Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combining neural network and rule-based systems for dysarthria diagnosis

This study reports on the development of a diagnostic expert system – incorporating a multilayer perceptron (MLP) – designed to identify any sub-type of dysarthria (loss of neuromuscular control over the articulators) manifested by a patient undergoing a Frenchay Dysarthria Assessment (FDA) evaluation. If sufficient information is provided describing pathological features of the patient’s speech, the rule-based classifier (RBC) can out-perform the MLP in terms of rendering a more accurate and consistent diagnosis. The combination MLP/RBC developed during this study realised an overall improvement in diagnostic accuracy of 9.3% (absolute) for a selection of dysarthric cases, representing a substantial improvement over the benchmark system which – unlike the MLP/RBC – cannot directly process acoustic data.
Evaluation of homestay accommodation supply in Sri Lanka

Homestay has been a significant topic in the contemporary tourism research. The demand side or motivation, perception and satisfaction of visitors have often been investigated. This paper investigate the supply perspective of homestay accommodation in the context of Sri Lanka. Qualitative approach was selected supported by ethnographic interviews. The population being all homestay operators in Sri Lanka, a sample of twenty seven homestay suppliers were interviewed all over the country representing nine homestay zones. Transcriptions were coded, analysed and structured into qualitative narrations. Source of income, business prospect, persuasion and experience, appeal of the area, personal appeal and availability of resources motivated homestay supply. The weaknesses of the exiting product, sociocultural issues, and external disturbances, unethical behaviour of guests, guest complaints and poor capability of operators were of significant issues in homestay operations. Planning, marketing, research, increase customer service and sufficient allocation can ensure socio-economic advancement from homestay accommodation.
The impact of pitch, volume and tempo on the atmospheric effects of music

The atmospheric effects of music were tested in a restaurant setting. Four conditions were applied in a type of latin square design with meal duration and expenditure (food and drinks) as dependent variables. The four conditions related volume (loud vs soft), tempo (fast vs slow), style (popular vs unpopular) and the absence of any music. The findings showed that only volume had a significant effect on meal duration and expenditure (both food and drinks), although an additional finding that would require further experimental verification was that the presence of music of any type significantly affected duration and expenditure when compared to the absence of music. To explain the findings a distinction was made between active and passive activities, and it was suggested that different mechanisms explained the atmospheric effects for each. Active activities could be explained by the environment typicality argument whereas the boredom alleviation model could explain passive activities.
Measurement of Ultraviolet Exposure in Epidemiological Studies of Skin and Skin Cancers

As our understanding of the role of UV in causing skin cancer continues to expand, researchers and clinicians must continue to remain up to date on the various means by which UV exposure can be quantified. The purpose of this article was to review the current methods used to measure lifetime exposure to UV and to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each of these approaches. Thus we include here a review of research articles that deal with questionnaire reliability and physical examination. We also review more technologically advanced techniques used to measure chronic UV exposure; these include microtopography, histology, gene studies and spectroscopy. Both the utility of using a specific measurement technique and the accuracy of particular techniques are explored. Finally, we touch upon the results of articles that link UV exposure to skin cancer and what this means for the future of UV‐induced skin cancer research.
Voluntariado hospitalar: a problemática da definição de tarefas

Volunteering is a way for individuals to express their identity and values (Wilson, 1999), with several nonprofit organizations (NPOs) now recognizing the importance of volunteer management (GV) and the positive impact of work can perform in organizations (Hotchkiss, Fottler, & Unruh, 2009; Koehnen & Santos, 2009). Hospital volunteers have been present in the hospital context for a long time, where they have made an important contribution (Haski-Leventhal & Meijs, 2011), although the empirical evidence supporting this assertion is reduced (Hotchkiss et al., 2009). The benefits of using hospital volunteers are multiple, volunteering can be considered by hospitals as a source of human resources (HR) with skills and knowledge, which are low cost and must be managed in order to achieve the goals of organizations (Nogueira- Martins, Bersusa, & Siqueira, 2010). At the same time there is some discussion about the level of formalization appropriate to the role of the volunteers and consequently what tasks should be performed by the volunteers (Burbeck, Candy, Low, & Rees, 2014). Some claim that the formalization of the volunteer's activities is contrary to the values of the volunteer's function (Tonurist & Surva, 2016), so formalizing can mean an increase in external control and therefore a reduction of the volunteer's inherent natural motivation. However, there appears to be evidence that a fragile and poorly allocated activity, as well as lack of information and reciprocity, contribute to the high disillusionment of volunteers (Edwards, 2005). In this context, we consider that the management of hospital volunteers (VH), particularly with regard to the functions and tasks performed and their relationships with other stakeholders, are important themes and little explored in the literature. Through an exploratory study, which incorporated the collection and analysis of qualitative data, involving 46 interviews with volunteers, employees and administration of three hospitals, we intend to answer the questions in question. As a result, we conclude that the definition of the function of the VH is generic, allows different interpretations and the tasks related to the function of the VH are not known to all stakeholders. This problem can also have negative repercussions regarding the relations between volunteers and health professionals, fomenting possible situations of conflict. However, most interviewees are satisfied with the current format of volunteer management.
Increased VGLUT3 involved in visceral hyperalgesia in a rat model of irritable bowel syndrome.

