Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Models and Algorithms for Interactive audio Rendering

Les systemes de realite virtuelle interactifs combinent des representations visuelle, sonore et haptique, afin de simuler de maniere immersive l'exploration d'un monde tridimensionnel represente depuis le point de vue d'un observateur controle en temps reel par l'utilisateur. La plupart des travaux effectues dans ce domaine ont historiquement port'e sur les aspects visuels (par exemple des methodes d'affichage interactif de modeles 3D complexes ou de simulation realiste et efficace de l'eclairage) et relativement peu de travaux ont ete consacres 'a la simulation de sources sonores virtuelles 'egalement denommee auralisation. Il est pourtant certain que la simulation sonore est un facteur cle dans la production d'environnements de synthese, la perception sonore s'ajoutant a la perception visuelle pour produire une interaction plus naturelle. En particulier, les effets sonores spatialises, dont la direction de provenance est fidelement reproduite aux oreilles de l'auditeur, sont particulierement importants pour localiser les objets, separer de multiples signaux sonores simultanes et donner des indices sur les caracteristiques spatiales de l'environnement (taille, materiaux, etc.). La plupart des systemes de realite virtuelle immersifs, des simulateurs les plus complexes aux jeux video destin'es au grand public mettent aujourd'hui en œuvre des algorithmes de synthese et spatialisation des sons qui permettent d'ameliorer la navigation et d'accroitre le realisme et la sensation de presence de l'utilisateur dans l'environnement de synthese. Comme la synthese d'image dont elle est l'equivalent auditif, l'auralisation, appel'ee aussi rendu sonore, est un vaste sujet 'a la croisee de multiples disciplines : informatique, acoustique et 'electroacoustique, traitement du signal, musique, calcul geometrique mais egalement psycho-acoustique et perception audio-visuelle. Elle regroupe trois problematiques principales: synthese et controle interactif de sons, simulation des effets de propagation du son dans l'environnement et enfin, perception et restitution spatiale aux oreilles de l'auditeur. Historiquement, ces trois problematiques emergent de travaux en acoustique architecturale, acoustique musicale et psycho-acoustique. Toutefois une difference fondamentale entre rendu sonore pour la realite virtuelle et acoustique reside dans l'interaction multimodale et dans l'efficacite des algorithmes devant etre mis en œuvre pour des applications interactives. Ces aspects importants contribuent 'a en faire un domaine 'a part qui prend une importance croissante, tant dans le milieu de l'acoustique que dans celui de la synthese d'image/realite virtuelle.
An Examination of Peer, Family, and Community Context Risk Factors for Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Intentions in Early Adolescents

This study examines the relationship between peer, family, and community context risk factors and alcohol use; gender is examined as a potential moderator of these relationships. Hierarchical logistic regressions conducted in a sample of 781 seventh grade students found that normative beliefs about peers’ alcohol use emerged as the most consistent predictor of current use, lifetime alcohol initiation, and intentions to initiate drinking. Poorer parent–child relationship quality also increased adolescents’ odds of lifetime initiation and current alcohol use. After accounting for peer and family factors, greater perceived availability of alcohol was significantly associated with increased odds of current and lifetime use. Both community context risk predictors were significantly associated with increased risk of intending to initiate alcohol use among nonusers. Results demonstrated some support for gender moderating these relationships; poor family relationship quality increased girls’ odds of initiating alcohol use while more permissive community norms increased boys’ odds of initiating alcohol use.
Success under tokenism: Co-option of the newcomer and the prevention of collective protest

A laboratory analogue of North American intergroup context was used to investigate the responses of individuals who succeed in individual upward social mobility under conditions of highly restricted boundary permeability (i.e. tokenism). These successful tokens were compared with participants who either (a) succeeded in an open } meritocratic intergroup context, or (b) were forced to remain in the disadvantaged group because of the tokenism restriction. Although successful tokens recognized the collective injustice of tokenism, their behaviour did not dia er from participants who succeeded in the open } meritocratic condition. Those forced to remain in their disadvantaged position preferred non-normative action (relatively drastic actions known to be inconsistent with the rules of the broader social system), while successful tokens supported only disadvantaged group members who accepted their disadvantaged position or took individual normative action. Experiment 2 suggeststhat successful tokens’lack of supportfor collective ornon-normative actions doesnotresultfrom(a) a failure to identify with the disadvantaged in-group; (b) compliance with perceived advantaged group norms; or (c) individualistic concerns for personal bene® ts. The present results provide some evidence that tokens shift their identi® cation from the disadvantaged to the advantaged group.Thus,the consistentlack ofsupportforsocially disruptive action by members of the disadvantaged groupmay representan attempt to support their new in-group‐ the high-status advantaged group.
Children's Perception of, and Atitude Towards, Unfamiliar Peers with Facial Port-Wine Stains

