Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Author's Note: Special Thanks for Their Support to Emily Morganti and Heather Logas of Telltale Games; Games and Culture Volume Xx Number X Month Xxxx Xx-xx the Truth about Baby Boomer Gamers a Study of Over-forty Computer Game Players

and all those who participated in the study. This article describes a study conducted in the summer of 2006 aimed at exploring the play patterns and lifestyles of gamers who fall into the loose demographic of " Baby Boomers, " typically defined as people born between 1946 and 1964. This independent study, including more than 300 participants, combined quantitative and qualitative techniques to paint a multifaceted picture of the gaming lifestyles and tastes of this understudied population. The study findings show that Baby Boomers comprise a vibrant video game audience, that they are devoted players, and that they have distinct needs and interests that have gone ignored by both the mainstream game industry and the game press. They also provide some detailed data about their play styles and gaming interests, the role of gaming in their larger media mix, as well as specific case studies that paint a nuanced portrait of this understudied and underserved audience. T he purpose of this study was to explore the play styles and preferences of the " Baby Boomer Gamer, " roughly stated, the over-40 player of video and computer games. 2006 was noted as the year that the oldest people within the " official " Baby Boomer window of birth dates between 1946 and 1964 began turning 60 (Census Bureau, 2006b). There has been much made of the ramifications of this on the social security and retirement systems in the United States, as well as issues such as health and the care of aging parents. However, given the American obsession with youth, less attention has been paid to this demographic as an entertainment market, and still less to its role in the rapidly changing video game landscape. One notable exception is Nintendo, which, as will be discussed presently, has taken a radical departure from standard game industry practices by specifically targeting this generation for its new products.
Wearable vision for retrieving architectural details in augmented tourist experiences

The interest in cultural cities is in constant growth, and so is the demand for new multimedia tools and applications that enrich their fruition. In this paper we propose an egocentric vision system to enhance tourists' cultural heritage experience. Exploiting a wearable board and a glass-mounted camera, the visitor can retrieve architectural details of the historical building he is observing and receive related multimedia contents. To obtain an effective retrieval procedure we propose a visual descriptor based on the covariance of local features. Differently than the common Bag of Words approaches our feature vector does not rely on a generated visual vocabulary, removing the dependence from a specific dataset and obtaining a reduction of the computational cost. 3D modeling is used to achieve a precise visitor's localization that allows browsing visible relevant details that the user may otherwise miss. Experimental results conducted on a publicly available cultural heritage dataset show that the proposed feature descriptor outperforms Bag of Words techniques.
Humidification Performance of Humidifying Devices for Tracheostomized Patients With Spontaneous Breathing: A Bench Study

BACKGROUND: Heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) are commonly used for humidifying respiratory gases administered to mechanically ventilated patients. While they are also applied to tracheostomized patients with spontaneous breathing, their performance in this role has not yet been clarified. We carried out a bench study to investigate the effects of spontaneous breathing parameters and oxygen flow on the humidification performance of 11 HMEs. METHODS: We evaluated the humidification provided by 11 HMEs for tracheostomized patients, and also by a system delivering high-flow CPAP, and an oxygen mask with nebulizer heater. Spontaneous breathing was simulated with a mechanical ventilator, lung model, and servo-controlled heated humidifier at tidal volumes of 300, 500, and 700 mL, and breathing frequencies of 10 and 20 breaths/min. Expired gas was warmed to 37°C. The high-flow CPAP system was set to deliver 15, 30, and 45 L/min. With the 8 HMEs that were equipped with ports to deliver oxygen, and with the high-flow CPAP system, measurements were taken when delivering 0 and 3 L/min of dry oxygen. After stabilization we measured the absolute humidity (AH) of inspired gas with a hygrometer. RESULTS: AH differed among HMEs applied to tracheostomized patients with spontaneous breathing. For all the HMEs, as tidal volume increased, AH decreased. At 20 breaths/min, AH was higher than at 10 breaths/min. For all the HMEs, when oxygen was delivered, AH decreased to below 30 mg/L. With an oxygen mask and high-flow CPAP, at all settings, AH exceeded 30 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS: None of the HMEs provided adequate humidification when supplemental oxygen was added. In the ICU, caution is required when applying HME to tracheostomized patients with spontaneous breathing, especially when supplemental oxygen is required.
Using System Dynamics for Holistic Rural Policy Assessments and Data Envelopment Analysis for Evaluation of Comparative Policy Efficiency at Regional level .

