Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
* Takuji Narumi Tomohiro Tanikawa Michitaka Hirose The University of Tokyo Modifying Perceived Size of a Handled Object through Hand Image Deformation 1

In this study, we aim to construct a perception-based shape display system to provide users with the sensation of touching virtual objects of varying shapes using only a simple mechanism. Thus far, we have proved that identified curved surface shapes or edge angles can be modified by displacing the visual representation of the user’s hand. However, using this method, we cannot emulate multifinger touch, because of spatial unconformity. To solve this problem, we focus on modifying the identification of shapes using two fingers by deforming the visual representation of the user’s hand. We devised a video see-through system that enables us to change the perceived shape of an object that a user is touching visually. The visual representation of the user’s hand is deformed as if the user were handling a visual object; however, the user is actually handling an object of a different shape. Using this system, we conducted two experiments to investigate the effects of visuo-haptic interaction and evaluate its effectiveness. One is an investigation on the modification of size perception to confirm that the fingers did not stroke the shape but only touched it statically. The other is an investigation on the modification of shape perception for confirming that the fingers dynamically stroked the surface of the shape. The results of these experiments show that the perceived sizes of objects handled using a thumb and other finger(s) could be modified if the difference between the size of physical and visual stimuli was in the 40% to 35% range. In addition, we found that the algorithm can create an effect of shape perception modification when users stroke the shape with multiple fingers.
The development of a conceptual framework of social media literacy

Social media have become increasingly popular because of the combination of both technological developments and social change. However, there are manifest differences in the ways people use social media as well as in the level of their competence. Differences in the skills to master technology and in the use of social media may result in new types of digital inequality. In order to overcome these inequalities, an extensive body of initiatives must deal with enhancing people’s level of social media literacy. Unfortunately, due to difficulties in adequately measuring media literacy, the effectiveness of these efforts has not yet been fully determined. Hence, the main objective of our research is measuring social media literacy. In order to do so we first need to be able to accurately define social media literacy and understand how it can be conceptualized. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper presents a conceptual framework for social media literacy and discusses its main building blocks. The proposed conceptual model posits that an accurate understanding of social media literacy requires more insight into people’s access to social media applications, knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, attitudes and actual media use.
An Empirical Examination Of the "Rule Of Three": Strategy Implications For Top Management, Marketers, and Investors

Abstract This study represents the first empirical examination of the “Rule of Three,” a theory at odds with several popular notions regarding industry structure and business performance, including the positive linear market share–performance relationship. In general, the findings from more than 160 industries support the Rule of Three and provide five main insights: First, there appears to be a prevalent competitive structure for mature industries in which three “generalist” firms control the market. Second, industries that conform to this structure tend to perform better than industries with a fewer or greater number of generalists. Third, both “specialists” and generalists outperform firms that are “stuck in the middle. ” Fourth, the performance benefits of market leadership appear to diminish with excessive market share. Fifth, the Rule of Three industry structure and its influence over firm profitability do not appear to be priced appropriately by financial markets. The authors discuss the implication.
Board 33: Persistence of First Year Engineering Majors with a Design-Based Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum In- and Out-of-Sequence

Kent Crippen is a Professor of STEM education in the School of Teaching and Learning Florida and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His research in-volves the design, development, and evaluation of STEM cyberlearning environments as well as scientist-teacher forms of professional development. Operating from a design-based research perspective, this work focuses on using innovative, iterative and theoretically grounded design for the dual purpose of ad-dressing contemporary, complex, in situ learning problems while concurrently generating new theoretical insight related to the process of learning and the relationships among the people, tools and context of the problem space. Dr. Chang-Yu Wu is Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences at the University Florida. His teaching and research interests are in air pollution control, aerosol, incineration and engineering education. He has published more than 130 refereed journal articles, given more than 260 conference presentations and delivered 70+ invited speeches. He has received numerous recognizing his achievements in research and education, including the Lyman A. Ripperton Environmental Educator Award from Air & Waste Management Association in 2015 and the New Teacher Award from SE Section of American Society for Engineering Education in 2001.
Genetic analysis of MAP in bovine milk samples in Brazil

