Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Communicating public and social services through iTV: Promoting older adults’ quality of life

As the demographic transition occurs in a global scale, dealing with the consequences of population ageing has emerged as a critical task to modern societies. This has led government entities to pay more and more attention to seniors’ concerns, limitations and needs. A deep understand of old citizens, especially those unfamiliar with Internet and smartphone technologies, is also a challenge in order to enable them to fully benefit of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). In the light of this issue, personalization and user-centred approaches involving older adults in all development stages may be the key for higher levels of user engagement with such ICT solutions as the interactive television (iTV) platform reported in this paper (+TV4E). The +TV4E is an on-going research project conducted at University of Aveiro, Portugal, based on a social inclusion approach, aiming to take benefit from the television viewing dynamics of senior viewers, by interweaving short and personalized adverts related to public and social services alongside regular broadcast contents. The platform is being designed with a user-centred approach featuring the integration of assistive technologies and multiplemultimedia communication channels. In this paper, a system architecture to deliver the informative contents is stated and a discussion of the potential social impacts of providing such platform is presented.
The dimensions of fiscal governance as the cornerstone of public finance sustainability: A general framework

Recently many European countries have incurred crises in public finance despite the fact that EU institutions have pushed the national governments toward the sustainability of public finance with compulsory and voluntary rules regarding fiscal governance. This paper investigates the relations between the quality of fiscal governance and the financial virtuosity of national fiscal policy. We proposed a general framework for analyzing the fiscal governance issue and we empirically tested the correlation between the dimensions of fiscal governance and the budgetary performance of EU countries. The results showed a positive correlation between the quality of fiscal governance in the EU countries and financial surplus in the period concerned. However further investigations are needed and an effort should be made to collect uniform data on fiscal governance in the European Union.
Best Practices in Social and Private Enterprise Franchising

Franchising is a business form where an organization, or franchisor, with a market-tested business model enters into a contractual relationship with franchisees, independent firms which operate under the franchisor’s trade name using this proven business model. Different types of franchises include service franchises, product franchises, and distribution franchises. Franchising is a replication strategy that allows the franchisor to grow and penetrate new markets with less investment of its own capital than would be required for other forms of expansion. It also reduces some of the risk associated with starting a business for the franchisee as it builds on a model that has already been tested. Franchising has been applied to social enterprises as well as private enterprises. Franchising can enhance social enterprises by helping them achieve economies of scale that contribute to their viability and profit and by enabling replication that increases their scale and social impact.
Early virologic nonresponse to tenofovir, abacavir, and lamivudine in HIV-infected antiretroviral-naive subjects.

BACKGROUND Antiretroviral combinations that reduce the number of pills and dosing frequency have the potential to simplify therapy. We compared 2 regimens dosed as 2 pills once daily. METHODS This was a randomized, open-label, multicenter study of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate versus efavirenz, both administered once daily with the abacavir/lamivudine fixed-dose combination in treatment-naive human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected subjects. After reports of early nonresponse, an unplanned interim analysis was performed. Virologic nonresponse was defined as (1) a <2.0-log(10) copies/mL decrease in HIV-1 RNA level by week 8, (2) an HIV-1 RNA rebound of > or =1.0 log(10) copies/mL above the nadir, or (3) for subjects with 2 consecutive HIV-1 RNA measurements <50 copies/mL, a subsequent increase to >400 copies/mL on 2 consecutive occasions. RESULTS We randomized 340 subjects. Median baseline HIV-1 RNA level and CD4+ cell count were 4.7 log(10) copies/mL and 251 cells/mm3, respectively; 194 subjects with HIV-1 RNA data from > or =8 weeks were included in the interim analysis. Virologic nonresponse occurred in 50 (49%) of 102 subjects in the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate arm, compared with 5 (5%) of 92 of subjects in the efavirenz arm (P<.001). Within 12 weeks, viral genotypes for nonresponders in the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate arm showed M184V or I/M/V mixtures in 40 (98%) of 41 subjects and K65R and M184V or mixtures in 22 (54%) of 41 subjects. The protocol was immediately amended to modify the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate arm. The efavirenz arm continued unchanged; after 48 weeks, 120 (71%) of 169 subjects achieved HIV-1 RNA levels <50 copies/mL. CONCLUSION The tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/abacavir/lamivudine regimen resulted in an unexpected and unacceptably high rate of nonresponse and incidence of K65R and M184V/I. This 3-drug regimen should not be used.
Emerging ocular biomarkers of Alzheimer disease

Interest in reliable biomarkers of Alzheimer disease, the leading cause of dementia, has been fuelled by challenges in diagnosing the disease and monitoring disease progression as well as the response to therapy. A range of ocular manifestations of Alzheimer disease, including retinal and lens amyloid‐beta accumulation, retinal nerve fiber layer loss, and retinal vascular changes, have been proposed as potential biomarkers of the disease. Herein, we examine the evidence regarding the potential value of these ocular biomarkers of Alzheimer disease.
Giant Marseillevirus highlights the role of amoebae as a melting pot in emergence of chimeric microorganisms

