Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Left‐handed scrolling for pen‐based devices

The effectiveness of interaction with mobile devices can be impacted by handedness; however, support for handedness in the interface is rarely provided. The goal of this article is to demonstrate that handedness is a significant interface consideration that should not be overlooked. Four studies were conducted to explore left‐handed user interaction with right‐ or left‐aligned scrollbars on personal digital assistants. Analysis of the data shows that left‐handed users are able to select targets significantly faster using a left‐aligned scrollbar when compared to a right‐aligned scrollbar. User feedback also indicated that a left‐aligned scrollbar was preferred by left‐handed users and provided more natural interaction.
Developing applications using model-driven design environments

Historically, software development methodologies have focused more on improving tools for system development than on developing tools that assist with system composition and integration. Component-based middleware like Enterprise Java-Beans (EJB), Microsoft . NET, and the CORBA Component Model (CCM) have helped improve software reusability through component abstraction. However, as developers have adopted these commercial off-the-shelf technologies, a wide gap has emerged between the availability and sophistication of standard software development tools like compilers and debuggers, and the tools that developers use to compose, analyze, and test a complete system or system of systems. As a result, developers continue to accomplish system integration using ad hoc methods without the support of automated tools. Model-driven development is an emerging paradigm that solves numerous problems associated with the composition and integration of large-scale systems while leveraging advances in software development technologies such as component-based middleware. MDD elevates software development to a higher level of abstraction than is possible with third-generation programming languages.
Hierarchical Tensor Approximation of Multi-Dimensional Visual Data

Visual data comprise of multiscale and inhomogeneous signals. In this paper, we exploit these characteristics and develop a compact data representation technique based on a hierarchical tensor-based transformation. In this technique, an original multidimensional data set is transformed into a hierarchy of signals to expose its multiscale structures. The signal at each level of the hierarchy is further divided into a number of smaller tensors to expose its spatially inhomogeneous structures. These smaller tensors are further transformed and pruned using a tensor approximation technique. Our hierarchical tensor approximation supports progressive transmission and partial decompression. Experimental results indicate that our technique can achieve higher compression ratios and quality than previous methods, including wavelet transforms, wavelet packet transforms, and single-level tensor approximation. We have successfully applied our technique to multiple tasks involving multidimensional visual data, including medical and scientific data visualization, data-driven rendering, and texture synthesis.
Robustness of Nested Multigrid Method for Edge-Based Finite Element Analysis

The multigrid method is known as the faster linear solver for large scale finite element analysis. In the edge-based finite element analysis, the geometric multigrid (GMG) method requires careful treatment for the stable convergence. In this paper we investigate factors for stable convergence of nested GMG method. The Numerical results show that the unsuitable application of essential boundary condition to the system matrix results in poor convergence of GMG method. We indicate that the appropriate boundary condition for the system or restriction matrix enable the stable convergence.
Internet addiction and cyberchondria - Their relationship with Well-Being

The current paper presents the results from some research on the relationship between Internet addiction, cyberchondria, and different aspects of well-being. The information available on the Internet, which is not necessarily truthful and accurate, can unreasonably amplify users health concerns. Problematic Internet use, health anxiety aroused by online searches for health information and escalation of health concerns as an indicator of cyberchondria, are all associated with a decrease in subjective and eudaimonic well-being as well as in self-esteem. The analyses indicate positive relationships between depressive symptoms on the one hand, and Internet addiction and health anxiety, on the other. A conclusion regarding the existence of a relationship between Internet addiction, cyberchondria and decreased levels of well-being could be drawn from the research. Furthermore, the results suggest that self-esteem and eudaimonic well-being correlate positively with the number of people with whom users communicate online.
Detection of minimal disease in acute leukemia using flow cytometry: studies in a rat model for human acute leukemia.

The study was made using a rat model for human acute myelocytic leukemia (BNML), which shows striking similarities with human acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). A monoclonal antibody (MCA-Rm124), raised against BNML cells, allowed the recognition of the leukemic cell fraction. The discriminative capacity of the monoclonal antibody is based on differences in labeling intensities between normal and leukemic cells. After i.v. cellular transfer of leukemia, the growth of the leukemic cell population in the bone marrow, the liver, and the spleen was monitored using MCA-Rm124 and flow cytometry. For the bone marrow and the liver, a clonogenic assay for leukemic cells was used to quantify the cell content in these organs. A good correlation was found between the bioassay-derived data and the flow-cytometry-derived data. The doubling times of the leukemic cell population were not equal for the two organs studied, indicating that a number of different processes contribute to the net cell production per organ. Apart from their application in the detection of residual leukemia, monoclonal antibodies might be employed in the analysis of the growth kinetics of the "invisible" leukemic cell population.
Impulsivity as a predictor of athletic success and negative consequences in NFL football players

