Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The child behind the character

This paper presents a research approach for guidance and control of story characters by young children. We show that it is possible for a child to be at the same time an actor, performing a role in the story, and an engaged and empathic spectator of the overall story. To illustrate the approach, we describe Teatrix: a collaborative virtual environment for story creation by young children. In Teatrix, children control the actions of their story characters, which are implemented as intelligent agents in order to perform a certain chosen role, i.e., a villain or an hero. During the acting, children control their characters at different levels: at motor level, at behavioral level, at emotional level, and at reflection-level. In order to combine these different types of control, we introduce the concept of time-freeze in the story creation, combined with a tool for reflection, called "hot seating". In this way, children are able to control their characters more deeply while, at the same time, feel like part of the audience of a play.
Biomechanical Analysis of Revision Strategies for Rod Fracture in Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy

BACKGROUND:Pseudoarthrosis after pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) can require revision surgery due to posterior rod failure, and the stiffness of these revision constructs has not been quantified. OBJECTIVE:To compare the multidirectional bending stiffness of 7 revision strategies following rod failure. METHODS:Seven fresh-frozen human spines (T11-pelvis) were tested as follows: (1) posterior instrumentation from T12-S1 (excluding L3) with iliac fixation and L3 PSO; (2) inline connectors after rod breakage at L3 (L2 screws removed for access); (3) cross-links connecting rods above and below inline connectors; satellite rods (4) parallel, (5) 45° anterior, and (6) 45° posterior to original rods; 45°posterior with cross-links connecting (7) original and (8) satellite rods. Groups 3 to 8 were tested in random order. Nondestructive pure moment flexion-extension (FE), lateral bending (LB), and axial rotation (AR) tests were conducted to 7.5 Nm; 3D motion tracking monitored the primary range of motion. RESULTS:Addition of inline connectors alone restored stiffness in FE and LB (P > .05), but not in AR (P < .05). Satellite rods (groups 4 to 6) restored stiffness in FE and LB (P > .05), but not in AR (P < .05) and were not significantly different from one another (P > .05). The addition of cross-links (groups 3, 7, and 8) restored stiffness in all bending modes (P > .05) and were significantly greater than inline connectors alone in AR (P < .05). CONCLUSION:The results suggest that these revision strategies can restore stiffness without entire rod replacement. Failure of AR stiffness restoration can be mitigated with cross-links. The positioning of the satellite rods is not an important factor in strengthening the revision.
What in the World Do We Hear? An Ecological Approach to Auditory Event Perception

Everyday listening is the experience of hearing events in the world rather than sounds per se. In this article, I take an ecological approach to everyday listening to overcome constraints on its study implied by more traditional approaches. In particular, I am concerned with developing a new framework for describing sound in terms of audible source attributes. An examination of the continuum of structured energy from event to audition suggests that sound conveys information about events at locations in an environment. Qualitative descriptions of the physics of sound~producing events, complemented by protocol studies, suggest a tripartite division of sound-producing events into those involving vibrating solids, gasses, or liquids. Within each of these categories, basic-level events are defined by the simple interactions that can cause these materials to sound, whereas more complex events can be described in terms of temporal patterning, compound, or hybrid sources. The results of these investigations are u.
How can Journalists Promote News Credibility? Effects of Evidences on Trust and Credibility

ABSTRACT With reference to the current debate about a loss of trust in news media, journalism experts in practice and research often demand that journalists should concentrate on enhancing the quality of their reporting and hence focus on facts and evidences. Building on research on trust and credibility, we investigate how the use of different forms of evidences affects the credibility and quality evaluation of news stories, as well as the reading experience from the audience’s perspective. We conducted an online experiment to detect the influence of the presence of scientific sources, statistical information, and their visualization in an online article. Our findings indicate that these evidences increase the perceived credibility. At the same time, we found that adding scientific sources, statistical data and, visualizations to an article does not lessen its reading enjoyment but improves its perceived vividness in the view of news users. Further results and implications are discussed.
Understanding the cognitive impact on children who are treated for medulloblastoma.