The TOP-MARD (FW6) project was designed to evaluate the impact of a range of optional rural development policies on the multiple functions of agriculture and assess the differing economic, social and environmental outcomes over time in 11 European rural regions. Two main tools were used, namely dynamic system modelling and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Dynamic System Modelling allowed (ex ante) evaluation of the outcomes of various policy scenarios, while DEA provided the means of comparing these outcomes with relevant expenditures in the 11 regions studied. This paper describes and discusses these two tools, and suggests that they complement the evaluators’ tool-kit. System dynamics provides the means of assessing economic, social and environmental outcomes over time, while DEA analysis provides clues as to the relative efficiency of policies in delivering desired outcomes.
Surface antigens of malaria merozoites. A high molecular weight precursor is processed to an 83,000 mol wt form expressed on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites

A technique was developed for obtaining high yields of naturally released Plasmodium falciparum merozoites from synchronous cultures of parasitized erythrocytes. The cultured erythrocytes were treated with trypsin to prevent reinvasion (6), and the released merozoites that accumulated extracellularly were harvested by differential centrifugation. The total biosynthetically labeled proteins of schizonts and merozoites, and those immunoprecipitated by human immune serum were analyzed and compared. The surface antigens of free merozoites, labeled by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination, were also described. A monoclonal antibody, specific for a 195,000 mol wt schizont protein, and processing fragments derived from it (3) were used in immunoprecipitation and Western transfer analyses to determine which of the processing fragments are associated with merozoites and which of them are located on the merozoite surface. It was found that processing of the 195,000 mol wt precursor down to an 83,000 mol wt fragment is complete in free merozoites, and that this fragment is expressed as one of the major surface antigens of P. falciparum merozoites.
Are NBA Policies that Promote Long-Term Competitive Balance Effective? What is the Price?

This paper examines competitive balance in the most prominent basketball league in the world: the NBA. Two types of graphs are used. First, long-term competitive balance is studied based on actual positions achieved by the teams on the Regu-lar Season. On the other hand, the competitive balance levels for each season are analyzed using sport betting odds data and through the use of two alternative strategies. In the first approach, density functions for the number of victories for all teams within a season are known, whereas in the second approach, a kernel density function of team winning probability is deter-mined for each season. Thus, a prospective competitive balance analysis is conducted. The study period covers seasons 1993-94 and 2011-12. The results suggest that long-term competitive balance levels are high, as many teams change their classifications. At season level, competitive balance seems to improve along the period studied. However, there are still too many differences between the teams in the same season.
A generalized fuzzy extension of EL++

Fuzzy extensions of Description Logics are generally based on precise membership functions which assign a particular real number to an element or a subset of the universe. In some cases where we may only be able to identify approximately appropriate membership degrees the use of precise membership functions become unsuitable. In this paper we propose a generalized fuzzy extension of the description logic EL<sup>++</sup>, named Gf-EL<sup>++</sup>, based on interval-valued fuzzy sets. We present the syntax and the semantics of Gf-EL<sup>++</sup> which uses an extension of concept subsumption with “interval-valued fuzzy subsumption”. We equally propose a tractable subsumption algorithm for Gf-EL<sup>++</sup>.
Additional Effect of Dietary Fiber in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Using Metformin and Sulfonylurea: An Open-Label, Pilot Trial

