Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of avatar appearance on presence in social VR

Social virtual reality (VR) has enormous potential to allow several physically separated users to collaborate in an immersive virtual environment (IVE). These users and their actions are represented by avatars in the IVE. In question is how the appearance of those avatars influences communication and interaction. It might make a difference, if the avatar consists of a complete body representation or if only certain body parts are visible. Moreover, a one-to-one mapping of the user's movements to the avatar's movements might have advantages compared to pre-defined avatar animations. To answer these questions, we compared three different types of avatar appearances in a user study. For this, we used estimations of presence, social presence, and cognitive load. The evaluation showed that motion-controlled avatars with full representation of the avatar body lead to an increased sense of presence. Motion-controlled avatars as well as avatars which have only head and hands visible produced an increased feeling of co-presence and behavioral interdependence. This is interesting, since it states that we do not need a complete avatar body in social VR.
Influence of Light Intensity on Methanotrophic Bacterial Activity in Petit Saut Reservoir, French Guiana

ABSTRACT One year after impoundment in January 1994, methanotrophic bacteria in Petit Saut Reservoir (French Guiana) were active at the oxic-anoxic interface. This activity was revealed by the sudden extinction of diffusive methane emission (600 metric tons of CH4 · day−1 for the whole lake surface area, i.e., 360 km2). Lifting of inhibition was suspected. After reviewing the potential inhibitors of this physiological guild (O2, NH4+, sulfides) and considering the similarities with nitrifiers, we suggest that sunlight influenced the methanotrophic bacteria. On the basis of phospholipid analysis, only a type II methanotrophic community was identified in the lake. Both growth and methanotrophic activity of an enriched culture, obtained in the laboratory, were largely inhibited by illumination over 150 microeinsteins · m−2 · s−1. These results were confirmed on a pure culture of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3B. In situ conditions showed that water transparency was quite stable in 1994 and 1995 and that the oxycline moved steadily deeper until January 1995. Considering the mean illumination profile during this period, we showed that removal of methanotrophic growth inhibition could only occur below a 2-m depth. The oxycline reached this level in October 1994, allowing methanotrophic bacteria to develop and to consume the entire methane emission 4 months later.
Efficacy and Safety of GuiZhi-ShaoYao-ZhiMu Decoction for Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

OBJECTIVES GuiZhi-ShaoYao-ZhiMu decoction (GSZD), a traditional Chinese herbal medication for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), has a long history of use and modern scientific research support for efficacy, but the studies have not been systematically evaluated. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed the efficacy of GSZD using the available human clinical trials and conducted a meta-analysis. METHODS The available databases were searched using proper languages of English, Korean, and Chinese. The key erms used for searching were "GSZD," "Cassia Twig," "Guizhi," "Paeonia lactiflora," "Shaoyao," "Anemarrhena Rhizome," "Zhimu," "rheumatoid arthritis," "randomized," "controlled trial," and "clinical trial. " Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) using GSZD were included in the review and meta-analysis. According to heterogeneity, odds ratio and confidence intervals in the pooled RCTs were assessed by a fixed or random model in meta-analysis. Risk of bias was evaluated for all included studies. RESULTS Thirteen RCTs met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. All studies evaluated the efficacy of GSZD for treating RA, but the herbal formulations varied since some studies added herbs to the basic GSZD formulation. However, all formulations contained the essential herbs: Guizhi, Shaoyao, and Zhimu. Each RCT included an experimental group (GSZD with or without Western-style medicine) and a control group (either standard Western-style medicines or placebo). When compared to placebo, the GSZD treatment was found to be three to six times more effective than standard Western drugs for some symptoms. Furthermore, only two studies reported any adverse events associated with the GSZD group, whereas several reported serious adverse events in the control groups. CONCLUSIONS The Traditional Chinese Medicine, GSZD, may have equal or superior effectiveness and safety for treating RA compared to Western RA drugs. It should be considered a viable alternative to Western medicine. However, more long-term research is needed in larger patient groups to better establish its safety and efficacy.
Convergent evolution of shoots in land plants: lack of auxin polar transport in moss shoots

SUMMARY The shoot is a repeated structure made up of stems and leaves and is the basic body plan in land plants. Vascular plants form a shoot in the diploid generation, whereas nonvascular plants such as mosses form a shoot in the haploid generation. It is not clear whether all land plants use similar molecular mechanisms in shoot development or how the genetic networks for shoot development evolved. The control of auxin distribution, especially by polar auxin transport, is essential for shoot development in flowering plants. We did not detect polar auxin transport in the gametophytic shoots of several mosses, but did detect it in the sporophytes of mosses without shoot structure. Treatment with auxin transport inhibitors resulted in abnormal embryo development, as in flowering plants, but did not cause any morphological changes in the haploid shoots. We fused the soybean auxin‐inducible promoter GH3 with a GUS reporter gene and used it to indirectly detect auxin distribution in the moss Physcomitrella patens. An auxin transport inhibitor NPA did not cause any changes in the putative distribution of auxin in the haploid shoot. These results indicate that polar auxin transport is not involved in haploid shoot development in mosses and that shoots in vascular plants and mosses are most likely regulated differently during development.
A wafer-level-chip-size-package technique with inverted microstrip lines for mm-wave Si CMOS ICs