Paratuberculosis studies has increased considerably in Brazil, however the economic impact of the disease in the country has not yet been measured. Data on the prevalence of the disease do not exist in the state of Minas Gerais, although some cases have been reported. The aim of this study was to confirm the genetic identity of MAP (Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis) detected in raw milk samples in the region of Vicosa, MG, Brazil. A total of 220 individual bovine milk samples were analyzed by PCR using the primers BN1/BN2 derived from the insertion sequence IS900. Eight samples (3.6%) amplified fragments of the expected size, 626bp. In order to confirm the genetic identity, the eight samples were cloned, sequenced and compared with the insertion sequence IS900 deposited in GenBank (X16293.1). Out of the cloned samples, three (37.5%) and the positive control were successfully sequenced, but it was not possible to sequence the others. The genetic analysis showed 99% of identity between the sequences of this study and the sequence X16293.1, 90% with M. avium (AF527957.1), 91-92% with Mycobacterium sp. (AF455252), not-yet-identified, and 74% with Streptomyces turgidiscabies (AY707080.1) Among all the compared sequences, 11 were randomly selected to carry out a genetic sequence alignment among the 626 nucleotides, together with the four sequences of this study. From this alignment, a gene cluster map among the 15 gene sequences was built with high levels of similarity, since sequences were pooled together within the same tree branch. Only one sequence showed lower similarity and is located in another branch, probably for being a not-yet-identified Mycobacterium species. The sequencing proved that the fragments amplified in PCR reactions were MAP fragments. The results of this study allow us to affirm that MAP is present in bovine milk samples in Brazil, and it is reasonable to consider them as a first survey on the disease in the Minas Gerais State, Brazil
Feedback control of collective oscillations in scale-free networks

C. A. S. Batista , A. M. Batista , S. R. Lopes , and R. L. Viana 2 ∗ 1. Departamento de Matemática e Estat́ıstica, Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa, 84032-900, Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brasil. 2. Departamento de F́ısica, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 81531-990, Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil. (Dated: September 11, 2008) Abstract We consider a simplified model of a neuronal network where the local dynamics presents a bursting timescale, and the connection architecture displays the scale-free property (power-law distribution of connectivity). The network exhibit collective oscillations in the form of synchronized bursting rhythms, without affecting the fast timescale dynamics. We investigate the suppression of these synchronized oscillations using a feedback control in the form of a time-delayed signal.
The role of noise on the steady state distributions of phytoplankton populations

The spatio-temporal behaviour of total chlorophyll concentration is investigated in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea by using a stochastic approach. The study is based on a reaction–diffusion–taxis model, which is used to analyse the dynamics of five phytoplankton groups, responsible for about 80% of the total chlorophyll a inside the euphotic zone of the water column. The analysis is performed by considering: (i) the intraspecific competition of the phytoplanktonic groups for limiting factors, i.e. light intensity and nutrient concentration, (ii) the seasonal changes of environmental variables, and (iii) the random fluctuations of the components of the velocity field and temperature. Specifically, we investigate the effects of external perturbations, both deterministic and random, on the dynamics of phytoplankton populations, by inserting a term of multiplicative noise into the differential equation of the nutrient dynamics. The theoretical results of the phytoplankton abundances obtained by the stochastic model are converted in chlorophyll a concentrations, and compared with the experimental findings. The statistical checks, based on the chi-square test, show that the vertical distributions of total chlorophyll concentration are in a good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, we observe that the high intensity of environmental noise strongly modifies the steady spatial distributions of two phytoplankton groups usually localized in deeper layers, causing algal blooms in surface water.
Geometric morphometric analysis of three spot gourami, Trichopodus trichopterus in Masao River, Butuan City, Mindanao, Philippines

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) determines the health status of the bodies of water by way of measuring the variations in body shapes of the fish. Species in this environment are said to normally buffer the genetic and environmental stresses during their ontogeny to maintain precise development. FA measures the pattern of morphometric differences of bilateral symmetry of an organism caused by these environmental disturbances. In this study Trichopodus trichopterus was used as bioindicator, to determine the FA in its body collected from Masao River, Agusan del Norte, Philippines. The river is situated and inhabited by congested nearby households. There were 60 species collected using a cast net and local traps. Geometric Morphometric (GM) and Analyses Procrustes ANOVA were used to calculate, show and obtain morphological intraspecific variations. A total of 20 landmarks from 60 samples of fish, 30 per sexual category, were used. These selected points of landmarks were digitized both in left and right side of the specimen images. Then, the 20 landmark coordinates from fish were subjected to Symmetry and Asymmetry Geometric Data (SAGE) software after being digitized using tpsDig2 and being saved as TPS file. The result in procrustes ANOVA showed a significant high level (p < 0.0001) of FA which indicates a high significant variation showing the percentage variation of shapes in deformation grid with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) scores of 70.8115% and 79.8394% in female and male, respectively. However, the female has a significant variation among individual genotypes as reflected on individual effect while the male does not. The study provides an evidence sufficient to indicate the environmental stress through FA that directly impact fish mobility that was concentrated mostly in the affected landmarks such as those in the dorsal cephalic region, in the pectoral fin, and some parts for fish locomotion as in anterior and posterior insertion of the dorsal fin. These signify that the river is not at good ecological condition due to the nutritional disturbances that affect the FA both in male and female, as well as other environmental and genetic stresses.
20pSF-2 Quantum Dimension as Entanglement Entropy in 2D CFTs

