Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Embodied Cognition and Virtual Reality in Learning to Visualize Anatomy

This study examines the facilitative effects of embodiment of a complex internal anatomical structure through three-dimensional (“3-D”) interactivity in a virtual reality (“VR”) program. Since Shepard and Metzler’s influential 1971 study, it has been known that 3-D objects (e.g., multiple-armed cube or external body parts) are visually and motorically embodied in our minds. Such findings confirm the theory that our mental images, and rotations of these images, are in fact confined by the laws of physics and biomechanics, because we perceive, think and reason in an embodied fashion. With the advancement of new technologies, virtual reality programs for medical education now enable users to interact directly in a 3-D environment with internal anatomical structures. Given that such structures are not readily viewable to users and thus not previously susceptible to embodiment, coupled with the VR environment affording all possible degrees of rotation, how people learn from these programs raises new questions. If we embody external anatomical parts we can see, such as our hands and feet, can we embody internal anatomical parts we cannot see? Does manipulating the anatomical part in virtual space facilitate the user’s embodiment of that structure and therefore the ability to visualize the structure mentally?
Reuse in Systems Engineering

Reuse in systems engineering is a frequent but poorly understood phenomenon. Nevertheless, it has a significant impact on system development and on estimating the appropriate amount of systems engineering effort with models like the Constructive Systems Engineering Cost Model (COSYSMO). Practical experience showed that the initial version of COSYSMO, based on a “build from the scratch” philosophy, needed to be refined in order to incorporate reuse considerations that fit today's industry environment. The notion of reuse recognizes the effect of legacy system definition in engineering a system and introduces multiple reuse categories for classifying the four COSYSMO size drivers-requirements, interfaces, algorithms, and operational scenarios. It fundamentally modifies the driver counting rules and updates its definition of system size. It provides an enabling framework for estimating a system under incremental and spiral development. In this paper, we present: 1) the definition of the COSYSMO reuse extension and the approach employed to define this extension; 2) the updated COSYSMO size driver definitions to be consistent with the reuse model; 3) the method applied to defining the reuse weights used in the modified parametric relationship; 4) a practical implementation example that instantiates the reuse model by an industry organization and the empirical data that provided practical validation of the extended COSYSMO model; and 5) recommendations for organizational implementation and deployment of this extension.
Impaired Fasting Glucose Is Associated With Renal Hyperfiltration in the General Population

OBJECTIVE Increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), also called hyperfiltration, is a proposed mechanism for renal injury in diabetes. The causes of hyperfiltration in individuals without diabetes are largely unknown, including the possible role of borderline hyperglycemia. We assessed whether impaired fasting glucose (IFG; 5.6–6.9 mmol/L), elevated HbA1c, or hyperinsulinemia are associated with hyperfiltration in the general middle-aged population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 1,560 individuals, aged 50–62 years without diabetes, were included in the Renal Iohexol Clearance Survey in Tromsø 6 (RENIS-T6). GFR was measured as single-sample plasma iohexol clearance. Hyperfiltration was defined as GFR >90th percentile, adjusted for sex, age, weight, height, and use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors. RESULTS Participants with IFG had a multivariable-adjusted odds ratio of 1.56 (95% CI 1.07–2.25) for hyperfiltration compared with individuals with normal fasting glucose. Odds ratios (95% CI) of hyperfiltration calculated for a 1-unit increase in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c, after multivariable-adjustment, were 1.97 (1.36–2.85) and 2.23 (1.30–3.86). There was no association between fasting insulin levels and hyperfiltration. A nonlinear association between FPG and GFR was observed (df = 3, P < 0.0001). GFR increased with higher glucose levels, with a steeper slope beginning at FPG ≥5.4 mmol/L. CONCLUSIONS Borderline hyperglycemia was associated with hyperfiltration, whereas hyperinsulinemia was not. Longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether the hyperfiltration associated with IFG is a risk factor for renal injury in the general population.
Preclinical evaluation of a novel CEA‐targeting near‐infrared fluorescent tracer delineating colorectal and pancreatic tumors

