Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WoBo: Multisensorial travels through Oculus Rift

WoBo (World in a Box) aims to provide a new experience for travellers, allowing them to visit distant or hardly reachable places through the exploitation of consumer cameras and a head mounted display. The experience consists in watching a 360-degrees video with 3D audio in a dedicated cabin. The user can select videos shot in different places, which have been created with six consumer cameras. We describe the proposed experience, the hardware and the software used for a first prototype.
Increased production rates of LDL are common in individuals with low plasma levels of HDL cholesterol, independent of plasma triglyceride concentrations.

Reduced plasma levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease. Although plasma HDL levels are, in general, inversely related to plasma triglyceride (TG) concentrations, a small proportion of individuals with low HDL cholesterol concentrations have normal plasma TG levels. We wished to determine whether subjects with low plasma levels of HDL cholesterol could be characterized by common abnormalities of lipoprotein metabolism independent of plasma TGs. Therefore, we studied the metabolism of low density lipoprotein (LDL) apolipoprotein B (apo B) and HDL apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) in subjects with low plasma HDL cholesterol concentrations with or without hypertriglyceridemia. Nine subjects with low plasma HDL cholesterol levels and normal levels of plasma TGs and LDL cholesterol were studied. Autologous 131I-LDL and 125I-HDL were injected intravenously, and blood samples were collected for 2 weeks. LDL apo B and HDL apo A-I levels were measured by specific radioimmunoassays. Fractional catabolic rates (FCRs, pools per day) and production rates (PRs, milligrams/kilogram.day) for each apolipoprotein were determined. The results were compared with those obtained previously in nine subjects with low plasma HDL cholesterol levels and hypertriglyceridemia and in seven normal subjects. The normal subjects had an HDL apo A-I FCR (mean +/- SD) of 0.21 +/- 0.04. Despite large differences in plasma TG levels, the HDL apo A-I FCRs were similar in the low-HDL, normal-TG group (0.30 +/- 0.09) and the low-HDL, high-TG group (0.33 +/- 0.10), although only the latter value was significantly increased versus control subjects (p < 0.03). Increased apo A-I FCRs were associated with reduced HDL apo A-I levels in both groups of patients. Apo A-I PRs were similar in all groups. In contrast, LDL apo B PR was increased approximately 50% in the low-HDL, normal-TG group (19.3 +/- 6.6; p < 0.01) compared with normal subjects (12.5 +/- 2.6). There was a strong trend toward a greater LDL apo B PR in the low-HDL, high-TG group (17.6 +/- 4.5; p = 0.06 versus normal subjects) as well. LDL apo B FCRs were similar in all three groups. LDL apo B concentrations were also increased in the group with low HDL cholesterol and normal TG levels. Both groups with low HDL cholesterol levels had cholesterol-depleted LDL and HDL particles. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Superior Vena Cava Obstruction: A Rare Cause of Recurrent Esophageal Variceal Bleeding

“Downhill” esophageal varices are formed in upper two-thirds of the esophagus as a consequence of a superior vena cava obstruction. We present a case of 55-year-old African-American female with a medical history of multiple comorbidities, including end-stage renal disease, who presented with an upper gastrointestinal bleed and was found to have distended neck veins on physical examination. She gave a history of the insertion of an intravenous central line in her neck area for hemodialysis purposes about six years previously. An endoscopy showed the presence of esophageal varices and computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed the presence of a superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction. The patient was managed supportively. This case represents a rare cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in an individual with a central line for dialysis leading to SVC thrombosis.
On the relevance of time scales in performance oriented traffic characterizations

Efficient methods for congestion control in high-speed communication networks will be based on reasonable characterizations for traffic flows and time scale decompositions of the network dynamics. A key problem for modern network designers is to characterize/model the "bursty" traffic arising in broadband networks with a view to predicting and guaranteeing the performance. We attempt to unify several approaches ranging from histogram/interval based methods to "frequency domain" approaches by further investigating the asymptotic behavior of a multiplexer carrying a large number of streams. This analysis reveals the salient traffic/performance relationships which should guide us in selecting successful methods for traffic management and network dimensioning.
AM/FM halftoning: digital halftoning through simultaneous modulation of dot size and dot density

Conventional digital halftoning approaches function by modulating either the dot size (amplitude modulation (AM)) or the dot density (frequency modulation (FM)). Generally, AM halftoning methods have the advantage of low computation and good print stability, while FM halftoning methods typically have higher spatial resolution and resistance to moireartifacts. In this paper, we present a new class of AM/FM halftoning algorithms that simultaneously modulate the dot size and density. The major advantages of AM/FM halftoning are better stability than FM methods through the forma- tion of larger dot clusters; better moireresistance than AM methods through irregular dot placement; and improved quality through sys- tematic optimization of the dot size and dot density at each gray level. We present a general method for optimizing the AM/FM method for specific printers, and we apply this method to an elec- trophotographic printer using pulse width modulation technology.
Circulating Tumor Cell Analysis in Preclinical Mouse Models of Metastasis