Background Metformin, sulfonylurea, and dietary fiber are known to affect gut microbiota in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This open and single-arm pilot trial investigated the effects of the additional use of fiber on glycemic parameters, insulin, incretins, and microbiota in patients with T2DM who had been treated with metformin and sulfonylurea. Methods Participants took fiber for 4 weeks and stopped for the next 4 weeks. Glycemic parameters, insulin, incretins during mixed-meal tolerance test (MMTT), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) level, and fecal microbiota were analyzed at weeks 0, 4, and 8. The first tertile of difference in glucose area under the curve during MMTT between weeks 0 and 4 was defined as ‘responders’ and the third as ‘nonresponders,’ respectively. Results In all 10 participants, the peak incretin levels during MMTT were higher and LPS were lower at week 4 as compared with at baseline. While the insulin sensitivity of the ‘responders’ increased at week 4, that of the ‘nonresponders’ showed opposite results. However, the results were not statistically significant. In all participants, metabolically unfavorable microbiota decreased at week 4 and were restored at week 8. At baseline, metabolically hostile bacteria were more abundant in the ‘nonresponders. ’ In ‘responders,’ Roseburia intestinalis increased at week 4. Conclusion While dietary fiber did not induce additional changes in glycemic parameters, it showed a trend of improvement in insulin sensitivity in ‘responders. ’ Even if patients are already receiving diabetes treatment, the additional administration of fiber can lead to additional benefits in the treatment of diabetes.
Viremic HIV Infected Individuals with High CD4 T Cells and Functional Envelope Proteins Show Anti-gp41 Antibodies with Unique Specificity and Function

Background CD4 T-cell decay is variable among HIV-infected individuals. In exceptional cases, CD4 T-cell counts remain stable despite high plasma viremia. HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env) properties, namely tropism, fusion or the ability to induce the NK ligand NKp44L, or host factors that modulate Env cytopathic mechanisms may be modified in such situation. Methods We identified untreated HIV-infected individuals showing non-cytopathic replication (VL>10,000 copies/mL and CD4 T-cell decay<50 cells/µL/year, Viremic Non Progressors, VNP) or rapid progression (CD4 T-cells<350 cells/µL within three years post-infection, RP). We isolated full-length Env clones and analyzed their functions (tropism, fusion activity and capacity to induce NKp44L expression on CD4 cells). Anti-Env humoral responses were also analyzed. Results Env clones isolated from VNP or RP individuals showed no major phenotypic differences. The percentage of functional clones was similar in both groups. All clones tested were CCR5-tropic and showed comparable expression and fusogenic activity. Moreover, no differences were observed in their capacity to induce NKp44L expression on CD4 T cells from healthy donors through the 3S epitope of gp41. In contrast, anti- Env antibodies showed clear functional differences: plasma from VNPs had significantly higher capacity than RPs to block NKp44L induction by autologous viruses. Consistently, CD4 T-cells isolated from VNPs showed undetectable NKp44L expression and specific antibodies against a variable region flanking the highly conserved 3S epitope were identified in plasma samples from these patients. Conversely, despite continuous antigen stimulation, VNPs were unable to mount a broad neutralizing response against HIV. Conclusions Env functions (fusion and induction of NKp44L) were similar in viremic patients with slow or rapid progression to AIDS. However, differences in humoral responses against gp41 epitopes nearby 3S sequence may contribute to the lack of CD4 T cell decay in VNPs by blocking the induction of NKp44L by gp41.
EXTERNALIZING AND INTERNALIZING PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD COMBINED TYPE VERSUS ADHD INATTENTION TYPE