Surgery is the cornerstone of oncologic therapy with curative intent. However, identification of tumor cells in the resection margins is difficult, resulting in nonradical resections, increased cancer recurrence and subsequent decreased patient survival. Novel imaging techniques that aid in demarcating tumor margins during surgery are needed. Overexpression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is found in the majority of gastrointestinal carcinomas, including colorectal and pancreas. We developed ssSM3E/800CW, a novel CEA‐targeted near‐infrared fluorescent (NIRF) tracer, based on a disulfide‐stabilized single‐chain antibody fragment (ssScFv), to visualize colorectal and pancreatic tumors in a clinically translatable setting. The applicability of the tracer was tested for cell and tissue binding characteristics and dosing using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, cell‐based plate assays and orthotopic colorectal (HT‐29, well differentiated) and pancreatic (BXPC‐3, poorly differentiated) xenogeneic human–mouse models. NIRF signals were visualized using the clinically compatible FLARE™ imaging system. Calculated clinically relevant doses of ssSM3E/800CW selectively accumulated in colorectal and pancreatic tumors/cells, with highest tumor‐to‐background ratios of 5.1 ± 0.6 at 72 hr postinjection, which proved suitable for intraoperative detection and delineation of tumor boarders and small (residual) tumor nodules in mice, between 8 and 96 hr postinjection. Ex vivo fluorescence imaging and pathologic examination confirmed tumor specificity and the distribution of the tracer. Our results indicate that ssSM3E/800CW shows promise as a diagnostic tool to recognize colorectal and pancreatic cancers for fluorescent‐guided surgery applications. If successfully translated clinically, this tracer could help improve the completeness of surgery and thus survival.
Surfacing tacit knowledge in requirements negotiation: experiences using EasyWinWin

Defects in the requirements definition process often lead to costly project failures. One eminent problem is that it can be difficult to take deliberate advantage of important tacit knowledge of success-critical stakeholders. People know more that they can ever tell. Implicit stakeholder goals, hidden assumptions, unshared expectations often result in severe problems in the later stages of software development. We present a set of collaborative techniques that support a team of success-critical stakeholders in surfacing tacit knowledge during systems development projects. We discuss these techniques in the context of the EasyWinWin requirements negotiation methodology and illustrate our approach with examples from real-world negotiations.
Requirements Engineering for Retrofittable Subsea Equipment

This paper highlights the requirements engineering approach tailored to the unique complexities of developing system requirements for the retrofit of subsea equipment used in offshore deepwater operations. A feasible system in this application must satisfy demanding stakeholder needs in safety, reliability, availability, maintainability, retrofittability, deployment timelines, interface compatibility and regulatory conformance. Additionally, the system requirements must be defendable against the industry's decades-long established regulatory, cultural and technological legacies. To objectively define the system requirements within these constraints, the conventional INCOSE requirements engineering process including analysis, allocation, refinement, and traceability was tailored specifically to the project leveraging aspects of Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). A novel approach for tracing specific clauses contained within industry standards and regulations to system requirements is discussed, including a methodology for capturing conformance, equivalence and alternative means of compliance. The tailored requirements engineering process utilizing commercially available systems engineering software tools is presented.
Multi-sharpening hyperspectral remote sensing data by Multiplicative Joint-Criterion Linear-Quadratic Nonnegative Matrix Factorization

Multi-sharpening consists in fusing a multispectral image with a hyperspectral one, to produce an unobservable image with the high spatial resolution of the former and the high spectral resolution of the latter. In this paper, a new fusion method, based on the spectral unmixing concept, is proposed. The proposed method, related to linear-quadratic spectral unmixing techniques, and based on linear-quadratic nonnegative matrix factorization, optimizes a new joint criterion by using new designed multiplicative update rules. This joint criterion exploits a spatial degradation model between the considered images. The proposed method is applied to synthetic data, and its effectiveness is evaluated with established performance criteria. Obtained results prove that the proposed method yields multi-sharpened hyperspectral data with good spectral and spatial fidelities. These results also illustrate that the proposed method outperforms the considered multi-sharpening literature approaches.
The relative phases of basal ganglia activities dynamically shape effective connectivity in Parkinson's disease

Phase alignment between oscillatory circuits is thought to optimize information flow, but excessive synchrony within the motor circuit may impair network function. Cagnan et al. characterize the processes that underscore excessive synchronization and its termination, as well as their modulation by levodopa, before suggesting interventions that might prevent pathological circuit interactions.
Massively parallel algorithm for multiple biological sequences alignment

In silico biological sequence processing is a key for molecular biology. This scientific area requires powerful computing resources for exploring large sets of biological data. Multiple sequence alignment is widely used method for biological sequence processing. The goal of this method is DNA and protein sequences alignment. This paper presents an innovative parallel algorithm MSA BG for multiple alignment of biological sequences that is highly scalable and locality aware. The designed MSABG algorithm is iterative and is based on the concept of Artificial Bee Colony metaheuristics and the concept of algorithmic and architectural spaces correlation. The metaphor of the ABC metaheuristics has been constructed and the functionalities of the agents have been defined. The conceptual parallel model of computation has been designed. The algorithmic framework of the designed parallel algorithm has been constructed.
Stability Analysis and Fabrication Process of a Multiple Flow Focusing Microdevice Built in SU-8

