Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic lens and monovision 3D displays to improve viewer comfort

Stereoscopic 3D (S3D) displays provide an additional sense of depth compared to non-stereoscopic displays by sending slightly different images to the two eyes. But conventional S3D displays do not reproduce all natural depth cues. In particular, focus cues are incorrect causing mismatches between accommodation and vergence: The eyes must accommodate to the display screen to create sharp retinal images even when binocular disparity drives the eyes to converge to other distances. This mismatch causes visual discomfort and reduces visual performance. We propose and assess two new techniques that are designed to reduce the vergence-accommodation conflict and thereby decrease discomfort and increase visual performance. These techniques are much simpler to implement than previous conflict-reducing techniques. The first proposed technique uses variable-focus lenses between the display and the viewer's eyes. The power of the lenses is yoked to the expected vergence distance thereby reducing the mismatch between vergence and accommodation. The second proposed technique uses a fixed lens in front of one eye and relies on the binocularly fused percept being determined by one eye and then the other, depending on simulated distance. We conducted performance tests and discomfort assessments with both techniques and compared the results to those of a conventional S3D display. The first proposed technique, but not the second, yielded clear improvements in performance and reductions in discomfort. This dynamic-lens technique therefore offers an easily implemented technique for reducing the vergence-accommodation conflict and thereby improving viewer experience.
Determination of 19 cardiac troponin I and T assay 99th percentile values from a common presumably healthy population.

BACKGROUND Between-assay comparability of 99th percentiles for cardiac troponin concentrations has not been assessed systematically in a single population for a large number of assays. METHODS We determined 99th percentiles for 19 cardiac troponin assays in heparin plasma samples from a population of 272 and 252 presumably healthy males and females, respectively. The assays evaluated included 1 cardiac troponin T (cTnT) assay from Roche and 18 cTnI assays from Abbott, Alere, Beckman, bioMerieux, Instrumentation Laboratory, Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Singulex, Siemens, and Roche. Five of these assays were categorized as high-sensitivity, 9 as sensitive-contemporary, and 5 as point-of-care (POC) assays. RESULTS For high-sensitivity cTnI (hs-cTnI) assays 99th percentiles varied from 23 to 58 ng/L. At least 80% of individuals had measurable hs-cTnI, whereas only 25% had measurable high-sensitivity cTnT. All high-sensitivity cardic troponin assays had 99th percentiles that were 1.2-2.4-fold higher in males than females. For the 9 sensitive-contemporary cTnI assays, 99th percentiles varied from 12 to 392 ng/L, and only the Beckman assay gave measurable concentrations in a substantial portion of the population (35% vs ≤6% for the others). Seven of these 9 assays had 1.3-5.0-fold higher 99th percentiles for males than females. For 5 cTnI POC assays, 99th percentiles varied from <10 to 40 ng/L. The Instrumentation Laboratory assay gave measurable results in 27.8% of study participants vs ≤6% for the others. Correlations were generally poor among assays. CONCLUSIONS Among cardiac troponin assays 99th percentile concentrations appear to differ. High-sensitivity assays provide measurable cardiac troponin results in a substantially greater fraction of presumably healthy individuals.
Rediscovery and redescription of Marmosa (Stegomarmosa) andersoni Pine (Mammalia: Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae), an endemic Peruvian mouse opossum, with a reassessment of its affinities

Mouse opossums of the genus Marmosa Gray (Didelphidae) represent a complex of taxa with poorly understood affinities. Species now placed within this genus are mostly the leftovers from previous taxonomic arrangements. Even the most recent and complete revisions have not fully resolved the relationships among Marmosa and the many taxa previously included in Marmosa or listed as synonyms of it. Herein, we review and discuss one of these taxa, Stegomarmosa, based on new specimens that significantly increase our knowledge of the morphological diversification of the group. Until recently, this genus/subgenus has been known only from a single specimen taken more than 50 years ago in southeastern Peru. In 1997-1998, six additional specimens were collected at two little-separated localities almost 200 km NW of the type locality. We include a detailed diagnosis of the genus-group Stegomarmosa and its type species, M. andersoni, and update the distribution for and provide new information on the natural history of the latter. We also discuss published claims, concerning geographic range, that may be inaccurate and misleading. Finally, we scored the morphological characters used in the most recent phylogenetic analyses of the didelphids, in order to explore the affinities of M. andersoni and to determine the distinctiveness of the taxon Stegomarmosa.
BNP and Admission Glucose as In-Hospital Mortality Predictors in Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Objectives. Admission hyperglycemia and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) are associated with mortality in acute coronary syndromes, but no study compares their prediction in-hospital death. Methods. Patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), in-hospital mortality and two-year mortality or readmission were compared for area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy (ACC) of glycemia and BNP. Results. Respectively, AUC, SEN, SPE, PPV, NPV, and ACC for prediction of in-hospital mortality were 0.815, 71.4%, 84.3%, 26.3%, 97.4%, and 83.3% for glycemia = 200 mg/dL and 0.748, 71.4%, 68.5%, 15.2%, 96.8% and 68.7% for BNP = 300 pg/mL. AUC of glycemia was similar to BNP (P = 0.411). In multivariate analysis we found glycemia ≥200mg/dL related to in-hospital death (P = 0.004). No difference was found in two-year mortality or readmission in BNP or hyperglycemic subgroups. Conclusion. Hyperglycemia was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality in NSTEMI and had a good ROC curve level. Hyperglycemia and BNP, although poor in-hospital predictors of unfavorable events, were independent risk factors for death or length of stay >10 days. No relation was found between hyperglycemia or BNP and long-term events.
Psychosis in Alzheimer's Disease in the National Alzheimer's Disease Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set: Clinical Correlates and Association with Apolipoprotein E