Song He, Tokiro Numasawa, Tadashi Takayanagi and Kento Watanabe Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100190, P. R. China and Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582, Japan (Dated: March 5, 2014)
Properties of the ionized gas in HH 202 – II. Results from echelle spectrophotometry with Ultraviolet Visual Echelle Spectrograph

We present results of deep echelle spectrophotometry of the brightest knot of the Herbig– Haro object HH 202 in the Orion Nebula – HH 202-S – using the Ultraviolet Visual Echelle Spectrograph in the spectral range from 3100 to 10 400 A. The high spectral resolution of the observations has permitted to separate the component associated with the ambient gas from that associated with the gas flow. We derive electron densities and temperatures from different diagnostics for both components, as well as the chemical abundances of several ions and elements from collisionally excited lines, including the first determinations of Ca + and Cr + abundances in the Orion Nebula. We also calculate the He + ,C 2+ ,O + and O 2+ abundances from recombination lines. The difference between the O 2+ abundances determined from collisionally excited and recombination lines – the so-called abundance discrepancy factor – is 0.35 and 0.11 dex for the shock and nebular components, respectively. Assuming that the abundance discrepancy is produced by spatial variations in the electron temperature, we derive values of the temperature fluctuation parameter, t 2 , of 0.050 and 0.016 for the shock and nebular components, respectively. Interestingly, we obtain almost coincident t 2 values for both components from the analysis of the intensity ratios of He I lines. We find significant departures from case B predictions in the Balmer and Paschen flux ratios of lines of high principal quantum number n. We analyse the ionization structure of HH 202-S, finding enough evidence to conclude that the flow of HH 202-S has compressed the ambient gas inside the nebula trapping the ionization front. We measure a strong increase of the total abundances of nickel and iron in the shock component, the abundance pattern and the results of photoionization models for both components are consistent with the partial destruction of dust after the passage of the shock wave in HH 202-S.
Genetic variability in response to amyloid beta deposition influences Alzheimer’s disease risk

Abstract Genome-wide association studies of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease risk have previously identified genes primarily expressed in microglia that form a transcriptional network. Using transgenic mouse models of amyloid deposition, we previously showed that many of the mouse orthologues of these risk genes are co-expressed and associated with amyloid pathology. In this new study, we generate an improved RNA-seq-derived network that is expressed in amyloid-responsive mouse microglia and we statistically compare this with gene-level variation in previous human Alzheimer’s disease genome-wide association studies to predict at least four new risk genes for the disease (OAS1, LAPTM5, ITGAM/CD11b and LILRB4). Of the mouse orthologues of these genes Oas1a is likely to respond directly to amyloid at the transcriptional level, similarly to established risk gene Trem2, because the increase in Oas1a and Trem2 transcripts in response to amyloid deposition in transgenic mice is significantly higher than both the increase of the average microglial transcript and the increase in microglial number. In contrast, the mouse orthologues of LAPTM5, ITGAM/CD11b and LILRB4 (Laptm5, Itgam/CD11b and Lilra5) show increased transcripts in the presence of amyloid plaques similar in magnitude to the increase of the average microglial transcript and the increase in microglia number, except that Laptm5 and Lilra5 transcripts increase significantly quicker than the average microglial transcript as the plaque load becomes dense. This work suggests that genetic variability in the microglial response to amyloid deposition is a major determinant for Alzheimer’s disease risk, and identification of these genes may help to predict the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. These findings also provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease for potential drug discovery.
THE EFFECT OF SULPHUR KIND AND DOSE ON CONTENT AND UPTAKE OF MICRO-NUTRIENTS BY POTATO TUBERS (Solanum tubersosum L.)