In this paper, the design and fabrication process of a three-dimensional and multiple flow focusing device, intended for low-cost mass production of liquid-liquid emulsions, are reported. The material used to build the device is the SU-8 epoxy photoresist because of its adequate properties for flow focusing technology. At first, the behavior of the device is unstable because of interaction between neighboring devices, which produces a undesirable operation. This behavior is simulated and analyzed, and a solution to solve this instability is chosen from these simulations. From the simulations, a graphical representation of stable and unstable behaviors as a function of flow rates of both fluids is obtained. Finally, the new design that solves the instabilities is simulated and its fabrication process is reported. A stable, multiple three-dimensional flow focusing device is achieved with the chosen solution.
Sensory quality, colour and oxidative stability of cured cooked ham with propolis extract

The effect of 0.06% propolis ethanol extract on the sensory quality, colour and oxidative stability of cured cooked ham was evaluated. Half of the experimentally processed hams treated with 0.06% ethanolic extract of propolis with ascorbic acid (EEP), only with ascorbic acid (AA) and control samples (C) were sliced and vacuum packaged. Samples were kept at 4 °C 21 days (sliced) respectively 20, 50 and 100 days (unsliced). The results revealed that all samples were characterized without any significant colour discrepancies. In general, the thiobarbituric acid value (mg malondialdehyde/kg) increased gradually in all samples examined, with a significantly lower (P <0.05) level for treated samples than for controls. The significantly lowest (P <0.05) sensory parameters in comparison to unsliced hams were observed in sliced hams packaged in vacuum. Sliced hams with EEP were characterized with significantly lowest (P <0.05) intensity of characteristic aroma. Undesirable taste was detected in control sliced hams after storage period. Significantly (P <0.05) more desirable taste of sliced hams was observed in those with only ascorbic acid in comparison with EEP. In our study was demonstrated that 0.06% ethanol extract of propolis positive affected oxidation stability and not negative affected others technological (pH, colour) and sensory characteristics of poultry meat product - cured cooked ham. Normal 0 21 false false false CS JA X-NONE
Improved-mosquitoes-behaviour based (I-MOX) evolutionary algorithm in transmission network expansion planning

To solve the direct current (DC) power flow model based static transmission network expansion planning (STNEP), a modified version of MOX algorithm named Improved-MOX which has fast computation time and having better exploration capability then the MOX algorithm is presented in this paper. The objective is to minimize the transmission investment cost. Transmission network expansion planning (TNEP) helps to find out the new line configurations to meet the necessary requirements of the system operator in order to maintain the stable operation of the system. Here STNEP is analyzed considering without generation rescheduling. Garver's six-bus, IEEE 24-bus and IEEE 25-bus test systems are used to check the validations of the proposed algorithm and along with the results obtained are compared with the existing in literatures.
Homofobia en Chile: una revisión del estado del arte. / Homophobia in Chile: a state of the art.

En Chile, la situación de la homofobia se ha ido modificando estos últimos años. El país ha ido flexibilizando sus actitudes hacia las minorías sexuales y hoy la sociedad chilena es menos homofóbica que antaño. Sin embargo, aún persiste el estigma y el prejuicio sexual. Este artículo revisa la información disponible sobre homofobia en el país desde los años 90’ en adelante. Para ello se revisan diversos estudios y fuentes de información disponible sobre el tema. También, el artículo muestra la situación de Chile en el contexto Latinoamericano. Por último, se discute los efectos de la homofobia en la vida de las personas. In Chile, the situation of homophobia has been changing in the last few years.The country has flexibilized its attitudes toward sexual minorities and today’s Chilean society is less homophic than before. However, sexual stigma and prejudice still exist. This paper addresses available data about homophobia in the country since the 1990s. For this, different studies and sources of information about the topic are revised. In addition, the paper shows the Chilean situation in the Latin American context. Lastly, homophobia effects on people’s life are discussed.
MRI measures of entorhinal cortex vs hippocampus in preclinical AD

BackgroundMRI measures of the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus have been used to predict which nondemented individuals with memory problems will progress to meet criteria for AD on follow-up, but their relative accuracy remains controversial. Objectives To compare MRI measures of the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus for predicting who will develop AD. Methods MRI volumes of the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus were obtained in 137 individuals comprising four groups: 1) individuals with normal cognition both at baseline and after 3 years of follow-up (n = 28), 2) subjects with memory difficulty but not dementia both at baseline and after 3 years of follow-up (n = 73), 3) subjects with memory difficulty at baseline who were diagnosed with probable AD within 3 years of follow-up (n = 21), and 4) patients with mild AD at baseline (n = 16). Results Measures of both the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus were different for each of the pairwise comparisons between the groups (p < 0.001) and were correlated with tests of memory (p < 0.01). However, the volume of the entorhinal cortex differentiated the subjects from those destined to develop dementia with considerable accuracy (84%), whereas the measure of the hippocampus did not. Conclusion These findings are consistent with neuropathologic data showing substantial involvement of the entorhinal cortex in the preclinical phase of AD and suggest that, as the disease spreads, atrophic change develops within the hippocampus, which is measurable on MRI.
Sheffield at ImageCLEF 2003

