Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A randomized clinical study to evaluate the employment of FES cycling in the rehabilitation of post-acute stroke patients: preliminary results

Cycling induced by functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an interesting method in the rehabilitation of post-acute stroke patients. A randomized, single-blinded, clinical study is ongoing to evaluate the efficacy of this treatment. The patients are shared in 2 groups: the first performs daily 25 minutes of FES cycling, the second 25 minutes of FES cycling placebo. Quadriceps, hamstrings, tibialis anterior and gluteus of both the legs are stimulated. The trial is carried out on a motorized cycle-ergometer, at 20 rpm. The patients are evaluated before, after the treatment (20 days) and in a follow-up session, by the following tests: motricity index, trunk control test, upright motor control test, maximum voluntary contraction, voluntary pedaling. Up to now 23 patients have been included. The first FES cycling patient who concluded the treatment improved significantly the muscular strength and strongly reduced the pedaling unbalance after the treatment; the same results were maintained in the follow-up tests. On the contrary, the first placebo patient who finished the treatment did not show a significant motor functional improvement. A statistical analysis to compare the 2 groups will be performed at the end of the study.
The Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus in Taif Region, Saudi Arabia during 2013- 2014

A descriptive cross-sectional study using administrative health data to identify the prevalence of diabetes conducted in TaifRegion Saudi Arabia. Twenty thousand and six hundred patients were included in the study. Data was collected during the year 2013 to 2014 from 4 public hospitals, 88 primary health centers. A questionnaire consist of demographics, Type of DM and treatment options was used. Prevalence of DM,Frequencies,the mean and standard deviation were calculated for analysis. All data was sent to the Diabetes Unit at King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital where the analysis was done using excel and SPSS software. The results showed a total of 20600 patients registered. Mean age 56.57 ± 16.58. Males (50.6%) were slightly higher than females. DM type 2constitute (17032, 82.6%),the treatment they had (52.8 %) of them received tablet. The most affected age group was 45 -60 years (40.5%). Patients with DM above 45 years constitute 80%. Regarding Age-specific prevalence rate, patients above 45 years old the prevalence ranged from 25% in Almweih as a higher to 8% in Taif, Asheera and Alhawia at a lower rate. The Prevalence rate increased with increasing age reaches30% in patients of 60 years old or older in Alhada group.
Using Experiments in Ethics An Inquiry into the Dark Side of Competition

In two experimental studies I investigate detrimental effects of post-competition punishment. Results show that the punishment levels of winners and losers are equally high. An analysis of different target groups shows that losers are more likely to be spared by their peers, whereas winners face punishment from all sides. This provides evidence contrary to the long-standing frustration aggression hypothesis. In a second study, a voluntary commitment device with a low implementation probability is introduced. Results show that more than two thirds of subjects use the device and that their commitments convey true intentions. However, subjects’ behavior depends on the signal they receive from their counterparts. They do not stick to their commitment if the other did not bind himor herself. A better understanding of competition’s detrimental effects helps us to mitigate these negative effects while still profiting from competition as a means of performance enhancement. Thus, our findings have important implications for competitive settings such as work environments. These experimental results are embedded in theoretical reflection on the use of economic experiments in the field of experimental ethics. This thesis argues that the economic method is especially suited to avoiding methodological issues in experimental philosophy, thus advancing the field. Using Experiments in Ethics 4 Using Experiments in Ethics 5
Reinforcement Learning Based Query Routing Approach for P2P Systems

Peer-to-peer (P2P) systems have offered users an efficient way to share various resources and access diverse services over the Internet. In unstructured P2P systems, resource storage and indexation are fully distributed among participating peers. Therefore, locating peers sharing pertinent resources for a specific user query is a challenging issue. In fact, effective query routing requires smart decisions to select a certain number of peers with respect to their relevance for the query instead of choosing them at random. In this respect, we introduce here a new query-oriented approach, called the reinforcement learning-based query routing approach (RLQR). The main goal of RLQR is to reach high retrieval effectiveness as well as a lower search cost by reducing the number of exchanged messages and contacted peers. To achieve this, the RLQR relies on information gathered from previously sent queries to identify relevant peers for forthcoming queries. Indeed, we formulate the query routing issue as the reinforcement learning problem and introduce a fully distributed approach for addressing it. In addition, RLQR addresses the well-known cold-start issue during the training stage, which allows it to improve its retrieval effectiveness and search cost continuously, and, therefore, goes quickly through the cold-start phase. Performed simulations demonstrate that RLQR outperforms pioneering query routing approaches in terms of retrieval effectiveness and communications cost.
Well Plate Integrated Topography Gradient Screening Technology for Studying Cell‐Surface Topography Interactions

