income countries remain an area not covered in literature. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystem, local economic development, economic growth.
Automated estimation of initial and terminal contact timing using accelerometers; development and validation in transtibial amputees and controls

The aim of this study was to develop and validate an automated accelerometry-based system for estimating initial contact (IC) and terminal contact (TC) timing information from walking patterns of healthy control subjects and transtibial amputees that can be used in daily life with minimal interference of researchers. Subjects were instrumented with two uniaxial accelerometers just below the knee while synchronized ground reaction force (GRF) recordings were used as reference measurements. An automated multiphase algorithm was developed to estimate the time of IC and TC in the acceleration signals of five healthy subjects and two transtibial amputees walking at different walking speeds. The accuracy of the detection algorithm in ten control subjects and eight transtibial amputees indicated mean errors ranging between 0.013 and 0.034 s for the TC and IC timing, with 95% confidence interval of the individual step errors ranging between -0.062 and 0.115 s. Correlation coefficients between the estimated stance phase duration and GRF data were 0.98 and 0.97 for controls and amputees, respectively. We concluded that IC and TC can be accurately and easily measured using this system in both healthy subjects and transtibial amputees walking at different walking speeds. The system can be used in clinical situations or gait labs as well as during daily life.
Simulated Restaurant Cook Exposure to Emissions of PAHs, Mutagenic Aldehydes, and Particles from Frying Bacon

This study investigated the exposure of cooks to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), higher mutagenic aldehydes, total particles, and ultrafine particles during cooking. Experiments were performed by pan frying fresh and smoked bacon on both electric and gas stoves, and with the gas alone. Detailed analyses of PAHs were performed, with analyses of the levels of 32 different PAHs. A TSI-3939 scanning mobility particle sizer system was used to measure the ultrafine particles. The results showed that total PAHs were in the range of 270–300 ng/m3 air. However, the smoked bacon experiment showed a somewhat different PAH pattern, whereby retene constituted about 10% of the total PAHs, which is a level similar to that of the abundant gas phase constituent phenanthrene. The reason for the elevated retene emissions is unknown. The total cancer risk, expressed as toxic equivalency factors, showed a somewhat higher risk on the electric stove (p < 0.05) compared with the gas stove. Levels of trans, trans-2,4-decadienal were between 34 and 54 μg/m3 air. The level of total particles was between 2.2 and 4.2 mg/m3. Frying on a gas stove caused a statistically significant higher amount of ultrafine particles compared with frying on an electric stove. Large variations in the mobility diameter at peak particle concentration were found (74.4 nm–153.5 nm). The highest mobility diameter was found for frying on an electric stove. The gas flame itself showed a maximum production of 19.5-nm-sized particles and could not be the explanation for the difference between frying on the gas stove and frying on the electric stove. No single indicator for the exposure to cooking fume could be selected. Each compound should be measured independently to provide a comprehensive characterization of the cooking exposure.
Exposure to manufactured nanostructured particles in an industrial pilot plant.

OBJECTIVES Nanomaterial production and the number of people directly in contact with these materials are increasing. Yet, little is known on the association between exposure and corresponding risks, such as pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress. METHODS Condensation Particle Counters, a DustTrak and Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer quantified real-time size, mass and number concentrations in a nanostructure particle pilot-scale production facility, using a high-temperature gas-phase process, over a 25-day period. Temporal and spatial analysis of particle concentrations and sizes was performed during production, maintenance and handling. Number-based particle retention of breathing mask filters used under real-time production and exposure conditions in the workplace was quantified. RESULTS The results demonstrate elevated number concentrations during production, which can be an order of magnitude higher than background levels. Average concentrations during production were 59,100 cm(-3) and 0.188 mg m(-3) for submicron particles. Mask filters decreased particle number concentrations by >96%. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates real-time worker exposure during gas-phase nanoparticle manufacturing. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of emission sources and concentration levels in a production plant is accomplished. These results are important for workers, employers and regulators in the nanotechnology field as they provide information on encountered exposures and possibilities for mitigation measures.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings of Surgically Proven Medial Meniscus Root Tear: Tear Configuration and Associated Knee Abnormalities

