Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transferring and regrasping a large object by cooperation of multiple mobile robots

This paper deals with a motion planning of mobile robots during transferring a large object cooperatively by a group of multiple mobile robots (a robot group). This problem has the following characteristics: 1) a real time planning is essential because mobile robots move in an open and dynamic area in comparison to articulated robots; 2) both the object and the robot group need to avoid collision against obstacles; and 3) the object needs to be grasped stably by the robot group. The authors propose the following approach to solve this complicated problem: 1) regrasping strategy of the object is introduced in order avoid obstacles and to transfer the object stably; and 2) the motion planning is divided into two steps: the object and that of the robot group. The former step is accomplished by extending the virtual impedance method, which was proposed by authors. The latter step is realized by using nonlinear programming method, that optimizes a penalty index indicating the performance for obstacle avoidance and for stable grasping. Effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by a simulation of transferring a large circle-shaped object with three robots.
Bombesin peptide antagonist for target-selective delivery of liposomal doxorubicin on cancer cells

Purpose: This study addresses novel peptide modified liposomal doxorubicin to specifically target tissues overexpressing bombesin (BN) receptors. Methods: DOTA-(AEEA)2-peptides containing the [7–14]bombesin and the new BN-AA1 sequence have been synthesized to compare their binding properties and in serum stabilities. The amphiphilic peptide derivative (MonY-BN-AA1) containing BN-AA1, a hydrophobic moiety, polyethylenglycole (PEG), and diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA), has been synthesized. Liposomes have been obtained by mixing of MonY-BN-AA1 with 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC). Results: Both 111In labeled peptide derivatives present nanomolar Kd to PC-3 cells. 177Lu labeled peptide DOTA-(AEEA)2-BN-AA1 is very stable (half-life 414.1 h), while DOTA-(AEEA)2-BN, shows a half-life of 15.5 h. In vivo studies on the therapeutic efficacy of DSPC/MonY-BN-AA1/Dox in comparison to DSPC/MonY-BN/Dox, were performed in PC-3 xenograft bearing mice. Both formulations showed similar tumor growth inhibition (TGI) compared to control animals treated with non-targeted DSPC/Dox liposomes or saline solution. For DSPC/MonY-BN-AA1/Dox the maximum effect was observed 19 days after treatment. Conclusions: DSPC/MonY-BN-AA1/Dox nanovectors confirm the ability to selectively target and provide therapeutic efficacy in mice. The lack of receptor activation and possible acute biological side effects provided by using the AA1 antagonist bombesin sequence should provide safe working conditions for further development of this class of drug delivery vehicles.
Oculo-Visual Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease

This review describes the oculo-visual problems likely to be encountered in Parkinson’s disease (PD) with special reference to three questions: (1) are there visual symptoms characteristic of the prodromal phase of PD, (2) is PD dementia associated with specific visual changes, and (3) can visual symptoms help in the differential diagnosis of the parkinsonian syndromes, viz. PD, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD)? Oculo-visual dysfunction in PD can involve visual acuity, dynamic contrast sensitivity, colour discrimination, pupil reactivity, eye movement, motion perception, and visual processing speeds. In addition, disturbance of visuo-spatial orientation, facial recognition problems, and chronic visual hallucinations may be present. Prodromal features of PD may include autonomic system dysfunction potentially affecting pupil reactivity, abnormal colour vision, abnormal stereopsis associated with postural instability, defects in smooth pursuit eye movements, and deficits in visuo-motor adaptation, especially when accompanied by idiopathic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder. PD dementia is associated with the exacerbation of many oculo-visual problems but those involving eye movements, visuo-spatial function, and visual hallucinations are most characteristic. Useful diagnostic features in differentiating the parkinsonian symptoms are the presence of visual hallucinations, visuo-spatial problems, and variation in saccadic eye movement dysfunction.
Genome-Wide Patterns of Adaptation to Temperate Environments Associated with Transposable Elements in Drosophila

Investigating spatial patterns of loci under selection can give insight into how populations evolved in response to selective pressures and can provide monitoring tools for detecting the impact of environmental changes on populations. Drosophila is a particularly good model to study adaptation to environmental heterogeneity since it is a tropical species that originated in sub-Saharan Africa and has only recently colonized the rest of the world. There is strong evidence for the adaptive role of Transposable Elements (TEs) in the evolution of Drosophila, and TEs might play an important role specifically in adaptation to temperate climates. In this work, we analyzed the frequency of a set of putatively adaptive and putatively neutral TEs in populations with contrasting climates that were collected near the endpoints of two known latitudinal clines in Australia and North America. The contrasting results obtained for putatively adaptive and putatively neutral TEs and the consistency of the patterns between continents strongly suggest that putatively adaptive TEs are involved in adaptation to temperate climates. We integrated information on population behavior, possible environmental selective agents, and both molecular and functional information of the TEs and their nearby genes to infer the plausible phenotypic consequences of these insertions. We conclude that adaptation to temperate environments is widespread in Drosophila and that TEs play a significant role in this adaptation. It is remarkable that such a diverse set of TEs located next to a diverse set of genes are consistently adaptive to temperate climate-related factors. We argue that reverse population genomic analyses, as the one described in this work, are necessary to arrive at a comprehensive picture of adaptation.
Completion of screening for latent tuberculosis infection among immigrants