The majority of cancer deaths occur because of metastasis since current therapies are largely non-curative in the metastatic setting. The use of in vivo preclinical mouse models for assessing metastasis is, therefore, critical for developing effective new cancer biomarkers and therapies. Although a number of quantitative tools have been previously developed to study in vivo metastasis, the detection and quantification of rare metastatic events has remained challenging. This review will discuss the use of circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis as an effective means of tracking and characterizing metastatic disease progression in preclinical mouse models of breast and prostate cancer and the resulting lessons learned about CTC and metastasis biology. We will also discuss how the use of clinically-relevant CTC technologies such as the CellSearch® and Parsortix™ platforms for preclinical CTC studies can serve to enhance the study of cancer biology, new biomarkers, and novel therapies from the bench to the bedside.
Sex Differences in

This study suggests that there are sex differences in vocational attitude maturity. In the four-school stratified sample of eleventh grade boys and girls studied, the girls scored significantly higher than the boys in vocational attitude. No sex differences in overall level of self-esteem, as measured by the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, were found. For both sexes a significant relationship between the over all level of self-esteem and vocational attitude maturity was indicated, with the relationship being higher for males than for females. The self-concept variables of self-satisfaction, family, and moral-ethical self were found to contribute to the vocational attitude maturity of males. For females, the self-concept variables of identity and moral-ethical self contributed to their vocational attitude maturity.
Lava and JBits: From HDL to Bitstream in Seconds

The paper reports a design methodology that allows FPGA programming bitstreams to be generated in seconds starting from a very high level circuit description. High speed bitstream generation and manipulation is particularly important for reconfigurable computing systems that can not wait for the typical run times incurred by conventional flows. The preliminary version of this system can generate bitstreams from HDL source 12 times faster than the conventional flow and future work may offer significantly larger speed improvements.
0 v 2 1 2 D ec 2 00 6 Spin-1 / 2 particles moving on a 2 D lattice with nearest-neighbor interactions can realize an autonomous quantum computer

What is the simplest Hamiltonian which can implement quantum computation without requiring any control operations during the computation process? In a previous paper we have constructed a 10-local finite-range interaction among qubits on a 2D lattice having this property. Here we show that pair-interactions among qutrits on a 2D lattice are sufficient, too, and can also implement an ergodic computer where the result can be read out from the time average state after some post-selection with high success probability. Two of the 3 qutrit states are given by the two levels of a spin-1/2 particle located at a specific lattice site, the third state is its absence. Usual hopping terms together with an attractive force among adjacent particles induce a coupled quantum walk where the particle spins are subjected to spatially inhomogeneous interactions implementing holonomic quantum computing. The holonomic method ensures that the implemented circuit does not depend on the time needed for the walk. Even though the implementation of the required type of spin-spin interactions is currently unclear, the model shows that quite simple Hamiltonians are powerful enough to allow for universal quantum computing in a closed physical system.
Measuring Fluid Intelligence in Healthy Older Adults

The present study evaluated subjective and objective cognitive measures as predictors of fluid intelligence in healthy older adults. We hypothesized that objective cognitive measures would predict fluid intelligence to a greater degree than self-reported cognitive functioning. Ninety-three healthy older (>65 years old) community-dwelling adults participated. Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) were used to measure fluid intelligence, Digit Span Sequencing (DSS) was used to measure working memory, Trail Making Test (TMT) was used to measure cognitive flexibility, Design Fluency Test (DFT) was used to measure creativity, and Tower Test (TT) was used to measure planning. The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) was used to measure subjective perceptions of cognitive functioning. RAPM was correlated with DSS, TT, and DFT. When CFQ was the only predictor, the regression model predicting fluid intelligence was not significant. When DSS, TMT, DFT, and TT were included in the model, there was a significant change in the model and the final model was also significant, with DFT as the only significant predictor. The model accounted for approximately 20% of the variability in fluid intelligence. Our findings suggest that the most reliable means of assessing fluid intelligence is to assess it directly.
1 A discrete and stochastic simulation model for migration of fish with application to capelin in the seas around Iceland