Background. ADHD is characterized by inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity, but the clinical picture of ADHD seems to be broader than these behaviors. A high rate of overlap between ADHD and psychiatric disorders, other developmental disorders (developmental dyslexia, dyscalculia, language impairments), oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder has been found in previous research. The aim of the present study was to compare the amount and intensity of symptoms of psychopathology in ADHD combined type and ADHD inattention type children. Material and methods. The research involved 132 children aged 9-11, with and without ADHD. All the children in the ADHD group met the DSM-IVTR criteria for that disorder: 64 ADHD combined subtype and 21 ADHD inattentive subtype. The control group consisted of 47 children without impairments. The CBCL and TRF questionnaires were used to obtain information from relatives and teachers (TRF) regarding the children's competencies and behavioral/emotional problems. Results. CBCL and TRF profiles differed only in the intensity of assessed symptoms, not in the pattern of the profile, so parents and teachers perceive the children in a similar way. Significant differences between ADHD combined type and the control group were seen on all scales except Withdrawn (CBCL) and Somatic Complaints (TRF). The ADHD combined group showed higher scores than ADHD inattention type on Anxious/Depressed, Attention Problems, Aggressive Behaviors, Externalizing Scale and Total score. Signi ficant differences between ADHD inattention type and the control group were EXTERNALIZING AND INTERNALIZING PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD COMBINED TYPE VERSUS ADHD INATTENTION TYPE
Recommendation-based browsing assistance for corporate knowledge portals

The management of knowledge, i.e. knowing what is known and the ability to exploit it is a burning issue for most organizations. Though knowledge management has a strong social perspective, information technology supports knowledge management strategies by providing tools that store codified knowledge and allow its retrieval. The value of knowledge management derives from the wide use of the stored knowledge, its annotation and refinement as well as its application in business practices. We support this issue of information browsing and retrieval by adapting and applying recommendation technology to reduce access barriers towards corporate knowledge portals. For this purpose we exploit domain heuristics to improve collaborative filtering techniques in order to cope with the problem of low numbers of users the knowledge portals have.
Synthesis of VLSI Systems with the CAMAD Design Aid

CAMAD is a high level design tool which helps designers to model, analyze, and design VLSI systems. This design aid system is based on a unified design representation model derived from timed petri nets and consisting of separate but related models of control and data parts. The present paper describes the automatic synthesis package of the CAMAD system which takes a high level behavioral description as its input and synthesizes it into an implementation structure. This implementation structure may then be partitioned into several quasi-independent modules with well-defined interfaces, which allows potentially asynchronous operation of the designed systems as well as physical distribution of the modules.
Adaptive Management of Energy Packets

The Electric Power Grid is an excellent example of a Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) which includes sources of fossile and renewable energy, together with electro-mechanical conversion systems, electric energy transport systems, physical systems which consume energy, and distributed computer systems and networks that serve to monitor and control the system as a whole. With the increasing introduction of ICT into the Power Grid, we are seeing that all the classical issues of distributed systems and networks are coming into the heart and core of the issues related to energy. When renewable energy is used energy storage also becomes very useful. Storage units can include electric car batteries and uninterruptible power supplies, dams, and compressed air units. The presence of intermittent sources of energy, and storage units lead to an analogy between computer networks which store and forward and download data, and electrical networks that furnish energy both from direct production and storage. Thus this paper discusses Energy Packet Networks (EPNs), a concept for systems which store and forward quantised energy units from generators and renewable sources, to storage and consumers. An EPN can also be a framework for energy harvesting networks at the micro-scale, and bio-nano scale energy networks. We present a mathematical model for EPNs and analyse an example the where stored energy and a fast ramp-up source are used to meet random energy surges assuming a storage unit and a random flow of renewable energy. We compute the probability that all requests are satisfied, or that some cannot be satisfied, and the spill over rate of renewable energy, and then evaluate the effect of an imperfect communication and computer-control system where message losses and delays can degrade the energy system performance.
Personal and relational wellness in a community-based weight loss program for women: Implications for weight loss programs