Objective: To evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of medial meniscal root tear and the correlation of medial meniscal root tear with other associated knee abnormalities. Methods: We retrospectively assessed preoperative magnetic resonance images of 39 patients with arthroscopically confirmed medial meniscal root tear. Magnetic resonance imaging findings were retrospectively reviewed by 2 experienced musculoskeletal radiologists for consensus. We evaluated the configuration of meniscal root tear and the other associated knee abnormalities on MRI for direct correlation with arthroscopic findings. Results: At arthroscopy, there were 36 radial tears and 3 complex tears involving the medial meniscal posterior horn roots. All 36 radial tears could be correctly diagnosed by MRI, with findings showing ghost sign on sagittal images in 100% (36/36), vertical linear defect on coronal images in 100% (36/36), and radial linear defect on axial image in 94% (34/36). However, all 3 complex tears were misdiagnosed as radial tears on MRI. Medial meniscal root tears displayed a strong association with degenerative joint disease in 97% (38/39). Medial meniscal root tears were also found in association with cartilage defects of the medial femoral condyle and medial meniscal extrusions (≥3 mm) in 89% (34/38) and 67% (26/39), respectively. Conclusions: Medial meniscal root tears were usually posterior horn root radial tear. A high association with degenerative joint disease, cartilage defects of the medial femoral condyle, and medial meniscal extrusions (≥3 mm) were also noted.
Implementation of a Bayesian Design in a Dose‐Escalation Study of an Experimental Agent in Healthy Volunteers

Summary Bayesian decision procedures have recently been developed for dose escalation in phase I clinical trials concerning pharmacokinetic responses observed in healthy volunteers. This article describes how that general methodology was extended and evaluated for implementation in a specific phase I trial of a novel compound. At the time of writing, the study is ongoing, and it will be some time before the sponsor will wish to put the results into the public domain. This article is an account of how the study was designed in a way that should prove to be safe, accurate, and efficient whatever the true nature of the compound. The study involves the observation of two pharmacokinetic endpoints relating to the plasma concentration of the compound itself and of a metabolite as well as a safety endpoint relating to the occurrence of adverse events. Construction of the design and its evaluation via simulation are presented.
Gamma-Globulins: Quantitative Relationships in Human Serum and Nonvascular Fluids

Three types of γ-globulins, γ2, γIA, and yim, are present in certain body fluids and secretions in proportions significantly different from those of normal human serum. A lthough ylA-globulin is present in only small amounts in serum, it represents a major fraction of the gamma globulin of tears, bile, saliva, colostrum, and fluid of the small intestine.
A Two-Phase 3-D Reconstruction Approach for Light Microscopy Axial-View Imaging

Three-dimensional representations in light microscopy are important for accurate shape assessment of model systems in biosciences. The computational multiview 3-D reconstruction seems feasible in obtaining the 3-D representations in particular for high-throughput. The specimen for imaging can have properties, i.e., transparency and translucency, that impede the detection of well-defined boundaries. Consequently, 3-D reconstruction and measurements, i.e., volume and surface area will be inaccurate. The motivation in this paper is therefore to develop a two-phase 3-D reconstruction approach for light microscopy axis-view imaging that can deal with these properties. In phase I of this approach, we develop an improved 3-D volumetric representation defined as the confidence map. This is derived from texture-augmented axial-view images of the specimen. In phase II, the 3-D reconstruction is accomplished by searching the optimal surface for the specimen over the confidence map. Subsequently, from the obtained 3-D reconstruction, 3-D measurements can be extracted. We present a high-throughput axial-view imaging architecture in light microscopy based on the vertebrate automated screening technology device. Using this imaging architecture, we present three typical datasets using different imaging modalities, which includes zebrafish larvae in bright-field and zebrafish liver in fluorescence. In the experiments, we have applied our approach on these datasets. We find that our approach yields precise 3-D shape representation and natural visualization. In comparison with a groundtruth setup, we have obtained accurate 3-D measurements both for the organism and the organ, which holds a promising shape assessment for model systems in biosciences.
A data-based online reinforcement learning algorithm with high-efficient exploration

An online reinforcement learning algorithm is proposed in this paper to directly utilizes online data efficiently for continuous deterministic systems without system parameters. The dependence on some specific approximation structures is crucial to limit the wide application of online reinforcement learning algorithms. We utilize the online data directly with the kd-tree technique to remove this limitation. Moreover, we design the algorithm in the Probably Approximately Correct principle. Two examples are simulated to verify its good performance.
Microscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility Assay, a Rapid, Reliable Diagnostic Test for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Suitable for Use in Resource-Poor Settings

