Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An active visual loop closure detection and validation system for topological SLAM

Loop closing is a vital component for mobile robot navigation without a priori information of the environment, since the mobile robot has to explore, build and at the same time maintain a globally consistent map. Moreover, it allows the mobile robot to recover from positional drifts due to errors associated with sensor measurements once loop closing is performed. In this paper, an active loop closing detection and validation system for a fully autonomous vision-based mobile robot performing topological SLAM is presented. It integrates an appearance-based mapping and localization system with the path planner to achieve an active loop closing system. This system does not only detect loop closures but actively validates them by taking advantage of the tight integration with the path planner. Experimental results conducted in a semi-outdoor environment validate the proposed system.
Juvenile Sexual Crime Reporting Rates Are Not Influenced by Juvenile Sex Offender Registration Policies

National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data on juvenile sexual crime reports originating in 4 states were used to assess the association between 4 different juvenile sex offender registration policies and juvenile sexual crime reports. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) analyses revealed no significant changes from before to after the implantation of juvenile registry requirements, suggesting that none of the tested policies influenced juvenile sexual crime reports. These results are commensurate with the only study evaluating juvenile sex offender registration on first-time sexual crimes and with the broader literature evaluating (and failing to find) an association between juvenile sex offender registration enactment and juvenile sexual offense recidivism rates. Juvenile sex offender registration policies were implemented with the primary aim of improving public safety. To date, no published studies support any public safety effect associated with juvenile sex offender registration policies. The current findings, when coupled with the larger literature base, support efforts to exclude juveniles from state and federal registration policies.
Real-time facial feature detection by statistical template matching

This paper addresses a problem of robust, accurate and fast object detection in complex environments, such as cluttered backgrounds and low-quality images. A new method called Statistical Template Matching is proposed to detect objects, represented by a set of template regions. A similarity measure between the image and a template is derived from the Fisher criterion. We show how to apply our method to face and facial feature detection tasks, and demonstrate its performance in some difficult cases, such as moderate variation of scale factor of the object, local image warping and distortions caused by image compression.
Association of Ideal Cardiovascular Metrics and Serum High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Hypertensive Population

Increased levels of the inflammatory biomarker high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, ideal cardiovascular health indicates lower risk of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and health factors on hs-CRP levels among a hypertensive population. From 2006 to 2007, a cross-sectional study was conducted to survey 41,476 hypertensive subjects among the employees of Kailuan Corporation. Data from unified questionnaires and blood biochemical examinations were collected. The effects of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and health factors on hs-CRP levels were evaluated through multivariate logistic regression analysis. A negative correlation was observed between hs-CRP levels and the number of ideal cardiovascular health metrics. The mean hs-CRP levels of subjects with zero to one, two, three, and four to six ideal cardiovascular health metrics were 1.11, 0.96, 0.90, and 0.80 mg/L, respectively (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjustment for sex, age, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and other risk factors, the risks for subjects with two, three, and four to six ideal health metrics with serum hs-CRP >3 mg/L were lower than those with zero to one ideal health metrics, with corresponding odd ratios of 0.86 (95%CI: 0.79–0.93, P<0.01), 0.76 (95%CI: 0.69–0.83, P<0.01), and 0.68 (95%CI: 0.64–0.75, P<0.01), respectively. This finding suggests that ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and health factors were related to decreased hs-CRP levels in a hypertensive population. Clinical Trial Registration Unique identifier: ChiCTR-TNC-11001489.
Disentangling Phylogenetic Relationships in a Hotspot of Diversity: The Butterworts (Pinguicula L., Lentibulariaceae) Endemic to Italy

The genus Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) consists of about 100 carnivorous species, also known as butterworts. Eleven taxa are endemic to Italy, which represents a biodiversity hotspot for butterworts in Europe. The aim of our study was to provide a phylogenetic framework for the Italian endemics, in order to: a) investigate the relationships between species in this group; b) evaluate their actual taxonomic value. To achieve this, we analysed all the taxa endemic to Italy, along with several other species, by means of ITS nrDNA analysis. Our results clarify the relationships between Italian endemics and other Pinguicula taxa identifying a basal polytomy defined by five clades. All of the Italian endemics (with the exception of P. lavalvae) fall within a single large clade, which includes P. vulgaris and allied species. Among them, P. poldinii represents the most isolated lineage. Other taxa show strong molecular similarities and form a single subclade, although their taxonomic ranks can be retained. Pinguicula lattanziae sp. nov., seemingly endemic to Liguria (NW Italy), is also described.
Software Veriﬁcation and Validation Laboratory:

All engineering disciplines are founded and rely on models, although they may differ on purposes and usages of modeling. Inter-disciplinary domains such as Cyber Physical Systems (CPSs) seek approaches that incorporate different modeling needs and usages. Speciﬁcally, the Simulink modeling platform greatly appeals to CPS engineers due to its seamless support for simulation and code generation. In this paper, we propose a test generation approach that is applicable to Simulink models built for both purposes of simulation and code generation. We deﬁne test inputs and outputs as signals that capture evolution of values over time. Our test generation approach is implemented as a meta-heuristic search algorithm and is guided to produce test outputs with diverse shapes according to our proposed notion of diversity. Our evaluation, performed on industrial and public domain models, demonstrates that: (1) In contrast to the existing tools for testing Simulink models that are only applicable to a subset of code generation models, our approach is applicable to both code generation and simulation Simulink models. (2) Our new notion of diversity for output signals outperforms random baseline testing and an existing notion of signal diversity in revealing faults in Simulink models. (3) The fault revealing ability of our test generation approach outperforms that of the Simulink Design Veriﬁer, the only testing toolbox for Simulink.
A Two-Step Latent Profile Method for Identifying Invalid Respondents in Self-Reported Survey Data

ABSTRACT Insincere respondents can have an adverse impact on the validity of substantive inferences arising from self-administered questionnaires (SAQs). The current study introduces a new method for identifying potentially invalid respondents from their atypical response patterns. The two-step procedure involves generating a response inconsistency (RI) score for each participant and scale on the SAQ and subjecting the resulting scores to latent profile analysis to identify classes of atypical RI respondent profiles. The procedure can be implemented post–data collection and is illustrated through a survey of school climate that was administered to N = 52,102 high school students. Results of this screening procedure revealed high levels of specificity and expected levels of concordance when contrasted with the results of traditionally used methods of screening items and response time. Contrasts between valid and invalid respondents revealed similar patterns across the three screening procedures when compared across external measures of academics and risk behaviors.
THE STRUGGLES CONTINUE : EVOLVING LAND POLICY AND TENURE REFORMS IN AFRICA-RECENT POLICY AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESSES by ROBIN PALMER Land

In the 1990s, official land policy debates in Southern Africa have become focused on two strategies: promoting freehold land markets to replace so-called customary tenure zones and expanding ‘commercial farming’ through market mechanisms. These two strategies are expected to resolve the escalating land problems. Yet, in the guise of promoting sustainable land use, environmental care, new agricultural export crops and tourism, large tracts of land are currently being alienated throughout the region. In the last few years, market-based economic reforms and privatisation in general are leading to a greater concentration of ‘foreign’ and local elite landownership rather than enhancing equitable land redistribution which benefits the majority. (Sam Moyo, 2000).
Low Complexity Hierarchical Prediction Algorithm for H.264/SVC

In the scalable video coding extension of the H.264/AVC standard, an exhaustive search technique is used to select the best coding mode for each macroblock. This technique achieves the highest possible coding efficiency, but it demands a higher video encoding computational complexity which constrains its use in many practical applications. This paper proposes combined fast sub-pixel motion estimation and a fast mode decision algorithm for inter-frame coding for temporal, spatial, and coarse grain signal-to-noise ratio scalability. It makes use of correlation between the macroblock and its enclosed partitions at different layers. Experimental results show that the scheme reduces the computational complexity significantly with negligible coding loss and bit-rate increases when compared to JSVM 9.15 and recently reported fast mode decision algorithms.
On the Scheduling Properties of the TCP Retransmission Timer

We argue that the design principles of the TCP timeout algorithm are based solely on RTT estimations and may lead to flow synchronization, unnecessary retransmission effort and unfair resource allocation. We present a new Window-Based timeout algorithm (WB-RTO) for TCP, which exhibits two major properties: (i) it cancels retransmission synchronization, which dominates when resource demand exceeds resource supply and (ii) it reschedules flows on the basis of their contribution to congestion.
Current Status for Gastrointestinal Nematode Diagnosis in Small Ruminants: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites pose a significant economic burden particularly in small ruminant production systems. Anthelmintic resistance is a serious concern to the effective control of GIN parasites and has fuelled the focus to design and promote sustainable control of practices of parasite control. Many facets of sustainable GIN parasite control programs rely on the ability to diagnose infection both qualitatively and quantitatively. Diagnostics are required to determine anthelmintic efficacies, for targeted treatment programs and selection of animals for parasite resistant breeding. This review describes much of the research investigated to date to improve the current diagnostic for the above practices which is based on counting the number of parasite eggs in faeces.
Line Low Level of Drug Resistance in a Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Attenuated Topoisomerase II Content Directly Correlates with a Updated

