Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does immersion make a virtual environment more usable?

Usability tests comparing three different virtual environment (VE) interface designs indicate that an immersive VE is more usable than two non-immersive VEs for a task with search and navigation components. Three interface designs were tried in a counterbalanced within-subjects procedure with ten randomly-ordered trials for each interface design. One of the interface designs used a head-tracked, stereoscopic head-mounted display. The other two interface designs used hand-tracking and were non-immersive---the visual display appeared on a desktop monitor. Results for sixty participants doing the same task with each interface design show faster task completion times with the immersive design.
Hardware attack risk assessment

Modern VLSI chips have high complexity and usually contain cryptographic processors to protect their data and external communications. Attackers target the hardware to imitate or understand the system design, gain access to the system or obtain encryption keys. They may also want to initiate attacks such as denial of service to disable the services supported by a chip, or reduce system reliability. In this paper, risk levels are defined for hardware attacks based on the accessibility, resources, and time required to successfully attack a system.
Orthopaedic Approaches to Proximal Humeral Fractures Following Trauma

Proximal humeral fractures have been a topic of discussion in medical literature dating back as far as 3rd century BC. Today, these fractures are the most common type of humeral fractures and account for about 5-6% of all fractures in adults with the incidence rising rapidly with age. In broad terms the management of proximal humeral fractures can be divided into two categories: conservative versus surgical intervention. The aim of treatment is to stabilize the fracture, aid better union and reduce pain during the healing process. Failure to achieve this can result in impairment of function, and significantly weaken the muscles inserting onto the proximal humerus. With the rising incidence of proximal humeral fractures, especially among the elderly, the short and long term burden for patients as well as the wider society is increasing. Furthermore, there is a lack of consistency in the definitive treatment and management of displaced fractures. This systematic review of literature compares the surgical treatment of proximal humeral fractures with their conservative management, by evaluating the available randomised controlled trials on this topic.
Multi-granularity periodic activity discovery for moving objects

ABSTRACT With the development of location-based services, more moving objects can be traced and a great deal of trajectory data can be collected. Periodicity is very commonly used to analyse the habits of moving objects, so finding objects’ periodic patterns can aid in understanding their behaviour. However, objects’ periodic patterns are always unknown previously, and describing their periods with different granularities will create some surprised findings. This article proposes a multi-granularity periodic activity discovery (MPAD) approach for moving objects. First, a multi-granularity model is introduced to describe the spatial and temporal information of an object’s activities. Then, two algorithms, namely, spatial first and temporal first multi-granularity activity discovery algorithms, are provided to transfer objects’ activities into different granularities. Finally, a novel periodic discovery algorithm is described to find the periodicities of objects’ activities. Experiments on both synthetic and real datasets demonstrate both the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed work and its notably improved running performance compared to the same algorithms. Additionally, the discovered periodic patterns are more practically significant.
Toward a Project Learning Organization: a Multifaceted View

A huge number of Knowledge Management (KM) approaches and solutions have been developed in the last 20 years. Companies are usually dealing with those theories and practices to make corporate knowledge explicit, collected, and organized into large and homogeneous knowledge systems based on repositories, groupware, wikis, portals, etc. According to this milieu, some practitioners believe that the introduction of such solutions "mechanically" conduct innovation within the company, causing shortage of organizational integration in strategies and culture, business processes, and technological (or KM) solutions. In this article the authors take into account the Project Based Organizations. In fact those organizations might be considered an interesting case study for their characteristics of flexibility and complexity. These firms usually take advantages from the implementation of project management solutions aimed at conducting innovation, efficiency, and effectiveness. However these solutions cannot be considered valuable in all the situations, because they don't solve the lack of systematic learning and the overwhelming repetition of the same mistakes. To overcome these problems Project Based Organizations should introduce KM solutions and set up a new model (the Project Learning Organization) that integrate learning paradigms, organizational strategies and culture, business processes and KM solutions. In this paper, authors describe: (i) the concept of Project Learning Organizations, (ii) the model of projects life cycle with the memorizing and the corporate alignment phases and (iii) the model of knowledge coordination processes among projects, and their alignment with corporate knowledge.
Yoga tutor visualization and analysis using SURF algorithm

