Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fitmersive Games: Fitness Gamification through Immersive VR

The decreasing hardware cost makes it affordable to pair Immersive Virtual Environments (IVR) visors with treadmills and exercise bikes. In this paper, we discuss the application of different gamification techniques in IVR for supporting physical exercise. We describe both the hardware setting and the design of Rift-a-bike, a cycling fitmersive game (immersive games for fitness). We evaluate the effectiveness of such techniques through a user study, which provides different insights on their effectiveness in designing such applications.
LINE Retrotransposon RNA Is an Essential Structural and Functional Epigenetic Component of a Core Neocentromeric Chromatin

We have previously identified and characterized the phenomenon of ectopic human centromeres, known as neocentromeres. Human neocentromeres form epigenetically at euchromatic chromosomal sites and are structurally and functionally similar to normal human centromeres. Recent studies have indicated that neocentromere formation provides a major mechanism for centromere repositioning, karyotype evolution, and speciation. Using a marker chromosome mardel(10) containing a neocentromere formed at the normal chromosomal 10q25 region, we have previously mapped a 330-kb CENP-A–binding domain and described an increased prevalence of L1 retrotransposons in the underlying DNA sequences of the CENP-A–binding clusters. Here, we investigated the potential role of the L1 retrotransposons in the regulation of neocentromere activity. Determination of the transcriptional activity of a panel of full-length L1s (FL-L1s) across a 6-Mb region spanning the 10q25 neocentromere chromatin identified one of the FL-L1 retrotransposons, designated FL-L1b and residing centrally within the CENP-A–binding clusters, to be transcriptionally active. We demonstrated the direct incorporation of the FL-L1b RNA transcripts into the CENP-A–associated chromatin. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the FL-L1b RNA transcripts led to a reduction in CENP-A binding and an impaired mitotic function of the 10q25 neocentromere. These results indicate that LINE retrotransposon RNA is a previously undescribed essential structural and functional component of the neocentromeric chromatin and that retrotransposable elements may serve as a critical epigenetic determinant in the chromatin remodelling events leading to neocentromere formation.
Energy-optimal SRAM supply voltage scheduling under lifetime and error constraints

This work addresses the energy efficiency of the memory architecture in safety-critical systems that have to guarantee a given level of service and a minimum lifetime. We specifically target SRAM structures in which decreased reliability manifests itself in terms of the aging induced by NBTI (Negative Bias Temperature Instability), and in which the level of service is represented by the bit-error rate (BER). Our approach is based on the idea of determining an energy-optimal scheduling of supply voltages for the SRAM that satisfy the specified lifetime and BER constraints. The construction of the scheduling leverages semi-empirical models for the quantity of interest (aging, energy, memory performance, error rate) in terms of the supply voltage, and is determined through a search-based algorithm in the corresponding solution space. The optimization framework is embedded into a design space exploration tool that allows browsing the energy/performance/ reliability space for the various desired lifetime/error rate and by varying architectural parameters such operating frequency and memory size.
An efficient DNA sequence searching method using position specific weighting scheme

Exact match queries, wildcard match queries, and k mismatch queries are widely used in various molecular biology applications including the searching of ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tags) and DNA transcription factors. In this paper, we suggest an efficient indexing and processing mechanism for such queries. Our indexing method places a sliding window at every possible location of a DNA sequence and extracts its signature by considering the occurrence frequency of each nucleotide. It then stores a set of signatures using a multi-dimensional index such as the R*-tree. Also, by assigning a weight to each position of a window, it prevents signatures from being concentrated around a few spots in indexing space. Our query processing method converts a query sequence into a multi-dimensional rectangle and searches the index for the signatures overlapping with the rectangle. Experiments with real biological data sets have revealed that the proposed approach is at least 4.4 times, 2.1 times, and several orders of magnitude faster than the previous one in performing exact match, wildcard match, and k-mismatch queries, respectively.
Ocular vergence under natural conditions. II. Gaze shifts between real targets differing in distance and direction