IMPULSIVITY AS A PREDICTOR OF ATHLETIC SUCCESS AND NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES IN NFL FOOTBALL PLAYERS MAY 2004 SARA A. HICKMANN, B.A., UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES M.A., SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY Ph D. , UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Richard Halgin The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among impulsivity, athletic success, and negative consequences in professional football players. Twenty-four football players from eight teams in the NFL participated. Thirteen of the participants had sustained at least one head injury, and on average played the sport of football for 13.7 years. Players were interviewed and administered several tests of impulsivity including a neuropsychological instrument and two self-report questionnaires, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale and the Functional/Dysfunctional Impulsivity Inventory. Interview responses were used for ratings on an impulsivity checklist. In addition, a collateral (e.g., teammate or friend) provided corroborative information. Athletic success was determined by a combination of a professional scout’s rating of the player, number of games started and played, draft status, and survival time in the NFL. Negative consequences included number of game penalties and lifetime legal infractions. This sample of professional football players showed moderate levels of impulsivity, which generally served a functional purpose. In a planning task that required accuracy, less impulsive players were more successful. Players’ scores of functional impulsivity were significantly related
Investigating Interaction Techniques for State-of-the-Art Smartwatches

We present initial results from a comparative study targeting three different input techniques for smartwatches. We developed a prototype capable of two different mechanical input techniques, namely digital crown and rotatable bezel, as well as touch input. In a user study with 14 participants, we analyzed task completion time, error rate and perceived usability in a one-dimensional list selection task. Our results show that touch and digital crown are perceived as significantly more usable. Also, the digital crown technique is ranked significantly higher than the rotatable bezel in terms of user preference. Regarding task completion time, the rotatable bezel is significantly inferior to touch. In terms of error rate, no significant difference is observable. Overall, 9 of 14 participants preferred interaction with the digital crown.
Handset-Based Positioning System for Injured Fireman Rescue in Wildfire Fighting

Injured fireman rescue is an emergent task in firefighting, where a rapid localization plays a significant role. For an indoor fire inside a building, a distributed system, i.e., a sensor network, can be preset surrounding the building for indoor positioning. However, for an accidental wildfire, it is intuitively impossible to preset this kind of on-site positioning system since the scene of this accident is unknown in advance and it is expandable. In this paper, a handset-based positioning system using mobile base stations (MBSs) is presented for injured fireman rescue in wildfire fighting and is compared with the network-based positioning system. This system is built on the scene right after the accident occurs and moves according to fire spreading. An orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing signal is selected as the probing signal for this application, because it has a much greater nonambiguity ranging distance than pulse-based ultrawideband signal, outperforms pseudorandom noise signal, and is robust against multipath. A multiple-access scheme is proposed for all MBS simultaneous transmissions without interference. Furthermore, a novel signal acquisition and tracking algorithm is proposed using phase correlation to further overcome the multipath effect. In addition, the 3-D localization and performance are discussed. Simulation results demonstrate our proposed system and algorithms.
Bernstein's traditions in movement studies

This book sets a new standard as the leading state-of-the-art account on motor control by using a Bernsteinian integration of information from different fields of study. It features sixteen chapters by internationally known researchers, including four authors from the ex-USSR who worked directly with Nikolai Bernstein, the first scientist working in the area now defined as motor control. Each chapter addresses urgent problems of motor control across a spectrum of topics.Written in a reader-friendly style, this volume summarizes the latest motor control issues, research, and theories, and identifies problems in pressing need of investigation. This unique forum features 106 pieces of art and 7 tables to reflect the different fields of study related to the organization of voluntary movements and improve interdisciplinary communication. Prominent motor control scientists integrate information across different fields of study and provide a contemporary reflection of Bernstein's legacy in the nineties in this first volume of "Progress in Motor Control. "
Nitric oxide-dependent down-regulation of angiotensin II type 2 receptors during experimental sepsis