New high‐throughput technologies for cell–material interaction studies provide researchers with powerful tools to speed up research in the field of biomaterial–cell interactions. However, sharing technologies is often difficult due to the necessity of specific knowledge and experiences. Engineered surfaces can elucidate effects of surface topography on cell behavior, which is of critical value for gaining control over cellular processes. Here, the translation of a gradient‐based high‐throughput cell screening approach for aligned nano/micro topographies interacting with cells is presented. An aligned topography 96‐well plate is created by upscaling of highly specific gradient technology. The resulting cell culture dishes are compatible with general laboratory and imaging equipment, and the platform allows for studying cell behavior with regard to adhesion and alignment. The challenge lies in increasing the dimensions of the previous 1 × 1 cm gradient topography substrate, to be able to cover the span of a 96‐well plate and translate it into a standardized cell‐screening tool. Adhesion experiments of human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells confirm the standardization, compatibility, and usability of the technology. In the process of using multi‐system imaging and analysis, it becomes apparent that future challenges need to include universally applied data analysis approaches.
Conservation Law Estimation by Extracting the Symmetry of a Dynamical System Using a Deep Neural Network

As deep neural networks (DNN) have the ability to model the distribution of datasets as a low-dimensional manifold, we propose a method to extract the coordinate transformation that makes a dataset distribution invariant by sampling DNNs using the replica exchange Monte-Carlo method. In addition, we demonstrate that the canonical transformation that makes the Hamiltonian invariant (a necessary condition for Noether’s theorem) and the symmetry of the manifold structure of the time series data of the dynamical system are related. By integrating this knowledge with the method described above, we propose a method to estimate the conservation laws from the time-series data. Furthermore, we verified the efficiency of the proposed methods in primitive cases.
SAGA: Drone Swarms in the Field

Wants to have the grass greener on ‘your’ side? Reduce the costs, improve the crops and say goodbye to annoying weeds, the objective of the SAGA (Swarm Robotics for Agricultural Applications) project is clear. Robots are the new frontier for agriculture, and robot swarms are emerging on the horizon. The SAGA project is among the firsts in deploying robot swarms in the field: gathering inspiration from the behaviours of ants and bees [1] [2], it uses a swarm of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to process information onboard and to constantly monitor the presence of weeds and the status of the crops. In this paper, we introduce the concept behind the SAGA project. We start with the problem of uniform coverage and mapping, showing the advantages of swarms in term of accuracy. Then, we introduce the non-uniform coverage problem, where swarms greatly improve in terms of mission completion time.
Applying Bayesian Optimization to Understand Tradeoffs for Antireflective Optical Designs

Many modern optoelectronic applications, from photovoltaic panels to smartphone displays, require antireflection coating to perform. Recent research has shown the promise of random subwavelength structure at reducing reflection; however, experimentation on additive manufacturing techniques for building nanostructures is time consuming. Such circumstances may benefit from thorough numerical simulations prior to actual manufacturing. In this paper, we propose adapting a machine learning strategy, Bayesian optimization, to efficiently search the design space of nanostructures that can minimize reflection at different angles. We use this sample-efficient strategy to identify nanostructure designs which minimize both normal and unpolarized reflection, so that we can fabricate only the most promising configurations.
A Study to Assess the Knowledge Regarding CDC Guidelines on Prevention of Infection in Intensive Care Units among Staff Nurses Working in Selected Hospitals Bangalore

Critical care nurses are the health care professionals who have the obligation to protect critically ill patients against infection especially those who are immune compromised, in order to enhance their recovery, prevent deterioration in their health, and achieve high quality nursing care.The risk of acquiring HCAI is especially significant in the ICUs. A huge number of immune compromised patients are admitted to ICUs. Approximately 30% of ICU patients are affected by one or more episodes of HCAI. Critical care patients are faced with increased risks of nosocomial infections, and so life-threatening conditions. Therefore, nurses have a professional and moral obligation to protect the health of their patients and share the responsibility to sustain and protect the natural environment. Method: The research approach adopted for this study was quantitative research approach.Research design used for this study was Simple descriptive design. Non-probability Purposive sampling techniques was adopted to select 30 samples for the study.In the present study structured knowledge questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge of staff nurses regarding CDC guidelines on prevention of infection in intensive care units. Results: The study revealed that the Mean knowledge score of 9 with Sd 1.8, 60%of the staff nurses had adequate knowledge and, most of staff nurses had previous exposure (66.6%) regarding CDC guidelines on prevention of infection in critical care areas. Result of the study pointed out that there is no significant association with selected socio demographic variables.
Effects of Land Rights Certification on Rural Credit Market and the Market for Land Transfer-Evidence from China