Evaluated children's perception of, and attitude towards, unfamiliar peers with facial port-wine stains (PWS). Participants (ages 8 to 11 years) from three grades were shown videoclips of the same 6 children, 3 of whom (2 girls and 1 boy) were seen with a (fake) PWS by participants from one grade. Participants from different grades saw a different 1 of these 3 children with a PWS. Participants thought PWS would attract staring and teasing; for the boy it would cause self-pity and, for one of the girls, it would make getting a boyfriend more difficult, but the stain did not significantly affect participants' assessment of the attractiveness and character or willingness to interact/become friendly with the children on the video. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.
Molecular relationship between private and public H-2 antigens as determined by antigen redistribution method

Molecular relationship of public H-2 antigens 1, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 25, and 28 to private antigens controlled by K and D regions was studied using the technique of antibody-induced resistance to complement- mediated cytotoxicity. The results indicate physical association in the cell membrane between H-2 antigens 1 and 23 of H-2-a, 8 and 31 of H- 2-d, 11 and 17 of H-2-q, 13 and 30 of H-2-q, 25 and 23 of H-2-k, and 28 and 31 of H-2-g. These results are in agreement with genetic mapping placing the determinants of antigens H-2.8, 11 and 25 in the K region , the determinant of antigen H-2.13 in the D region, and the determinants of antigens H-2.1 and 28 in either the K or the D region. In contrast to genetic mapping placing the determinant for antigen H-2.6 in the D region, we found that in the H-2-b haplotype the antigen is associated with K region antigen H-2.33 and H-2.32, and interpreted this result as evidence for two homologous H-2.5 sites controlled by opposite ends of the H-2 complex. Although the data do not prove that public antigens are carried by the same molecules as private ones, they demonstrate a close physical association in the membrane between the two groups of loci, K and D, coding for the first 33 classical H-2 antigens (with the exception of antigen H-2.7), and thus support the two-locus model. The data also support the duplication model of H-2 by demonstrating two homologous H-2.5 sites associated with K and D molecules.
Dialogue and Structure: Enabling Learner Self-Regulation in Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments

Distance learning that incorporates technology-enhanced learning environments provides a solution to the ever-increasing global demand for higher education. To be successful in these contexts, learners must be self-regulated, or have the ability to control the factors affecting their learning. Based on the theories of transactional distance, self-regulated learning (SRL) and language acquisition, the model of self-regulated distance learning has been shown to increase learner self-regulation and success. The current exploratory study examined the role of dialogue and structure on the effectiveness of SRL activities in an English language course based on this model. The study examined student responses and related teacher feedback to SRL activities as well as course structural components to determine how dialogue (i.e. teacher feedback) and structure helped or hindered learners in gaining full benefit from the SRL course component. Findings indicated that a lack of dialogue and missing structural elements were related to students completing the activities superficially, with inappropriate sequencing, or not doing them at all. Across the two semesters studied, the teachers varied in the extent and quality of their feedback, and structural problems undermined the value of the activities. Consequently, changes were made in course set-up and teacher training provided.
Which Explanations for Gender Differences in Competition are Consistent with a Simple Theoretical Model?

Recent studies show that males may increase their performance by more than females in response to competitive incentives. The literature suggests that this may contribute to observed gender gaps in labor force pay and achievement. Understanding which factors may drive these gender differences is essential for designing policies that promote equality. We adopt a game theoretic model of contests to consider a variety of explanations for the differences in male and female competitive performance that have been proposed in the empirical and experimental literature. Comparing the testable predictions of the model with the empirical evidence from past papers, we reject explanations involving male over-confidence, misperceptions about relative ability, and some types of preference differences. Explanations involving female under-confidence and differences in risk aversion are consistent with the significant evidence. Two explanations provide perfect matches to observed performance patterns: (i) males are better than females at handling competitive pressure, and (ii) males enjoy competition more or have greater desire to win than females.
UV Inactivation of Cryptosporidium hominis as Measured in Cell Culture

ABSTRACT The Cryptosporidium spp. UV disinfection studies conducted to date have used Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. However, Cryptosporidium hominis predominates in human cryptosporidiosis infections, so there is a critical need to assess the efficacy of UV disinfection of C. hominis. This study utilized cell culture-based methods to demonstrate that C. hominis oocysts displayed similar levels of infectivity and had the same sensitivity to UV light as C. parvum. Therefore, the water industry can be confident about extrapolating C. parvum UV disinfection data to C. hominis oocysts.
Eighth-Grade Violinists’ Instrument Tuning Ability