OBJECTIVE Risk-adapted treatment approaches employed within contemporary medulloblastoma treatment protocols aim to reduce the neurotoxicity directed at the central nervous system. Despite these important steps to reduce radiation dose exposure, an overwhelming majority of medulloblastoma survivors continue to experience academic failure and significant learning delays. METHODS A review of the current literature is presented. RESULTS Deficits in intellectual function, academic achievement, memory, attention, and processing speed are reported. Finally, intervention programs, including pharmacotherapy and experimental cognitive intervention studies, are discussed. A review of neuroimaging studies shows changes in brain tissue following chemotherapy and radiation treatment. CONCLUSIONS Declining IQ and academic struggles may be predated by difficulties with attention, memory, and processing speed. More clinical trials directed at treating and preventing neurocognitive late effects through cognitive rehabilitation are needed.
RoboSiM: Java 3D robot visualization

The programming language Java has made it possible to develop device independent software. The authors introduce a robot visualization system implemented in Java. This graphical user interface is part of their robot simulation and monitoring system (RoboSiM). Currently two versions of the visualization exist, a Java 1.1 based system and its successor realized in Java 3D. Both applets display real or virtual robot arms and enable the user to manipulate this arm. Due to the support of distributed computing by Java and its platform independence, the Java GUI may run on different local and remote systems. Therefore the same robot may be controlled by a local user or via Intranet or Internet with the same applet. The GUI applet communicates directly with the control or simulation computer. In contrast to the Java 1.1 user interface, the Java 3D robot visualization is much more detailed. Compared with other visualization systems the Java 3D applet is very realistic. Therefore the Java display is a capable alternative to the traditional visualization.
Basic perceptual changes that alter meaning and neural correlates of recognition memory

It is difficult to pinpoint the border between perceptual and conceptual processing, despite their treatment as distinct entities in many studies of recognition memory. For instance, alteration of simple perceptual characteristics of a stimulus can radically change meaning, such as the color of bread changing from white to green. We sought to better understand the role of perceptual and conceptual processing in memory by identifying the effects of changing a basic perceptual feature (color) on behavioral and neural correlates of memory in circumstances when this change would be expected to either change the meaning of a stimulus or to have no effect on meaning (i.e., to influence conceptual processing or not). Abstract visual shapes (“squiggles”) were colorized during study and presented during test in either the same color or a different color. Those squiggles that subjects found to resemble meaningful objects supported behavioral measures of conceptual priming, whereas meaningless squiggles did not. Further, changing color from study to test had a selective effect on behavioral correlates of priming for meaningful squiggles, indicating that color change altered conceptual processing. During a recognition memory test, color change altered event-related brain potential (ERP) correlates of memory for meaningful squiggles but not for meaningless squiggles. Specifically, color change reduced the amplitude of frontally distributed N400 potentials (FN400), implying that these potentials indicated conceptual processing during recognition memory that was sensitive to color change. In contrast, color change had no effect on FN400 correlates of recognition for meaningless squiggles, which were overall smaller in amplitude than for meaningful squiggles (further indicating that these potentials signal conceptual processing during recognition). Thus, merely changing the color of abstract visual shapes can alter their meaning, changing behavioral and neural correlates of memory. These findings are relevant to understanding similarities and distinctions between perceptual and conceptual processing as well as the functional interpretation of neural correlates of recognition memory.
The Formative Evaluation of Years 1 and 2 of a Pilot Multicultural/Antiracist Educational Leadership Program

Abstract: This paper describes the evaluation approach, techniques, and instruments adopted during the first two years of a three-year multicultural/antiracist educational leadership program carried out in six different school boards in four Canadian provinces involving approximately 200 secondary students. The purpose of the evaluation during these first two years was primarily to assist the program coordinators, teachers, and students to plan effectively, monitor progress, and fine-tune their training programs in order to more successfully achieve their objectives.
A NEW BACKOFF ALGORITHM FOR IEEE 802.11 DCF MAC PROTOCOL IN MOBILE AD HOC NETWORKS

Backoff algorithms are one class of collision resolution algorithms used in the medium access control protocol in mobile ad hoc networks. When there are different nodes competing to access a shared channel at the same time, the possibility of collision is highly probable, especially in high traffic load networks. Collision is considered as the major problem in wireless networks, so the backoff mechanism should be applied in order to decrease the collision and to achieve an efficient use of the shared channel. This paper aims to propose and evaluate a new backoff algorithm called “Dynamic Backoff Algorithm (DBA)” which is a combination of two increment methods (exponential, linear) that applied for N phases and it also has one decrement method (linear).
Evaluation of methane oxidizer bacteria in the rice soil in Malaysia

Methane is known as a powerful greenhouse gas due to its global warming potential (GWP = 21). Rice fields are methane producers because of the flooding irrigation system. Two microbial communities are involved in methane cycle in the soil including methanogens and methanotrophic bacteria which are responsible for methane production and methane oxidation respectively. Methanotrophic bacteria as aerobic unicellular microorganisms dominantly exist in soil oxic area (e.g. surface of the soil and the rhizosphere). These microorganisms can regulate the methane emission from rice soil. This experiment applied PCR-DGGE to detect methane oxidizer bacteria (MOBs) within the rice soil from two depths 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm in different rice growth stages and cultivation systems. Consequently, several MOBs from type I and type II could be identified. However, type I was detected in depth of 0-5 cm and drained condition rather than 5-10 cm and flooding condition.
The STAR protein QKI-7 recruits PAPD4 to regulate post-transcriptional polyadenylation of target mRNAs