ObjectiveThe systemic renin-angiotensin system is highly activated during septic shock. This has focused interest in regulation of the adrenal angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2) as the target thought to mediate angiotensin II-induced adrenal catecholamine release during experimental sepsis in vivo. In addition, the influence of typical endogenous mediators of sepsis, such as proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide, on AT2 receptor expression should be investigated in vitro. DesignProspective animal trial followed by a controlled cell culture study. SettingLaboratory of the Department of Anesthesiology. SubjectsMale Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200–250 g, PC12 cell line. InterventionsRats were injected with lipopolysaccharide to stimulate Gram-negative sepsis or lipoteichoic acid to stimulate Gram-positive sepsis. AT2 receptor expression, abundance of the proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1&bgr;, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, and interferon-&ggr;), and nitric oxide synthase II expression have been determined in the adrenal gland. Rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cells were incubated with these cytokines or with the nitric oxide donors sodium nitroprusside or S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine to investigate the regulation of AT2 receptors during severe inflammation on a cellular level. Measurements and Main Results In the adrenal gland, AT2 receptor expression was down-regulated in both models of sepsis, whereas tissue cytokine concentrations were elevated and nitric oxide synthase II expression was induced. Incubation of PC12 cells with proinflammatory cytokines resulted in a dose-dependent diminished expression of AT2 receptors, which was mimicked by incubation with nitric oxide donors. Blocking of cytokine-induced nitric oxide synthesis by co-incubation of PC12 cells with NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester prevented down-regulation of AT2 receptors. ConclusionsThese findings show that in our model of sepsis, the expression of AT2 receptors in the adrenal gland is down-regulated in a nitric oxide-dependent manner. Because AT2 receptors are thought to be involved in adrenal catecholamine secretion in a stimulatory fashion, the diminished expression of AT2 receptors could play an important role in the pathogenesis of septic shock via impaired angiotensin II-induced adrenal catecholamine release, despite a strong activation of the systemic renin-angiotensin system.
The Pore-Forming Protein Cry5B Elicits the Pathogenicity of Bacillus sp. against Caenorhabditis elegans

The soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis is a pathogen of insects and nematodes and is very closely related to, if not the same species as, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis. The defining characteristic of B. thuringiensis that sets it apart from B. cereus and B. anthracis is the production of crystal (Cry) proteins, which are pore-forming toxins or pore-forming proteins (PFPs). Although it is known that PFPs are important virulence factors since their elimination results in reduced virulence of many pathogenic bacteria, the functions by which PFPs promote virulence are incompletely understood. Here we study the effect of Cry proteins in B. thuringiensis pathogenesis of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that whereas B. thuringiensis on its own is not able to infect C. elegans, the addition of the PFP Cry protein, Cry5B, results in a robust lethal infection that consumes the nematode host in 1–2 days, leading to a “Bob” or bag-of-bacteria phenotype. Unlike other infections of C. elegans characterized to date, the infection by B. thuringiensis shows dose-dependency based on bacterial inoculum size and based on PFP concentration. Although the infection process takes 1–2 days, the PFP-instigated infection process is irreversibly established within 15 minutes of initial exposure. Remarkably, treatment of C. elegans with Cry5B PFP is able to instigate many other Bacillus species, including B. anthracis and even “non-pathogenic” Bacillus subtilis, to become lethal and infectious agents to C. elegans. Co-culturing of Cry5B-expressing B. thuringiensis with B. anthracis can result in lethal infection of C. elegans by B. anthracis. Our data demonstrate that one potential property of PFPs is to sensitize the host to bacterial infection and further that C. elegans and probably other roundworms can be common hosts for B. cereus-group bacteria, findings with important ecological and research implications.
The CMU Arctic speech databases

The CMU Arctic databases designed for the purpose of speech synthesis research. These single speaker speech databases have been carefully recorded under studio conditions and consist of approximately 1200 phonetically balanced English utterances. In addition to wavefiles, the databases provide complete support for the Festival Speech Synthesis System, including pre-built voices that may be used as is. The entire package is distributed as free software, without restriction on commercial or non-commercial use.
Exercise, stress, and inflammation in the growing child: from the bench to the playground

Purpose of review It is becoming increasingly clear that physical activity in children plays a critical role in growth and development, therapy for certain chronic diseases and disabilities, and in the pediatric origins of a variety of bone, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases. New mechanistic insights have created the opportunity for a phase shift in understanding of the links between exercise and health in the context of the growing child. Recent findings Exercise even in healthy children profoundly alters stress, immune, and inflammatory mediators including peripheral blood mononuclear cells and circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (like interleukin-6). Moreover, exercise even in healthy adults stimulates the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mediators that attenuate them. Oxidative stress, in turn, alters growth and stress mediators. Both ROS and stress/inflammatory factors interact with powerful growth mediators like growth hormone and insulinlike growth factor-I. These findings suggest specific ways in which the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory, catabolic, and anabolic factors associated with exercise can influence health and growth in children. Summary To address the current epidemic of physical inactivity and obesity in children and to optimize the therapeutic effects of exercise in children with disease and disability will require real changes in environments (eg, schools and playgrounds); innovative approaches to rehabilitation of children with chronic disease and disability; and enlightened training of child health professionals. Identifying novel exercise mechanisms involving stress, inflammation, and growth factors will help guide these efforts.
INTRODUCTORY PROCESSES IN VIRTUAL GROUPS Tony Clear 1 and

