Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perception of Affordance during Short-Term Exposure to Weightlessness in Parabolic Flight

We investigated the role of the visual eye-height (VEH) in the perception of affordance during short-term exposure to weightlessness. Sixteen participants were tested during parabolic flight (0g) and on the ground (1g). Participants looked at a laptop showing a room in which a doorway-like aperture was presented. They were asked to adjust the opening of the virtual doorway until it was perceived to be just wide enough to pass through (i.e., the critical aperture). We manipulated VEH by raising the level of the floor in the visual room by 25 cm. The results showed effects of VEH and of gravity on the perceived critical aperture. When VEH was reduced (i.e., when the floor was raised), the critical aperture diminished, suggesting that widths relative to the body were perceived to be larger. The critical aperture was also lower in 0g, for a given VEH, suggesting that participants perceived apertures to be wider or themselves to be smaller in weightlessness, as compared to normal gravity. However, weightlessness also had an effect on the subjective level of the eyes projected into the visual scene. Thus, setting the critical aperture as a fixed percentage of the subjective visual eye-height remains a viable hypothesis to explain how human observers judge visual scenes in terms of potential for action or “affordances”.
A Decentralized Autonomic Architecture for Performance Control in the Cloud

In this paper, we introduce a decentralized autonomic architecture for multi-tier applications deployed in cloud environments. The architecture maintains the application's service level objective at a predefined level and, implicitly, reduces the cost. The architecture uses a series of autonomic controllers, in which each controller independently regulates a tier of the application. The architecture utilizes feedback loops and implements Proportional, Integrative and Derivative control laws at each autonomic controller. A prototype is described and an initial set of experiments is conducted on a public commercial cloud. The experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach at maintaining a service level objective through the decomposition of an application's aggregate performance into its set of discretely managed component tiers.
MetViz: an online visualization tool for regulons, genes and gene ontology

Vasanth, Achyuthan, "MetViz: an online visualization tool for regulons, genes and gene ontology" (2012). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Paper 12496. The figure displays a snapshot of a showcase demo (Genetics example) available at the Cytoscape Web website. The diamonds could be thought of as representing genes or regulons and the lines connecting them could be thought of as relationships that exist between them. Although, the number of diamonds is relatively small, we could see the high number of crisscrossing lines in the image. This makes it difficult to identify interesting relationships that might exist in the data. The figure displays a snapshot of the visual representation of the GO hierarchy when viewed using g:Profiler's g:GOSt component. It shows the hierarchy the way windows explorer displays a folder's contents. Figure 2.3 Snapshot of the tool…………………………………………………………21 The figure displays a snapshot of MetViz. You could see the top, bottom and right panes. The top pane represents regulons as solid circles arranged in concentric rings. The bottom pane represents Gene Ontology terms in the form of rectangles visualized as a modified version of an icicle graph. The v right pane contains many expandable tabs to different functionalities that could be performed using the tool. The figure displays the top pane of the tool. The circles represent regulons and they are arranged in different concentric rings based on their degree. One of the regulons, with regulon ID 135, has been selected (highlighted in dark brown). We could see the regulons that are connected to it displayed in light brown. Lines connecting the selected regulon with the related regulons are also visible. The figure displays the bottom pane of the tool. The different rectangles represent the Gene Ontology terms. None of the Gene Ontology terms have been selected. We could see that the GO Term – GO: 0044444 has been zoomed into. The figure displays the list of all web safe colors. The image has been obtained from Wikipedia. The figure displays images obtained by using the ImageJ software tool with the Vischeck plugin. The tool was given a single normal image and different vi versions of the same were obtained by running simulations for Deuteranope, Protanope and Tritanope. The resulting images were evaluated for contrast. The colors seen in the Normal Image portion of the figure are the ones that were chosen to be used for the tool as they were able to produce …
The nuclear lamina in health and disease