AIM To investigate the activity of vesicular glutamate transporter-3 (VGLUT3) in a visceral hyperalgesia rat model of irritable bowel syndrome, and the role of mast cells (MCs). METHODS Transient intestinal infection was induced by oral administration of Trichinella spiralis larvae in rats. On the 100(th) day post-infection (PI), the rats were divided into an acute cold restraint stress (ACRS) group and a non-stressed group. Age-matched untreated rats served as controls. The abdominal withdrawal reflex was used to measure the visceromotor response to colorectal distension (CRD). The expression levels of VGLUT3 in peripheral and central neurons were analyzed by immunofluorescence and western blotting. RESULTS VGLUT3 expression in the L6S1 dorsal root ganglion cells was significantly higher in the PI group than in the control group (0.32 ± 0.009 vs 0.22 ± 0.008, P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference in the expression of VGLUT3 between MC-deficient rats and their normal wild-type littermates. Immunofluorescence showed that the expression levels of VGLUT3 in PI + ACRS rats were enhanced in the prefrontal cortex of the brain compared with the control group. CONCLUSION VGLUT3 is involved in the pathogenesis of visceral hyperalgesia. Coexpression of c-fos, 5-hydroxytryptamine and VGLUT3 after CRD was observed in associated neuronal pathways. Increased VGLUT3 induced by transient intestinal infection was found in peripheral nerves, and was independent of MCs. Moreover, the expression of VGLUT3 was enhanced in the prefrontal cortex in rats with induced infection and stress.
Prediction of interactions between lncRNA and protein by using relevance search in a heterogeneous lncRNA-protein network

LncRNA plays important roles in many biological and pathological processes. LncRNA-protein interaction is the most significant way of lncRNA performing function. Thus, identifying lncRNA-protein interaction has huge significance. The previous methods of lncRNA-protein interaction prediction focus on intrinsic features of lncRNA and protein but ignore the information implicit in the topologies of biological network associated with lncRNA. In this paper, we adopt Hetesim algorithm which can evaluate the relevance between lncRNA and protein based on the heterogeneous lncRNA-protein network to identify lncRNA-protein interacitons.
A case study for predicting the success possibility of supply chain practices implementation using AHP approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to predict the success possibility of supply chain practices (SCPs) implementation based on ten selected SCPs using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Design/methodology/approach – A case study was conducted, and for the same, data were collected from two organizations. The data collected from both the organizations were analyzed using AHP. The pair-wise comparisons of SCPs (usually, alternatives and attributes) are established using a scale indicating the strength with which one SCP dominates another with respect to higher-level SCPs. This scaling process then translated into priority weights. Once the priority weights of the elements/determinants of the module have been calculated, the presence of the corresponding element in the organization was evaluated. An evaluation rating of these elements multiplied by the established priority weights have determined the prediction weight for each SCP. Findings – The application of this procedure is described for the inst.
Nitric Oxide/Peroxynitrite Redox Imbalance in Endothelial Cells Measured with Amperometric Nanosensors

The cytoprotective messenger nitric oxide (NO) and cytotoxic peroxynitrite (ONOO-) are the main components of oxidative stress and can be generated by endothelial cells. A tandem of electrochemical nanosensors (diameter 200-300 nm) were used to measure, in situ, the balance between NO and ONOO-produced by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC’s). The amperometric nanosensors were placed 5 ± 2 μm from the surface of the endothelial cells and the concentration of NO and ONOO- was measured at 630 mV and -300 mV (vs Ag/AgCl) respectively. Normal, functional, endothelial cells produced maximal 450 ± 25 nmol.L-1 of NO and 180 ± 15 nmol.L-1 of ONOO- in about 3 s, after stimulation with calcium ionophore. The in situ measurements of NO and ONOO- were validated using nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-NMMA, ONOO- scavenger Mn(III) porphyrin, and superoxide dismutase (PEG-SOD). The ratio of NO concentration to ONOO- concentration ([NO]/[ONOO-]) was introduced for quantification of both, the redox balance and the level of the nitroxidative stress in the endothelium. [NO]/[ONOO-] was 2.7 ± 0.1 in a functional endothelium. The model of the dysfunctional endothelium was made by the treatment of HUVEC’s with angiotensin II for 20 min. Dysfunctional HUVEC’s produced only 115 ± 15 nmol.L-1 of NO, but generated a significantly higher concentration of ONOO- of 490 ± 30 nmol.L-1. The [NO]/[ONOO-] ratio decreased to 0.23 ± 0.14 in the dysfunctional endothelium. Electrochemical nanosensors can be effectively used for in situ monitoring of changing levels of nitroxidative/ oxidative stress, and may be useful in early medical diagnosis of the cardiovascular system.
Disclosure of Management Guidance in Conference Calls: Materiality, Determinants, and Consequences