Horizontal binocular eye movements of three subjects were recorded with the scleral sensor coil - revolving magnetic field technique during voluntary shifts of gaze between pairs of stationary, real, continuously visible targets. The target pairs were located either along the median plane (requiring symmetrical vergence), or on either side of the median plane (requiring asymmetrical vergence). Symmetrical vergence was primarily smooth, but it was often assisted by small, disjunctive saccades. Peak vergence speeds were very high; they increased from about 50° s-1 for vergence changes of 5° to between 150 and 200° s-1 for vergence changes of 34°. Differences between convergence and divergence were idiosyncratic. Asymmetrical vergence, requiring a vergence of 11° combined with a version of 45°, was largely saccadic. Unequal saccades mediated virtually all (95%) of the vergence required in the divergent direction, whereas 75% of the vergence required in the convergent direction was mediated by unequal saccades, with the remaining convergence mediated by smooth vergence, following completion of the saccades. Peak divergence speeds during these saccades were very high (180° s-1 for a change of vergence of 11°); much faster than the smooth, symmetrical vergence change of comparable size (14°). Peak convergent saccadic speeds were about 20% lower. This difference in peak speed was caused by an initial, transient divergence, observed at the beginning of all horizontal saccades. The waveform of disjunctive saccades did not have the same shape as the waveform of conjugate saccades of similar size. The smaller saccade of the disjunctive pair was stretched out in time so as to have the same duration as its larger, companion saccade. These results permitted the conclusion that the subsystems controlling saccades and vergence are not independent. Vergence responses were relatively slow and incomplete with monocular viewing, which excluded disparity as a cue. Monocularly stimulated vergence decreased as a function of the increasing presbyopia of our three subjects. Subjects were able to generate some vergence in darkness towards previously seen and remembered targets. Such responses, however, were slow, irregular and evanescent. In conclusion, vergence shifts between targets, which provided all natural cues to distance, were fast and accurate; they appeared adequate to provide effective binocular vision under natural conditions. This result could not have been expected on the basis of previous observations, all of which had been made with severely reduced cues to depth. We also found that asymmetric vergence was largely saccadic and conclude that the generation of saccades of unequal sizes in each of the eyes is a normal feature of oculomotor performance whenever gaze is shifted between targets that differ in distance as well as direction.
Amplification at 9p in Cervical Carcinoma by Comparative Genomic Hybridization

DNA copy number changes were studied by comparative genomic hybridization on 10 tumor specimens of squamous cell carcinoma of cervix obtained from Korean patients. DNA was extracted from paraffin‐embedded sections after removal of non‐malignant cells by microdissection technique. Copy number changes were found in 8/10 tumors. The most frequent changes were chromosome 19 gains (n=6) and losses on chromosomes 4 (n=4), 5 (n=3), and 3p (n=3). A novel finding was amplification in chromosome arm 9p21‐pter in 2 cases. Gains in 1, 3q, 5p, 6p, 8q, 16p, 17, and 20q and losses at 2q, 6q, 8p, 9q, 10p, 11, 13, 16q, and 18q were observed in at least one of the cases.
Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Methylphenidate for Treating Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract: This article reviews the efficacy of methylphenidate (MPH) for adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A literature search identified double-blind placebo-controlled MPH treatment studies of ADHD adults. Meta-analysis estimated the pooled effect size for MPH treatment and tested for publication bias. Meta-analysis regression assessed the influence of study design features on medication effects. Six trials met criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. These studies included a total of 140 MPH-treated ADHD adults and 113 placebo-treated ADHD adults. The mean effect size of 0.9 was statistically significant and there was no evidence of publication bias. Larger MPH effect sizes were associated with physician ratings of outcome and use of higher doses. When treatment is optimized to high doses, the effect size for MPH in adults was 1.3. We found strong support for the assertion that MPH is efficacious for treating adult ADHD. Because the degree of efficacy of MPH in treating ADHD adults is similar to what has been reported from meta-analyses of the child and adolescent literature, our work provides further assurance to clinicians that the diagnosis of ADHD can be validly applied in adulthood.
Immunobiology of African Trypanosomes: Need of Alternative Interventions

Trypanosomiasis is one of the major parasitic diseases for which control is still far from reality. The vaccination approaches by using dominant surface proteins have not been successful, mainly due to antigenic variation of the parasite surface coat. On the other hand, the chemotherapeutic drugs in current use for the treatment of this disease are toxic and problems of resistance are increasing (see Kennedy (2004) and Legros et al. (2002)). Therefore, alternative approaches in both treatment and vaccination against trypanosomiasis are needed at this time. To be able to design and develop such alternatives, the biology of this parasite and the host response against the pathogen need to be studied. These two aspects of this disease with few examples of alternative approaches are discussed here.
Solution-processed photodetectors using non-toxic, colloidal ZnS-AgInS2 nanoparticles

Non-toxic, colloidal ZnS-AgInS2 (ZAIS) nanoparticles (NPs) were used as the active material in a photodetector for the first time. This demonstrates the optoelectronic properties of ZAIS NPs, and proves its viability in other optoelectronic devices.
Uniaxial Ratchetting of 316FR Steel at Room Temperature— Part I: Experiments

