Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Back in Sight, Back in Mind: Picture-Centric Support for Mobile Counseling Sessions

This paper explores unique challenges of mobile consultancy and offers a picture-centric solution. We study the example of a policeman counseling a homeowner on how to prevent burglary. As in a stationary set-up, consultants and clients collaborate to co-create solutions to match the clients' problems. Concurrently, in a mobile set-up, problem and solution information are bound to the physical environment of the house. Moving through the house, both clients and consultants forget crucial location-bound information, severely impairing their collaboration. We propose supporting such collaboration with a tablet-based application that is centered on pictures of the physical environment, called SmartProtector. In an evaluation, we show that both clients and consultants remember substantially more information when using the SmartProtector. With this study, we contribute to the ongoing research discussion on collaborative memory, memory aid systems and mobile collaboration, highlighting the roles of pictures and their large potential to enhance collaborative work practices.
Prelamin A Accumulation Attenuates Rac1 Activity and Increases the Intrinsic Migrational Persistence of Aged Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) motility is essential during both physiological and pathological vessel remodeling. Although ageing has emerged as a major risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease, our understanding of the impact of ageing on VSMC motility remains limited. Prelamin A accumulation is known to drive VSMC ageing and we show that presenescent VSMCs, that have accumulated prelamin A, display increased focal adhesion dynamics, augmented migrational velocity/persistence and attenuated Rac1 activity. Importantly, prelamin A accumulation in proliferative VSMCs, induced by depletion of the prelamin A processing enzyme FACE1, recapitulated the focal adhesion, migrational persistence and Rac1 phenotypes observed in presenescent VSMCs. Moreover, lamin A/C-depleted VSMCs also display reduced Rac1 activity, suggesting that prelamin A influences Rac1 activity by interfering with lamin A/C function at the nuclear envelope. Taken together, these data demonstrate that lamin A/C maintains Rac1 activity in VSMCs and prelamin A disrupts lamin A/C function to reduce Rac1 activity and induce migrational persistence during VSMC ageing.
CONFIDENCE BANDS IN DENSITY ESTIMATION

Given a sample from some unknown continuous density f: ℝ → ℝ, we construct adaptive confidence bands that are honest for all densities in a "generic" subset of the union of t-Holder balls, 0 < t ≤ r, where r is a fixed but arbitrary integer. The exceptional ("nongeneric") set of densities for which our results do not hold is shown to be nowhere dense in the relevant Holder-norm topologies. In the course of the proofs we also obtain limit theorems for maxima of linear wavelet and kernel density estimators, which are of independent interest.
Detecting mass substructure in galaxy clusters: an aperture mass statistic for gravitational flexion

Gravitational flexion has been introduced as a technique by which one can map out and study substructure in clusters of galaxies. Previous analyses involving flexion have measured the individual galaxy–galaxy flexion signal, or used either parametric techniques or a Kaiser, Squires and Broadhurst (KSB)-type inversion to reconstruct the mass distribution in Abell 1689. In this paper, we present an aperture mass statistic for flexion, and apply it to the lensed images of background galaxies obtained by ray-tracing simulations through a simple analytic mass distribution and through a galaxy cluster from the Millennium Simulation. We show that this method is effective at detecting and accurately tracing structure within clusters of galaxies on subarcminute scales with high signal to noise even using a moderate background source number density and image resolution. In addition, the method provides much more information about both the overall shape and the small-scale structure of a cluster of galaxies than can be achieved through a weak lensing mass reconstruction using gravitational shear data. Lastly, we discuss how the zero-points of the aperture mass might be used to infer the masses of structures identified using this method.
Evaluation of a Second-Order Accurate Navier-Stokes Code for Detached Eddy Simulation Past a Circular Cylinder

We evaluate the applicability of a production computational fluid dynamics code for conducting detached eddy simulation for unsteady flows. A second-order accurate Navier-Stokes code developed at NASA Langley Research Center, known as TLNS3D, is used for these simulations. We focus our attention on high Reynolds number flow (Re = 5× 10 − 1.4× 10) past a circular cylinder to simulate flows with large-scale separations. We consider two types of flow situations: one in which the flow at the separation point is laminar, and the other in which the flow is already turbulent when it detaches from the surface of the cylinder. Solutions are presented for twoand three-dimensional calculations using both the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes paradigm and the detached eddy simulation treatment. All calculations use the standard Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model as the base model.
Can You See Me Now?: How Field of View Affects Collaboration in Robotic Telepresence