Approximately 50% of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients develop psychosis (AD+P), a heritable phenotype associated with more rapid cognitive decline. Prior studies conflict regarding whether apolipoprotein E (APOE) ϵ4 alleles are associated with AD+P, possibly due to small sample sizes, inconsistent diagnostic criteria, and different methodologies to assess psychosis. We used the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set to evaluate the largest uniformly characterized sample of AD+P subjects studied to date for the association of APOE ϵ4 genotype, along with other demographic and clinical variables. Greater cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms were associated with AD+P, while the Caucasian race was protective. Neither APOE ϵ4 carrier status nor allele number was associated with psychosis. The AD+P phenotype is not associated with the APOE ϵ4 genotype. AD+P may represent a useful phenotype for the discovery of non-APOE ϵ4 genetic variation contributing to the risk of AD.
Expanding criteria for resectability of colorectal liver metastases.

Surgical resection is the treatment of choice in patients with colorectal liver metastases, with 5-year survival rates reported in the range of 40%-58%. Over the past 10 years, there has been an impetus to expand the criteria for defining resectability for patients with colorectal metastases. In the past, such features as the number of metastases (three to four), the size of the tumor lesion, and a mandatory 1-cm margin of resection dictated who was "resectable. " More recently, the criteria for resectability have been expanded to include any patient in whom all disease can be removed with a negative margin and who has adequate hepatic volume/reserve. Specifically, instead of resectability being defined by what is removed, decisions concerning resectability now center around what will remain after resection. Under this new paradigm, the number of patients with resectable disease can be expanded by increasing/preserving hepatic reserve (e.g., portal vein embolization, two-stage hepatectomy), combining resection with ablation, and decreasing tumor size (preoperative chemotherapy). The criteria for resectability have also expanded to include patients with extrahepatic disease. Rather than being an absolute contraindication to surgery, patients with both intra- and extrahepatic disease should potentially be considered for resection based on strict selection criteria. The expansion of criteria for resectability of colorectal liver metastases requires a much more nuanced and sophisticated approach to the patient with advanced disease. A therapeutic approach that includes all aspects of multidisciplinary and multimodality care is required to select and treat this complex group of patients.
Theoretical Issues with New Actors and Emergent Modes of Labour Regulation

As the global economy undergoes a major transformation, the inadequacy of labour relations theories dating back to Fordism, especially the systemic analysis model (Dunlop, 1958) and the strategic model (Kochan, Katz and McKersie, 1986), in which only three actors—union, employer and State—share the stage is becoming increasingly obvious. A good example is provided by companies offering information technology services to businesses, where new means of regulation emerge and illustrate the need to incorporate new actors and new issues if we are to account for its contemporary complexity. A survey of 88 professionals has revealed regulation practices that call into question the traditional boundaries of the industrial relations system from two points of view: that of the three main actors, by bringing the customer and work teams onto the stage, and that of the distinction between the contexts and the system itself.
Church Attendance and CMV Herpes Virus Latency Among Bereaved and Non-Bereaved Adults.

Objective There is widespread literature linking church attendance to physical health. However, little is known about the association of church attendance and the immune system, particularly during difficult life transitions. This study investigated the association between church attendance and CMV herpes-virus latency by assessing Cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG antibody titers among bereaved and non-bereaved individuals. Methods Participants included 44 bereaved individuals and 44 controls with a mean age of 68 (SD=12.84). CMV herpes-virus latency was measured using CMV IgG antibody titers. Church attendance was measured using three items from the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) Questionnaire. Results After adjusting for participant's age, gender, education, minority status, weekly alcohol consumption, smoking, depression, body mass index (BMI) and comorbidities, church attendance was associated with lower CMV IgG antibody titers among bereaved and control participants. Further, there was a significant moderating effect of church attendance in the association between bereavement status and CMV IgG antibody titers, so that bereaved individuals attending church were found to have less herpes-virus reactivation (lower CMV IgG antibody titers) when compared to their bereaved counterparts that do not attend church. Conclusion This study demonstrated that church attendance is associated with less herpes-virus reactivation as indexed by lower levels of CMV IgG antibody titers, particularly among the bereaved. Future studies should focus on further understanding the pathways by which church attendance impacts CMV herpes-virus latency during stressful life events, such as bereavement.
Efficient flooding control suitable for multiple requests