ABSTRACT The nuclear lamina (NL) is a structural component of the nuclear envelope and makes extensive contacts with integral nuclear membrane proteins and chromatin. These interactions are critical for many cellular processes, such as nuclear positioning, perception of mechanical stimuli from the cell surface, nuclear stability, 3-dimensional organization of chromatin and regulation of chromatin-binding proteins, including transcription factors. The NL is present in all nucleated metazoan cells but its composition and interactome differ between tissues. Most likely, this contributes to the broad spectrum of disease manifestations in humans with mutations in NL-related genes, ranging from muscle dystrophies to neurological disorders, lipodystrophies and progeria syndromes. We review here exciting novel insight into NL function at the cellular level, in particular in chromatin organization and mechanosensation. We also present recent observations on the relation between the NL and metabolism and the special relevance of the NL in muscle tissues. Finally, we discuss new therapeutic approaches to treat NL-related diseases.
Measuring the auto-correlation of server to client traffic in first person shooter games

Modelling traffic generated by Internet based multiplayer computer games has attracted a great deal of attention in the past few years. In part this has been driven by a desire to properly simulate the network impact of highly interactive online game genres such as the first person shooter (FPS). Past work has dealt with packet size and packet interarrival times without consideration of packet size autocorrelations. Packet size auto-correlation is an important element in the creation of plausible traffic generators for network simulators such as ns-2 and omnet++. In this paper we present an analysis of the auto-correlation of packet size for Half-Life, HalfLife Counterstrike, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 Counterstrike, Quake III Arena and Wolfenstein Enemy Territory. We show that packet sizes appear to be autocorrelated. KeywordsNetwork applications, games and services, Teletraffic Analysis, Traffic Engineering
Geographic Influences on Evaporite Formation During Weathering of Antarctic Meteorites

Introduction: Terrestrial weathering of Antarctic meteorites is important for two main reasons. The first is that weathering processes can modify characteristics (e.g., trace-element abundances) of meteorites and thereby interfere with retrieval of information about pre-terrestrial Solar System processes (e.g. [1,2]). This problem can be especially significant when dealing with rare types of meteorites. The second reason to study Antarctic meteorites is because it can provide information about environment of Antarctica (e.g. [3,4]). There are two main types of weathering products on Antarctic meteorites that are visible at the hand-sample scale: rust and evaporites. Few articles have been published about the evaporitic deposits on Antarctic meteorites (e.g. [5-8]). To date, the influence of geographic location of meteorite-bearing ice fields on evaporite occurrence has not yet been investigated. The aim of this paper is to research this relationship. Methods: Data on evaporite distributions on Antarctic ordinary chondrites recovered by the ANSMET program was retrieved from the most recent version of the online Antarctic meteorite classification database available on the NASA Astromaterials Curation web page (http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/antmet/) that includes information on 15263 meteorites recovered up to 2006 (although data from 2005 and 2006 is not complete). This is more than ten times the number of meteorites that were available at the time of the last such weathering census [6]. Total number of meteorites as well as number of meteorites with evaporites was determined for each meteorite-yielding ice field. Meteorites were also divided depending on their classification, because it was shown [6] that probability of evaporite occurrence is dependent on the compositional type of meteorite. Results: Results are presented in the Table 1. Only ice fields from which a total of more than 100 meteorites have been recovered and classified are shown. Colors represent deviation in the proportion of evaporite-bearing meteorites from each ice field (as a fraction of all meteorites from the same ice field) from the average value calculated for entire population of a given type of meteorite. Values were calculated for the entire population (first 3 columns of Table 1) as well as for ordinary chondrites, the most abundant meteorite classes (to control for the composition). Pairing is not taken into account in Table 1.
New directions in mechanism design

