Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SPIRITUALIST RITUAL AND THE PERFORMANCE OF BELIEF: SPIRIT COMMUNICATION IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AMERICA

Title of Document: SPIRITUALIST RITUAL AND THE PERFORMANCE OF BELIEF: SPIRIT COMMUNICATION IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AMERICA Robert C. Thompson, Doctor of Philosophy, 2013 Directed By: Assistant Professor, Dr. Laurie Frederik Meer, School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Spiritualism is an alternative religion focused on establishing contact between living participants and the spirits of the dead, dating to the mid nineteenth century. Drawing on eighteen months of ethnographic research at the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment in Falls Church, Virginia, I analyze the three primary rituals of Spiritualist practice—spirit messages, spirit healing, and unfoldment—and argue that performance is central to Spiritualists' ability to connect with the spirit world in a way that can be intersubjectively confirmed by more than one participant. Spirit messages are performed by mediums to a congregation or audience in order to prove to individual spectators that their deceased loved ones have continued to exist as disembodied spirits after their deaths. Spirit healing is performed by healers who channel the energy of the spirits into participants in order to improve the participant's mental, physical, and spiritual condition. And unfoldment is the process whereby Spiritualists study and practice to be able to make their own direct personal contact with the spirit world. Spiritualism purports to be a science, religion, and philosophy. I consider the intersection between criticism of empirical evidence and entertainment in order to establish how Spiritualists attract newcomers and the intersection between religious belief and ritual participation in order to establish why newcomers choose to become converts. I consider Spiritualism's early history in order to discover the nature of the delicate balance that criticism and belief have established in Spiritualist practice. And, in my analysis of contemporary Spiritualist ritual, I trace the path of the convert from a newcomer with a primarily critical attitude toward Spiritualism to a believer pursuing an increasingly direct connection with the spirit world. I conclude that the live, personal interaction of Spiritualist performance is central to Spiritualists' ability to negotiate a cooperative integration of scientific criticism and religious belief. SPIRITUALIST RITUAL AND THE PERFORMANCE OF BELIEF: SPIRIT COMMUNICATION IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AMERICA
Altered Expression of Selectable Marker URA3 in Gene-Disrupted Candida albicans Strains Complicates Interpretation of Virulence Studies

ABSTRACT The ura-blaster technique for the disruption of Candida albicans genes has been employed in a number of studies to identify possible genes encoding virulence factors of this fungal pathogen. In this study, the URA3-encoded orotidine 5′-monophosphate (OMP) decarboxylase enzyme activities of C. albicans strains with ura-blaster-mediated genetic disruptions were measured. All strains harboring genetic lesions via the ura-blaster construct showed reduced OMP decarboxylase activities compared to that of the wild type when assayed. The activity levels in different gene disruptions varied, suggesting a positional effect on the level of gene expression. Because the URA3 gene ofC. albicans has previously been identified as a virulence factor for this microorganism, our results suggest that decreased virulence observed in strains constructed with the ura-blaster cassette cannot accurately be attributed, in all cases, to the targeted genetic disruption. Although revised methods for validating aURA3-disrupted gene as a target for antifungal drug development could be devised, it is clearly desirable to replaceURA3 with a different selectable marker that does not influence virulence.
DDPM: Dynamic Deterministic Packet Marking for IP Traceback

This paper introduces the concepts of dynamic marking and mark-based detection to the field of IP traceback. In dynamic marking it is possible to find the attack agents in a large scale DDoS network. Moreover, in the case of a DRDoS it enables the victim to trace the attack one step further back to the source, to find a master machine or the real attacker with only a few numbers of packets. The proposed marking procedure increases the possibility of DRDoS attack detection at the victim through Mark-based detection. In Mark-based method, the detection engine takes into account the marks of the packets to identify varying sources of a single site involved in a DDoS attack. This significantly increases the probability of detection. In order to satisfy the end-to-end arguments approach, fate-sharing and also respect to the need for scalable and applicable schemes, only edge routers implement our simple marking procedure. The delay and bandwidth overhead added to the edge routers is fairly negligible
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Standardized and Personally Relevant Stimuli in Two Mood Induction Procedures

EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STANDARDIZED AND PERSONALLY RELEVANT STIMULI IN TWO MOOD INDUCTION PROCEDURES Kathleen E. Hazlett, B.A. Marquette University, 2012 The experience of emotion is a critical component of behavior, cognition, and general human functioning. In order to better understand emotional experience, researchers have utilized mood induction procedures (MIPs) to elicit specific emotional responses. Previous studies have reviewed the effectiveness of various MIPs; however, these studies do not account for more recently developed picture datasets and are limited in their examination of the impact that personal relevance has on MIP effectiveness. The present study examined changes in emotion using four different MIPs that varied based on stimuli type (either Picture or Vignette) and relevance to the participant (Personally Relevant or Standardized). Additionally, factors related to social desirability, emotion regulation and expression, emotional functioning, and personality were evaluated to determine possible influences of MIP effectiveness. Seventy-eight undergraduates participated in the study. Results indicated no differences in the effectiveness of Picture and Vignette MIPs. However, MIPs based on personally relevant stimuli were more effective that those based on standardized stimuli. Only the Personally Relevant Positive Vignette MIP was significantly correlated with social desirability, emotional functioning, and personality variables. Generally, these results suggest that researchers may benefit from tapping into the personally relevant emotional experiences of their participants. However, given small effect sizes for the direct comparison of MIPs, researchers may also want to consider other factors (e.g., constraints of the experimental environment) when choosing which MIPs to use.
Evaluation of Guidance Systems in Public Infrastructures Using Eye Tracking in an Immersive Virtual Environment

In this paper we present a novel method to evaluate guid- ance systems and navigation solutions for public infrastructures based on an immersive virtual environment in combination with a mobile eye tracking system. It opens new opportunities for waynding studies in public infrastructures already during the planning phase. Our approach embeds an interface for natural locomotion in the virtual environment oering signicant advantages related to the user's spatial perception as well as physical and cognitive demands. Accurate measurements of position, locomotion and gaze within the virtual environment enable a great simplication for the analysis of eye tracking data. We conducted a study with participants that included virtual and real world scenarios within a train station. First results exhibit similar behaviour of partici- pants in the real and virtual environment, conrming the comparability and applicability of our method.
Online The Open University ’ s repository of research publications and other research outputs Re-using Digital Narrative Content in Interactive Games

This paper presents a model, called Scene-Driver, for the reuse of film and television material. We begin by exploring general issues surrounding the ways in which content can be sub-divided into meaningful units for re-use and how criteria might then be applied to the selection and ordering of these units. We also identify and discuss the different means by which a user might interact with the content to create novel and engaging experiences. The Scene-Driver model has been instantiated using content from an animated children’s television series called Tiny Planets, which is aimed at children of 5-7 years old. This type of material, being story-based itself, lends itself particularly well to the application of narrative constraints to scene reordering, to provide coherence to the experience of interacting with the content. We propose an interactive narrative-driven game architecture, in which a user generates novel narratives from existing content by placing “domino” like tiles. These tiles act as “glue” between scenes and each tile-choice dictates certain properties of the next scene to be shown within a game. There are three different game-types, based on three different ways in which tiles can be matched to scenes. We introduce algorithms for generating legal tile-sets for each of these three game-types, which can be extended to include narrative constraints. This ensures that all novel orderings adhere to a minimum narrative plan, which has been identified based on analysis of the Tiny Planets series and on narrative theories. We also suggest ways in which basic narratives can be enhanced by the inclusion of directorial techniques and by the use of more complex plot structures. In our evaluation studies with children in the target age-range, our game compared favourably with other games that the children enjoyed playing.
On programmed ribosomal frameshifting: the alternative proteomes

Frameshifting results from two main mechanisms: genomic insertions or deletions (indels) or programmed ribosomal frameshifting. Whereas indels can disrupt normal protein function, programmed ribosomal frameshifting can result in dual-coding genes, each of which can produce multiple functional products. Here, I summarize technical advances that have made it possible to identify programmed ribosomal frameshifting events in a systematic way. The results of these studies suggest that such frameshifting occurs in all genomes, and I will discuss methods that could help characterize the resulting alternative proteomes.
Investigation of Atrial Vulnerability by Analysis of the Sinus Node EG From Atrial Fibrillation Models Using a Phase Synchronization Method

Atrial fibrillation (AF) can result in life-threatening arrhythmia, and a clinically convenient means for detecting vulnerability remains elusive. We investigated atrial vulnerability by analyzing the sinus electrogram (EG) from AF animal models using a phase synchronization method. Using acetylcholine (ACh)-induced acute canine AF models (n = 4), a total of 128 electrical leads were attached to the surface of the anterior and posterior atria, and the pulmonary veins to form an electrocardiological mapping system. ACh was injected at varying concentrations with ladder-type adjustments. Sinus EGs and induced AF EGs that pertain to specific ACh concentrations were recorded. We hypothesize that the atrial vulnerability may be correlated with the Shannon entropy (SE) of the phase difference matrix that is extracted from the sinus EG. Our research suggests that the combination of SE with the synchronization method enables the sinus node EG to be analyzed and used to estimate atrial vulnerability.
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes: Immunomodulatory Evaluation in an Antigen-Induced Synovitis Porcine Model