Flooding algorithm is a fundamental control mechanism to notify all the nodes of some information, to get desired information from all the nodes, or to reserve a route, and so on. Flooding algorithm has merits of robustness and optimality to solutions. However, flooding algorithm has problems which increase the processing time until finishing the flooding control, and cause congestion in the network. To solve these problems, we have proposed an efficient flooding algorithm based on a biotic growth process of primitive creatures like molds or microbes. However, this algorithm has a problem which increases the processing time in a heavily loaded network. In this paper, we extend this flooding algorithm based on a biotic propagation, by using priority queuing and aggregation mechanism of returned information
A Practical Framework for Infinite-Dimensional Linear Algebra

We describe a framework for solving a broad class of infinite-dimensional linear equations, consisting of almost banded operators, which can be used to representing linear ordinary differential equations with general boundary conditions. The framework contains a data structure for on which row operations can be performed, allowing for the solution of infinite-dimensional linear equations by the adaptive QR approach. The algorithm achieves O(nopt) complexity, where nopt is the number of degrees of freedom required to achieve a desired accuracy, which is determined adaptively. In addition, special tensor product equations, such as partial differential equations on rectangles, can be solved by truncating the operator in the y-direction with ny degrees of freedom and using a generalized Schur decomposition to upper triangularize, before applying the adaptive QR approach to the x-direction, requiring O(n3y + n2ynoptx) operations. The framework is implemented in the ApproxFun package written in the Julia programming language, which achieves highly competitive computational costs by exploiting unique features of Julia. Using this framework, partial differential equations that require as many as 2.5 million unknowns can be solved in less than 4 seconds.
Harry: A Tool for Measuring String Similarity

Comparing strings and assessing their similarity is a basic operation in many application domains of machine learning, such as in information retrieval, natural language processing and bioinformatics. The practitioner can choose from a large variety of available similarity measures for this task, each emphasizing different aspects of the string data. In this article, we present Harry, a small tool specifically designed for measuring the similarity of strings. Harry implements over 20 similarity measures, including common string distances and string kernels, such as the Levenshtein distance and the Subsequence kernel. The tool has been designed with efficiency in mind and allows for multi-threaded as well as distributed computing, enabling the analysis of large data sets of strings. Harry supports common data formats and thus can interface with analysis environments, such as Matlab, Pylab and Weka.
‘I Feel Mad so I Be Bad’: The Role of Affect, Dissatisfaction and Stress in Determining Responses to Interpersonal Deviance

Interpersonal deviance relates to a range of destructive individual and organizational outcomes. To date, however, scholars have largely failed to explore this issue from the perspective of the targeted individuals; and in particular how and why such negative outcomes manifest. To provide insights into this question, and based in principles of critical realism, we utilized semi-structured in-depth interviews to explore employees' interpersonal deviance experiences, their responses and determinants of response selections, including: (1) emotions and feelings; (2) dissatisfaction and stress. We found that the traditional model, where responses are driven by dissatisfaction and confined to exit, voice, loyalty and neglect (EVLN), is inadequate. We therefore extend the EVLN model to include retaliation (EVLN-R) and identify a range of other responses, including venting and seeking social support for inclusion in the typology. Moreover, contrary to traditional theorizing, we found that responses were determined first and foremost by emotions and feelings, followed by stress, with dissatisfaction of little to no importance. We propose a new, multi-dimensional response typology including self-orientated responses and make suggestions for future research to test our typology, before closing with the implications for practice.
Numerical simulations of heating patterns and tissue temperature response due to high-intensity focused ultrasound

The results of this paper show-for an existing high intensity, focused ultrasound (HIFU) transducer-the importance of nonlinear effects on the space/time properties of wave propagation and heat generation in perfused liver models when a blood vessel also might be present. These simulations are based on the nonlinear parabolic equation for sound propagation and the bio-heat equation for temperature generation. The use of high initial pressure in HIFU transducers in combination with the physical characteristics of biological tissue induces shock formation during the propagation of a therapeutic ultrasound wave. The induced shock directly affects the rate at which heat is absorbed by tissue at the focus without significant influence on the magnitude and spatial distribution of the energy being delivered. When shocks form close to the focus, nonlinear enhancement of heating is confined in a small region around the focus and generates a higher localized thermal impact on the tissue than that predicted by linear theory. The presence of a blood vessel changes the spatial distribution of both the heating rate and temperature.
Creating a reference technology platform: Performing model-based safety analysis in a heterogeneous development environment