Robotic telepresence systems-videoconferencing systems that allow a remote user to drive around in another location-are an emerging technology for supporting geographically-distributed teams. Thus far, many of these systems rely on affordances designed for stationary systems, such as a single, narrow-view camera to provide vision for the remote user. Teleoperation has offered some solutions to this via an augmented field-of-view, but how these solutions support task outcomes in collaborative mobile telepresence tasks has yet to be understood. To investigate this, we conducted a three condition (field-of-view: narrow (45°) vs. wide-angle (180°) vs. panoramic (360°)) between-participants controlled laboratory experiment. We asked participants (N=24) to collaborate with a confederate via a robotic telepresence system while using one of these views in a redecoration task. Our results showed that wider views supported task efficiency and fewer collisions, but were perceived as more difficult to use.
Clonal Focusing of Epitope-Specific CD8+ T Lymphocytes in Rhesus Monkeys following Vaccination and Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Challenge

ABSTRACT To afford the greatest possible immune protection, candidate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccines must generate diverse and long-lasting CD8+ T lymphocyte responses. In the present study, we evaluate T-cell receptor Vβ (variable region beta) gene usage and a CDR3 (complementarity-determining region 3) sequence to assess the clonality of epitope-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes generated in rhesus monkeys following vaccination and simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) challenge. We found that vaccine-elicited epitope-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes have a clonal diversity comparable to those cells generated in response to SHIV infection. Moreover, we show that the clonal diversity of vaccine-elicited CD8+ T-lymphocyte responses is dictated by the epitope sequence and is not affected by the mode of antigen delivery to the immune system. Clonal CD8+ T-lymphocyte populations persisted following boosting with different vectors, and these clonal cell populations could be detected for as long as 4 years after SHIV challenge. Finally, we show that the breadth of these epitope-specific T lymphocytes transiently focuses in response to intense SHIV replication. These observations demonstrate the importance of the initial immune response to SHIV, induced by vaccination or generated during primary infection, in determining the clonal diversity of cell-mediated immune responses and highlight the focusing of this clonal diversity in the setting of high viral loads. Circumventing this restricted CD8+ T-lymphocyte clonal diversity may present a significant challenge in the development of an effective HIV vaccine strategy.
Effects of ZD6169, a K(ATP) channel opener, on the micturition reflex in the rat.

The effects of ZD6169, a new ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, on reflex urinary bladder activity were evaluated in urethane-anesthetized female Wistar rats. Continuous transvesical slow infusion cystometrograms (0.04 ml/min) were performed in untreated, capsaicin-pretreated (125 mg/kg s.c., 4 days before experiments) and capsaicin vehicle-pretreated rats. Intravesical infusion of ZD6169 in concentrations of 6, 15, 30, and 300 nM for 2 h at each concentration increased the intercontraction interval and pressure threshold for voiding in a concentration-dependent manner in untreated and vehicle-pretreated rats but not in capsaicin-pretreated animals. The effects appeared within 30 min after administration. ZD6169 did not alter baseline bladder pressure, duration of contractions, or the peak pressure during voiding. Glibenclamide (20 mg/kg i.v.) reversed the effects of ZD6169 (30 nM). During transvesical cystometrograms performed at a fast rate (0.21 ml/min), ZD6169 in concentrations between 6 and 300 nM did not alter the intercontraction interval or pressure threshold for voiding. ZD6169 produced smaller and more variable effects during slow transurethral cystometrograms. Capsaicin, a C-fiber afferent neurotoxin, administered s.c. 4 days before the experiment, produced similar changes and also eliminated the effect of ZD6169. These data suggest that ZD6169 raises the threshold for activation of C-fiber mechanoreceptors in the bladder wall and thereby increases the bladder volume for inducing reflex voiding.
A new approach for the recovery of precious metals from solution and from leachates derived from electronic scrap

A new approach is described for the recovery of precious metals (PMs: Au, Pd and Ag) with >99% efficiency from aqueous solution utilising biogas produced during the aerobic growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Gold was recovered from electronic scrap leachate (∼95%) by this method, with some selectivity against Cu. The recovered PM solids all contained metal and sulphur as determined by energy dispersive X‐ray microanalysis (EDX). X‐ray powder diffraction analysis (XRD) showed no crystalline metal sulphur compounds but a crystalline palladium amine was recorded. Silver was recovered as a sulphide (found by EDX), carbonate and oxide (found by XRD). EDX analysis of the Au‐precipitate showed mainly gold and sulphur, with some metallic Au(0) detected by XRD. The gold compound was shock‐sensitive; upon grinding it detonated to leave a sooty black deposit. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2007;96:631–639. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
igit ratio ( 2 D : 4 D ) moderates the relationship between cortisol eactivity and self-reported externalizing behavior in young dolescent males