We present a novel wafer-level-chip-size-package (WLCSP) technique with inverted microstrip line (IMSL) for mm-wave Si-CMOS ICs. The IMSL consists of a signal transmission line formed as a part of the CMOS processing and Cu-plated ground plane, where thick low-k PBO (poly-benzoxazole) is formed between them. The chip can be flip-chip bonded onto the circuit board, and the RF performance is not affected by the conditions of the assembly. Note that the use of Si-substrates with the resistivity of 100Ωcm or more effectively reduces the transmission loss. The fabricated 1-stage amplifier using 110nm-CMOS devices exhibits a high gain of 6.5dB at 58GHz demonstrating that this technique is a viable choice for practical mm-wave applications.
Low cost millimeter wave duplexer design using mixed mode-matching and integral contour methods

A millimeter wave H-plane duplexer using E-plane filters has been designed. T-junction is used for connecting the channel filters compensated by cylindrical post and analyzed by integral contour method. Moreover the junction discontinuity effects have been taken into account. The combination of filters and compensated T-junction allows for low-cost manufacturing. The E-plane filters are analyzed separately, by mode matching method. The scattering parameters of the combination of filters and T-junction are obtained. The diameter and position of the compensating rod and length of T arms are optimized to achieve desired performance. This procedure saves time and memory in computations. The 38 GHz duplexer has been built and tested. The theory has been verified by measurement.
Rumination as a Mediator of the Relation between Mindfulness and Social Anxiety in a Clinical Sample

Recent literature has emphasized the possible benefits to mindfulness practice. Evidence for a negative relation between mindfulness and pathology has come from validity studies of several newly developed, self-report mindfulness questionnaires. Results illustrate a consistent negative relation between levels of self-report mindfulness and symptoms of depression, negative affect, and anxiety among college-student samples, however this relation has been previously untested within a clinical sample. The first aim of the present study was to explore the relation between mindfulness levels and social anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample diagnosed with social phobia. Because past research has found mindfulness interventions to be successful in reducing ruminative tendencies, and because recent literature suggests that post-event rumination is an important process in the maintenance of social anxiety, post-event rumination was explored as a mediator of the relation between mindfulness and social anxiety. Participants (N = 98) completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Rumination Questionnaire (RQ), the Fear of Negative Evaluations Brief Form (FNE-B), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), and the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA) as part of their participation in a larger, randomly controlled treatment outcome study comparing Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy, a form of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Phobia, and a wait-list control group. Results illustrated a strong negative relation between mindfulness scores (MAAS) and social anxiety symptoms as measured by the FNE-B and the LSAS (ps < .001). However, post-event rumination levels (RQ) were not related to either mindfulness or social anxiety indicating that in the present sample post-event rumination did not act as a mediator for the relation between mindfulness and levels of social anxiety. INDEX WORDS: Mindfulness, Social anxiety, Rumination, Mediation, Mechanisms of change RUMINATION AS A MEDIATOR OF THE RELATION BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND SOCIAL ANXIETY IN A CLINICAL SAMPLE
Indoor Structure Understanding from Single 360 Cylindrical Panoramic Image

We address the problem of room structure recognition from a 360 cylindrical panorama. The proposed approach first transforms the original panorama into four perspective projected sub-images, then predicts the final layout based on a holistic parameterization framework via candidate evaluation using a linear scoring function, whose weights are trained on a normal indoor image data set. Experiments show that the proposed algorithm is capable of producing reasonable predictions which can be used for further applications such as 3D reconstruction.
Determinantes da evasão e repetência escolar no ensino médio do Ceará

Tendo em vista os benefícios sociais e econômicos decorrentes de melhorias educacionais, identificar as causas dos problemas de evasão e repetência escolar tem persistido na agenda de pesquisadores e formuladores de políticas sociais. Nesse sentido, este estudo objetivou identificar os determinantes da evasão e da repetência escolar no ensino médio, a partir de uma base de raros dados em nível longitudinal no Brasil, contemplando escolas públicas do Ceará no período 2009-2011. Por meio de um modelo logístico multinível, constatou-se que o desinteresse pelos estudos e a persistência da repetência são os principais fatores que aumentam as chances de o aluno abandonar a escola. Além disso, o atraso escolar pela idade-série dita a retenção dos alunos por um período mais longo. Já o Programa Bolsa Família, dada as suas condicionalidades, tem contribuído para reduzir as chances de evasão e repetência escolar. Em vista desse diagnóstico e da infraestrutura semelhante dessas escolas, a intervenção dos educadores deveria ser direcionada a motivar os alunos aos estudos, através de medidas pedagógicas que os envolvam e os alertem efetivamente sobre os benefícios sociais e econômicos advindos da acumulação de educação a médio e longo prazos, tal como ocorre nos países desenvolvidos.
Influence of Ethanol on Oxycodone-induced Respiratory Depression: A Dose-escalating Study in Young and Elderly Individuals