An individual based, discrete and stochastic model for the collective motion of fish presented in Hubbard et al. (2004) is applied to the task of simulating migrations of capelin in the seas around Iceland. In this application the individual particles may be viewed as small schools of fish that are self-propelled and interacting in such a way that the motion is governed on one hand by a tendency to imitate the motion of other particles in a local neighbourhood and on the other hand by external environmental vector fields for temperature, food density and oceanic currents, as well as a force field generated by an attracting spawning region. In addition there is a stochastic component. The implementation of this model is based on a triangularization of the region under consideration which is shown to be advantageous both in terms of computational efficiency and access to external data. Results of simulations are presented showing the migration pattern of capelin that is situated northwest off Iceland at the beginning October and migrates to spawning grounds south off Iceland by the end of March the following year.
The Relation of Education and Income to Cognitive Function among Professional Women

We investigated the relation of educational attainment and annual household income to cognitive function and cognitive decline in community-dwelling women aged 66 years or older. Subjects were 6,314 health professionals participating in the Women’s Health Study, among whom information on education and income was self-reported. From 1998 to 2000, we administered five cognitive tests, measuring general cognition, episodic memory and verbal fluency, using a validated telephone interview. Second cognitive assessments were conducted approximately 2 years later; information was complete for 5,573 women at the time of analysis, with 94% follow-up. We used linear and logistic regression to calculate multivariate-adjusted mean differences as well as odds of cognitive impairment (defined as worst 10% of test distribution) and of substantial decline in performance (worst 10% of distribution), across various levels of education and income. After adjusting for numerous potential confounding factors, we found strong trends of increasing mean cognitive performance with increasing level of education (p trend < 0.0005 on all cognitive measures). Odds of cognitive impairment also consistently decreased with increasing education. For income, we found significant trends of increasing mean cognitive performance with increasing income on the summary score and on episodic memory (p trends < 0.0001). Results were generally similar for cognitive decline over 2 years, although slightly weaker. Thus, in these well-educated, professional women, educational attainment and income both predicted cognitive function and decline.
A Structured Approach to Support Collaborative Design, Specification and Documentation of Communication Protocols

Especially in complex software development projects, involving various actors and communication interdependencies, the design of communication protocols is crucially important. In this work, a structured approach to support the design, specification and documentation of communication protocol standards is presented. To do so, we refer to a complex use case, dealing with the integration of multiple mobility services on a single platform. This endeavor requires the development of a large number of independently usable protocol standards which adhere to a multitude of quality aspects. A structured approach is required to speed up and simplify development and also to enable synergies between these protocols. Our requirements analysis methodology consists of interviewing domain experts to identify important aspects and shortcomings of the current development process and to elicit potential improvements. These intermediate results are prioritized and incorporated into a requirements specification for a standardized communication protocol development process. Furthermore, we assess existing software solutions in terms of their applicability.
Treatment Effect and Drug-Resistant Mutations in Chinese AIDS Patients Switching to Second-Line Antiretroviral Therapy

This study aimed to investigate treatment effect, drug resistance changes, and their influencing factors in Chinese AIDS patients after switching to second-line antiretroviral therapy, and thus provide important information for the scale-up of second-line antiretroviral treatment in China. In Weishi county of Henan province, where second-line antiretroviral therapy was introduced early in China, 195 AIDS patients were enrolled, of which 127 patients met the switching criterion and 68 patients volunteered to switch drugs without meeting the switching criterion. CD4 cell count, viral load and in-house PCR genotyping for drug resistance were measured for all 195 subjects before drug switch, as well as 6 and 12 months after drug switch. Extensive secondary mutations to the protease inhibitor were observed, which suggested that long-term drug resistance surveillance is necessary for patients switching to second-line antiretroviral therapy. Multidrug resistance and cross-resistance were extensive in Chinese patients that experienced first-line treatment failure. Patients need timely CD4 count, viral load, and drug resistance monitoring in order to switch to second-line therapy under conditions of relatively good immunity and low viral duplication levels.
Phylogenetic Applications of HLA Class II Loci

Abstract Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) loci widely known for their role in generation of immune responses are often considered to be effective in reconstructing human phylogenies due to high degree of polymorphism and rarity of recombination observed at HLA loci. In the present study, we have made an attempt to substantiate the phylogenetic potential of HLA class II loci by analyzing DRB1, DQA1 and DQB1 in 202 North Indians. High allelic diversity was found at all the three loci total 69 alleles were observed (39 at DRB1, 10 at DQA1 and 19 at DQB1), along with high-observed heterozygosity (Avg. Heter. 0.73). Data generated from the study was then assessed for phylogenetic reconstruction based on maximum likelihood criterion along with statistical bootstrapping procedure involving 1000 replicates. The ensuing tree is further compared with those obtained in earlier phylogenetic reports. The compiled database of 20 populations got segregated and finely resolved in three basal clusters with very high bootstrap values corresponding to four geo-ethnic groups of African, Orientals, American and Caucasians. ML (maximum likelihood) phylogram has placed North Indian Hindus alongside other Caucasian populations, strengthening the findings of other markers. This indicates that if an appropriate analysis is carried out on a set of populations which represents different geographic followed by proper interpretation based on more logistic statistical model, then there is s high possibility that HLA class II loci can infer exact and accurate phylogenetic assessments as revealed by mt-DNA and Y-chromosome markers.
Muscle fatigue detection through wearable sensors: a comparative study using the myo armband