The purpose of this research was to describe the participants’ perspectives of a community-based weight loss program for women. Five focus groups were conducted with participants from the Weight Wise Women program in two community facilities in southeastern North Carolina. Focus group participants (N= 50) from three cohorts of the Weight Wise Women program were between 40-64 years of age, and all had a body mass index of > 25. Data analyses consisted of coding and organizing information from observations, notes and transcriptions into themes. Three broad categories emerged. The first, personal wellness, included learning, health, control over life, and self-efficacy and secondly relational wellness included social and peer structure, support from instructors, and collaboration. The final category was specific comments about the program. Participants viewed this program as an effective way to lose weight. Implications include suggestions for community weight loss programs that could improve participant experiences, outcomes and the health of the community.
Infrared Telescope in Space Observations of the Near-Infrared Extragalactic Background Light

We have searched for near-infrared extragalactic background light (EBL) in the data from the Near-Infrared Spectrometer (NIRS) on the Infrared Telescope in Space (IRTS). After subtracting the contribution of faint stars and the zodiacal component based on modeling, a significant isotropic emission is obtained in the wavelength bands from 1.4 to 4.0 μm. The spectrum is stellar-like but shows a spectral jump from the optical EBL. The emission obtained is isotropic over the observed sky, and the in-band flux amounts to ~35 nW m-2 sr-1, which is too bright to be explained by the integrated light from faint galaxies. Analyses of COBE DIRBE data, after removal of starlight, show essentially the same result within the uncertainty in the zodiacal light model, which implies that the isotropic emission observed by IRTS NIRS is of extragalactic origin. Significant fluctuations in sky brightness were also detected that cannot be explained by fluctuations due to faint stars, zodiacal components, and normal galaxies. The excess fluctuation amounts to ~1/4 of the excess emission over the integrated light of galaxies and is consistent with fluctuations observed by COBE DIRBE. A two-point correlation analysis shows that IRTS NIRS data have an angular scale of fluctuations of a few degrees. The spectrum and brightness of the observed excess EBL emission could be explained by the redshifted UV radiation from the first generation of massive stars (Population III stars), which caused the reionization of the universe. Recent Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization have indicated that reionization occurred at z ~ 17 or earlier, while the spectral jump around 1 μm in the observed excess EBL suggests that the Population III star formation terminated at z ~ 9. The observed fluctuations, however, are considerably larger than the theoretical predictions for the Population III stars.
Quantitative Ultrasound Characterization of Responses to Radiotherapy in Cancer Mouse Models

Purpose: Currently, no imaging modality is used routinely to assess tumor responses to radiotherapy within hours to days after the delivery of treatment. In this study, we show the application of quantitative ultrasound methods to characterize tumor responses to cancer radiotherapy in vivo, as early as 24 hours after treatment administration. Experimental Design: Three mouse models of head and neck cancer were exposed to radiation doses of 0, 2, 4, and 8 Gray. Data were collected with an ultrasound scanner using frequencies of 10 to 30 MHz. Ultrasound estimates calculated from normalized power spectra and parametric images (spatial maps of local estimates of ultrasound parameters) were used as indicators of response. Results: Two of the mouse models (FaDu and C666-1) exhibited large hyperechoic regions at 24 hours after radiotherapy. The ultrasound integrated backscatter increased by 6.5 to 8.2 dB (P < 0.001) and the spectral slopes increased from 0.77 to 0.90 dB/MHz for the C666-1 tumors and from 0.54 to 0.78 dB/MHz for the FaDu tumors (P < 0.05), in these regions compared with preirradiated tumors. The hyperechoic regions in the ultrasound images corresponded in histology to areas of cell death. Parametric images could discern the tumor regions that responded to treatment. The other cancer mouse model (Hep-2) was resistant to radiotherapy. Conclusions: The results indicate that cell structural changes after radiotherapy have a significant influence on ultrasound spectral parameters. This provides a foundation for future investigations regarding the use of ultrasound in cancer patients to individualize treatments noninvasively based on their responses to specific interventions.