Uniaxial ratchetting characteristics of 316FR steel at room temperature are studied experimentally. Cyclic tension tests, in which maximum strain increases every cycle by prescribed amounts, are conducted systematically in addition to conventional monotonic, cyclic, and ratchetting tests. Thus hysteresis loop closure, cyclic hardening and viscoplasticity are discussed in the context of constitutive modeling for ratchetting. The cyclic tension tests reveal that very slight opening of hysteresis loops occurs, and that neither accumulated plastic strain nor maximum plastic strain induces significant isotropic hardening if strain range is relatively small. These findings are used to discuss the ratchetting tests. It is thus shown that uniaxial ratchetting of the material at room temperature is brought about by slight opening of hysteresis loops as well as by viscoplasticity, and that kinematic hardening governs almost all strain hardening in uniaxial ratchetting if stress range is not large.
Ten Simple Rules for a Successful Collaboration

Scientific research has always been a collaborative undertaking, and this is particularly true today. For example, between 1981 and 2001, the average number of coauthors on a paper for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A rose from 3.9 to 8.4 [1]. Why the increase? Biology has always been considered the study of living systems; many of us now think of it as the study of complex systems. Understanding this complexity requires experts in many different domains. In short, these days success in being a biologist depends more on one's ability to collaborate than ever before. The Medical Research Centers in the United Kingdom figured this out long ago, and the new Janelia Farm research campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the United States has got the idea, as it strongly promotes intra- and inter-institutional collaborations [2]. Given that collaboration is crucial, how do you go about picking the right collaborators, and how can you best make the collaboration work? Here are ten simple rules based on our experience that we hope will help. Additional suggestions can be found in the references [3,4]. Above all, keep in mind that these rules are for both you and your collaborators. Always remember to treat your collaborators as you would want to be treated yourself—empathy is key.
Frictions in Shadow Banking: Evidence from the Lending Behavior of Money Market Funds

We document frictions in money market mutual fund lending that lead to the transmission of distress across borrowers. Using novel security-level holdings data, we show that funds exposed to Eurozone banks suffered large outflows in mid-2011. These outflows had significant spillovers: non-European issuers relying on such funds raised less short-term debt financing. Issuer characteristics do not explain the results: holding fixed the issuer, funds with higher Eurozone exposure cut lending more. Due to credit market frictions, funds with low Eurozone exposure provided substitute financing only to issuers they had pre-existing relationships with, even though issuers are large, highly rated firms.
Bounds for Substituting Algebraic Functions into D-finite Functions

It is well known that the composition of a D-finite function with an algebraic function is again D-finite. We give the first estimates for the orders and the degrees of annihilating operators for the compositions. We find that the analysis of removable singularities leads to an order-degree curve which is much more accurate than the order-degree curve obtained from the usual linear algebra reasoning.
Phenotypical Building Blocks for Genetic Programming

The theoretical foundations of genetic algorithms (GA) rest on the shoulders of the Schema Theorem, which states that the building blocks, highly (cid:12)t compact subsets of the chromosome, are more likely to survive from one generation to the next. The theory of genetic programming (GP) is tenu-ous, borrowing heavily from that of GA. As the GP can be considered to be a GA operating on a tree structure, this borrowing is adequate for most. Part of the problem of tying GP theory to the schema theorem is in the identi(cid:12)cation of building blocks. We discuss how a building block can be represented in a GP chromosome and the characteristics of building blocks in GP chromosomes. We also present the clique detection domain for which the detection of building blocks is easier than in previous domains utilized in GP research. We illustrate how the clique detection domain facilitates the construction of (cid:12)tness landscapes similar to those of the Royal Road functions in GA research.
Comparison of self, physician, and simulated patient ratings of pharmacist performance in a family practice simulator

The Family Practice Simulator (FPS) was piloted as a teaching, learning, and assessment opportunity for pharmacists making the transition into primary care practice. During this one-day simulation of a typical day in a family physician's office, nine pharmacists rotated through a series of 13 OSCE stations where they interacted with physicians, patients, nurses and office staff while completing primary care activities and receiving performance evaluations. Pharmacists' performance ratings from self, physician, and standardized patient evaluations were compared using Global Rating Scales (GRS) scores and station-specific key points checklists. The mean (SD) overall GRS scores obtained by pharmacists across all stations in the FPS were 4.56 (SD = 0.60) from standardized patients, 3.95 (SD = 0.63) from physicians, and 3.60 (SD = 0.63) from self-assessment (out of a maximum score of 5). Agreement between pharmacists' and patients' GRS ratings ranged from moderate to good (generalizability coefficient (G) = 0.45 to 0.72) for all except one station. Agreement in GRS scores between pharmacists and physicians was at most fair for every station (G = 0.02 – 0.26). There was fair agreement on key points scores between pharmacists and patients (weighted kappa = 27%; 95% CI 7%, 47%) and moderate agreement between pharmacists and physicians (weighted kappa = 45%; 95% CI 21%, 70%). Although there was at best moderate agreement in rating scores between pharmacists, standardized patients, and physicians, the FPS provided an important opportunity to measure expectations regarding the professional role, responsibilities, and performance of pharmacists from a multi-professional perspective, thus better preparing pharmacists for integration into primary care practice. Differences in agreement may have been due to different preconceptions and expectations among raters.
The Role of Project Modularity in Information Systems Development