Novel wearable systems allow the measure of very complex physiological phenomena extending their capabilities and maintaining their non-invasiveness. A good example of this is the use of superficial electrodes for recording electromyography signals (also called superficial electromyography- sEMG) which can reveal information regarding muscle force and fatigue. Aiming at demonstrate the accuracy of a commercial grade wearable system for sEMG, the Myo Armband for fatigue measurement, we carried out a comparative study. 3 subjects were used under a standard protocol for fatigue detection using two different sensors: a Base ground-truth sEMG sensor, and the commercial wristband Myo, both connected in the biceps brachii. Time and frequency domain parameters were compared using an ANOVA test and a correlation analysis. Results showed a median correlation for the three subjects between 0.4 and 0.6 between the Base Sensor and the Myo Armband signals exposing significant differences p <0.05 for all three cases. The biomarkers of the sEMG signal of both sensors were consistent research found in the literature. Novel wearables sensors can be used in medical scenarios where high accuracy is not a requirement, instead, non-invasiveness can provide ubiquity for rehabilitation treatments as well as a continuous signal recording and data logging processes.
Data Validation and Case Studies using the TET-1 Thermal Infrared Satellite System

Abstract. Based on the DLR satellite system BIRD, launched and operated in the early 2000, the TET-1 satellite has been launched in 2012 as part of the FireBird satellite constellation. The constellation will consist of two satellites, the second one to be launched in the first half of 2016. Acquired imagery is processed and archived by DLR and will be publicly available. For this purpose, a processing chain has been implemented converting raw data (level 0 product) to geo-annotated at-sensor radiance (level 1b). Further data products can be derived, e.g. information on brightness temperature, fire radiative power, and surface emissivity. Other processing levels, such as atmospherically corrected reflectance, could also be produced. The sensitivity of a Thermal Infrared (TIR) sensor system depends on its spectral characteristics and its spatial resolution. Various methods for high temperature event (HTE) detection and quantification have been developed, which can be categorized into single- and multi-band algorithms. While single band methods rely on the robust demarcation of background pixels and higher temperature pixels, considered as being anomalous, the TET-1 system facilitates the application of the widely used bi-spectral algorithm approach introduced by Dozier (1981), using the mid-infrared and longwave-infrared channel. This approach takes advantage of the non-linear nature of the Planck’s curves to calculate temperatures and the HTE area on a sub-pixel basis. TIR remote sensing can make a significant contribution to the detection and, partly, the monitoring of land surface temperature (LST), HTE and of parameters describing the surface energy balance for specific areas.
Architecture-specific packing for virtex-5 FPGAs

We consider packing in the commercial FPGA context and examine the speed, performance and power trade-offs associated with packing in a state-of-the art FPGA -- the Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA. Two aspects of packing are discussed: 1)packing for general logic blocks, and 2 packing for large IP blocks. Virtex-5 logic blocks contain dual-output 6-input look-up-tables (LUTs). Such LUTs can implement any single logic function requiring no more than 6 inputs, or any two logic functions requiring no more than 5 distinct inputs. The second LUT output is associated with slower speed, and therefore, must be used judiciously. We present placement-based techniques for dual-output LUT packing that lead to improved area-efficiency and power, with minimal performance degradation. We then move on to address packing for large IP blocks, specifically, block RAMs and DSPs. We present a packing optimization that is widely applicable in DSP designs that leads to significantly improved design performance
A web based energy cloud platform for campus smart grid for understanding energy consumption profile and predicting future energy demand

This paper proposes a web based energy cloud platform framework for analyzing energy consumption behavior of campus environment, forecasting future energy demand and controlling some power hungry appliances when electricity demand overpasses generation. In addition to that, one of the key objectives of our work is to incorporate a rule based data filtering logic with this web based energy cloud platform; so that, data associated with energy consumption behavior analysis could be reduced. This work is mainly based on our previously developed ThingsGate platform, which facilitates IoT (Internet of Thing) management on wireless Access Point (AP) and its execution. This paper also provides some insightful discussion on some technical aspects of access networks which should be taken into consideration for ensuring Quality of Service (QoS) of smart grid traffic (e.g. control messages). Our discussion would be useful for successfully deployment of smart grid in a campus environment.