Synovitis is an inflammatory process associated with pain, disability, and discomfort, which is usually treated with anti-inflammatory drugs or biological agents. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been also successfully used in the treatment of inflammatory-related diseases such as synovitis or arthritis. In the last years, the exosomes derived from MSCs have become a promising tool for the treatment of inflammatory-related diseases and their therapeutic effect is thought to be mediated (at least in part) by their immunomodulatory potential. In this work, we aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of these exosomes in an antigen-induced synovitis animal model. To our knowledge, this is the first report where exosomes derived from MSCs have been evaluated in an animal model of synovitis. Our results demonstrated a decrease of synovial lymphocytes together with a downregulation of TNF-α transcripts in those exosome-treated joints. These results support the immunomodulatory effect of these exosomes and point out that they may represent a promising therapeutic option for the treatment of synovitis.
The physics and modes of star cluster formation: simulations

We review progress in numerical simulations of star cluster formation. These simulations involve the bottom-up assembly of clusters through hierarchical mergers, which produces a fractal stellar distribution at young (approx. 0.5 Myr) ages. The resulting clusters are predicted to be mildly aspherical and highly mass-segregated, except in the immediate aftermath of mergers. The upper initial mass function within individual clusters is generally somewhat flatter than for the aggregate population. Recent work has begun to clarify the factors that control the mean stellar mass in a star-forming cloud and also the efficiency of star formation. The former is sensitive to the thermal properties of the gas while the latter depends both on the magnetic field and the initial degree of gravitational boundedness of the natal cloud. Unmagnetized clouds that are initially bound undergo rapid collapse, which is difficult to reverse by ionization feedback or stellar winds.
[POSTER] A Particle Filter Approach to Outdoor Localization Using Image-Based Rendering

We propose an outdoor localization system using a particle filter. In our approach, a textured, geo-registered model of the outdoor environment is used as a reference to estimate the pose of a smartphone. The device position and the orientation obtained from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) are used as a first estimation of the true pose. Then, multiple pose hypotheses are randomly distributed about the GPS/IMU measurement and use to produce renderings of the virtual model. With vision-based methods, the rendered images are compared with the image received from the smartphone, and the matching scores are used to update the particle filter. The outcome of our system improves the camera pose estimate in real time without user assistance.
Functional organ preservation in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer

The principles of open versus laser microsurgical approaches for partial resections of the larynx are described, oncologic as well as functional results discussed and corresponding outcomes following primary radiotherapy are opposed. Over the last decade, the endoscopic partial resection of the larynx has developed to an accepted approach in the treatment of early glottic and supraglottic carcinomas thus leading to a remarkable decline in the use of open surgery. Comparing the various surgical approaches of laryngeal partial resections, the oncological outcome of the patients, as far as survival and organ preservation are concerned, are comparable, whereas functional results of the endoscopic procedures are superior with less morbidity. The surgical procedures put together, are all superior to radiotherapy concerning organ preservation. Transoral laser microsurgery has been used successfully for vocal cord carcinomas with impaired mobility or fixation of the vocal cord, supraglottic carcinomas with infiltration of the pre- and/or paraglottic space as well as for selected hypopharyngeal carcinomas. It has been well documented that laser microsurgery achieves good oncological as well as functional results with reasonable morbidity. However, patients with those tumours have been successfully treated by open partial resections of the larynx at medical centres with appropriate expertise. The initially enthusiastic assessment of study results concerning the efficacy of various protocols of chemoradiation with the intent of organ preservation for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal carcinomas are judged more cautious, today, due to recent reports of rather high rates of late toxicity complications.
A Simple Approach to Use Bilingual Information Sources for Word Alignment

In this paper we present a new and simple method for using sources of bilingual information for word alignment between parallel segments of text. This method can be used "on the fly", since it does not need to be trained. In addition, it can also be applied on comparable corpora. We compare our method to the state-of-the-art tool GIZA++, widely used for word alignment, and we obtain very similar results.
Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors for the Treatment of Coexisting Depression and Psychosis in Dementia of the Alzheimer Type.