Background: Respiratory depression is a potentially fatal complication of opioid use, which may be exacerbated by simultaneous ethanol intake. In this three-way sequential crossover dose-escalating study, the influence of coadministration of oral oxycodone and intravenous ethanol was assessed on resting ventilation, apneic events and the hypercapnic ventilatory response in healthy young and older volunteers. Methods: Twelve young (21 to 28 yr) and 12 elderly (66 to 77 yr) opioid-naive participants ingested one 20 mg oxycodone tablet combined with an intravenous infusion of 0, 0.5, or 1 g/l ethanol. Resting respiratory variables and the primary outcome, minute ventilation at isohypercapnia (end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide of 55 mmHg or VE55), were obtained at regular intervals during treatment. Results: Oxycodone reduced baseline minute ventilation by 28% (P < 0.001 vs. control). Ethanol caused a further decrease of oxycodone-induced respiratory depression by another 19% at 1 g/l ethanol plus oxycodone (P < 0.01 vs. oxycodone). Ethanol combined with oxycodone caused a significant increase in the number of apneic events measured in a 6-min window with a median (range) increase from 1 (0 to 3) at 0 g/l ethanol to 1 (0 to 11) at 1 g/l ethanol (P < 0.01). Mean (95% CI) VE55 decreased from 33.4 (27.9 to 39.0) l/min (control) to 18.6 (15.6 to 21.6) l/min (oxycodone, P < 0.01 vs. control) and to 15.7 (12.7 to 18.6) l/min (oxycodone combined with ethanol, 1 g/l; P < 0.01 vs. oxycodone). Conclusions: Ethanol together with oxycodone causes greater ventilatory depression than either alone, the magnitude of which is clinically relevant. Elderly participants were more affected than younger volunteers.
Efficacy of slow infusion of gadolinium contrast agent in three‐dimensional MR coronary artery imaging

The impact of the contrast infusion scheme on contrast‐enhanced coronary artery imaging was investigated. The imaging technique was a retrospective respiratory‐gated gradient‐echo sequence. To improve the contrast between blood vessels and myocardium, an inversion pulse was applied to null the myocardial signal. Extravascular contrast agent was infused slowly during data acquisition. Two contrast infusion schemes were compared in animal and volunteer studies and with simulations. One scheme enhanced blood signals during acquisition of both peripheral and central k‐space data, which resulted in a relatively flat low‐pass k‐space filter. The other scheme mainly enhanced blood signals during acquisition of central k‐space data, which resulted in a sharp low‐pass k‐space filter. It is concluded that the former scheme improves the signal‐to‐noise ratio and edge definition of coronary arteries compared with the latter scheme. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;10:800–805. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Medical Sociology and Health Services Research: Past Accomplishments and Future Policy Challenges

The rising costs and inconsistent quality of health care in the United States have raised significant questions among professionals, policy makers, and the public about the way health services are being delivered. For the past 50 years, medical sociologists have made significant contributions in improving our understanding of the nature and impact of the organizations that constitute our health care system. In this article, we discuss three central findings in the sociology of health services: (1) health services in the U.S. are unequally distributed, contributing to health inequalities across status groups; (2) social institutions reproduce health care inequalities by constraining and enabling the actions of health service organizations, health care providers, and consumers; and (3) the structure and dynamics of health care organizations shape the quality, effectiveness, and outcomes of health services for different groups and communities. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of these findings for future health care reform efforts.
The Twin Research Registry at SRI International

The Twin Research Registry (TRR) at SRI International is a community-based registry of twins established in 1995 by advertising in local media, mainly on radio stations and in newspapers. As of August 2012, there are 3,120 same- and opposite-sex twins enrolled; 86% are 18 years of age or older (mean age 44.9 years, SD 16.9 years) and 14% less than 18 years of age (mean age 8.9 years, SD 4.5); 67% are female, and 62% are self-reported monozygotic (MZ). More than 1,375 twins have participated in studies over the last 15 years in collaboration with the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Stanford University School of Medicine. Each twin completes a registration form with basic demographic information either online at the TRR Web site or during a telephone interview. Contact is maintained with members by means of annual newsletters and birthday cards. The managers of the TRR protect the confidentiality of twin data with established policies; no information is given to other researchers without prior permission from the twins; and all methods and procedures are reviewed by an Institutional Review Board. Phenotypes studied thus far include those related to nicotine metabolism, mutagen sensitivity, pain response before and after administration of an opioid, and a variety of immunological responses to environmental exposures, including second-hand smoke and vaccination for seasonal influenza virus and Varicella zoster virus. Twins in the TRR have participated in studies of complex, clinically relevant phenotypes that would not be feasible to measure in larger samples.
MRI-guided diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