Recent surveys have shown that ISD project success rates are particularly low. Organizations are applying a wide array of information systems development methodologies (ISDMs) – both plan-based and agile, such as waterfall, scrum and XP – to improve information systems development (ISD) performance. However, as ISD projects often have different characteristics such as size, scope and complexity, prior studies have been focused on helping organizations better choose an ISDM for projects. Nevertheless, prior research has not taken into consideration the notion of problem modularity of ISD projects. In this study, we utilize the NK fitness landscapes model to computationally examine via computer simulations the effects of problem modularity alongside various project environmental factors, and aim to answer the question: under various environmental factors, which ISDM should an ISD team adopt under various degree of problem modularity?
Essential requirement for both hsf1 and hsf2 transcriptional activity in spermatogenesis and male fertility

Heat shock factors (Hsfs) are major transactivators of heat shock proteins but are also involved in regulation of other genes active in embryonic development. High expression levels of Hsfs in mouse testis during development suggest a role for these factors in spermatogenesis, a cyclic process of spermatogonia cell‐differentiation into mature spermatozoa. In contrast to hsf1−/− mice, which exhibit normal spermatogenesis, targeted disruption of hsf2 results in reduced testicular size but only a small impairment in male fertility. We show here that disruption of both hsf1 and hsf2 results in a more severe phenotype associated with male sterility due to severe defects in spermatogenesis. Earliest defects observed are the reduced number of germ cells in juvenile mice and germ cells that enter the meiotic prophase fail to progress beyond the pachytene stage. This was associated with a reduction or absence of transcription of genes critically involved in spermatogenesis. The findings suggest that additive or synergistic transcriptional activity of both hsf1 and hsf2 is required for normal mammalian spermatogenesis and male fertility. genesis 38:66–80, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An Access Method for Objects Moving among Fixed Regions

We propose a spatio-temporal access method for objects that move through a set of fixed and disjoint regions. The proposal is based on an R-tree, on a temporal access method and on a hashing scheme. With our method it is possible to respond to queries of the timeslice and interval types as well as queries about the trajectory that an object has followed. It is also possible to process spatio-temporal queries with open time intervals, that is, queries about objects whose final duration in a determined position is unknown. This characteristic allows maintaining an index in which operations that can modify the underlying data structure can be mixed with query operations.
Deep circumflex iliac artery free flap with internal oblique muscle as a new method of immediate reconstruction of maxillectomy defect

A wide range of pedicled and free tissue transfer flaps have been described in the reconstruction of the complex maxillofacial defect, but no preferred reconstructive technique has so far emerged. The previous methods described may effectively close the oronasal fistula but reliable support for the cheek and orbit while providing a basis for an implant retained prosthesis is less likely to be achieved.
An Empirical Study of Web Interface Design on Small Display Devices

This paper reports an empirical study that explores the problem of finding a highly-efficient, user-friendly interface design method on small display devices. We compared three models using our PDA interface simulator: presentation optimization method, semantic conversion method, and zooming method. A controlled experiment has been carried out to identify the pros and cons of each method. The results show that of the three interface methods, the zooming method is slightly better than the semantic conversion method, while they both outperform the optimizing presentation method.
Error Propagation for 2D-to-3D Matching with Application to Underwater Navigation

When a Bayesian approach is used for feature matching, the method relies on the ability to specify reasonable error distributions for the input data. Although in practice the precise form of the distribution is not needed, the method becomes more reliable the more closely the true distribution shape is followed. In this paper we show how error covariances can be propagated through a relatively complex set of calculations to generate an improved set of covariance matrices for the matching algorithm. We demonstrate the technique with an application in which 2D features are derived from a perspective projection of a 3D CAD model consisting of cylinders. The errors created by uncertainty in the projection parameters are propagated through the projection process to create the covariance matrices for the relations between the feature pairs required by the matching algorithm.
Recycled Error Bits: Energy-Efficient Architectural Support for Floating Point Accuracy

In this work, we provide energy-efficient architectural support for floating point accuracy. For each floating point addition performed, we "recycle" that operation's rounding error. We make this error architecturally visible such that it can be used, whenever desired, by software. We also design a compiler pass that allows software to automatically use this feature. Experimental results on physical hardware show that software that exploits architecturally recycled error bits can (a) achieve accuracy comparable to a 64-bit FPU with performance and energy that are comparable to a 32-bit FPU, and (b) achieve accuracy comparable to an all-software scheme for 128-bit accuracy with far better performance and energy usage.