A framework for realistic 3D tele-immersion

Meeting, socializing and conversing online with a group of people using teleconferencing systems is still quite differ- ent from the experience of meeting face to face. We are abruptly aware that we are online and that the people we are engaging with are not in close proximity. Analogous to how talking on the telephone does not replicate the experi- ence of talking in person. Several causes for these differences have been identified and we propose inspiring and innova- tive solutions to these hurdles in attempt to provide a more realistic, believable and engaging online conversational expe- rience. We present the distributed and scalable framework REVERIE that provides a balanced mix of these solutions. Applications build on top of the REVERIE framework will be able to provide interactive, immersive, photo-realistic ex- periences to a multitude of users that for them will feel much more similar to having face to face meetings than the expe- rience offered by conventional teleconferencing systems

Ekspresija i obrada somatostatina u gušterači u razvoju i u duktalnom adenokarcinomu gušterače

Somatostatin is a gastrointestinal peptide hormone that inhibits growth of pancreatic cancer as reported by an increasing body of evidence. Yet this is not always the case. To clarify the controversy we aimed to identify the expression of somatostatin in developing human embryonic pancreatic tissue and pancreatic adenocarcinoma given that somatostatin positive cells were shown either into primitive pancreatic ductal epithelium or into pancreatic carcinoma. Tissue sections representing pancreatic fetal specimens (n=15) and ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma specimens (n=15) were assessed using immunohistochemical methods for somatostatin expression. Normal primitive exocrine ductal epithelium and endocrine epithelium showed a definite, statistically significant, higher expression of somatostatin over neoplastic pancreatic tissue of mixed (ductal-endocrine) and pure ductal type (p1=0.021, p2=0.001, p3<0.0001and p4=0.003 respectively) during the 8th to the 10th week. No statistically significantly different expression of somatostatin in the mantle zone of the islets over neoplastic tissue of mixed (p5=0.16) and pureductal type (p6=0.65), from the 13th to the 24th week was demonstrated. Pancreatic cancer cells can express somatostatin in a model that reproduces the normal expression of the peptide by d-cells during embryonal organogenesis. Therapy aimed at pancreatic cancer must be targeted to somatostatin and analogues as a potential adjuvant novel option.Somatostatin je probavni peptidni hormon koji suzbija rast raka gušterače, za što postoji sve više dokaza. No to se ne događa uvijek. Cilj studije bio je utvrditi ekspresiju somatostatina u ljudskom embrijskom tkivu gušterače u razvoju i u adenokarcinomu gušterače, s tim da su na somatostatin pozitivne stanice dokazane ili u primitivnom duktalnom epitelu gušterače ili u karcinomu gušterače. Tkivni isječci koji su predstavljali uzorke fetalne gušterače (n=15) i uzorke adenokarcinoma gušterače (n=15) ispitani su pomoću imunohistokemijskih metoda za ekspresiju somatostatina. Normalan primitivni egzokrini duktalni epitel i endokrini epitel pokazao je konačnu, statistički značajno višu ekspresiju somatostatina iznad neoplastičnog tkiva gušterače miješanog (duktalno-endokrinog) i čistog duktalnog tipa (p1=0,021, P2=0,001, p3<0,0001 odnosno p4=0,003) tijekom 8. do 10. tjedna. Nije dokazana statistički značajno različita ekspresija somatostatina u ovojnom sloju (mantle zone, mantle layer) otočića iznadneoplastičnog tkiva miješanog (p5=0,16) i čistog duktalnog tipa (p6=0,65) od 13. do 24. tjedna. Dakle, stanice raka gušterače mogu izražavati somatostatin na naein koji ponavlja normalnu d-staničnu ekspresiju peptida za vrijeme embrijske organogeneze. Liječenje zbog raka gušterače usmjereno na somatostatin i njegove analoge moglo bi predstavljati novu mogućnosti adjuvantne terapije

User experience evaluation of human representation in collaborative virtual environments