To the Editor: In the United States, the most common method for diagnosing prostate cancer is a transrectal ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the prostate gland. However, the positive predictive value of this method is only 18 percent.1 We used a real-time, intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance system (General Electric, Milwaukee)2 to diagnose and treat prostate cancer in a 62-year-old man with a rising prostate-specific antigen level. The patient was not a candidate for a transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy because of a previous proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis. For the diagnosis, we used a real-time, intraoperative 0.5-T MRI system2 and a .
Magnetically defined domain isolation for studies of nucleation and growth coercivities

The re-entrant nature of the hysteresis loop in magneto-optical films makes the characteristics of the nucleation and pinning site distribution difficult to measure using conventional techniques. The paper introduces a new technique of magnetically isolating domains, allowing the measurement of coercivity distributions using a vibrating sample magnetometer without a patterned film. Results show that using this technique, the distribution of nucleation sites can be observed in growth dominated magnetic films.
The health impact of undiagnosed airflow obstruction in a national sample of United States adults.

UNLABELLED To determine the health and functional impact of undiagnosed airflow obstruction for subjects in the general population, we used data obtained as part of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Categories of diagnosed and undiagnosed airflow obstruction were defined using questionnaire responses and spirometric results. Health and functional impact of airflow obstruction was assessed from responses to questions about general health status, walking 1/4 mile, lifting or carrying something as heavy as 10 lb, or needing help with personal care. Undiagnosed airflow obstruction (12.0%) was more common than doctor-diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (3.1%) or asthma (2.7%). Although undiagnosed airflow obstruction was usually very mild, approximately 5% of the entire sample had an FEV(1) less than 75% predicted. After adjusting for smoking, obesity, and comorbid conditions, the risk of impaired health and functional status with undiagnosed airflow obstruction was independently associated with severity of FEV(1) impairment. For males and females, ever smoking was strongly associated with all types of airflow obstruction, diagnosed or not. However, among females with airflow obstruction, 12.2% to 35.2% never smoked. Undiagnosed airflow obstruction is common in the general population of the United States and is associated with impaired health and functional status. KEYWORDS airflow obstruction; spirometry; health impact; screening
Studies on the Polypeptide Elongation Factor 2 from Sulfolobus solfataricus

The elongation factor 2 from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsEF-2) binds [3H]GDP at 1:1 molar ratio. The bound [3H]GDP is displaced by GTP or its nonhydrolyzable analogue guanyl-5′-yl imidodiphosphate (Gpp(NH)p) but not by ATP, thus indicating that only the two guanosine nucleotides compete for the same binding site. The affinity of SsEF-2 for [3H]GDP is higher than that for GTP and Gpp(NH)p. On the contrary, in the presence of ribosomes the affinity of SsEF-2 for GDP is lower than that for Gpp(NH)p. SsEF-2 is endowed with an intrinsic hardly detectable GTPase activity that is stimulated by ribosomes up to 2000-fold. The ribosome-stimulated SsEF-2 GTPase (GTPase) reaches a maximum at pH 7.8 and is not affected by ATP but is competitively inhibited by either GDP or Gpp(NH)p. Both K for [-P]GTP and k of GTPase increase with increasing temperature, and the highest catalytic efficiency is reached at 80°C. The ADP-ribosylation of SsEF-2 does not significantly affect either the binding of GDP and GTP or the kinetics of the GTPase. A hypothesis on the stimulation by ribosome of SsEF-2 GTPase is proposed.
The prevalence of H. pylori antibodies in asymptomatic young egyptian persons.

Developing countries show a higher incidence of H. pylori infection than developed countries. Also, an earlier age of acquisition of such infection is reported. This study was conducted on Sera from 89 persons who were either admitted for surgical conditions or seen on an outpatient basis and having no G.I. symptoms or signs; all aged below 30 years. Sera were tested by EIA technique for the presence of H. pylori antibodies. The sera of 78 (87.6%) were positive for H. pylori antibodies while only 11(12.4%) were negative. In those below 10 years, 10 (53%) were positive, while 29 (100%) in those between 11 - 20 years were positive and 39 (95%) of those between 21 - 30 years were positive. Ninety one percent of females but only 79% of males were positive. This study clearly illustrates that infection with H. pylori occurs in Egypt very early during childhood below the age of 10. It also shows that the detection of H. pylori antibodies, in Egypt, is of epidemiological and not clinical utility.