Mechanism design uses the tools of economics and game theory to design rules of interaction for economic transactions that will,in principle, yield some de- sired outcome. In the last few years this field has received much interest of researchers in computer science, especially with the Internet developing as a platform for communications and connections among enormous numbers of computers and humans. Arguably the most positive result in mechanism de- sign is truthful and there are only one general truthful mechanisms so far : the generalized Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG) mechanism. But VCG mecha- nism has one shortage: The implementation of truthfulness is on the cost of decreasing the revenue of the mechanism. (e.g., Ning Chen and Hong Zhu. [1999]). We introduce three new characters of mechanism:partly truthful, criti- cal, consistent, and introduce a new mechanism: X mechanism that satisfy the above three characters. Like VCG mechanism, X mechanism also generalizes from Vickery Auction and is consistent with Vickery auction in many ways, but the extended methods used in X mechanism is different from that in VCG mechanism . This paper will demonstrate that X mechanism better than VCG mechanism in optimizing utility of mechanism, which is the original intention of mechanism design. So partly truthful,critical and consistent are at least as important as truthful in mechanism design, and they beyond truthful in many situations.As a result, we conclude that partly truthful,critical and consistent are three new directions in mechanism design.
Clinical Characteristics of Microscopic Colitis in Korea: Prospective Multicenter Study by KASID

Background/Aims Microscopic colitis (MC) encompasses collagenous and lymphocytic colitis and is characterized by chronic diarrhea. In cases of MC, colonic mucosae are macroscopically normal, and diagnostic histopathological features are observed only upon microscopic examination. We designed a prospective multicenter study to determine the clinical features, pathological distribution in the colon and prevalence of MC in Korea. Methods We prospectively enrolled patients having watery diarrhea no more than 3 times a day between March 2008 and February 2009. We obtained patient histories and performed colonoscopies with random biopsies at each colon segment. Results A total of 100 patients with chronic diarrhea were enrolled for a normal colonoscopy and stool exam. MC was observed in 22 patients (22%) (M:F 1.2:1; mean age, 47.5 years). Of those 22 patients, 18 had lymphocytic colitis and 4 had collagenous colitis. The entire colon was affected in only 3 cases (13.6%), the ascending colon in 6 cases (27.2%), the transverse colon in 3 cases (13.6%), and the left colon in 3 cases (13.6%). More than 2 segments were affected in 7 cases (31.8%). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-associated MCs were observed in 4 cases (18.2%), 3 of which showed improved diarrhea symptoms following discontinuation of the medication. Frequently associated symptoms were abdominal pain and weight loss. Autoimmune diseases were observed in 4 cases (18.2%). Half of the 22 patients with MC improved with conservative care by loperamide or probiotics. Conclusions In a prospective multicenter study of Korean patients with chronic diarrhea, the frequency of MC was found to be approximately 20%, similar to the percentage observed in Western countries. Therefore, the identification of MC is important for the adequate management of Korean patients with chronic diarrhea.
Tumor-suppressing roles of miR-214 and miR-218 in breast cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that are key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. MicroRNA-214 (miR-214) and microRNA-218 (miR-218) have shown the function of tumor suppressors in various types of human cancers. However, the biological functions of miR-214 and miR-218 in breast cancer have not been elucidated completely. The present study evaluated the expression and biological function of miR-214 and miR-218 in human breast cancer. Our results revealed that the expression of miR-214 and miR-218 were significantly decreased in breast cancer tissues compared with adjacent tissues. The aberrant expression of miR-214 and miR-218 were negatively associated with Ki-67, and the miR-218 expression was positively associated with progesterone receptor (PR) in breast cancer tissues. In vitro, the cell proliferation and migration were decreased, cell apoptosis was induced, and cell cycle was also disturbed in miR-214 or miR-218 overexpressed breast cancer cells. Our results demonstrated that miR-214 and miR-218 function as tumor suppressors in breast cancer, and may become biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in breast cancer.
Antibacterial efficacy of Nisin, Pediocin 34 and Enterocin FH99 against Listeria monocytogenes and cross resistance of its bacteriocin resistant variants to common food preservatives