Yoga is an ancient Indian art which helps to distress and purge the mind, body and soul. It is known to be a complete cure for various illnesses without the use of medicines. The paper aims to describe a project which is used to help naïve users to perform this ancient Indian art correctly in order to maximize the benefits. It makes use of the SURF algorithm to detect the ‘asana’ that the user/practitioner is performing and compares it with a video of the same ‘asana’ performed by an expert. Thus, it helps to detect and eventually correct errors induced in practicing the art using only a webcam and an expert video as aides for the user.
Wireless Sensor Networks for Oceanographic Monitoring: A Systematic Review

Monitoring of the marine environment has come to be a field of scientific interest in the last ten years. The instruments used in this work have ranged from small-scale sensor networks to complex observation systems. Among small-scale networks, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are a highly attractive solution in that they are easy to deploy, operate and dismantle and are relatively inexpensive. The aim of this paper is to identify, appraise, select and synthesize all high quality research evidence relevant to the use of WSNs in oceanographic monitoring. The literature is systematically reviewed to offer an overview of the present state of this field of study and identify the principal resources that have been used to implement networks of this kind. Finally, this article details the challenges and difficulties that have to be overcome if these networks are to be successfully deployed.
An Optimized Message Passing Framework for Parallel Implementation of Signal Processing Applications

Novel reconfigurable computing platforms enable efficient realizations of complex signal processing applications by allowing exploitation of parallelization resulting in high throughput in a cost-efficient way. However, the design of such systems poses various challenges due to the complexities posed by the applications themselves as well as the heterogeneous nature of the targeted platforms. One of the most significant challenges is communication between the various computing elements for parallel implementation. In this paper, we present a communication interface, called the signal passing interface (SPI), that attempts to overcome this challenge by integrating relevant properties of two different yet important paradigms in this context - dataflow and the message passing interface (MPI). SPI is targeted towards signal processing applications and, due to its careful specialization, more performance-efficient for their embedded implementation. It is also more easier and intuitive to use. Earlier, a preliminary version of SPI was presented [12] which was restricted to static dataflow behavior. Here, we present a more complete version of SPI with new features to address both static and dynamic dataflow behavior, and to provide new optimization techniques. We develop a hardware description language (HDL) realization of the SPI library, and demonstrate its functionality on the Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGA. Details of the HDL-based SPI library along with experiments with two signal processing applications on the FPGA are also presented.
An Arabidopsis Plasma Membrane Proton ATPase Modulates JA Signaling and Is Exploited by the Pseudomonas syringae Effector Protein AvrB for Stomatal Invasion[OPEN]

An analysis of Pseudomonas syringae AvrB-induced stomatal invasion uncovers an unexpected role of plasma membrane H+-ATPase in jasmonate signaling. Stomata are natural openings through which many pathogenic bacteria enter plants. Successful bacterial pathogens have evolved various virulence factors to promote stomatal opening. Here, we show that the Pseudomonas syringae type III effector protein AvrB induces stomatal opening and enhances bacterial virulence in a manner dependent on RPM1-INTERACTING4 (RIN4), which promotes stomatal opening by positively regulating the Arabidopsis plasma membrane H+-ATPase (AHA1), which is presumed to directly regulate guard cell turgor pressure. In support of a role of AHA1 in AvrB-induced stomatal opening, AvrB enhances ATPase activity in plants. Unexpectedly, AHA1 promotes the interaction between the jasmonate (JA) receptor CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 (COI1) and JASMONATE ZIM-DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins and enhances JA signaling. JA signaling is required for optimum stomatal infection in AHA1-active plants. Similarly, AvrB also induces the COI1-JAZ9 interaction and the degradation of multiple JAZ proteins. AvrB-induced stomatal opening and virulence require the canonical JA signaling pathway, which involves the COI1 and NAC transcription factors. The findings thus point to a previously unknown pathway exploited by P. syringae that acts upstream of COI1 to regulate JA signaling and stomatal opening.
P1-Nonconforming Quadrilateral Finite Element Methods for Second-Order Elliptic Problems

A P1 -nonconforming quadrilateral finite element is introduced for second-order elliptic problems in two dimensions. Unlike the usual quadrilateral nonconforming finite elements, which contain quadratic polynomials or polynomials of degree greater than 2, our element consists of only piecewise linear polynomials that are continuous at the midpoints of edges. One of the benefits of using our element is convenience in using rectangular or quadrilateral meshes with the least degrees of freedom among the nonconforming quadrilateral elements. An optimal rate of convergence is obtained. Also a nonparametric reference scheme is introduced in order to systematically compute stiffness and mass matrices on each quadrilateral. An extension of the P1 -nonconforming element to three dimensions is also given. Finally, several numerical results are reported to confirm the effective nature of the proposed new element.
Dynamic slicing on Java bytecode traces