Although reduced cortisol reactivity to stress and increased circulating testosterone level are hypothesized to be associated with higher levels of externalizing behavior, empirical findings are inconsistent. One factor that may account for the heterogeneity in these relationships is prenatal testosterone exposure. This study examined whether the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), a putative marker of prenatal testosterone exposure, moderates the relationships of testosterone and cortisol reactivity with externalizing behavior. Left and right hand 2D:4D and self-reported externalizing behavior were measured in a sample of 353 young adolescents (M age = 11.92 years; 178 females; 79.7% African American). Saliva samples were collected before and after a stress task and later assayed for cortisol. Testosterone levels were determined from an AM saliva sample. 2D:4D interacted with cortisol reactivity to predict externalizing behavior in males, but not females. In males, low cortisol reactivity was associated with higher igit ratio (2D:4D) levels of aggression and rule-breaking behavior, but only among subjects with low 2D:4D (i.e., high prenatal testosterone). Findings suggest the importance of a multi-systems approach in which interactions between multiple hormones are taken into account. Furthermore, results demonstrate the importance of considering the organizational influence of prenatal testosterone in order to understand the activational influence of circulating hormones during adolescence. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor PathwayPolymorphisms as Prognostic and Pharmacogenetic Factors in Cancer : A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Angiogenesis is an important host process that interacts with cancer cells to promote growth, invasion, and metastasis. Numerous therapeutic agents targeting the VEGF pathway have been developed. Host variability in VEGF pathway can influence angiogenesis-dependent signaling, altering sensitivity to antiangiogenic drugs and prognosis. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted (May 1990–July 2011). Eligible studies involved cancer patients and compared polymorphisms in the VEGF pathway [VEGF andmolecules directly interacting with VEGF: KDR, FLT1, FGF, FGF2, FGFR, NRP1, endostatin (encoded by COL18A1)], and reported one of the following outcomes: overall survival, progression-free survival, time to recurrence, disease-free survival, response rate, or drug toxicity. We identified 48 cancer studies assessing prognosis and 12 cancer studies exploring pharmacogenetics of anti-VEGF therapy across various VEGF pathway polymorphisms. There was marked interand intradisease site heterogeneity in the effect of polymorphisms on both outcome and response to therapy. Meta-analyses of 5 VEGF polymorphisms (þ936C>T, 460T>C, þ405G>C, 1154G>A, and 2578C>A) identified a significant prognostic relationship: VEGFþ405G>C variants showed a highly statistically significant improvement in overall survival [HR, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–0.91; P 1⁄4 0.004]. Variants (heterozygotes and/or homozygotes) of VEGF þ405G>C were significantly associated with improved survival in a meta-analysis of multiple cancer sites. Clin Cancer Res; 18(17); 4526–37. 2012 AACR.
Understanding Long-Term Interactions with a Slow Technology: an Investigation of Experiences with FutureMe

Emerging over a decade ago, slow technology is a design philosophy aimed at supporting experiences of reflection through and on technology in everyday life. Recent research has suggested that slow technologies can open up new forms of interaction with digital content that support self-reflection and re-visitation of the past. However, little work has investigated people's long-term interactions with systems that embody this design strategy. To investigate, a qualitative study with 31 participants was conducted to understand their long-term experiences with FutureMe-a slow technology that has been in use for over twelve years by more than one million people. Findings reveal that, despite its simplicity, FutureMe produced a range of outcomes-from profound reminiscence to unsettling encounters. Findings are interpreted to present opportunities and implications for future research and practice initiatives.
NAP1 strain type predicts outcomes from Clostridium difficile infection.

BACKGROUND Studies are conflicting regarding the importance of the fluoroquinolone-resistant North American pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type 1 (NAP1) strain in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) outcome. We describe strain types causing CDI and evaluate their association with patient outcomes. METHODS CDI cases were identified from population-based surveillance. Multivariate regression models were used to evaluate the associations of strain type with severe disease (ileus, toxic megacolon, or pseudomembranous colitis within 5 days; or white blood cell count ≥15 000 cells/µL within 1 day of positive test), severe outcome (intensive care unit admission after positive test, colectomy for C. difficile infection, or death within 30 days of positive test), and death within 14 days of positive test. RESULTS Strain typing results were available for 2057 cases. Severe disease occurred in 363 (17.7%) cases, severe outcome in 100 (4.9%), and death within 14 days in 56 (2.7%). The most common strain types were NAP1 (28.4%), NAP4 (10.2%), and NAP11 (9.1%). In unadjusted analysis, NAP1 was associated with greater odds of severe disease than other strains. After controlling for patient risk factors, healthcare exposure, and antibiotic use, NAP1 was associated with severe disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-2.22), severe outcome (AOR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.09-2.54), and death within 14 days (AOR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.22-3.68). CONCLUSIONS NAP1 was the most prevalent strain and a predictor of severe disease, severe outcome, and death. Strategies to reduce NAP1 prevalence, such as antibiotic stewardship to reduce fluoroquinolone use, might reduce CDI morbidity.
An Investigation Into Aerobot Technologies For Planetary Exploration