1 Tony Clear, Auckland University of Technology, School of Information Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, New Zealand, Tony.Clear@aut.ac. nz 2 Mats Daniels, Department of Computer Systems, Uppsala University, Box 325, 751 05, Uppsala, Sweden, Matsd@docs.uu. se Abstract This paper reports upon a collaborative learning trial conducted in 2002 between students at Auckland University of Technology New Zealand and Uppsala University Sweden.
GYM: A Multiround Join Algorithm In MapReduce

Multiround algorithms are now commonly used in distributed data processing systems, yet the extent to which algorithms can benefit from running more rounds is not well understood. This paper answers this question for a spectrum of rounds for the problem of computing the equijoin of $n$ relations. Specifically, given any query $Q$ with width $\w$, {\em intersection width} $\iw$, input size $\mathrm{IN}$, output size $\mathrm{OUT}$, and a cluster of machines with $M$ memory available per machine, we show that: (1) $Q$ can be computed in $O(n)$ rounds with $O(n\frac{(\mathrm{IN}^{\w} + \mathrm{OUT})^2}{M})$ communication cost. (2) $Q$ can be computed in $O(\log(n))$ rounds with $O(n\frac{(\mathrm{IN}^{\max(\w, 3\iw)} + \mathrm{OUT})^2}{M})$ communication cost. \end{itemize} Intersection width is a new notion of queries and generalized hypertree decompositions (GHDs) of queries we introduce to capture how connected the adjacent cyclic components of the GHDs are. We achieve our first result by introducing a distributed and generalized version of Yannakakis's algorithm, called GYM. GYM takes as input any GHD of $Q$ with width $\w$ and depth $d$, and computes $Q$ in $O(d + \log(n))$ rounds and $O(n\frac{(\mathrm{IN}^{\w} + \mathrm{OUT})^2}{M})$ communication cost. We achieve our second result by showing how to construct GHDs of $Q$ with width $\max(\w, 3\iw)$ and depth $O(\log(n))$. We describe another technique to construct GHDs with longer widths and shorter depths, demonstrating a spectrum of tradeoffs one can make between communication and the number of rounds.
Labeling the Languages of Words in Mixed-Language Documents using Weakly Supervised Methods

In this paper we consider the problem of labeling the languages of words in mixed-language documents. This problem is approached in a weakly supervised fashion, as a sequence labeling problem with monolingual text samples for training data. Among the approaches evaluated, a conditional random field model trained with generalized expectation criteria was the most accurate and performed consistently as the amount of training data was varied.
Viscosity Solutions Methods for Singular Perturbations in Deterministic and Stochastic Control

Viscosity solutions methods are used to pass to the limit in some penalization problems for first order and second order, degenerate parabolic, Hamilton--Jacobi--Bellman equations. This characterizes the limit of the value functions of singularly perturbed optimal control problems for deterministic systems and for controlled degenerate diffusions. The results apply to cases where the usual order reduction method does not give the correct limit, and to systems with fast state variables depending nonlinearly on the control. Some connections with ergodic control and periodic homogenization are discussed.
Is that what you’re wearing? Gender diversity in contemporary fiction, a novel and exegesis

The methods of production of gender diverse characters within mainstream literary texts are an under-researched area from a creative writing standpoint. Is That What You’re Wearing? Gender Diversity in Contemporary Fiction, A Novel and Exegesis is a creative writing doctoral thesis which critically interrogates the signifiers and tropes that are employed to produce gender diversity in contemporary fiction, and their effects and impacts. The exegesis, Gender Diversity in Contemporary Fiction, contextualises the theoretical ground concerning gender diversity. It critically explores issues of cultural and material access to literary works featuring gender diverse protagonists. In addition, it compares and contrasts the production of gender diversity in three contemporary novels: Chris Bohjalian’s (2000) Trans-sister Radio; Jeffrey Eugenides’ (2002b) Middlesex; and Ali Smith’s (2007) Girl Meets Boy: The Myth of Iphis. Most significantly it discusses the manner in which these two aspects inform my creative writing practice in the novel Is That What You’re Wearing? The exegesis argues that creative writers require an increased awareness of issues of representation when writing about marginalised groups, such as gender diverse individuals, to avoid perpetuating problematic and commonly used representations that otherwise sustain their marginalisation in society. The novel, which features three gender diverse characters, is the practical outcome of this critical theoretical research. As per the requirements for Victoria University creative writing theses, the creative component forms 67 per cent of the thesis, and the critical exegesis, 33 per cent. The preferred reading order for the thesis is the novel (Volume One), then the exegesis (Volume Two).