The objective of our study was to evaluate the sociodemographic factors associated with completion of screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among undocumented immigrants in Brescia, Italy. Screening for LTBI was offered to 649 immigrants; 213 (33%) immigrants completed the first step of screening; only 44% (55/124) of individuals with a positive tuberculin skin test result started treatment for LTBI. The univariate analysis showed that being unmarried, of Senegalese nationality and being interviewed by a health-care worker with the same native language as the immigrant were significantly associated with completion of screening for LTBI. In the multiple logistic regression, being interviewed in the native language of the health-care worker (OR 2·5, 95% CI 1·3–4·8, P=0·004) and being of Senegalese origin (OR 2·3, 95% CI 1·4–3·6, P=0·0005) were independently associated with adherence to LTBI screening. Our results suggest that knowledge of the sociodemographic characteristics of immigrants, and the participation of health-care workers of the same cultural origin as the immigrant during the visits, can be an important tool to improve completion of screening for LTBI.
The Relationship between Entrepreneurship and Economic Development: Is it U-Shaped?

Following a centuries-long decline in the rate of self-employment, a discontinuity in this downward trend is observed for many advanced economies starting in the 1970s and 1980s. In some countries the rate of self-employment appears to increase. At the same time, cross-sectional analysis shows a U-shaped relationship between start-up rates of enterprise and levels of economic development. We provide an overview of the empirical evidence concerning the relationship between independent entrepreneurship, also known as self-employment or business ownership, and economic development. We argue that the reemergence of independent entrepreneurship is based on at least two 'revolutions. ' If we distinguish between solo self-employed at the lower end of the entrepreneurship spectrum, and ambitious and/or innovative entrepreneurs at the upper end, many advanced economies show a revival at both extremes. Policymakers in advanced economies should be aware of both revolutions and tailor their policies accordingly.
Elevated Markers of Endothelial Dysfunction Predict Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Middle-Aged Men and Women From the General Population

Objective—Using the Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA)/Cooperative Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) database, we investigated prospectively whether increased levels of soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), and von Willebrand factor (vWF), all considered to be sensitive markers of endothelial dysfunction, are associated with an increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods and Results—In a case–cohort study, concentrations of adhesion molecules were measured in stored samples of 532 case subjects and 1712 noncase subjects. VWF was measured in a subsample with available plasma samples (n=191 case and 580 noncase subjects). Men and women with elevated levels of sE-selectin had a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes after multivariable adjustment. Hazard ratios (95% CIs) comparing tertile extremes of sE-selectin were 2.63 (1.79 to 3.88) and 1.71 (1.07 to 2.75) for men and women, respectively. Elevated levels of sICAM-1 were also associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes; however, the association was not independent of other diabetes risk factors including E-selectin [hazard ratio (95% CI) for tertile 3 versus tertile 1: men, 1.32 (0.89 to 1.96); women, 1.03 (0.64 to 1.67)]. In this study, vWF was not associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. Conclusions—These data support a role of endothelial dysfunction in the etiology of type 2 diabetes.
Serum concentrations of nitrite in patients with HIV-1 infection.

AIMS: To measure circulating concentrations of nitrite in patients with HIV-1 infection. METHODS: Nitrite concentrations were measured using the Griess reaction adapted to microtitre plates in the serum of 10 asymptomatic HIV-1 positive patients, 33 patients with AIDS with cerebral disorders, 17 patients with AIDS with pulmonary involvement, and in eight patients with AIDS with other disorders. Nitrite concentrations were also measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with AIDS with pulmonary involvement and cerebral disorders, respectively. RESULTS: Increased serum concentrations of nitrite were observed in patients with pulmonary involvement, and in particular in serum and in BAL samples of patients with interstitial pneumonia (36.2 (26.2) mumol/l and 0.3 (0.4) mumol/l, respectively). Increased serum concentrations of nitrite were also noted in patients with retinitis caused by infection with cytomegalovirus. Serum nitrite concentrations were also raised in patients with cerebral toxoplasmosis, whereas normal serum concentrations were found in patients with HIV-1 encephalopathy and cryptococcal meningitis. Nitrite concentrations in CSF were not raised in patients with cerebral disorders. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that production of nitrite in patients with AIDS with concomitant opportunistic infections may be part of the host defense against opportunistic organisms.
Hemodynamic Response Pattern of Spatial Cueing is Different for Social and Symbolic Cues