For those planets and moons that support an atmosphere, ying robots are likely to provide a practical solution to the problem of extended planetary surface coverage for terrain mapping, and surface/sub-surface composition surveying. Not only could such devices be used for suborbital mapping of terrain regions, but they could be used to transport and deploy science packages or even microrovers at di erent geographically separate land sites. Whilst much attention has been given to the use of rovers for planetary exploration, most notably the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Mars Path nder mission and the Sojourner rover [1], the use of ying robots, or aerobots, for planetary exploration represents a highly innovative concept. Whilst rover technology is clearly competent at facilitating useful science, their application is terrain limited. They are capable of travelling relatively small distances and much of a planet's terrain is impassable to small wheeled vehicles, aerobots in comparison have no such limitations. The technological challenges posed by planetary aerobots are signi cant, and the authors are investigating the design and control of helium lled balloon robots that can y autonomously to designated landing sites. To study these problems we have constructed ALTAIR1 which is the rst aerobot to be designed as part of our ALTAIR (Aberystwyth Lighter Than Air Intelligent Robot) research programme. ALTAIR-1 is a modular laboratory based aerobot designed for rapid prototyping and experimentation within a controlled environment. Typical modules include: ight control and navigation microcontroller(s), beacon detection, altimeter and landing sensors, electrical power, vectored propulsion units, and aerobot to ground station RF communications. All modules are housed in the ALTAIR-1 gondola, which is supported from a helium lled spherical balloon. This paper provides an overview of our ALTAIR-1 aerobot.
Mount Logan ice core record of tropical and solar influences on Aleutian Low variability: 500–1998 A.D.

Continuous, high‐resolution paleoclimate records from the North Pacific region spanning the past 1500 years are rare; and the behavior of the Aleutian Low (ALow) pressure center, the dominant climatological feature in the Gulf of Alaska, remains poorly constrained. Here we present a continuous, 1500 year long, calibrated proxy record for the strength of the wintertime (December–March) ALow from the Mount Logan summit (PR Col; 5200 m asl) ice core soluble sodium time series. We show that ice core sodium concentrations are statistically correlated with North Pacific sea level pressure and zonal wind speed. Our ALow proxy record reveals a weak ALow from circa 900–1300 A.D. and 1575–1675 A.D., and a comparatively stronger ALow from circa 500–900 A.D., 1300–1575 A.D., and 1675 A.D. to present. The Mount Logan ALow proxy record shows strong similarities with tropical paleoclimate proxy records sensitive to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and is consistent with the hypothesis that the Medieval Climate Anomaly was characterized by more persistent La Niña‐like conditions while the Little Ice Age was characterized by at least two intervals of more persistent El Niño‐like conditions. The Mount Logan ALow proxy record is significantly (p < 0.05) correlated and coherent with solar irradiance proxy records over various time scales, with stronger solar irradiance generally associated with a weaker ALow and La Niña‐like tropical conditions. However, a step‐like increase in ALow strength during the Dalton solar minimum circa 1820 is associated with enhanced Walker circulation. Furthermore, rising CO2 forcing or internal variability may be masking the twentieth century rise in solar irradiance.
Improved efficiency in detecting cellular immunity towards M. tuberculosis in patients receiving immunosuppressive drug therapy.

BACKGROUND Reactivation of a latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in immunocompromised individuals is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The limited sensitivity of the established tuberculin skin-test in identifying latently infected patients on immunosuppressive drug therapy represents a major obstacle to better tuberculosis control after transplantation. METHODS In this study, a quantitative flow-cytometric whole-blood assay and the skin-test were comparatively evaluated towards both diagnostic power and practicability in 117 long-term renal transplant recipients (age 53.1+/-14.8 years; 7.0+/-5.0 years after transplantation) in a low-prevalence region. RESULTS Among the aforementioned renal transplant recipients, a high proportion (52.14%) had purified protein-derivative (PPD)-specific T-cell-immunity in vitro. Despite immunosuppression, prevalence as well as median frequencies of PPD-specific T-cells (0.22%; >0.05-4.71%) were as high as previously reported for immunocompetent individuals and haemodialysis patients. In contrast to in vitro testing, skin testing was less practicable in an ambulatory setting. Moreover, skin-test reactivity was significantly reduced as only 50.0% of patients with PPD-reactivity in vitro were skin-test positive. T-cell reactivity towards early secretory antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6), a protein specific for M. tuberculosis but absent from the bacillus Calmette-Guerin BCG-vaccine strain, was found in 52.9% of all individuals with PPD-reactivity in vitro. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the whole-blood assay reveals a high prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in renal transplant recipients. It may represent a valuable alternative to skin testing as the test result is not adversely affected by immunosuppression. Moreover, reactivity towards ESAT-6 allows the distinction of a latent infection from BCG-induced reactivity. The assay is well-suited for use in screening programmes and may facilitate the management of tuberculosis infection in immunocompromised individuals.