Dynamic slicing is a well-known technique for program analysis, debugging and understanding. Given a program P and input I, it finds all program statements which directly/indirectly affect the values of some variables' occurrences when P is executed with I. In this article, we develop a dynamic slicing method for Java programs. Our technique proceeds by backwards traversal of the bytecode trace produced by an input I in a given program P. Since such traces can be huge, we use results from data compression to compactly represent bytecode traces. The major space savings in our method come from the optimized representation of (a) data addresses used as operands by memory reference bytecodes, and (b) instruction addresses used as operands by control transfer bytecodes. We show how dynamic slicing algorithms can directly traverse our compact bytecode traces without resorting to costly decompression. We also extend our dynamic slicing algorithm to perform “relevant slicing”. The resultant slices can be used to explain omission errors that is, why some events did not happen during program execution. Detailed experimental results on space/time overheads of tracing and slicing are reported in the article. The slices computed at the bytecode level are translated back by our tool to the source code level with the help of information available in Java class files. Our JSlice dynamic slicing tool has been integrated with the Eclipse platform and is available for usage in research and development.
Identification of a 4-microRNA Signature for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastasis and Prognosis

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis portends a poor prognosis and cannot be reliably predicted. Early determination of the metastatic potential of RCC may help guide proper treatment. We analyzed microRNA (miRNA) expression in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) for the purpose of developing a miRNA expression signature to determine the risk of metastasis and prognosis. We used the microarray technology to profile miRNA expression of 78 benign kidney and ccRCC samples. Using 28 localized and metastatic ccRCC specimens as the training cohort and the univariate logistic regression and risk score methods, we developed a miRNA signature model in which the expression levels of miR-10b, miR-139-5p, miR-130b and miR-199b-5p were used to determine the status of ccRCC metastasis. We validated the signature in an independent 40-sample testing cohort of different stages of primary ccRCCs using the microarray data. Within the testing cohort patients who had at least 5 years follow-up if no metastasis developed, the signature showed a high sensitivity and specificity. The risk status was proven to be associated with the cancer-specific survival. Using the most stably expressed miRNA among benign and tumorous kidney tissue as the internal reference for normalization, we successfully converted his signature to be a quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based assay, which showed the same high sensitivity and specificity. The 4-miRNA is associated with ccRCC metastasis and prognosis. The signature is ready for and will benefit from further large clinical cohort validation and has the potential for clinical application.
Bilateral control with time-varying delay including communication blackout

Yokokohji et al. (2000) proposed a bilateral control scheme with energy balance monitoring under time-varying communication delay. In this paper, experimental results using the proposed control scheme over a computer network are shown. In the above work, the authors dealt with a situation when the communication is in breakdown. However, they did not discuss how to recover the system after the communication line comes back. In this paper we also propose a way to recover the system from the communication blackout. Experimental results show the validity of the proposed methods.
Type-II GaAsSb/InP DHBTs with Record fT = 670 GHz and Simultaneous fT, fMAX ≫ 400 GHz

Type-II GaAsSb/InP double-HBTs (DHBTs) with a 20 nm base and 60 nm collector exhibit record transistor performance with f T = 670 GHz and off-state collector-emitter breakdown voltage of 3.2 V. Similar devices with a 30 nm base and 100 nm collector achieve simultaneous fi = 480 GHz and f MAX = 420 GHZ with 4.3 V breakdown voltage.
Duchenne De Boulogne: A Pioneer in Neurology and Medical Photography

ABSTRACT: Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne was born 200 years ago in Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais, France). He studied medicine in Paris and became a physician in 1831. He practiced general medicine in his native town for about 11 years and then returned to Paris to initiate pioneering studies on electrical stimulation of muscles. Duchenne used electricity not only as a therapeutic agent, as it was commonly the case earlier in the 19th century, but chiefly as a physiological investigation tool to study the anatomy of the living body. Without formal appointment he visited hospital wards across Paris searching for rare cases of neuromuscular disorders. He built a portable electrical device that he used to functionally map all bodily muscles and to study their coordinating action in health and disease. He gave accurate descriptions of many neuromuscular disorders, including pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy to which his name is still attached (Duchenne muscular dystrophy). He also invented a needle system (Duchenne's histological harpoon) for percutaneous sampling of muscular tissue without anesthesia, a forerunner of today's biopsy. Duchenne summarized his work in two major treatises entitled De l'électrisation localisée (1855) and Physiologie des mouvements (1867). Duchenne's iconographic work stands at the crossroads of three major discoveries of the 19th century: electricity, physiology and photography. This is best exemplified by his investigation of the mechanisms of human physiognomy in which he used localized faradic stimulation to reproduce various forms of human facial expression. The album that complements his book on this issue is considered a true incunabulum of photography. Duchenne de Boulogne, a shy but hard-working, acute and ingenious observer, became one of most original clinicians of the 19th century. He died in Paris in 1875.
The USDA Barley Core Collection: Genetic Diversity, Population Structure, and Potential for Genome-Wide Association Studies