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between eighth-grade violinists’ pitch perception and instrument tuning skill. The perceptual task was a researcher-developed computer-based Violin Tuning Perception Test. The instrument tuning task involved tuning two violins, one mistuned flat and the other mistuned sharp. Participants (N = 46) were enrolled at three middle schools in the midwestern United States. A moderate relationship was found between participants’ perceptual accuracy and instrument tuning accuracy, with pitch perception scores significantly more accurate than instrument tuning scores. Participants tuned the flat instrument more accurately than the sharp instrument. An overall tendency toward flat tuning was evident on both the perception and instrument tuning tests, with responses to items representing the G string, the least accurate on both the perception and the instrument tuning tests. No relationships were found between participants’ rating of their tuning ability and their perceptual or instrument tuning accuracy; however, those who rated themselves as “excellent or good” required significantly less time to complete the instrument tuning test than those who rated themselves as “fair or poor. ”
Checklist as a Memory Externalization Tool during a Critical Care Process

We analyzed user interactions with a paper-based checklist in a regional trauma center to inform the design of digital cognitive aids for safety-critical medical teamwork. An initial review of paper checklists from actual trauma resuscitations revealed that trauma team leaders frequently wrote notes on the checklist. To understand this notetaking practice, we performed content analysis of 163 checklists collected over the period of four months. We found nine major categories of information that leaders recorded during resuscitations, including patient values, physical assessment findings, and pre-hospital information. An analysis of types and amount of notes written by leaders of different experience levels showed that more experienced leaders recorded more patient values and physical findings, while less experienced leaders recorded more notes about their activities and task completion status. These findings suggested that a checklist designed for a high-risk, fast-paced medical event has evolved into a dual function tool, serving both as a compliance and memory aid. Based on these findings, we derived requirements for designing digital cognitive aids to support safety-critical medical teamwork.
Social Isolation Alters The Behavioral Effect of Carbamazepine on The Rat Forced Swimming Test

The present experiments were undertaken to determine whether rearing rats in social isolation from weaning alters the behavioral response produced by carbamazepine when these rats are exposed to the forced swimming test. Isolation and socially reared rats were compared for their response in the two aversive situations, either without drug pretreatment or following sub-chronic administration of carbamazepine or vehicle (2% Tween 80). Male Wistar rats were raised from weaning either alone (isolation rearing) or in groups of six rats/cage (social rearing). Six weeks later, these rats were tested for their sensitivity to carbamazepine using the forced swimming test (Porsolt et al., 1978, Eur J Pharmacol 47, 379-391). The results demonstrated that untreated isolation reared rats showed significantly less immobility and more struggling in the forced swimming test than socially reared rats. Sub-chronic administration with carbamazepine (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg i.p.) 24, 5 and 1 h to both isolation and socially reared rats caused a dose-related decrease in immobility time but increase struggling compared to the vehicle treated rats. However, these effects did not occur in isolation reared rats. The present data indicate that social isolation rearing from weaning alters the response to aversive stimuli and that sub-chronic treatment with carbamazepine reduces these effects in the adult rats.
From genotype to phenotype in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy: still more questions than answers.

In 1988, the first point mutation in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to be associated with a human disease was reported in pedigrees with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) (1). An explosion of clinical, genetic, and biochemical studies followed (2–5). The advent of molecular diagnosis for LHON allowed us to more easily make a definitive diagnosis of LHON in patients without a family history of visual loss and expanded the clinical phenotype of the disorder to include some unusual features in individuals and in pedigrees. In the current edition of the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, the article by Howell et al. (6) highlights how observational clinical and genetic studies in LHON continue to help us sort through the various theories on pathogenesis and the determinants of expression of this disease. Three point mutations in the mtDNA, the primary LHON mutations, are believed to cause 90% to 95% of cases of LHON worldwide. They are located at mtDNA nucleotide positions 11778 (69% of cases), 3460 (13% of cases), and 14484 (14% of cases) (2–5) (Fig. 1 ). Screening for LHON in a patient with visual loss should begin with the three primary mutations. In those primary mutation-negative patients in whom suspicion remains high, testing for the other mtDNA mutations associated with LHON is probably warranted, especially for those mutations deemed likely causal in a few previous pedigrees (2–5,7) (Fig. 1 ). Alternatively, because the majority of these other mtDNA mutations reside in genes encoding subunits of complex I, complete sequencing of complex I, perhaps beginning with the so-called “hot spot” ND6 gene (8), may also be considered. Finally, sequencing the entire mitochondrial genome is possible, although labor intensive. This should be performed only in those cases of high suspicion and interpreted by someone versed in the complexities of mitochondrial genetics (9). How do we get from a point mutation in the mtDNA of all the cells of an individual to a sudden, selective loss of optic nerve function primarily in males in their early adulthood? Some hints as to the mechanisms of the disease are provided by clinical and genetic studies performed over the past decade. Does the specific mtDNA mutation dictate particular clinical features? There are pedigrees with “LHON plus” in which certain mtDNA mutations seem to result in specific disease patterns of LHON-like visual loss combined with other neurologic syndromes, such as dystonia (4) (Fig. 1). However, among the other LHON pedigrees, few significant clinical differences have been demonstrated to date among those patients with the three primary mutations, those with other mtDNA mutations, and those that are genetically unspecified. The only major exception is the far greater spontaneous recovery rate among patients with the 14484 mutation, as compared with those affected individuals with the 11778 mutation and even the 3460 mutation (3).
Disruption of Telomere Maintenance by Depletion of the MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 Complex in Cells That Use Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres*