The SEC advises firms to release all material information in their earnings announcement press release before their corresponding conference call. Until May 2009, the NYSE went further by explicitly prohibiting the disclosure of new material information in a conference call. However, we document that the S&P 500 firms, including those that are NYSE-listed, disclose a non-trivial amount of management guidance exclusively in their conference calls. Firms in challenging forecasting environments rely more on the conference call, probably because the call enables managers to “flesh out” the guidance. In contrast, firms with relatively low investor visibility and high litigation risk rely less on the conference call, likely due to regulatory concerns. Finally, after controlling for the information released at the earnings announcement, we find greater magnitudes of analyst forecast revisions for firms that provide relatively more management guidance exclusively in their conference call. Collectively, our findings highlight the emerging use of non-traditional disclosure channels.
A Socio-Cognitive Particle Swarm Optimization for Multi-Dimensional Knapsack Problem

The multidimensional knapsack problem (MKP), which is a generalization of the 0-1 simple Knapsack problem, is one of the classical NP-hard problems in operations research having a number of engineering applications. Several exact as well as heuristic algorithms are available in literature for its solution. In this paper, we propose a new particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm namely socio-cognitive particle swarm optimization (SCPSO) for solving the MKP. Comparing with the basic binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO), this improved algorithm introduces the distance between gbest and pbest as a new velocity update equation which maintains the diversity in the swarm and makes it more effective and efficient in solving MKP. We present computational experiments with various data instances for fine tuning of parameters of SCPSO and to validate our ideas and demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
An Empirical Test of the Consequences of Behavior-and Outcome-Based Sales Control Systems

In a previous volume of this journal, the authors presented a behavior versus outcome sales control continuum based on methods of monitoring, directing, evaluating, and compensating the salesperson's efforts and results. They empirically test their propositions about how control system perceptions influence salespeople on a diverse sample of sales representatives. They find that the predicted effects of control philosophy on affective and motivational states are generally supported whereas the effects on sales strategies or performance outcomes are not. Organizational culture differences are also observed.
Determinants of Technological Diversification in Small Serial Innovators

This paper analyses the determinants of technological diversification for small innovative companies. Using patent data from the PATSTAT database for the period between 1990 and 2006, we explore technological diversification through a panel data set comprising 811 UK based serial innovators characterized by a sustained record of innovations over time, accounting for more than 66000 patents. The literature on diversification has usually focused the analysis on corporations and large firms since small companies are likely to be excluded from strategies of technological diversification due to resource limitations. Differently, from this literature, we focus on the reasons that bring small innovative firms to engage in the costly process of technological diversification. In particular, we analyse the trade-off that is likely to take place between the need to explore new technological opportunities and the significant element of path dependency delineated by the specific core technological competencies that usually characterise small innovative companies. We find that increasing technological opportunities present an inverted U type relationship with diversification, while technological trajectories defined by coherence in both technological search and core competencies support specialization.
Fat Distribution in Women With HIV Infection

Objective: Both peripheral fat loss and central fat gain have been reported in women with HIV infection. We determined the fat changes that are specific to HIV infection in women. Methods: HIV-infected and control women from the study of Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change in HIV Infection (FRAM) were compared. Lipoatrophy or lipohypertrophy was defined as concordance between participant report of fat change and clinical examination. Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging measured regional adipose tissue volumes. The relationship among different adipose tissue depots was assessed. Factors associated with individual depots were analyzed using multivariate linear regression. Results: HIV-infected women reported more fat loss than controls in all peripheral and most central depots. Peripheral lipoatrophy was more frequent in HIV-infected women than controls (28% vs. 4%, P < 0.001), whereas central lipohypertrophy was similar (62% vs. 63%). Among HIV-infected women, those with central lipohypertrophy were less likely to have peripheral lipoatrophy (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.20 to 0.75, P = 0.006) than those without central lipohypertrophy. On magnetic resonance imaging, HIV-infected women with clinical peripheral lipoatrophy had less subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in peripheral and central sites and less visceral adipose tissue (VAT) than HIV-infected women without peripheral lipoatrophy. Compared with controls, HIV-infected women had less SAT in the legs, regardless of the presence or absence of lipoatrophy. However, those without lipoatrophy had more VAT and upper trunk SAT than controls. Use of the antiretroviral drug stavudine was associated with less leg SAT but was not associated with VAT. The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy, however, was associated with more VAT. Conclusions: Peripheral lipoatrophy occurs commonly in HIV-infected women but is not associated with reciprocally increased VAT or trunk fat.
Managing customer relationships in the e‐business world: how to personalise computer relationships for increased profitability

