Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virtual Reality in the Service of User Participation

The normal application of Virtual Reality is to the simulation of environments which are in some way special - remote, hazardous or purely imaginary. This paper describes research and development work which changes the paradigm by simulating perfectly ordinary buildings for special people. Some of the population have some form of physical impairment - a proportion which is likely to rise in line with an ageing population. New legislation, such as the UK Disability Discrimination Act places additional responsibility on building owners to ensure adequate access for people with an impairment and this in turn will place additional responsibility on the architect. Current methods of auditing access for new building are primitive and require the auditor to interpret plans/sections of the proposed building against a checklist of requirements specific to the special need. This paper reports on progress in the use of an immersive VR facility to simulate access to buildings for two broad classes of user: i) those with a mobility impairment ii) those with a visual impairment In the former case, a wheelchair motion platform has been designed which allows the wheelchair user to navigate the virtual building; a brake and motor connected to the rollers on which the wheelchair sits facilitate the effects of slope and surface resistance.
The Role Of Religion in Death Attitudes: Distinguishing Between Religious Belief and Style of Processing Religious Contents

Although it is widely assumed that religiosity plays an important role in individuals' attitudes about death, research to date has failed to reveal consistent associations between religiosity and death attitudes. Drawing from D. M. Wulff's (1991) multidimensional model of religiosity, the authors examined associations between religious attitudes as measured by the Post-Critical Belief Scale and death attitudes as assessed by the Death Attitude Profile—Revised. In total, 471 Dutch-speaking Belgian adults completed both questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to asses the unique contribution of the religious attitudes in the prediction of the death attitudes. First, results show that religious people are more likely to endorse an approach acceptance attitude toward death, indicating that religiosity as such is related to belief in an afterlife. Second, people holding a literal attitude toward religion report more death anxiety, indicating that the processing of religious contents is related to defensiveness toward death. Finally, the specific combination of the two dimensions seems important in the prediction of a neutral acceptance attitude. The relevance of our findings for future research on religiosity and death attitudes is discussed.
Learning the Form of Causal Relationships Using Hierarchical Bayesian Models

People learn quickly when reasoning about causal relationships, making inferences from limited data and avoiding spurious inferences. Efficient learning depends on abstract knowledge, which is often domain or context specific, and much of it must be learned. While such knowledge effects are well documented, little is known about exactly how we acquire knowledge that constrains learning. This work focuses on knowledge of the functional form of causal relationships; there are many kinds of relationships that can apply between causes and their effects, and knowledge of the form such a relationship takes is important in order to quickly identify the real causes of an observed effect. We developed a hierarchical Bayesian model of the acquisition of knowledge of the functional form of causal relationships and tested it in five experimental studies, considering disjunctive and conjunctive relationships, failure rates, and cross-domain effects. The Bayesian model accurately predicted human judgments and outperformed several alternative models.
Delivering web service coordination capability to users

As web service technology matures there is growing interest in exploiting workflow techniques to coordinate web services. Bioinformaticians are a user community who combine web resources to perform in silico experiments. These users are scientists and not information technology experts they require workflow solutions that have a low cost of entry for service users and providers. Problems satisfying these requirements with current techniques led to the development of the Simple conceptual unified flow language (Scufl). Scufl is supported by the Freefluo enactment engine [1], and the Taverna editing workbench [3]. The extensibility of Scufl, supported by these tools, means that workflows coordinating web services can be matched to how users view their problems. The Taverna workbench exploits the web to keep Scufl simple by retrieving detail from URIs when required, and by scavenging the web for services. Scufl and its tools are not bioinformatics specific. They can be exploited by other communities who require user-driven composition and execution of workflows coordinating web resources.
Effect of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) added to Home Mechanical Ventilation (HMV) in Adult Pompe disease

Adult Pompe disease/acid maltase deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting in accumulation of glycogen in skeletal muscles, leading to myopathy frequently involving respiratory muscles. This involvement can cause respiratory insufficiency that may present as acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with alpha – glucosidase alfa, the only disease‐specific treatment, has been available as treatment option since 2006. ERT has shown efficacy concerning muscle strength and pulmonary function in adult patients as well as positive association with survival. We present two cases where addition of ERT to Home Mechanical Ventilation (HMV) showed improvements in lung function and gas exchange that may not be entirely attributable to nocturnal HMV and therefore may further indicate the beneficial role of ERT in conjunction with HMV in Adult Pompe disease.
CAPTCHA accessibility study of online forums