Four patients, ages 75 to 92 years, with a dementia of the Alzheimer type, presented with accompanying depression and psychosis. In these patients, treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor resulted in a dramatic clearing of not only the depressive symptoms but the psychosis as well. Treatment was well tolerated in all cases.
A methodology for systematic attack trees generation for interoperable medical devices

Security for medical devices has gained some traction in the recent years following some well-publicized attacks on individual devices, such as pacemakers and insulin pumps. This has resulted in solutions being proposed for securing these devices, usually in stand-alone mode. Medical devices are however becoming increasingly interconnected and interoperable as a way to improve patient safety, decrease false alarms, and reduce clinician cognitive workload. Given the nature of interoperable medical devices (IMDs), attacks on IMDs can have devastating consequences. This work outlines our effort in understanding the threats faced by IMDs, an important first step in eventually designing secure interoperability architectures. A useful way of performing threat analysis of any system is to use attack trees. Attack trees are conceptual, multi-leveled diagrams showing how an asset, or target, might be attacked. They provide a formal, methodical way of describing the threats to a system. Developing attack trees for any system is however non-trivial and often requires considerable expertise in identifying the various attack vectors. IMDs are typically deployed in hospitals by clinical engineers who may not possess such expertise. We therefore develop a methodology that will enable the automated generation of attack trees for IMDs based on a description of the IMD operational workflow and list of safety hazards that need to be avoided during its operation. Both these pieces of information can be provided by the users of IMDs in a care facility. The contributions of this paper are: (1) a methodology for automated generation of attack trees for IMDs using process modeling and hazard analysis, and (2) a demonstration of the viability of the methodology for a specific IMD setup called Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA-IMD), which is used for delivering pain medication to patients in hospitals.
Fluoroscopic findings of swallowing: comparison between preterm and full-term infants.

PURPOSE To describe the fluoroscopic findings of swallowing in preterm infants with zero to six months of age, as well as the related diseases and clinical signs and symptoms, and to compare these findings with data obtained from full-term infants. METHODS The retrospective findings of fluoroscopic studies carried out in infants with zero to six months of age and their respective files were analyzed. Participants were 40 subjects divided into two groups: Preterm Group, composed by 23 preterm infants, and Full-Term Group, with 17 infants born full-term. RESULTS Nasopharyngeal and gastroesophageal reflux were the main fluoroscopic findings of swallowing in both groups. There was no difference between the groups regarding the presence of swallowing disorders. The Preterm Group presented more cardiac problems than the Full-Term Group. No differences were found between the groups regarding neurologic and respiratory problems. With respect to clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of swallowing disorders, the Preterm Group presented more oxygen desaturation and the Full-Term Group, more vomiting. CONCLUSION Nasopharyngeal reflux and gastroesophageal reflux were the main fluoroscopic findings of swallowing in preterm infants with zero to six months of age. New follow-up studies with this population must be carried out to confirm the hypothesis that the swallowing alterations observed were due to immaturity in the swallowing function.
Anatomic Hepatectomy Planning through Mobile Display Visualization and Interaction

Hepatectomies are resections in which segments of the liver are extracted. While medical images are fundamental in the surgery planning procedure, the process of analysis of such images slice-by-slice is still tedious and inefficient. In this work we propose a strategy to efficiently and semi-automatically segment and classify patient-specific liver models in 3D through a mobile display device. The method is based on volume visualization of standard CT datasets and allows accurate estimation of functional remaining liver volume. Experiments showing effectiveness of the method are presented, and quantitative and qualitative results are discussed.
Ecto-5′-Nucleotidase on Immune Cells Protects From Adverse Cardiac Remodeling

Rationale: Ecto-5′-nucleotidase (CD73) on immune cells is emerging as a critical pathway and therapeutic target in cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders. Objective: Here, we investigated the role of CD73 in postinfarction inflammation, cardiac repair, and remodeling in mice after reperfused myocardial infarction (50-minute ischemia). Methods and Results: We found that compared with control mice (1) cardiac function in CD73−/− mice more severely declined after infarction (systolic failure with enhanced myocardial edema formation) as determined by MRI and was associated with the persistence of cardiac immune cell subsets, (2) cardiac adenosine release was augmented 7 days after ischemia/reperfusion in control mice but reduced by 90% in CD73 mutants, (3) impaired healing involves M1-driven immune response with increased tumor necrosis factor-&agr; and interleukin-17, as well as decreased transforming growth factor-&bgr; and interleukin-10, and (4) CD73−/− mice displayed infarct expansion accompanied by an immature replacement scar and diffuse ventricular fibrosis. Studies on mice after bone marrow transplantation revealed that CD73 present on immune cells is a major determinant promoting cardiac healing. Conclusions: These results, together with the upregulation of CD73 on immune cells after ischemia/reperfusion, demonstrate the crucial role of purinergic signaling during cardiac healing and provide groundwork for novel anti-inflammatory strategies in treating adverse cardiac remodeling.