Giant viruses such as Mimivirus isolated from amoeba found in aquatic habitats show biological sophistication comparable to that of simple cellular life forms and seem to evolve by similar mechanisms, including extensive gene duplication and horizontal gene transfer (HGT), possibly in part through a viral parasite, the virophage. We report here the isolation of “Marseille” virus, a previously uncharacterized giant virus of amoeba. The virions of Marseillevirus encompass a 368-kb genome, a minimum of 49 proteins, and some messenger RNAs. Phylogenetic analysis of core genes indicates that Marseillevirus is the prototype of a family of nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDV) of eukaryotes. The genome repertoire of the virus is composed of typical NCLDV core genes and genes apparently obtained from eukaryotic hosts and their parasites or symbionts, both bacterial and viral. We propose that amoebae are “melting pots” of microbial evolution where diverse forms emerge, including giant viruses with complex gene repertoires of various origins.
Comparison of two extraction procedures for determination of drugs of abuse in human saliva by high‐performance liquid chromatography

High performance liquid chromatography in combination with diode array detection (HPLC‐DAD) was used to determine morphine, 6‐acetylmorphine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, methadone and 2‐ethylene‐1,5‐dimethyl‐3,3,‐diphenylpyrrolidine in human saliva. For comparison, samples were prepared by either liquid–liquid extraction in Toxitubes A® or microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE), by mixing 1 ml of saliva with 10 ml of chloroform and operating at 100 ˚C for 10 min. Acetonitrile and 0.02 m phosphate buffer at pH 6.5 were used as mobile phase in HPLC in gradient mode. The detector response was linear over the drug concentration range of 0.05–2.0 µg ml−1 in human saliva. The analytical method was validated by determining its precision and accuracy (n = 5), which were lower than 5% as relative standard deviation and 6% as relative error. Limits of detection ranged from 10 to 35 ng ml−1; mean recoveries of drugs were from 53 to 95% with Toxitubes A and from 83 to 100% with MAE at two different concentrations (0.1 and 1.0 µg ml−1). The proposed method was applied to 24 saliva samples from individuals poisoned with opiates and/or cocaine. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Radiation-Induced Cranial Neuropathies Manifesting as Baroreflex Failure and Progressive Bulbar Impairment

Introduction:Baroreflex failure and bulbar palsy have been rarely reported as potential complications of radiotherapy for head and neck tumors. However, the occurrence of both disorders in the same patient has not been well described. We present a unique patient with radiation-induced cranial neuropathies, resulting in bulbar palsy and baroreflex failure. Case Report:A 67-year-old man underwent surgical resection of tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma and postoperative radiation therapy. Six years later, he developed severe orthostatic hypotension with syncope, followed later by progressive bulbar impairment. EMG showed myokymic discharges in the tongue, and marked orthostatic hypotension was noted on tilt-table testing. Conclusion:Progressive bulbar impairment and baroreflex failure can occur following radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. Furthermore, these manifestations of radiation injury can occur in the same patient.
Accepted Manuscript Title : Small steps : preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of an incremental goal-setting intervention to reduce sitting time in older adults

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of a theory-informed program to reduce sitting time in older adults. Design: Pre-experimental (pre-post) study. Thirty non-working adult (≥60 years) participants attended a one hour face-to-face intervention session and were guided through: a review of their sitting time; normative feedback on sitting time; and setting goals to reduce total sitting time and bouts of prolonged sitting. Participants chose six goals and integrated one per week incrementally for six weeks. Participants received weekly phone calls. Outcome measures: Sitting time and bouts of prolonged sitting (≥30 min) were measured objectively for seven days (activPAL3c inclinometer) preand post-intervention. During these periods, a 24-hour time recall instrument was administered by computer-assisted telephone interview. Participants completed a post-intervention project evaluation questionnaire. Paired t tests with sequential Bonferroni corrections and Cohen’s d effect sizes were calculated for all outcomes. Results: Twenty-seven participants completed the assessments (71.7±6.5 years). Postintervention, objectively-measured total sitting time was significantly reduced by 51.5 minutes per day (p=0.006; d=-0.58) and number of bouts of prolonged sitting by 0.8 per day (p=0.002; d=-0.70). Objectively-measured standing increased by 39 minutes per day (p=0.006; d=0.58). Participants self-reported spending 96 minutes less per day sitting (p<0.001; d=-0.77) and 32 minutes less per day watching television (p=0.005; d=-0.59). Participants were highly satisfied with the program. Conclusion: The ‘Small Steps’ program is a feasible and promising avenue for behavioral modification to reduce sitting time in older adults.
THE EFFECTS OF BUSINESS STRATEGIES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN KENYA