Antilisterial efficiency of three bacteriocins, viz, Nisin, Pediocin 34 and Enterocin FH99 was tested individually and in combination against Listeria mononcytogenes ATCC 53135. A greater antibacterial effect was observed when the bacteriocins were combined in pairs, indicating that the use of more than one LAB bacteriocin in combination have a higher antibacterial action than when used individually. Variants of Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 53135 resistant to Nisin, Pediocin 34 and Enterocin FH99 were developed. Bacteriocin cross-resistance of wild type and their corresponding resistant variants were assessed and results showed that resistance to a bacteriocin may extend to other bacteriocins within the same class. Resistance to Pediocin 34 conferred cross resistance to Enterocin FH 99 but not to Nisin. Similarly resistance to Enterocin FH99 conferred cross resistance to Pediocin 34 but not to Nisin. Also, the sensitivity of Nisin, Pediocin 34 and Enterocin FH99 resistant variants of Listeria monocytogenes to low pH, salt, sodium nitrite, and potassium sorbate was assayed in broth and compared to the parental wild-type strain. The Nisin, Pediocin 34 and Enterocin FH99 resistant variants did not have intrinsic resistance to low pH, sodium chloride, potassium sorbate, or sodium nitrite. In no case were the bacteriocin resistant Listeria monocytogenes variants examined were more resistant to inhibitors than the parental strains.
Resource allocation in macrocell-femtocell network using genetic algorithm

In this paper, we consider the problem of resource allocation in two-tier networks taking into consideration nondense femtocell deployments. The following limitations can be remarked from the prior work in the field of resource allocation: (1) resources are underutilized due to the equal power distribution in macrocell, (2) access to public users in femtocells is restricted to avoid depriving own subscribers transmissions, and (3) degradation of signal-to-noise ratio due to noise effects has not been evaluated. To overcome these limitations, we propose a joint power and bandwidth allocation among two tiers together with base station selection using genetic algorithm. Our solution is able to: (1) maximize the overall system throughput, (2) find an appropriate serving base station for each user, and (3) bandwidth and power assigned to each user. Simulations were conducted and a comparison with a Weighted Water Filling algorithm is carried out.
Evaluation of Phenotyping and Genotyping Characteristic of Shigella sonnei after Biofield Treatment

Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) is a non-motile, rod shape, clinically significant, Gram-negative bacterium. It is commonly associated with dysentery (shigellosis). Recently, resistance to third and fourth generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones has been reported in S. sonnei. In the present study, we assessed the effect of biofield treatment on phenotyping and genotyping characteristic of S. sonnei (ATCC 9290). The lyophilized samples of S. sonnei were divided in three groups (G): G-I (control, revived), G-II (treatment, revived), and G-III (treatment, lyophilized). All these groups (control and biofield treated) were analyzed against antimicrobial susceptibility, biochemical reactions, and biotype number. The 16S rDNA sequencing was carried out to establish the phylogenetic relationship of S. sonnei with different bacterial species. The treated cells of S. sonnei exhibited an alteration of 3.33%, 10%, and 23.33% of total 30 tested antimicrobials in susceptibility assay for G-II on day 5 and 10 and G-III on day 10, respectively as compared to control. The treated cells of S. sonnei showed a significant change of about 12.12%, 12.12%, and 57.58% biochemical reactions out of 33 tests in treated groups of G-II on day 5 and 10 and G-III on day 10, respectively. The biotype number was also changed in treated samples of S. sonnei. Based on nucleotide homology sequences and phylogenetic analysis, the nearest homolog species of S. sonnei (GenBank Accession Number: EU009190) was identified as Shigella flexneri (EF643608). These results revealed that biofield treatment can prevent the absolute resistance in microbe against the existing antimicrobials.
Perspectives on Gesture–Sound Relationships Informed from Acoustic Instrument Studies