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that regulating the length of the poly(A) tail on an mRNA is an efficient means of controlling gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In early development, transcription is silenced and gene expression is primarily regulated by cytoplasmic polyadenylation. In somatic cells, considerable progress has been made toward understanding the mechanisms of negative regulation by deadenylation. However, positive regulation through elongation of the poly(A) tail has not been widely studied due to the difficulty in distinguishing whether any observed increase in length is due to the synthesis of new mRNA, reduced deadenylation or cytoplasmic polyadenylation. Here, we overcame this barrier by developing a method for transcriptional pulse-chase analysis under conditions where deadenylases are suppressed. This strategy was used to show that a member of the Star family of RNA binding proteins, QKI, promotes polyadenylation when tethered to a reporter mRNA. Although multiple RNA binding proteins have been implicated in cytoplasmic polyadenylation during early development, previously only CPEB was known to function in this capacity in somatic cells. Importantly, we show that only the cytoplasmic isoform QKI-7 promotes poly(A) tail extension, and that it does so by recruiting the non-canonical poly(A) polymerase PAPD4 through its unique carboxyl-terminal region. We further show that QKI-7 specifically promotes polyadenylation and translation of three natural target mRNAs (hnRNPA1, p27kip1 and β-catenin) in a manner that is dependent on the QKI response element. An anti-mitogenic signal that induces cell cycle arrest at G1 phase elicits polyadenylation and translation of p27kip1 mRNA via QKI and PAPD4. Taken together, our findings provide significant new insight into a general mechanism for positive regulation of gene expression by post-transcriptional polyadenylation in somatic cells.
Understanding the paranoid psychosis of James: Use of the repertory grid technique for case conceptualization

In this paper we illustrate the potential of the repertory grid technique as an instrument for case formulation and understanding of the personal perception and meanings of people with a diagnosis of psychotic disorders. For this purpose, the case of James is presented: A young man diagnosed with schizophrenia and personality disorder, with severe persecutory delusions and other positive symptoms that have not responded to antipsychotic medication, as well with depressive symptomatology. His case was selected because of the way his symptoms are reflected in his personal perception of self and others, including his main persecutory figure, in the different measures that result from the analysis of his repertory grid. Some key clinical hypotheses and possible targets for therapy are discussed.
Decision Support System Using Decision Tree and Neural Networks

Decision making in a complex and dynamically changing environment of the present day demands a new techniques of computational intelligence for building equally an adaptive, hybrid intelligent decision support system. In this paper, a Decision Tree-Neuro Based model was developed to handle loan granting decision support system and clinical decision support system(Eye Disease Diagnosis) which are two important decision problems that requires delicate care. The system uses an integration of Decision Tree and Artificial Neural Networks with a hybrid of Decision Tree algorithm and Multilayer Feed-forward Neural Network with backpropagation learning algorithm to build up the proposed model. Different representative cases of loan applications and eye disease diagnosis were considered based on the guidelines of different banks in Nigeria and according to patient complaint, symptoms and physical eye examinations to validate the model. Object-Oriented Analysis and Design (OO-AD) methodology was used in the development of the system, and an object-oriented programming language was used with a MATLAB engine to implement the models and classes designed in the system. The system developed, gives 88% success rate and eliminate the opacity of an ordinary neural networks system.
PowerMate &#8211; A Safe and Intuitive Robot Assistant for Handling and Assembly Tasks

In this contribution a robot assistant for handling and assembly tasks is presented. The main emphasis of PowerMate was to create a robot assistant that works together with a human worker that is conform to safety category 3 according to DIN ISO 954 and to use components suitable for industrial use, which leads to certain constrains on the possible control mechanisms. An overview of existing concepts of man-machine-cooperation is given. Different architectures for these kinds of robot assistants are discussed. A user-customizable motion control for PowerMate is presented. A description of the force-movement-calculations, the hardware and software architecture and the safety system of the robot assistant is given.
Mitigating Blackhole Attacks in Delay Tolerant Networks