In this paper, we use the Systran machine translation system for translating queries for cross language image retrieval in a pilot experiment at CLEF 2003, called ImageCLEF. The approach we have taken is to assume we have little experience in CLIR, few available resources and a limited time in which to create a working CLIR system for this task. In this preliminary study, we investigate the effectiveness of Systran on short queries by comparing a manual assessment of translation adequacy with an automatic score derived using NIST's mteval evaluation tool for machine translation output. We discuss the kinds of translation errors encountered during this analysis and show the impact on retrieval effectiveness for individual queries in the ImageCLEF task.
Capturing augmented sensing capabilities and intrusion delay in patrolling-intrusion games

Patrolling-intrusion games are recently receiving more and more attention in the literature. They are twoplayer non zero-sum games where an intruder tries to attack one place of interest and one patroller (or more) tries to capture the intruder. The patroller cannot completely cover the environment following a cycle, otherwise the intruder will successfully strike at least a target. Thus, the patroller employs a randomized strategy. These games are usually studied as leader-follower games, where the patroller is the leader and the intruder is the follower. The models proposed in the state of the art so far present several limitations that prevent their employment in realistic settings. In this paper, we refine the models from the state-of-the-art capturing patroller's augmented sensing capabilities and a possible delay in the intrusion, we propose algorithms to solve efficiently our extensions, and we experimentally evaluate the computational time in some case studies.
The Solar Neighborhood. XI. The Trigonometric Parallax of SCR 1845−6357

We present a trigonometric parallax for the nearby star SCR 1845-6357, an extremely red, high proper motion object discovered by Hambly et al. and identified via accurate photoelectric photometry and spectroscopy to be an M8.5 dwarf with a photometric parallax of 4.6 ± 0.8 pc by Henry et al. Using methods similar to those described in Deacon & Hambly, we have derived a full astrometric solution from SuperCOSMOS scans of eight survey and nonsurvey Schmidt photographs held in the United Kingdom Schmidt Telescope Unit plate library. We calculate the trigonometric parallax to be π = 282 ± 23 mas, yielding a distance of 3.5 ± 0.3 pc, which implies an absolute Ks magnitude of 10.79. This distance calculation places SCR 1845-6357 as the 16th closest stellar system to the Sun.
Probabilistic Data Association Methods for Tracking Complex Visual Objects

We describe a framework that explicitly reasons about data association to improve tracking performance in many difficult visual environments. A hierarchy of tracking strategies results from ascribing ambiguous or missing data to: 1) noise-like visual occurrences, 2) persistent, known scene elements (i.e., other tracked objects), or 3) persistent, unknown scene elements. First, we introduce a randomized tracking algorithm adapted from an existing probabilistic data association filter (PDAF) that is resistant to clutter and follows agile motion. The algorithm is applied to three different tracking modalities-homogeneous regions, textured regions, and snakes-and extensibly defined for straightforward inclusion of other methods. Second, we add the capacity to track multiple objects by adapting to vision a joint PDAF which oversees correspondence choices between same-modality trackers and image features. We then derive a related technique that allows mixed tracker modalities and handles object overlaps robustly. Finally, we represent complex objects as conjunctions of cues that are diverse both geometrically (e.g., parts) and qualitatively (e.g., attributes). Rigid and hinge constraints between part trackers and multiple descriptive attributes for individual parts render the whole object more distinctive, reducing susceptibility to mistracking. Results are given for diverse objects such as people, microscopic cells, and chess pieces.
Development of cellular films for electret applications

Cellular polymer films are suitable for electret and piezoelectric applications. Considerable attention is currently focused on thermoplastic polymer foams such as isotactic polypropylene (i-PP). The cellular morphology leads to barrier effects effectively improving the charge storage stability. However, the application of neat cellular polypropylene electrets is limited due to their relatively low working temperature. Therefore, new research activities are mainly focused on processing of cellular high temperature polymers such as polyetherimide (PEI). A promising approach is a physical batch foaming process using carbon dioxide as a blowing agent, which allows the manufacturing of thin cellular films. The control of the cellular morphology plays an important role with respect to the charge storage behavior and is influenced by the processing parameters such as blowing agent concentration or foaming temperature. Investigations of the cellular morphologies are achieved by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electret properties are characterised by potential decay measurements at 90/spl deg/C after corona charging to surface potentials of about 400 V. In general, such cellular films show improved charge storage behavior in comparison to the compact materials.
An Efficient Authentication Scheme for Security and Privacy Preservation in V2I Communications

In this paper, we propose a mutual authentication and key agreement scheme for V2I communications. Our scheme improves security and privacy protection compared with the existing protocols. We consider common driver's tendency to design a more efficient scheme. The results of the security and performance analysis show that our scheme is suitable for practical use in terms of security, privacy, and performance.