Business Strategy is a backbone support to strategic management and it is a major process in the conduct of strategic management. A business strategy in organization is the means by which it sets out to achieve its desired ends (objectives). It can simply be described as a long-term business planning the importance of such can be explained from four points of view including environmental scanning, strategy formulation, linking goals to budgets and strategic planning as a process. In the world today as a result of the uncertain situations to businesses of all kinds, rapid changes and rapid technological developments, market opening and strong competition, organizations and institutions have to be managed with meaningful management style and be able to move beyond the current reality. The environment surrounding organizations is characterized by continuous changes, In order to achieve the goals and tasks for which they were created, organizations have employed different business strategies. Commercial banks have adopted multiple business strategic approaches and a number of tools to enhance organizational performance. The main objective of the study was to determine business strategies employed by commercial banks and there influence on performance by studying various business strategies. The target population of the study was 46 Commercial Banks in Kenya. Census sampling was used to select 1 senior manager from each bank. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire . the data was analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The study found out that banks practice both cost leadership and differentiation business strategies in their operations to varying extents. Based on the findings, the study recommends that a bank seeking a competitive advantage should segment its market and exclusively adopt either cost leadership and or differentiation strategy . Its important that banks give due consideration to their market segment while planning on the strategy to apply in its operations.
Mexican Sign Language Alphanumerical Gestures Recognition using 3D Haar-like Features

The Mexican Sign Language (LSM) is a language of the deaf Mexican community, which consists of a series of gestural signs articulated by hands and accompanied with facial expressions. The lack of automated systems to translate signs from LSM makes integration of hearing-impaired people to society more difficult. This work presents a new method for LSM alphanumerical signs recognition based on 3D Haar-like features extracted from depth images captured by the Microsoft Kinect sensor. Features are processed with a boosting algorithm. To evaluate performance of our method, we recognized a set of signs from letters and numbers, and compared the results with the use of traditional 2D Haar-like features. Our system is able to recognize static LSM signs with a higher accuracy rate than the one obtained with widely used 2D features.
Frequency and determinants of potential drug‐drug interactions in an elderly population receiving regular home visits by GPs ‐ results of the home medication review in the AGnES‐studies

There is limited knowledge about prevalence and determinants of potential drug‐drug‐interactions (pDDI) in the ambulatory health care setting. In this manuscript we analysed the prevalence and determinants of pDDI in the AGnES home visit population (GP‐supporting, community‐based, e‐health‐assisted, systemic intervention).
CONTEXTUAL DRIVERS OF WORKPLACE INNOVATION PRACTICES AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: RESPONDING TO ORGANIZATIONAL EXISTING AND EMERGING CHALLENGES

Purpose: The study sought to determine the contextual drivers of workplace innovation practices and organizational performance: responding to organizational existing and emerging challengesMethodology: This paper identifies areas in which improvements to workplace innovation need to be made, from both operation management and production management in both theoretical and practical standpoint, and discusses recent findings by researchers to make such improvements. It therefore uses desk top study research design.Results: It is argued that the reinvention of old ways of doing business will involve the consideration of workplace innovation practices that have a wider set of increased participation, more job autonomy, decentralization of responsibility, higher levels of both internal and external control capacity, together with more opportunities for continuous improvement in terms of learning whereby organizational and individual are able to assimilate and connect well with what is happening in terms of new knowledge about their works and expertise; effectiveness, organizational capability, quality and top management commitmentUnique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that contextual drives including organization characteristics or organisation model whereby organisations can choose a model that is directed at better organizational performance (an economic target), better quality of work (a social target) or a combination of both.
Mental Health Policy : Addressing the Neglect of Asian Americans

Although Asian Americans are proportionally the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, federal mental health policies have neglected their special needs. U.S. federal mental health policy has shifted in the past 50 years from an emphasis on increasing accessibility to treatment to improving the quality of care and focusing on the brain as the basis of mental illness. However, the mental health needs of Asian Americans have been a relatively low priority. Myths about Asian Americans that have led to the general neglect of their mental health needs are that they: (a) are a small group; (b) are a successful group and do not experience problems; and (c) do not experience mental health disparities. Nevertheless, Asian Americans are a significant proportion of the population which experiences acculturative stress and discrimination that are often associated with psychopathology. However, Asian Americans who experience psychopathology are less likely than other groups to use mental health services. Political efforts must be made to get Asian Americans into positions of leadership and power in which they can make decisions about mental health policy priorities.
Adolescent rats exposed to repeated ethanol treatment show lingering behavioral impairments.