Presents extensive research conducted over several years by Ovum researchers posing as customers into customer relationship management (CRM), call centre and e‐commerce strategies and the software required to support them. Aims to establish how companies in the UK can address the need to support multiple channels and where they can make improvements to serve their customers better. Concludes that almost all of the companies surveyed performed poorly and presents three essential insights that companies should take into account for improving CRM.
Consumers’ Reliance on Product Information and Recommendations Found in UGC

ABSTRACT In the time since the advent of the Internet, the influence of online recommendations on consumer decision making has attracted great attention. YouTube and sites with blogging capabilities, such as MySpace and Facebook, are growing rapidly and frequently feature comments about brands and products. These comments, whether positive or negative, represent a form of user-generated content (UGC). Although recent research on peer recommendations considers electronic word of mouth, few studies focus on UGC. Using interviews with 17 participants, this study examines consumers’ opinions of online recommendations embedded in UGC compared with those of producer-generated content.
Knowledge, clusters, and competitive advantage

Researchers in international strategy are increasingly investigating the role of regional clusters as features of international industry, most concerned with the competitive role of clusters and the competitive interactions among cluster firms. We look instead at knowledge sharing between firms through the medium of untraded interdependencies—knowledge exchanged informally and without explicit compensation. We specifically address knowledge development at the firm and the cluster level and examine the role of knowledge stocks and flows in establishing competitive advantage for clusters and firms.
The quality of British marketing: A comparison with US and Japanese multinationals in the UK market

This paper presents the findings of an empirical study comparing the marketing strategies and organisations of a matched sample of British companies and their US and Japanese competitors in the UK. Hypotheses about Japanese marketing are tested and provide a framework for the comparative analysis of the marketing effectiveness of the three sets of competitors. The findings highlight significant weaknesses in the marketing effort of British companies, these being exacerbated by excessive focus on short‐run financial gains. The US competitors, equally concerned with short‐term profits, were less committed to the UK market than their Japanese rivals, their market position being in danger of deteriorating further as the Japanese close the technological gap between them. The Japanese were unmistakably aggressive, single‐minded in their pursuit of market share and undeniably more market‐oriented than their US and British counterparts. This research was funded by the ESRC.
An augmented Lagrangian based parallel splitting method for separable convex minimization with applications to image processing

This paper considers the convex minimization problem with linear constraints and a separable objective function which is the sum of many individual functions without coupled variables. An algorithm is developed by splitting the augmented Lagrangian function in a parallel way. The new algo-rithm diﬀers substantially from existing splitting methods in alternating style which require solving the decomposed subproblems sequentially, while it remains the main superiority of existing splitting methods in that the resulting subproblems could be simple enough to have closed-form solutions for such an application whose functions in the objective are simple. We show applicability and encouraging eﬃciency of the new algorithm by some applications in image processing
Comparison of GFR calculation methods: MDRD and CKD-EPI vs. 99mTc-DTPA tracer clearance rates

Abstract Introduction. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is considered the best index of kidney function. The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD)-Study equation has gained worldwide acceptance for estimating GFR from serum creatinine. Recently the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) group developed a new equation that claims to be more accurate and could replace MDRD for routine clinical use. Nuclear medicine methods are accepted as more accurate, and have become regular practice provided they are easily available. The aim of this study was to evaluate how indirect GFR calculations correlated with the nuclear medicine method. Materials and methods. The authors compared 99mTc-DTPA clearance using the Gates method and a two-blood sample method with MDRD and CKD-EPI, in a population of renal donor candidates and oncological patients treated with nephrotoxic chemotherapy. Results. Our results showed that even though both equations provided a good correlation (p < 0.001) with GFR evaluated by the nuclear medicine method, they underestimated the GFR value in comparison to nuclear medicine methods. Our study also found that CKD-EPI was superior to MDRD. Conclusion. Using purely creatinine-based GFR estimates can lead to complications in clinical practice, especially when correct GFR values are mandatory, like when calculating adequate chemotherapy dosage, and should be used with caution. When the more accurate nuclear medicine methods are unavailable due to cost or accessibility issues, our study showed that the new CKD-EPI appears to reflect GFR results more accurately than MDRD, and thus should be the method of choice for estimating GFR.