New sources of genetic diversity must be incorporated into plant breeding programs if they are to continue increasing grain yield and quality, and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Germplasm collections provide a source of genetic and phenotypic diversity, but characterization of these resources is required to increase their utility for breeding programs. We used a barley SNP iSelect platform with 7,842 SNPs to genotype 2,417 barley accessions sampled from the USDA National Small Grains Collection of 33,176 accessions. Most of the accessions in this core collection are categorized as landraces or cultivars/breeding lines and were obtained from more than 100 countries. Both STRUCTURE and principal component analysis identified five major subpopulations within the core collection, mainly differentiated by geographical origin and spike row number (an inflorescence architecture trait). Different patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) were found across the barley genome and many regions of high LD contained traits involved in domestication and breeding selection. The genotype data were used to define ‘mini-core’ sets of accessions capturing the majority of the allelic diversity present in the core collection. These ‘mini-core’ sets can be used for evaluating traits that are difficult or expensive to score. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of ‘hull cover’, ‘spike row number’, and ‘heading date’ demonstrate the utility of the core collection for locating genetic factors determining important phenotypes. The GWAS results were referenced to a new barley consensus map containing 5,665 SNPs. Our results demonstrate that GWAS and high-density SNP genotyping are effective tools for plant breeders interested in accessing genetic diversity in large germplasm collections.
Migration theories and behavioural models.

"This review presents a probabilistic formulation of the decision making process, leading to a rigorous treatment of migration behaviour for projection purposes.Aggregate-level models may be applied to migration flows for which the objectively measured characteristics of areas of department and destination act as subjectively measured characteristics and stimuli.Individual-level models use event history methods of analysis to introduce a great variety of characteristics of the subject on the decision to move. They lead to projections using microsimulation models. A further step is taken in integrating macro- and microbehavioural models. The use of aggregate and individual characteristics simultaneously leads to more efficient and sophisticated projection models: the factors affecting behaviour at the micro-level cannot be inferred from aggregate studies and conversely. "
Diuretics shift circadian rhythm of blood pressure from nondipper to dipper in essential hypertension.

BACKGROUND Recently, we found that sodium restriction shifted the circadian rhythm of blood pressure from nondipper to dipper in patients with the sodium-sensitive essential hypertension. This study examined whether diuretics can transform the circadian rhythm of blood pressure from nondipper to dipper. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied 21 patients with essential hypertension during both a baseline period and a period of treatment with hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg daily). The periods lasted 4 weeks each. Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressures were measured on the same day of the week at the end of the each period. In nondippers (n=11), but not in dippers (n=10), a significant interaction existed between diuretic therapy and nocturnal fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which indicated that the degree of nocturnal blood pressure fall was affected by diuretic therapy. Nocturnal fall, which was diminished in nondippers, was restored by diuretic therapy with hydrochlorothiazide, indicating that the circadian rhythm of blood pressure shifted from nondipper to dipper patterns. CONCLUSIONS The present study demonstrated that diuretics can restore nocturnal blood pressure decline in a manner similar to sodium restriction, which suggests that the kidneys and sodium metabolism may play important roles in the genesis of the circadian rhythm of blood pressure. Diuretic-based treatment may have an additional therapeutic advantage of reducing the risk for cardiovascular complications by transforming the circadian rhythm of blood pressure.
Breakout: predicting and breaking sedentary behaviour at work

We present BreakOut, a desktop system that infers an individual's posture, stress levels, and engagement with computer related tasks with the goal of recommending a break of sedentary behaviour at appropriate times. We present an Experience Sampling study that attempted to evaluate BreakOut's ability to infer users' posture and stress from a single webcamera as well as their engagement from keyboard and mouse activity. We conclude with the description of an ambient artistic display as well as an intuitive gestural interaction technique that enables the user to interact with BreakOut with minimal cognitive resources.