Directional social gaze and symbolic arrow cues both serve as spatial cues, causing seemingly reflexive shifts of an observer’s attention. However, the underlying neural substrates remain a point at issue. The present study specifically addressed the differences in the activation patterns associated with non-predictive gaze and arrow cues, placing special emphasis on brain regions known to be involved in the processing of social information [superior temporal sulcus (STS), fusiform gyrus (FFG)]. Additionally, the functional connectivity of these brain regions with other areas involved in gaze processing and spatial attention was investigated. Results indicate that gaze and arrow cues recruit several brain regions differently, with gaze cues increasing activation in occipito-temporal regions and arrow cues increasing activation in occipito-parietal regions. Specifically, gaze cues in contrast to arrow cues enhanced activation in the FFG and the STS. Functional connectivity analysis revealed that during gaze cueing the STS was more strongly connected to the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and the frontal eye fields, whereas the FFG was more strongly connected to the IPS and the amygdala.
Endoglin Is Not a Major Susceptibility Gene for Intracranial Aneurysm Among Japanese

Background and Purpose— A 6-base insertion (6bINS) polymorphism in intron 7 of the endoglin gene (ENG), which codes for a component of the transforming growth factor-&bgr; receptor complex, was reported to be associated with intracranial aneurysm (IA) in a Japanese population. A recent report using a white population could not replicate the association. We tested for this association with high statistical power in our independent Japanese subjects and evaluated the linkage between markers on chromosome 9, which contains ENG, and IA. Methods— The sample for the linkage study comprised 179 individuals with IA in 85 nuclear families, with 104 possible affected sibpairs. For the association study of the 6bINS polymorphism and 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ENG, 172 Japanese patients with IA and 192 control subjects were examined. Results— There was no evidence of linkage in the vicinity of ENG by analysis of affected sibpairs. The allele frequency of the 6bINS polymorphism was 104 of 344 (30.2%) in the total IA group and 122 of 382 (31.9%) in the control group. The statistical difference in allele frequency between the 2 groups was not significant (&khgr;2=0.245, df =1, P =0.620). The power of the present association study was 98.3% at a significance level of 0.05 on the basis of the allele frequencies in the previous study. In addition, no associations between the 4 SNPs in ENG and IA were detected. Conclusions— We provide evidence that there is no association between the 6bINS polymorphism or 4 SNPs in ENG and IA and that there is no linkage between the ENG locus and IA, indicating that ENG is not a major susceptibility gene for IA in Japanese.
Sensorimotor Training in a Virtual Reality Environment: Does It Improve Functional Recovery Poststroke?

Objective. To investigate the effectiveness of computerized virtual reality (VR) training of the hemiparetic hand of patients poststroke using a system that provides repetitive motor reeducation and skill reacquisition. Methods. Eight subjects in the chronic phase poststroke participated in a 3-week program using their hemiparetic hand in a series of interactive computer games for 13 days of training, weekend breaks, and pretests and posttests. Each subject trained for about 2 to 2.5 h per day. Outcome measures consisted of changes in the computerized measures of thumb and finger range of motion, thumb and finger velocity, fractionation (the ability to move fingers independently), thumb and finger strength, the Jebsen Test of Hand Function, and a Kinematic reach to grasp test. Results. Subjects as a group improved in fractionation of the fingers, thumb and finger range of motion, and thumb and finger speed, retaining those gains at the 1-week retention test. Transfer of these improvements was demonstrated through changes in the Jebsen Test of Hand Function and a decrease after the therapy in the overall time from hand peak velocity to the moment when an object was lifted from the table. Conclusions. It is difficult in current service delivery models to provide the intensity of practice that appears to be needed to effect neural reorganization and functional changes poststroke. Computerized exercise systems may be a way to maximize both the patients’ and the clinicians’ time. The data in this study add support to the proposal to explore novel technologies for incorporation into current practice.
Hemodynamic Monitoring in the Critically Ill Patient – Current Status and Perspective

In the critically ill patient, early and effective hemodynamic management including fluid therapy and administration of vasoactive drugs to maintain vital organ perfusion and oxygen delivery is mandatory. Understanding the different approaches in the management of critically ill patients during the resuscitation and further management is essential to initiate adequate context- and time-specific interventions. Treatment of hemodynamic variables to achieve a balance between organ oxygen delivery and consumption is the cornerstone. In general, cardiac output is considered a major determinant of oxygen supply and thus its monitoring is regarded helpful. However, indicators of oxygen requirements are equally necessary to assess adequacy of oxygen supply. Currently, more and more less or even totally non-invasive monitoring systems have been developed and clinically introduced, but require validation in this particular patient population. Cardiac output monitors and surrogates of organ oxygenation only enable to adequately guide management, as patient’s outcome is determined by acquisition and interpretation of accurate data, and finally suitable management decisions. This mini-review presents the currently available techniques in the field of hemodynamic monitoring in critically ill patients and briefly summarizes their advantages and limitations.
Oscillometric blood pressures in the arm, thigh, and calf in healthy children and those with aortic coarctation.