ABSTRACT There is an urgent need for new tools to improve our ability to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) in resource-poor settings. In a retrospective analysis undertaken in a region with a high incidence of TB, we evaluated the performance of the microscopic observation drug susceptibility assay (MODS), a novel assay developed in Perú which uses an inverted light microscope and culture in Middlebrook 7H9 broth to detect mycobacterial growth. MODS detected 94.0% of 1,908 positive sputum cultures, whereas Löwenstein-Jensen (LJ) culture detected only 86.9% (P < 0.001). The median time to culture positivity was 8 days (compared to 16 days for the same 208 samples by LJ culture; P < 0.001, Wilcoxon signed rank test). The results obtained by direct susceptibility testing using MODS demonstrated excellent concordance for isoniazid and rifampin and the detection of multidrug resistance with those obtained by indirect colorimetric methods: the microplate Alamar Blue assay (MABA) and the tetrazolium microplate assay (TEMA) (agreement, 95, 98, and 94%; kappa values, 0.8, 0.7, and 0.7, respectively). The concordance of the susceptibility testing results for ethambutol and streptomycin was poor. MODS is a novel assay which can detect the organisms responsible for TB and MDR-TB directly from sputum inexpensively, rapidly, and effectively. A comprehensive prospective evaluation of MODS is under way in Perú, and independent validation in nonresearch laboratories should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity.
Network Topology Tomography Under Multipath Routing

Network topology tomography can infer a tree topology for single-source networks using end-to-end measurements. However, multipath routing, which introduces multiple paths between end-hosts, violates the tree topology model. In this letter, we demonstrate that such nontree topologies are also identifiable. We employ graph cuts and show the nontree topology can be decomposed into two identifiable subtopologies. And by reconnecting the cut paths, the nontree topology can be recovered after obtaining these subtopologies. To detect the paths that share cuts, we propose a scheme based on measurements of the end-to-end packet arrival order. Simulation results show that our scheme achieves the desirable detection accuracy.
The declining interest in an academic career

There is increasing evidence that science & engineering PhD students lose interest in an academic career over the course of graduate training. It is not clear, however, whether this decline reflects students being discouraged from pursuing an academic career by the challenges of obtaining a faculty job or whether it reflects more fundamental changes in students’ career goals for reasons other than the academic labor market. We examine this question using a longitudinal survey that follows a cohort of PhD students from 39 U.S. research universities over the course of graduate training to document changes in career preferences and to explore potential drivers of such changes. We report two main results. First, although the vast majority of students start the PhD interested in an academic research career, over time 55% of all students remain interested while 25% lose interest entirely. In addition, 15% of all students were never interested in an academic career during their PhD program, while 5% become more interested. Thus, the declining interest in an academic career is not a general phenomenon across all PhD students, but rather reflects a divergence between those students who remain highly interested in an academic career and other students who are no longer interested in one. Second, we show that the decline we observe is not driven by expectations of academic job availability, nor by related factors such as postdoctoral requirements or the availability of research funding. Instead, the decline appears partly due to the misalignment between students’ changing preferences for specific job attributes on the one hand, and the nature of the academic research career itself on the other. Changes in students’ perceptions of their own research ability also play a role, while publications do not. We discuss implications for scientific labor markets, PhD career development programs, and science policy.
Site‐specific survival rates for cancer of unknown primary according to location of metastases

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is diagnosed at the metastatic stage and despite extensive diagnostic work‐up the primary tumor often remains unidentified. Limited population‐based survival data are available for metastatic location and none are available that link the location with the cause of death, which might give clues about the tissue‐of‐origin. A total of 9,306 CUP patients with extranodal metastases of adenocarcinoma and undifferentiated histology were identified from the Swedish Cancer Registry. Hazard ratios (HRs), mean survival times and Kaplan–Meier survival curves were provided according to CUP location at diagnosis and cause of death. The median survival was shortest (2 months) for patients with liver and longest (5 months) for those with nervous system metastases. Lung cancer was the most common cause of death in patients with CUP metastasis in the respiratory system, nervous system, bone and skin, with a median survival of 3 months. Patients with peritoneal/retroperitoneal and pelvical metastasis died not only of ovarian cancer, with a favorable median survival of 8 months, but also of pancreatic and colorectal cancers. Patients with pancreatic, liver, biliary and colorectal cancers with liver metastasis succumbed quickly. The data show that the location of metastases predicts site‐specific cancer deaths which in turn may point to the hidden primary tumor. The results should facilitate the management of CUP in proposing that the diagnostic arsenal should target the lungs when metastases are diagnosed in the respiratory or nervous system, bone or skin; ovarian tumors should be suspected after diagnosis of pelvical metastases.
SRS BUILDER 1.0: An Upper Type CASE Tool For Requirement Specification