BACKGROUND Repeated ethanol treatment has been reported to differentially affect water maze performance in adolescent and adult rats. The present study was undertaken to determine the age-specific reversal of ethanol-induced deficit in water maze performance. METHODS Adolescent and adult male rats were subjected to repeated ethanol or saline treatments. Experimental rats were injected daily with 2 g/kg ethanol (intraperitoneally) for five consecutive days (Days 1-5) and tested in the hidden platform task of the Morris water maze 30 minutes after ethanol treatment; control rats received isovolumetric saline. On the last training day, all rats were tested in the probe trial and in the cued visual task. After an ethanol-free period of 4-25 days, rats were retested in the water maze. RESULTS Adolescent ethanol-treated rats had significantly higher latencies and swam greater distances to find the hidden platform, compared to age-matched saline control rats. Ethanol rats also showed increased hug time, i.e., spent significantly more time near the periphery of the pool than control rats. In the probe trial, compared to adolescent saline rats, ethanol rats spent less time in the target quadrant. However, there was no difference between ethanol- and saline-treated rats in the swim speed or in the visual task performance. Experimental and control rats were retested in the water maze 4 days (Day 9), 7 days (Day 12), and 25 days (Day 30) after the last ethanol/saline treatment; no injections were given on those days. Ethanol-treated rats continued to do poorly on all retest days. Ethanol treatment in adult male rats acutely increased latency and distance to find the hidden platform, but unlike adolescent alcohol rats, their performance in the probe trial did not differ from adult saline rats. Also, swim speed and visual task performance of adult rats were significantly affected by ethanol exposure. During retesting, their performance did not differ from adult control rats. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent rats exposed to ethanol showed deficits in water maze performance, had increased hug time, and failed to catch up with control rats during the weeks after the ethanol treatment period was over. Adult alcohol rats showed some behavioral dysfunction (increased latency and distance to find the hidden platform) but had problems swimming, and in the probe trial they performed as well as control rats. Also, in adult rats, ethanol-induced impairments were quickly reversed after the ethanol treatment was over, a finding that suggests impaired motor coordination more than a true learning deficit. Together, these data indicate that repeated ethanol treatment in adolescent rats, but not adult rats, show long-term impairments in maze performance.
The prevalence and natural history of complex sleep apnea.

RATIONALE Central sleep apnea (CSA) may occasionally occur in patients with obstructive sleep apnea during titration with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence and the natural history of CPAP-emergent CSA. METHODS This is a retrospective study of 1286 patients with a diagnosis of OSAwho underwent titration with a positive airway device during a 1-year period. Patients were seen in consultation and underwent full-night attended polysomnography followed by full-night attended CPAP titration. Four weeks after CPAP therapy, patients returned to the clinic for follow-up, and objective adherence to CPAP was recorded. In patients who had CSA on CPAP, a second full-night attended CPAP titration was recommended. RESULTS Eighty-four of the 1286 patients developed a central apnea index (CAI) of 5 or greater per hour while on CPAP. The incidence of CSA varied from 3% to 10% monthly, with an overall incidence of 6.5%. Forty-two of the 84 patients returned for a second CPAP titration. In 33 patients, CSA was eliminated. In each of the remaining 9 patients, the CAI remained at 5 or greater per hour, with an average of 13 per hour. These patients characteristically had the most severe OSA, and 5 had a CAI of 5 or more per hour at baseline. Two of the 9 patients were on opioids CONCLUSIONS In this large retrospective study of 1286 patients with a diagnosis of OSA, 6.5% had CPAP-emergent or persistent CSA. However, CPAP-emergent CSA was generally transitory and was eliminated within 8 weeks after CPAP therapy. The prevalence of CPAP-persistent CSA was about 1.5%. Severity of OSA, a CAI of 5 or greater per hour, and use of opioids were potential risk factors.
Highly dispersive photonic crystal fiber for beamforming

In this paper, a highly dispersive pure silica photonic crystal fiber is designed and fabricated with maximum chromatic dispersion value of about -600 ps/(nm·km) around 1.55 μm wavelength region. This kind of a photonic crystal fiber structure is suitable for high dispersion application in photonic crystal fiber array based phased array antenna systems. A four-element true-time delay module is constructed using the fabricated highly dispersive photonic crystal fibers. The true time delay value of 10.5m PCF is characterized to provide maximum delay of 31.3ps with 32nm optical wavelength tuning range, which is sufficient to scan from -45° to 45° for a 4-element PAA subarray having 1.3cm spacing. A multiple-beam optical beamformer is designed based on the fabricated highly dispersive photonic crystal fibers. The true-time delay beamformer can be programmed to continuously sweep the antenna aperture independently for multiple RF beams. Since the dispersion of the fabricated photonic crystal fibers is as high as -600 ps/nm•km at 1550 nm, compared to telecom SMF-28 that has a dispersion parameter of 18 ps/nm•km, the length of delay line is reduced by a factor of 33.