We present an experimental study on articulation in bowed strings that provides important elements for a discussion about sound synthesis control. The study focuses on bow acceleration profiles and transient noises, measured for different players for the bowing techniques detaché and martelé. We found that maximum of these profiles are not synchronous, and temporal shifts are dependent on the bowing techniques. These results allow us to bring out important mechanisms in sound and gesture articulation. In particular, the results reveal a potential shortcoming of mapping strategies using simple frame-by-frame data-stream procedures. We propose instead to consider input control data as time functions, and consider gesture co-articulation processes.
Improved Methods to Produce Tissue-Engineered Skin Substitutes Suitable for the Permanent Closure of Full-Thickness Skin Injuries

Abstract There is a clinical need for skin substitutes to replace full-thickness skin loss. Our group has developed a bilayered skin substitute produced from the patient's own fibroblasts and keratinocytes referred to as Self-Assembled Skin Substitute (SASS). After cell isolation and expansion, the current time required to produce SASS is 45 days. We aimed to optimize the manufacturing process to standardize the production of SASS and to reduce production time. The new approach consisted in seeding keratinocytes on a fibroblast-derived tissue sheet before its detachment from the culture plate. Four days following keratinocyte seeding, the resulting tissue was stacked on two fibroblast-derived tissue sheets and cultured at the air–liquid interface for 10 days. The resulting total production time was 31 days. An alternative method adapted to more contractile fibroblasts was also developed. It consisted in adding a peripheral frame before seeding fibroblasts in the culture plate. SASSs produced by both new methods shared similar histology, contractile behavior in vitro and in vivo evolution after grafting onto mice when compared with SASSs produced by the 45-day standard method. In conclusion, the new approach for the production of high-quality human skin substitutes should allow an earlier autologous grafting for the treatment of severely burned patients.
Flexible spin-lock model for resource sharing in multiprocessor real-time systems

Various approaches can be utilized upon resource locking for mutually exclusive resource access in multiprocessor platforms. So far two conventional approaches exist for dealing with tasks that are blocked on a global resource in a multi-processor platform. Either the blocked task performs a busy wait, i.e. spins, at the highest priority level until the resource is released, or it is suspended. Although both approaches provide mutually exclusive access to resources, they can introduce long blocking delays to tasks, which may be unacceptable for many industrial applications. In this paper, we propose a general spin-based model for resource sharing in multiprocessor platforms in which the priority of the blocked tasks during spinning can be selected arbitrarily. Moreover, we provide the analysis for two selected spin-lock priorities and we show by means of a general comparison as well as specific examples that these solutions may provide a better performance for higher priority tasks.
Cell birth and death in the mouse retinal ganglion cell layer

Here we describe quantitatively the birth and death of the two separate populations of neurons, ganglion cells and displaced amacrine cells, in the mouse retinal ganglion cell layer (GCL). The two cell types, which are roughly equally numerous, were distinguished pre‐ and postnatally by labeling the ganglion cells retrogradely with fluorescent dye. Embryos were labeled cumulatively with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) delivered by an osmotic minipump implanted in the mother; cell birth dates were established as having occurred before or after pump implantation. Early cohorts (GCL cells born before embryonic day [E] 11.8 and E12.8) were 98 ± 1.1% and 99 ± 0.2% ganglion cells (mean ± SEM), respectively, and a late cohort (born after E15.8) was 97 ± 1.2% displaced amacrines. Thus birth date was a strong predictor of a GCL cell's ultimate identity. Cell death in each cohort was estimated by counting cells at different time points (soon after the cohort was produced and later) and subtracting the later from the earlier number. This method avoids the problem of simultaneous birth and death that has plagued many of the earlier attempts to assess cell death. Negligible numbers died during the first week after a cell's birthday. The amount of cell death differed in the two cohorts; 48.5 ± 15% and 29.0 ± 12.4% in early and late, respectively, and most of it was postnatal. These findings disagree sharply with an earlier conclusion that ganglion cells die within 5 days of their birthdays or not at all. J. Comp. Neurol. 489:120–134, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.