Unlike the conventional routing techniques in the Internet where routing privileges are given to trustworthy and fully authenticated nodes, Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs) allow any node to participate in routing due to the lack of consistent infrastructure and central administration. This creates new security challenges as even authorized nodes in DTNs could inject several malicious threats against the network. This paper investigates novel solutions based on the Spray-and-Wait (SnW) routing protocol for mitigating black hole attacks in DTNs. A new knowledge-based routing scheme, called Trust-Based Spray- and-Wait protocol (TB-SnW), is proposed. The routing decisions in TB-SnW protocol are made based on the trust levels that are computed at each node using its historic routing records. Simulation results show that the TB-SnW protocol can achieve better performance in terms of mitigating Byzantine attacks and reducing message delivery delay compared with the Spray-and-Wait protocol.
Blind Image Restoration using the Cepstrum Method

Much research has been conducted on blind image restoration using the cepstrum method for degradations caused by out-of-focus and motion blurring due to the camera's focus settings and/or camera's motion that lead to a uniformly blurred image. The restoration of an image with a still background and a moving object is seldom addressed in the literature. This paper presents a method that extracts the blurred object from the background first, and then estimates the parameters of the PSF using the cepstrum method. Final restoration is achieved by using a classical Wiener filter. Experimental results show that the proposed method is able to achieve satisfactory restored images
SimRank: A Page Rank approach based on similarity measure

As the Web contains rich and convenient information, Web search engine is increasingly becoming the dominant information retrieving approach. In order to rank the query results of web pages in an effective and efficient fashion, we propose a new page rank algorithm based on similarity measure from the vector space model, called SimRank, to score web pages. Firstly, we propose a new similarity measure to compute the similarity of pages and apply it to partition a web database into several web social networks (WSNs). Secondly, we improve the traditional PageRank algorithm by taking into account the relevance of page to a given query. Thirdly, we design an efficient web crawler to download the web data. And finally, we perform experimental studies to evaluate the time efficiency and scoring accuracy of SimRank with other approaches.
Reduced basal forebrain and hippocampal activation during memory encoding in girls with fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FraX), the most common heritable cause of developmental disability, is associated with IQ, memory, and visuospatial processing deficits. The fragile X gene (FMR1) is prominently transcribed in two regions critical to memory encoding and attention: the hippocampus and the basal forebrain. To probe functional MRI activation abnormalities associated with the disorder, girls with FraX and age-matched, normally-developing girls were scanned during a test of visual memory encoding. While there were considerable similarities in activation patterns between the two groups, the girls with FraX showed significantly less activation in the hippocampus and the basal forebrain. This is the first study, to our knowledge, demonstrating functional deficits in FraX subjects in brain regions known to have the highest FMR1 transcription.
A Secure DSR Routing Protocol for MANET

We present the design and performance evaluation of a new secure DSR routing protocol for wireless mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) called Security Aware Dynamic Source Routing (SADSR) that incorporates security attributes as parameters into a route discovery. The proposed protocol can be implemented based on the Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) protocol with suitable modification. SADSR enables the discovery of secure routes. Its integrated security metrics allow applications to explicitly capture and enforce explicit cooperative trust relationship. In addition, SADSR provides customizable security to the flow of routing protocol messages themselves. Routes discovered by SADSR come with Quality of Protection (QoP) guarantees.
Efficient P2P video distribution by peer reorganization

There are two types of P2P systems satisfying two different user demands: (a) file downloading and (b) VoD streaming. Example of (a) is the original BitTorrent, and examples for (b) including various commercial P2P-based VoD streaming systems such as that offered by PPLive. We have a hypothesis - by combining a type (a) system and a type (b) system as a single P2P system, both the file downloading users and the streaming users of the same video will benefit in performance. The reasoning is that at any moment, only a subset of the file downloading peers can provide good service to VoD streaming peers and the VoD streaming peers are only good at providing service to a different subset of the file downloading peers. The former subset is the set of peers close to completing downloading the video file; whereas the latter subset is the set of peers starting to download a video. In this paper, we propose a novel design for a mesh-based video distribution system without depending on peer storage. We produce simple back-of-the-envelop analysis, and use simulation to validate our design and compare with other designs.
Efficient mixed-order hidden Markov model inference

Recent studies have shown that high-order hidden Markov models (HMMs) are feasible and useful for spoken language processing. This paper extends the ﬁxed-order versions to ergodic mixed-order HMMs, which allow the modelling of variable-length contexts with signiﬁcantly less parameters. A novel training procedure automatically infers the number of states and the topology of the HMM from the training set, based on information-theoretic criteria. This is done by incorporating only high-order contexts with sufﬁcient support in the data. The mixed-order training algorithm is faster than ﬁxed-order methods, with similar classiﬁcation performance in language identiﬁcation tasks.