This paper investigates how the recent land rights certification experiment in some pilot areas of rural China have affectedhousehold access to formal and informal credit, and activities in the market for rural land transfer. Based on the Ministry of Agriculture‟s Fixed Rural Observation Point System (FOPS) annual surveys and the 2015 Special OmnibusSurvey on Rural Land Reforms and Rural Financial Innovations, wecompile a panel dataset that includes 2073 rural households in 17 provinces for year 2010 (before the policy experiment of land rights certification) and 2015 (after the policy experiment for the treatment group). Our analysis of the data suggests that land rights certification significantly improved rural households‟ access to formal credit and reduced their reliance on informal loans. Our data reveal that transactions in the rural land market have increased substantially in recent years. However, our difference-in-differences analysissuggests that the increased land rental market activities were not attributable to the land rights certification experiment. In fact, we find a significant negative association between land rights certification and households‟ participation in both renting out and (to a lesser extent) renting in land. This is a surprising result that warrants further investigation.
Assessment of variability in leaf essential oil of three coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) genotypes

Leaf essential oil and its constituents of three coriander genotypes namely ACr-1, Cor-50 and exotic cultivar were examined. Maximum essential oil in leaves was observed in Cor-50 (0.029%) followed by ACr 1(0.025 %) and exotic cultivar (0.023 %). Major constituents present in three genotypes were trepine-4-ol, carvone and geraniol, while minor constituents were pinene, beta pinene, myrcene, gama terpinene, cymol, limonene, fenchon, linalool, camphor, anethole, eugenol, and geranyl acetate. In ACr 1, major constituent was geraniol (21.36 %) while in Cor-50 geraniol was only 10.14% and it was absent in exotic cultivar. In exotic genotype carvone was the major constituent (17.79%).
Discovery and Maintenance of Sequential Patterns in Large Databases

The discovery of sequential patterns is to find out the sequence relationships among transaction items of inter-transactions in a sales database. The mining of sequential patterns comprise of not only the discovery of associations but also the permutation of sets of items. The project aims to devise an efficient algorithm for the mining and the maintenance of sequential patterns. Since the number of candidate sequences is one of key factors that affect the performance of mining algorithm, we have developed a method for speeding up the mining process. Our new algorithm utilizes previous knowledge about frequent patterns to reduce the number of candidate sequences, and to eliminates the redundant scanning of customer sequences. The performance of mining new patterns, i.e., pattern maintenance, is effectively improved.
An Under-Ice Hyperspectral and RGB Imaging System to Capture Fine-Scale Biophysical Properties of Sea Ice

Sea-ice biophysical properties are characterized by high spatio-temporal variability ranging from the meso- to the millimeter scale. Ice coring is a common yet coarse point sampling technique that struggles to capture such variability in a non-invasive manner. This hinders quantification and understanding of ice algae biomass patchiness and its complex interaction with some of its sea ice physical drivers. In response to these limitations, a novel under-ice sled system was designed to capture proxies of biomass together with 3D models of bottom topography of land-fast sea-ice. This system couples a pushbroom hyperspectral imaging (HI) sensor with a standard digital RGB camera and was trialed at Cape Evans, Antarctica. HI aims to quantify per-pixel chlorophyll-a content and other ice algae biological properties at the ice-water interface based on light transmitted through the ice. RGB imagery processed with digital photogrammetry aims to capture under-ice structure and topography. Results from a 20 m transect capturing a 0.61 m wide swath at sub-mm spatial resolution are presented. We outline the technical and logistical approach taken and provide recommendations for future deployments and developments of similar systems. A preliminary transect subsample was processed using both established and novel under-ice bio-optical indices (e.g., normalized difference indexes and the area normalized by the maximal band depth) and explorative analyses (e.g., principal component analyses) to establish proxies of algal biomass. This first deployment of HI and digital photogrammetry under-ice provides a proof-of-concept of a novel methodology capable of delivering non-invasive and highly resolved estimates of ice algal biomass in-situ, together with some of its environmental drivers. Nonetheless, various challenges and limitations remain before our method can be adopted across a range of sea-ice conditions. Our work concludes with suggested solutions to these challenges and proposes further method and system developments for future research.
Information Communication Technology: Examining the Digital Divide in JRMSU System

: The digital divide is a core issue of the information society. It is a gap to describe between people who have the skills and ready access to information and communication technology( the ‘haves’) and with those who do not have the skills and access to use those same technologies within a geographic area, society or community ( the ‘have-nots’). With the flourishing availability of communication resources, it has also deepened the problem of digital divide in various countries and communities. The need to quantify the digital divide of an area, society or community is very vital since it is a common belief that Information Communication and Technology (ICT) uplifts standard of living: in terms of economic and human development particularly on education advancement. This study was conducted in the five (5) campuses of Jose Rizal Memorial State University using a questionnaire consisting items on the availability and use of ICT at home and in school and extent of skills in doing a task in a computer.To determine whether there is a digital divide or not, a probability index is established where 1 and more than 1 suggest an existing digital divide. It was found during the study that there is an existing digital divide in the JRMSU system in the availability, access and skills in using information and communication technology. It is not an assumption that eventhough majority of respondents were acquainted with computers they already had skills to do school-based tasks using the tool. The need for instructors to encourage students to build their ICT skills and integrate ICT in teaching, and maximizing the utilization of ICT tools inside the schoolwere few of the recommendations in this study in bridging the digital divide.
Health Effects of Work in ‘Nonphysiological Rythm’