Human embodiment/representation in virtual environments (VEs) similarly to the human body in real life is endowed with multimodal input/output capabilities that convey multiform messages enabling communication, interaction and collaboration in VEs. This paper assesses how effectively different types of virtual human (VH) artefacts enable smooth communication and interaction in VEs. With special focus on the REal and Virtual Engagement In Realistic Immersive Environments (REVERIE) multi-modal immersive system prototype, a research project funded by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013), the paper evaluates the effectiveness of REVERIE VH representation on the foregoing issues based on two specifically designed use cases and through the lens of a set of design guidelines generated by previous extensive empirical user-centred research. The impact of REVERIE VH representations on the quality of user experience (UX) is evaluated through field trials. The output of the current study proposes directions for improving human representation in collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) as an extrapolation of lessons learned by the evaluation of REVERIE VH representation

A Framework for Realistic 3D Tele-Immersion

Meeting, socializing and conversing online with a group of people using teleconferencing systems is still quite different from the experience of meeting face to face. We are abruptly aware that we are online and that the people we are engaging with are not in close proximity. Analogous to how talking on the telephone does not replicate the experience of talking in person. Several causes for these differences have been identied and we propose inspiring and innovative solutions to these hurdles in attempt to provide a more realistic, believable and engaging online conversational experience. We present the distributed and scalable framework REVERIE that provides a balanced mix of these solutions. Applications build on top of the REVERIE framework will be able to provide interactive, immersive, photo-realistic experiences to a multitude of users that for them will feel much more similar to having face to face meetings than the experience offered by conventional teleconferencing systems

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma arising from a multicentric mixed variant of Castleman's disease

This case report describes a patient with multicentric mixed type Castleman\u2032s disease and concomitant non-Hodgkin\u2032s lymphoma of diffuse large B cell type in the neck. Multicentric CD is a systemic illness with disseminated lymphadenopathy; its aggressive and usually fatal course is associated with infectious complications and risk for malignant tumors, such as lymphoma or Kaposi sarcoma

Graphene: A sub-nanometer trans-electrode membrane

Isolated, atomically thin conducting membranes of graphite, called graphene, have recently been the subject of intense research with the hope that practical applications in fields ranging from electronics to energy science will emerge. Here, we show that when immersed in ionic solution, a layer of graphene takes on new electrochemical properties that make it a trans-electrode. The trans-electrode's properties are the consequence of the atomic scale proximity of its two opposing liquid-solid interfaces together with graphene's well known in-plane conductivity. We show that several trans-electrode properties are revealed by ionic conductivity measurements on a CVD grown graphene membrane that separates two aqueous ionic solutions. Despite this membrane being only one to two atomic layers thick, we find it is a remarkable ionic insulator with a very small stable conductivity that depends on the ion species in solution. Electrical measurements on graphene membranes in which a single nanopore has been drilled show that the membrane's effective insulating thickness is less than one nanometer. This small effective thickness makes graphene an ideal substrate for very high-resolution, high throughput nanopore based single molecule detectors. Sensors based on modulation of graphene's in-plane electronic conductivity in response to trans-electrode environments and voltage biases will provide new insights into atomic processes at the electrode surfaces.Comment: Submitted 12 April 2010 to Nature, where it is under revie

Advancements and Challenges towards a Collaborative Framework for 3D Tele-Immersive Social Networking

Social experiences realized through teleconferencing systems are still quite different from face to face meetings. The awareness that we are online and in a, to some extent, lesser real world are preventing us from really engaging and enjoying the event. Several reasons account for these differences and have been identified. We think it is now time to bridge these gaps and propose inspiring and innovative solutions in order to provide realistic, believable and engaging online experiences. We present a distributed and scalable framework named REVERIE that faces these challenges and provides a mix of these solutions. Applications built on top of the framework will be able to provide interactive, truly immersive, photo-realistic experiences to a multitude of users that for them will feel much more similar to having face to face meetings than the experience offered by conventional teleconferencing systems