In case of sulphur shortage in the soil that element has a significant impact on yields of plants and their quality. The objective was to assess the impact of the work and the kind of sulphur content of Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe in the dry mass and uptake these ele- ments by yield of dry mass of potato tuber. Experience in the field of potato head was in the years 2004-2006 by applying different kinds of sulphur (elemental and K2SO4) and dose (0, 25 and 50 kg·ha -1 ). Sulphur indeed affected the application to increase the yield of tubers. However, there has been an independent impact dose and kind of sulphur of tested characteristics. Only in the case of interaction of dose and kind of sulphur fertiliza- tion it was found that the highest yield was found when using 25 kg·ha -1 in the sulphate kind and 50 kg·ha -1 S in sulphate and elemental kind. The yield of dry mass was greatest when applied 25 kg·ha -1 in the sulphate kind. The content of Cu, Zn, Mn (except Fe) in the dry mass and uptake these elements by yield of dry mass of potato tuber was signifi- cantly determined by S fertilization. The highest content of Cu and Zn in the dry mass and uptake these elements by yield of dry mass of tuber was after applying 50 kg S·ha -1 in elemental kind and on the control plots (without sulphur). Content and uptake of Mn by tuber was reduced by sulphur fertilization, and the contents and uptake of the Fe by tuber increased as a result of increasing doses of sulphur (although not confirmed that statisti- cally). Elemental sulphur in dose 50 kg·ha -1 substantially reduced the pH value of the soil. It was a significant correlation between the pH value of the soil and the contents of Cu (negative), Zn (positive) and Mn (different values depending on years of research) in the dry mass and uptake these elements by yield of dry mass of potato tuber.
Diffusion in Nano-Systems as a Function of Carrier Mass Analyzed with a New Analytical Transport Model

Nano-research is considered very promising as basis for micro-nano-systems sector. In micro-nanodevices an important role is played by sensitivity, which can be modified in relation to used materials, so as in relation to the effective mass of the carriers travelling inside the nano-structure. The efforts in designing new devices benefit of theoretical modelling, which continuously tests current experimental data and offers innovation. In this paper an interesting analysis concerning possible ways in the process of performance improvement of micro-nano-systems is considered, in particular in relation to a recently appeared analytical model for transport dynamics. Variations of the carrier mass and the corresponding advantages are considered and analyzed, in relation to the most used nano-materials in this area, as Si, TiO 2 , ZnO, GaAs and CNTs.
Impact of adding cows to the current EuroGenomics bull reference population on genomic prediction

Genomic evaluation has been based on a reference population comprising only daughter-proven bulls in most countries until recently. With more and more cows routinely genotyped, adding nonselectively genotyped cows to current bull reference population may improve the accuracy of genomic evaluation. Using approximately 20,000 cows genotyped within the framework of a German research project Kuh_L, we wished to quantify the impact of adding cows to the current EuroGenomics bull reference population on genomic prediction. Four types of reference population: only cows from the research project (Cows), the current EuroGenomics reference bulls (Bulls), a mixed of the bulls and cows from the project (Mixed) and a mixed of the bulls and all cows (Mixed_All), were compared in accuracy and bias of genomic prediction using phenotype and genotype data from April 2017 monthly genomic evaluation for German Holsteins. Analyzed traits included all routine national and MACE traits and novel health traits on claw health, udder health, reproduction diseases and metabolic disorders. Among all the four types of reference population, the scenario Cows had the lowest validation R 2 value due to the limited number of reference cows, this suggested a reference population composed of only cows being not yet accurate enough for routine genomic evaluation. We observed an increase in validation R 2 values for all the traits when the cows were added into the current bull reference population. No single trait was identified with a decrease in the accuracy of genomic prediction. For the novel traits accuracy of prediction was significantly lower than the regular ones, due to the much smaller size of reference population. The regression coefficient of validation bulls’ deregressed EBV on their candidate GEBV showed that under the scenarios Bulls, Mixed and Mixed_All genomic prediction remained unbiased, having the cows included in the bull reference population. In summary, adding the non-selectively genotyped cows to the current EuroGenomics bull reference population increased the accuracy of genomic prediction for all the regular traits. No bias of genomic prediction was seen when the reference cows were observed to the current EuroGenomics bull reference population.