Software (SW) development is a labor intensive activity. Modern software projects generally have to deal with producing and managing large and complex software products. Developing such software has become an extremely challenging job not only because of inherent complexity, but also mainly for economic constraints unlike time, quality, maintainability concerns. Hence, developing modern software within the budget still remains as one of the main software crisis. The most significant way to reduce the software development cost is to use the Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools over the entire Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process as substitute to expensive human labor cost. We think that automation of software development methods is a valuable support for the software engineers in coping with this complexity and for improving quality too. This paper demonstrates the newly developed CASE tools name “SRS Builder 1.0” for software requirement specification developed at our university laboratory, University of North Bengal, India. This paper discusses our new developed product with its functionalities and usages. We believe the tool has the potential to play an important role in the software development process.
Analyzing the Online Environment: How are More Effective Teachers Spending Their Time?

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please contact pdxscholar@pdx.edu. Recommended Citation Barrentine, Scott Davis, "Analyzing the Online Environment: How are More Effective Teachers Spending Their Time? " (2017). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 3833.
Use of power mobility for a young child with spinal muscular atrophy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Young children with severe motor impairments, such as spinal muscular atrophy, are often unable to move around their environment independently; therefore, they may be at risk for delays in areas of development not directly related to their motor limitations. Power mobility is an intervention that provides young children a means of independent movement and enables them to independently explore their environment. CASE DESCRIPTION The participant was a 20-month-old girl with type II spinal muscular atrophy. INTERVENTION The authors provided the child with a power wheelchair and gave her mother and physical therapist general guidelines to encourage her use of the power wheelchair. OUTCOMES Within 6 weeks after receiving the power wheelchair, the child operated the wheelchair independently. She showed developmental gains in all domains of the Battelle Developmental Inventory and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory over 6 months. The authors conducted an interview with the child's mother before and after intervention. She reported that the child was more independent after receiving the power wheelchair. DISCUSSION The power wheelchair may have been associated with the changes in the child's mobility and her developmental changes over 6 months.
The Effect of Amitriptyline, Gabapentin, and Carbamazepine on Morphine-Induced Hypercarbia in Rabbits

BACKGROUND: Severe exacerbation of chronic neuropathic pain often requires morphine in patients already treated with drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants, carbamazepine and gabapentin. However, it is unclear if a combination of these drugs intensifies the effects of morphine on the respiratory system and, if so, whether these effects are due to pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic interaction. METHODS: We gave rabbits (n = 6 per group) the following drugs daily for 4 days: subcutaneous normal saline 1 mL (control); amitriptyline subcutaneously 7 mg/kg; carbamazepine orally 100 mg/kg; gabapentin subcutaneously 25 mg/kg; and all three drugs concurrently (combination). On the fifth day, morphine 5 mg/kg was given IV, and Paco2, Pao2 and pH were measured. Morphine, morphine 3-glucoronide and morphine 6-glucoronide concentrations were measured in the plasma over the 4 h period after morphine injection. RESULTS: Compared with controls, premorphine baseline Paco2 was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the amitriptyline group. Postmorphine Paco2 was significantly higher in the amitriptyline and combination groups at all time points over the 240 min, and in the gabapentin group at 10 and 30 min after morphine injection (P < 0.05). Peak Paco2 was significantly higher in the amitriptyline group (58.4 ± 1.6 mm Hg; mean SD, P < 0.005) and in the combination group (57.4 ± 1.0 mm Hg, P < 0.02) than in the control group (50.2 ± 5.2 mm Hg). Similarly, the area under the curve of Paco2 from zero to 240 min was significantly higher in the amitriptyline and combination groups than in the control (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences among the groups in plasma concentrations of morphine and its metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that pretreatment with amitriptyline increases morphine- induced hypercarbia through pharmacodynamic processes. The effects of carbamazepine or gabapentin were not obvious in this model.