The interoperability of tools and methods is a topic being currently discussed across all engineering domains of embedded systems. The increasing amount of requirements on interoperability demands a common understanding of design artifacts which needs to be accessible beyond tool boundaries. Furthermore, to support safety related development, a framework to integrate verification and validation activities has to be established. This eases early design decisions and provides support for certification processes.
NEMA: Node Energy Monitoring Algorithm for Zone Head Selection in mobile ad-hoc network using residual battery power of node

The Zone Routing Protocol (ZRP) is emerging as a potential hybrid routing algorithm. By using two kinds of routing protocol i.e. IARP and IERP, ZRP not only abates control overhead, but also minimizes end-to-end delay. The resent research on performance of ZRP indicates that routing overhead is still a significant issue and need more improvements. In this paper we focus on improving ZRP protocol by adding energy constraints in it so that the protocol works efficiently in MANET and improves network lifetime. To implement this we divide our proposed algorithm in two parts. In first part we design Zone Head Selection Algorithm (ZHSA) to make various zones and then select zone head (ZH) such that it must have maximum residual power. For this we use Max-heap tree concept to select maximum residual power node which act as ZH in our network. In second part, we design Node Energy Monitoring Algorithm (NEMA) which monitor change in the residual energy of each node and set different phases to each node based on residual energy levels. By using this mechanism the node who acts as ZH will not die because of energy starvation and hence the network lifetime is improved to some extent.
The neutral hydrogen content of Fornax cluster galaxies

We present a new set of deep H I observations of member galaxies of the Fornax cluster. We detected 35 cluster galaxies in H I. The resulting sample, the most comprehensive to date, is used to investigate the distribution of neutral hydrogen in the cluster galaxies. We compare the H I content of the detected cluster galaxies with that of field galaxies by measuring H I mass-to-light ratios and the H I deficiency parameter of Solanes et al. (1996). The mean H I mass-to-light ratio of the cluster galaxies is 0.68 +/- 0.15, significantly lower than for a sample of H I-selected field galaxies (1.15 +/- 0.10), although not as low as in the Virgo cluster (0.45 +/- 0.03). In addition, the H I content of two cluster galaxies (NGC1316C and NGC1326B) appears to have been affected by interactions. The mean H I deficiency for the cluster is 0.38 +/- 0.09 (for galaxy types T = 1-6), significantly greater than for the field sample (0.05 +/- 0.03). Both these tests show that Fornax cluster galaxies are H I-deficient compared to field galaxies. The kinematics of the cluster galaxies suggests that the H I deficiency may be caused by ram-pressure stripping of galaxies on orbits that pass close to the cluster core. We also derive the most complete B-band Tully-Fisher relation of inclined spiral galaxies in Fornax. A subcluster in the South-West of the main cluster contributes considerably to the scatter. The scatter for galaxies in the main cluster alone is 0.50 mag, which is slightly larger than the intrinsic scatter of 0.4 mag. We use the Tully-Fisher relation to derive a distance modulus of Fornax relative to the Virgo cluster of -0.38 +/- 0.14 mag. The galaxies in the subcluster are (1.0 +/- 0.5) mag brighter than the galaxies of the main cluster, indicating that they are situated in the foreground. With their mean velocity 95 km s(-1) higher than that of the main cluster we conclude that the subcluster is falling into the main Fornax cluster.
How Much of a Person Influencing the Others and Being Influenced Matters in Opinion Formation Games

The opinion forming process in a social network could be naturally modeled as an opinion in influencing and updating dynamics. This already attracted researchers interest a while ago in mathematical sociology, and recently in theoretical computer science. In so-called "opinion formation games", when underlying networks are directed, a bounded price of anarchy is only known for weighted Eulerian graphs, which may not be the most general class of directed graphs that give a bounded price of anarchy. Thus, we aim to bound the price of anarchy for games with directed graphs more general than weighted Eulerian graphs in this paper. We first bound the price of anarchy for a more general class of directed graphs with conditions intuitively meaning that each node does not influence the others more than she is influenced by herself and the others, where the bounds depend on such influence differences. This generalizes the previous results on directed graphs, and recovers and matches the previous bounds in some specific classes of (directed) Eulerian graphs. We then show that there exists an example that just slightly violates the conditions with an unbounded price of anarchy. We further propose more directions along this line of research.
A Student's t filter for heavy tailed process and measurement noise

We consider the filtering problem in linear state space models with heavy tailed process and measurement noise. Our work is based on Student's t distribution, for which we give a number of useful results. The derived filtering algorithm is a generalization of the ubiquitous Kalman filter, and reduces to it as special case. Both Kalman filter and the new algorithm are compared on a challenging tracking example where a maneuvering target is observed in clutter.