The rise of online forums has benefited disabled users, who take advantage of better communications and more inclusion into society. However, even with accessibility laws that are supposed to provide disabled people the same equal access as non-disabled users, sites have erected technical barriers, such as CAPTCHAs that prevent users from taking full advantage of site capability. This study analyses 150-online forums to determine if sites use CAPTCHAs, and what types are used. Each variety presents accessibility problems to disabled users and the results of the research show that most sites use text-based CAPTCHAs, but rarely provide alternatives that would help users with visual disabilities. The research presents alternatives that site designers may wish to consider in order to allow more disabled users to access their sites.
Stochastic block–monotonicity in the approximation of the stationary distribution of infinite markov chains

Markov chains with block-structured transition matrices find many applications in various areas. Such Markov chains are characterized by having a state space which is partitioned into levels, each level consisting of a number of stages. Examples include Markov chains of GI/M/1 type and M/G/l type, and, more generally, Markov chains of Toeplitz type. The level-dependent quasi-birth-and-death (LDQBD) process provides an additional example; the transition matrix does not have repeating blocks in this case. In the analysis of such Markov chains, a number of properties and/or measures which relate to transitions among levels play a dominant role, while transitions between stages within the same level are less important In this paper, we introduce the concept of block-monotonicity and apply this notion to the analysis of Markov chains possessing block structure. In particular, the problem of approximating the stationary probability vectors is successfully treated
TLC-Asthma: An Integrated Information System for Patient-centered Monitoring, Case Management, and Point-of-Care Decision Support

A great deal of successful work has been done in the area of EMR development, implementation, and evaluation. Less work has been done in the area of automated systems for patients. Efforts to link data at multiple levels - the patient, the case manager, and the clinician have been rudimentary to-date. In this paper we present a model information system that integrates patient health information across multiple domains to support the monitoring and care of children with persistent asthma. The system has been developed for use in a multi-specialty group practice and includes three primary components: 1) a patient-centered telephone-linked communication system; 2) a web-based alert reporting and nurse case-management system; and 3) EMR-based provider communication to support clinical decision making at the point-of-care. The system offers a model for a new level of connectivity for health information that supports customized monitoring, IT-enabled nurse case-managers, and the delivery of longitudinal data to clinicians to support the care of children with persistent asthma. Systems like the one described are well-suited, perhaps essential, technologies for the care of children and adults with chronic conditions such as asthma.
Formation control of heterogeneous robots using distance and orientation

This paper proposes a planar formation control scheme for a group of mobile robots modeled as single or double integrators. The approach is based on the design of distance-based potential functions with inter-robot collision avoidance using the information about the distance with respect to other robots in polar coordinates. The result applies to an arbitrary undirected communication topology. The formation scheme becomes a decentralized control setup in robots equipped with local sensors of distance and orientation. The control approach can be extended to the case of kinematic and dynamical models of nonholonomic robots applying an appropriated input-output linearization. It enables the possibility to combine heterogeneous robots as shown by numerical simulations using the projection in the 2D plane of multi-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's), unicycle-type and omnidirectional wheeled mobile robots. Also, an experiment with these real wheeled mobile robots is presented.
When the bat sings.

Bats, like birds, can sing. They emit multisyllabic trills and chirps in specific combinations and rhythms, crafting tunes that are as complex as those of songbirds. From New Zealand to Africa, researchers are seeking out bat troubadours to find out when and why these winged mammals burst into song, and why they have evolved this mentally demanding ability. Studies by Kirsten Bohn, Michael Smotherman, and others have shown that like many songbirds, most bat songsters are male, live in polygynous societies where males mate with more than one female, and tend to sing to court females and defend territories. Their complex songs are probably not innate, and so require vocal learning, as bird song and human speech do. Studies by these and other researchers are exploring what bats can reveal about the evolution of complex vocal abilities, including human speech.
Stimulation of Endocannabinoid Formation in Brain Slice Cultures through Activation of Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors

Activation of group I metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors drives the endocannabinoid system to cause both short- and long-term changes of synaptic strength in the striatum, hippocampus, and other brain areas. Although there is strong electrophysiological evidence for a role of endocannabinoid release in mGlu receptor-dependent plasticity, the identity of the endocannabinoid transmitter mediating this phenomenon remains undefined. In this study, we show that activation of group I mGlu receptors triggers the biosynthesis of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), but not anandamide, in primary cultures of corticostriatal and hippocampal slices prepared from early postnatal rat brain. Pharmacological studies suggest that 2-AG biosynthesis is initiated by activation of mGlu5 receptors, is catalyzed by phospholipase C (PLC) and 1,2-diacylglycerol lipase (DGL) activities, and is dependent on intracellular Ca2+ ions. Realtime polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining analyses indicate that DGL-β is the predominant DGL isoform expressed in corticostriatal and hippocampal slices and that this enzyme is highly expressed in striatal neurons, where it is colocalized with PLC-β1. The results suggest that 2-AG is a primary endocannabinoid mediator of mGlu receptor-dependent neuronal plasticity.
A influência da ultra-sonografia na representação do filho imaginário - filho real

The influence of ultrasound in the representation of imaginary son – real son The present work aims to investigate the influence’s dimension of the obstetric ultrasound method on the pychic representation that the mother makes of her son. Ten pregnant women above the age of 23 had been selected, of varied socio-economic levels, mothers of one or several babies, being analysed with each subject: two individual interviews, before and after the ultrasound; an observation during the afore said examination and a focal interview of the group, what complemented the data analysis. The results show that the ultrasound method, under the psychic dimension, brings a period of affective elaboration, allowing the mother to have a gradual approach with a more realistic son instead of an idealized one, effect that leads into consideration, among others aspects, the way as the person who makes the ultrasound intermediates this moment of relation between mother and son.
Impact of abrupt deglacial climate change on tropical Atlantic subsurface temperatures

Both instrumental data analyses and coupled ocean-atmosphere models indicate that Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) variability is tightly linked to abrupt tropical North Atlantic (TNA) climate change through both atmospheric and oceanic processes. Although a slowdown of AMOC results in an atmospheric-induced surface cooling in the entire TNA, the subsurface experiences an even larger warming because of rapid reorganizations of ocean circulation patterns at intermediate water depths. Here, we reconstruct high-resolution temperature records using oxygen isotope values and Mg/Ca ratios in both surface- and subthermocline-dwelling planktonic foraminifera from a sediment core located in the TNA over the last 22 ky. Our results show significant changes in the vertical thermal gradient of the upper water column, with the warmest subsurface temperatures of the last deglacial transition corresponding to the onset of the Younger Dryas. Furthermore, we present new analyses of a climate model simulation forced with freshwater discharge into the North Atlantic under Last Glacial Maximum forcings and boundary conditions that reveal a maximum subsurface warming in the vicinity of the core site and a vertical thermal gradient change at the onset of AMOC weakening, consistent with the reconstructed record. Together, our proxy reconstructions and modeling results provide convincing evidence for a subsurface oceanic teleconnection linking high-latitude North Atlantic climate to the tropical Atlantic during periods of reduced AMOC across the last deglacial transition.
Cell-Surface and Nuclear Receptors in the Colon as Targets for Bacterial Metabolites and Its Relevance to Colon Health

The symbiotic co-habitation of bacteria in the host colon is mutually beneficial to both partners. While the host provides the place and food for the bacteria to colonize and live, the bacteria in turn help the host in energy and nutritional homeostasis, development and maturation of the mucosal immune system, and protection against inflammation and carcinogenesis. In this review, we highlight the molecular mediators of the effective communication between the bacteria and the host, focusing on selective metabolites from the bacteria that serve as messengers to the host by acting through selective receptors in the host colon. These bacterial metabolites include the short-chain fatty acids acetate, propionate, and butyrate, the tryptophan degradation products indole-3-aldehyde, indole-3-acetic, acid and indole-3-propionic acid, and derivatives of endogenous bile acids. The targets for these bacterial products in the host include the cell-surface G-protein-coupled receptors GPR41, GPR43, and GPR109A and the nuclear receptors aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), and farnesoid X receptor (FXR). The chemical communication between these bacterial metabolite messengers and the host targets collectively has the ability to impact metabolism, gene expression, and epigenetics in colonic epithelial cells as well as in mucosal immune cells. The end result, for the most part, is the maintenance of optimal colonic health.
Social Side of Rural Internet Use: Online Communication, Social Support, and Community Satisfaction in a Rural Area