Immortalized human cells are able to maintain their telomeres by telomerase or by a recombination-mediated DNA replication mechanism known as alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). We showed previously that overexpression of Sp100 protein can suppress ALT and that this was associated with sequestration of the MRE11/RAD50/NBS1 (MRN) recombination protein complex by Sp100. In the present study, we determined whether MRN proteins are required for ALT activity. ALT cells were depleted of MRN proteins by small hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown, which was maintained for up to 100 population doublings. Knockdown of NBS1 had no effect on the level of RAD50 or MRE11, but knockdown of RAD50 also depleted cells of NBS1, and knockdown of MRE11 depleted cells of all three MRN proteins. Depletion of NBS1, with or without depletion of other members of the complex, resulted in inhibition of ALT-mediated telomere maintenance, as evidenced by decreased numbers of ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia bodies and decreased telomere length. In some clones there was an initial period of rapid shortening followed by stabilization of telomere length, whereas in others there was continuous shortening at a rate within the reported range for normal human somatic cells lacking a telomere maintenance mechanism. In contrast, depletion of NBS1 in telomerase-positive cells did not result in telomere shortening. A recent study showed that NBS1 was required for the formation of extrachromosomal telomeric circles (Compton, S. A., Choi, J. H., Cesare, A. J., Ozgur, S., and Griffith, J. D. (2007) Cancer Res. 67, 1513-1519), also a marker for ALT. We conclude that the MRN complex, and especially NBS1, is required for the ALT mechanism.
Getting at the Core of Literacy Improvement

Although national trends of urban adolescent reading underachievement suggest that schools are unable to adequately support this population’s reading development, some studies have demonstrated that urban schools can operate to raise student achievement, thereby disrupting national trends. In this study, the author investigates one such school that capitalized on instructional leadership, time and space, and teacher agency to both raise teacher capacity and youths’ reading achievement. It appears that an interrelationship among these features were critical in creating change at the school. Findings from this study hold important implications for future investigations on literacy instruction in urban schools.
Strategic Human Resource Development.

This article reviews some of the literature on strategic human resource development focusing in particular on the characteristics of such activities, conditions necessary for the promotion of HRD and the possible benefits to an organisation pursuing such activities. Empirical evidence is presented on HRD policy formulation and planning processes in Irish High Technology companies. In conclusion a number of critical issues are considered which must be focused upon by organisations wishing to develop a strategic focus in their HRD activities.
Thinking about doing: On learning from experience and the flight from thinking

This article explores the relationship between learning, thinking, and doing. A case study of a course in group dynamics is presented, and the desire of students in that course to learn about groups simply by being in a group is considered. The article argues that the desire to learn simply by having an experience expresses a conservative impulse. If all we have is an experience, all we can learn is the inevitability of repeating it. This makes learning from experience the enemy of creativity as its purpose is not to discover what might be, but to assure the reproduction of what is. Learning from experience in this sense means failing to learn from experience. Failure to learn from experience is linked to fear of thinking. When the group is imagined to be a refuge from thinking, appeal to learning by doing expresses the need to replace learning with belonging.
Chip Multiprocessors with Implicit Transactions

Chip Multiprocessors (CMPs) are an efficient way of designing and use the huge amount of transistors on a chip. Different cores on a chip can compose a shared memory system with a very low-latency interconnect at a very low cost. Unfortunately, consistency models and synchronization styles of popular programming models for multiprocessors impose severe performance losses. Known architectural approaches to combat these losses are too complex, too specialized, or not transparent to the software. In this short paper, we introduce Implicit Transactions as a generalized architectural concept to remove such performance losses, which can be implemented at a low complexity by leveraging the multi-checkpoint mechanism of the Kilo-Instruction Processor [Cris05]. By relying on a general speculation substrate, it supports the strictest consistency model – sequential consistency – potentially as effectively as weaker models and it allows multiple threads to concurrently execute critical sections, and speculate beyond barriers and synchronization events.