Work done in „nonphysiological rhythm” refers to a group of people performing professional activities in different work organization patterns, including the night time. Occupational activity, shifted to hours customarily used for sleep, results in Zeszyty Naukowe SGSP 2017, Nr 62 (tom 1)/2/2017
Special Issue – Comparative Law

According to the empirical study performed by Van Boom & Van Gestel 61 per cent of the 572 interviewed Dutch legal scholars conducts comparative legal research (van Boom & van Gestel 2015, p. 1344). These numbers would suggest that comparative methodology, including case selection criteria, should hold a prominent place in the comparative literature (if the Dutch survey is representative worldwide). However, ‘the “comparative” aspect of the enterprise, as a method and a project, remains undertheorized and blurry’ (Hirschl 2014, p. 3). One of the most difficult and controversial points of legal comparative methodology is the selection of cases (Hirschl 2005, p. 125; also Palmer 2005, pp. 261-290), but the discussion in the literature also points out the lack of debate about methodology in general (Hirschl 2014; Siems 2014, p. 33). Criteria such as proximity, language and legal tradition (e.g., common law versus civil law, Napoleonic criminal law versus German criminal law) are regularly used to select cases, and with good cause. The first two criteria can be relevant as an ‘exclusionary rule’, because comparing countries without understanding the language, even in the age of Google Translate, or without access to a country, is unworkable. The third criterion is a broad and general selection criterion to categorize countries. However, the three above-mentioned criteria have disadvantages. The first two (practical) criteria are in no way relevant for the working mechanisms of the countries’ law, and can therefore not be used as theoretical (and independent) variables in explaining differences between countries.1 The third criterion is too broad and provides a Euro-centred selection bias. How can one choose between the several countries with a common law tradition and civil law tradition when
ePubWU Institutional Repository

In particular in Germany and Austria, but also in other countries, extensive theoretical and analytical research has been published on the potential tax effects in case IAS/IFRS were used as the basis for corporate taxation. Very few quantitative papers exist. This motivated us to conduct a study that quantifies the actual effects of a potential decisiveness of IAS/IFRS for the national tax base without further questioning the usefulness of an IAS/IFRS relevance. Our paper extends existing research substantially. The research question of our paper deals with the measurement of differences in discounted tax burden in different scenarios, by simulation. Our sample comprises original data of 61 Austrian companies. The median of the difference between book values of IAS/IFRS single accounts and tax accounts for specific balance sheet items is determined. We then apply the result on the items of a typical corporate account derived from an Austrian database. As a result, depending on the term of items, we can calculate the discounted tax effects for different scenarios. It must be underlined that such highly confidential and detailed tax data is usually not available to researchers. The main preliminary finding of our empirical survey is that only in few cases we find essential differences between IAS/IFRS and tax accounts. Our evidence suggests that no dramatic change in the tax base has to be expected. Our study provides not only new empirical evidence but also a basis for further research on a possible common consolidated corporate tax base from an academic perspective.
IMPACT OF CHRONOMODULATED RADIOTHERAPY ON ACUTE SKIN TOXICITY IN CHEST WALL IRRADIATED BREAST CANCER PATIENTS – A SINGLE INSTITUTION ANALYSIS

OncoExpert 1 Abstract: We explored the possible association between the timing of delivery of radiation and the grade of skin reaction that develops in breast cancer patients receiving chest wall irradiation as adjuvant treatment after modified radical mastectomy. Invasive breast cancer patients, registered during the period of January 2013 December 2014, who had undergone modified radical mastectomy followed by chest wall irradiation, were eligible for inclusion to the study. All the patients received chest wall external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to a dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions, one fraction a day, five days a week, delivered as tangential opposed pair, from a Cobalt 60 teletherapy source. Patients were stratified based on whether they received EBRT in the morning (between 8 am – 11 am) or in the evening between (5 pm – 8 pm). The clinicopathological characteristics of patients in both the arms were relatively well balanced. The incidence of higher grade of skin reaction (grade 3 or 4) was 22.5 % compared to 35.7 % in the morning and evening arms respectively, which was statistically significant (p = 0.039). The time to development of Grade 3 or 4 toxicity was 4.44 weeks compared to 4.11 weeks in the morning and evening arms respectively, suggesting that higher toxicity developed earlier in the patients receiving EBRT in the evening, though not statistically significant (p = 0.29). OncoExpert (2016), Vol. 2, Issue 1 Review Article