The purpose of this study was to examine how rural residents’ online communication with friends and family is related to perception of social support and community satisfaction. Using the survey data (n = 325) collected in a South Texas rural community, the present study investigated dynamic relationships between online communication and perceived social support by looking at interaction effects relative to extroversion and size of social networks. The hierarchical regression analysis presented the explanatory power of extroversion and size of social networks in the variance of perceived social support. In addition, the regression model showed the significant relationship between the amount of online communication and perceived social support, while online communication is not significantly related to community satisfaction. The significant interaction of extraversion and online communication was measured as well. That is, respondents who have more extraverted personalities are more likely to perceive higher levels of social support than less extraverted ones.
Laryngeal articulatory function and speech origins

The larynx is the essential articulatory mechanism that primes the vocal tract. Far from being only a glottal source of voicing, the complex laryngeal mechanism entrains the ontogenetic acquisition of speech and, through coarticulatory coupling, guides the production of oral sounds in the infant vocal tract. As such, it is not possible to speculate as to the origins of the speaking modality in humans without considering the fundamental role played by the laryngeal articulatory mechanism. The Laryngeal Articulator Model, which divides the vocal tract into a laryngeal component and an oral component, serves as a basis for describing early infant speech and for positing how speech sounds evolving in various hominids may be related phonetically. To this end, we offer some suggestions for how the evolution and development of vocal tract anatomy fit with our infant speech acquisition data and discuss the implications this has for explaining phonetic learning and for interpreting the biological evolution of the human vocal tract in relation to speech and speech acquisition.
MMSE-based MIMO precoder using partial channel information

This paper presents a precoder design based on the minimum mean squared error (MMSE) criterion and using the knowledge of only the transmit and receive correlation matrices of the underlying MIMO channel. The optimal transformations are shown to be eigen-beamformers, which transmit the signal along eigenvectors of the transmit correlation matrix. Power loading across the eigenbeams are determined based on eigenvalues of both transmit and receive correlation matrices and can be viewed as a waterpouring policy. Performance of the proposed precoders using partial channel information in various MIMO channels is evaluated and compared to that of precoders based on full channel knowledge at transmitter. It was shown that as the number of the transmit and receive antennas increases, the MMSE-based MIMO precoders using partial channel knowledge can achieve the performance of precoders using full channel knowledge. Furthermore, the channel that gives the best performance is the one with only one strong eigen mode for cases with a large number of receive antenna or a small number of transmit antenna. For small number of receive antennas or large number of transmit antennas, the full rank channel with equal gain eigen modes will gives the best performance.
S values for radionuclides localized within the skeleton.

UNLABELLED Calculations of radiation absorbed dose to the active marrow are important to radionuclide therapies such as radioimmunotherapy and bone pain palliation. In diagnostic nuclear medicine, calculations of the effective dose for radiopharmaceutical procedures also require the assessment of radiation dose to the skeletal endosteum. We have previously reported the development of 2 3-dimensional electron transport models for assessing absorbed fractions to both marrow and endosteum in trabecular and cortical bone, respectively. Here, we extend these calculations to the assignment of radionuclide S values. METHODS Data published in International Commission on Radiological Protection Publication 70 were used to develop tables of masses for total marrow space, active and inactive marrow, endosteum, and bone matrix within 22 skeletal sites in the adult. Using our site-specific tissue masses, along with electron absorbed fractions given by our 3-dimensional transport models, radionuclide S values (electron and beta particle components only) were subsequently calculated using the MIRD schema for 32P, 33P, 89Sr, 90Sr, 90Y, 117mSn, 153Sm, 169Er, 177Lu, and 186Re. Specific consideration was given to the trabecular active marrow as both a source and a target region. RESULTS Site-specific radionuclide S values are reported for 22 skeletal sites, for 9 source-target tissue combinations within trabecular bone, and for 6 source-target tissue combinations within cortical bone. Skeletal-averaged S values are also provided. CONCLUSION A fully documented model is presented for the adult for use in radionuclide dosimetry of the skeleton. The model is based on both the latest international recommendations for skeletal tissue masses and results from three-dimensional electron transport calculations within the skeleton. Comparisons are additionally made against the radionuclide S values published in MIRD Pamphlet No. 11 and those calculated using the MIRDOSE2 and MIRDOSE3 computer codes. Differences in these datasets vary with the source-target combination considered and may be attributed to 1 of 3 causes: (a) assumptions on reference target masses, (b) transport models used to assign absorbed fractions, and (c) implicit assumptions made in considering the trabecular active marrow as both a source and a target tissue.