Comparing blood pressure (BP) obtained in the arm with that obtained in the thigh or calf is important in the diagnosis of aortic coarctation. However, normative mean and range of differences in BP between the arm and lower extremity sites are not available for normal children. It is also not known how accurately the differences in BP between the arm and the lower extremity sites predict the pulsed Doppler estimation of systolic pressure (SP) gradient across an aortic coarctation. To resolve these questions, the authors obtained two BP measurements by an oscillometric (Dinamap) method in the arm, thigh, and calf in 74 healthy children aged 4 to 16 years. Oscillometric BP was also obtained in 21 children aged 3 to 17 years with preoperative or postoperative aortic coarctation and BP gradients were compared with that estimated by the pulsed Doppler method. Overall, SP was higher in the thigh and calf than in the arm. The gradients in SP expressed as arm SP minus calf SP [S(A-C)] and arm SP minus thigh SP [S(A-T)] were significantly greater in children 4 through 8 years old than in those 9 to 16 years old. The S(A-C) was -9.3 (+/- 7.4 SD) mm Hg in the 4- through 8-year group and -5.0 (+/- 6.9 SD) mm Hg in the 9- to 16-year group. The S(A-T) was -7.1 (+/- 6.8 SD) mm Hg in the 4- through 8-year group and -2.4 (+/- 7.7 SD) mm Hg in the 9- to 16-year group. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
ARDSR: an anycast routing protocol for mobile ad hoc network

Anycast service is an effective implement method of distributed services in ad hoc network. It can simplify the configuration and management of distributed services. It can further improve the robustness of ad hoc networks to use anycast services in highly dynamic topology environment. According to the features of ad hoc network, a new anycast routing protocol ARDSR is proposed in this paper. This protocol has a lot of advantages such as balancing traffic load, conserving network bandwidth and saving host energy. It accomplishes an effective anycast routing in dynamic ad hoc networks. The simulation results show that the protocol can get good performance in dynamic network environment.
Contractile properties of the quadriceps muscle in individuals with spinal cord injury

Selected contractile properties and fatigability of the quadriceps muscle were studied in seven spinal cord–injured (SCI) and 13 able‐bodied control (control) individuals. The SCI muscles demonstrated faster rates of contraction and relaxation than did control muscles and extremely large force oscillation amplitudes in the 10‐Hz signal (65 ± 22% in SCI versus 23 ± 8% in controls). In addition, force loss and slowing of relaxation following repeated fatiguing contractions were greater in SCI compared with controls. The faster contractile properties and greater fatigability of the SCI muscles are in agreement with a characteristic predominance of fast glycolytic muscle fibers. Unexpectedly, the SCI muscles exhibited a force–frequency relationship shifted to the left, most likely as the result of relatively large twitch amplitudes. The results indicate that the contractile properties of large human locomotory muscles can be characterized using the approach described and that the transformation to faster properties consequent upon changes in contractile protein expression following SCI can be assessed. These measurements may be useful to optimize stimulation characteristics for functional electrical stimulation and to monitor training effects induced by electrical stimulation during rehabilitation of paralyzed muscles. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 22: 1249–1256, 1999.
Patient-centred assessment of social support, health status and quality of life in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND Measurement of health status (HS) and social support are becoming increasingly accepted as tools to guide clinical decision-making and patient-centred practice. PURPOSE To assess self-reported HS, cardiac-health related quality of life and social support in subjects with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). DESIGN The study used a quantitative descriptive design. SAMPLE 36 subjects with a diagnosis of ACS were selected from patients admitted to medical units at a teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario. METHODS One-time, semi-structured interviews were conducted using valid and reliable cardiac-specific HS and social support measures. RESULTS Analysis indicated that subjects with higher perceived social support and patients with higher income reported greater treatment satisfaction and C-HROL. Subjects with severe angina reported a higher perceived level of social support than those with more moderate physical limitation due to angina. CONCLUSION Patients' social environment and HS significantly impact their satisfaction with treatment. Patient-centred measures assist in clinical decision-making, patient-centred care planning and patient involvement in their care.