A new multiple drug-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line, ( IK )SMRs, has been isolated which demonstrates a direct correlation between reduced cellular topoisomerase II activity (5-fold reduction) and a low level of resistance (3to 7-fold) to topoisomerase II inhibitors. This cell line, initially selected for resistance to 9-(4,6-0-ethylidene-i8-D-glucopyranosyl)-4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin, exhibits cross-resistance to other topoisomerase II inhibitors including 4/-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide, doxorubicin, and mitoxantrone. The resistant cells show a 4.5-fold decrease in topoisomerase II by immunoblotting when compared to wild-type cells. Drug uptake studies reveal equivalent equi librium intracellular concentrations of [3H|9-(4,6-O-ethylidene-/9-D-glucopyranosyl)-4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin in the resistant and paren tal cells. The catalytic activity of topoisomerase II (decatenation of kinetoplast DNA) is 5-fold less in the drug-resistant cell line relative to wild-type Chinese hamster ovary cells. Drug-induced DNA damage, measured as either formation of DNA double-strand breaks or covalent DNA-enzyme complexes, is 4-fold less in the resistant cell line. Finally, Northern blot analysis demonstrates a 5-fold reduction in topoisomerase II mRNA isolated from log phase ("IIO-SMR, cells. These findings suggest that a reduced level of topoisomerase II is likely to be the sole mechanism of drug resistance in this novel cell line.
Analysis of English Idioms from Cognitive Perspective

Idioms are the crystallization of language, which have already attracted linguists largely, due to their particular characteristics and special functions in language. And there is a long research history of idioms. In the light of three sub-theories of cognitive linguistics namely, the theory of conceptual metaphor, the theory of conceptual metonymy and the theory of prototype categorization, this thesis attempts to analyze idioms from the perspective of cognitive linguistics. This essay aims to explore problems that we may come across in the process of idiom learning and propose some solutions and learning strategies.
Learning Treatment-Response Models from Multivariate Longitudinal Data

Treatment effects can be estimated from observational data as the difference in potential outcomes. In this paper, we address the challenge of estimating the potential outcome when treatment-dose levels can vary continuously over time. Further, the outcome variable may not be measured at a regular frequency. Our proposed solution represents the treatment response curves using linear time-invariant dynamical systems---this provides a flexible means for modeling response over time to highly variable dose curves. Moreover, for multivariate data, the proposed method: uncovers shared structure in treatment response and the baseline across multiple markers; and, flexibly models challenging correlation structure both across and within signals over time. For this, we build upon the framework of multiple-output Gaussian Processes. On simulated and a challenging clinical dataset, we show significant gains in accuracy over state-of-the-art models.
RGTA OTR 4120, a heparan sulfate proteoglycan mimetic, increases wound breaking strength and vasodilatory capability in healing rat full‐thickness excisional wounds

ReGeneraTing Agents (RGTAs), a family of polymers engineered to protect and stabilize heparin‐binding growth factors, have been shown to promote tissue repair and regeneration. In this study, the effects of one of these polymers, RGTA OTR4120, on healing of full‐thickness excisional wounds in rats were investigated. Two 1.5 cm diameter circular full‐thickness excisional wounds were created on the dorsum of a rat. After creation of the wounds, RGTA OTR4120 was applied. The progress of healing was assessed quantitatively by evaluating the wound closure rate, vasodilatory capability, and wound breaking strength. The results showed a triple increase of the local vascular response to heat provocation in the RGTA OTR4120‐treated wounds as compared with vehicle‐treated wounds. On days 14 and 79 after surgery, the wounds treated with RGTA OTR4120 gained skin strength 12% and 48% of the unwounded skin, respectively, and displayed a significantly increased gain in skin strength when compared with control animals. These results raise the possibility of efficacy of RGTA OTR4120 in accelerating surgically cutaneous wound healing by enhancing the wound breaking strength and improving the microcirculation.
Self-Informant Agreement on Personality: The Moderating Effects of Depression and/or Anxiety

Abnormalities in positive and negative affectivity are risk factors for the development of psychopathology. Given that mood and anxiety disorder symptoms may influence self-ratings of personality traits, informant-reports of personality (i.e., from family members or close friends) are sometimes also collected. Although some have suggested that informant-reports are less biased by psychopathology than self-reports, little is known about the concordance between self- and informant-reports among those with anxiety and/or depression relative to those without. We investigated whether self-informant agreement on personality differs as a function of whether an individual has major depressive disorder (MDD) with no history of panic disorder (PD; n = 15), PD with no history of MDD (n =21), comorbid PD and MDD (n = 28), or no history of psychopathology (n = 53). Informant-reported positive affectivity (PA) positively predicted self-reported PA among those with MDD, but not among those without. Likewise, informant-reported anxiety sensitivity positively predicted self-reported anxiety sensitivity among those with PD but not among those without. Finally, informant-reported negative affectivity (NA) positively predicted self-reported NA, and this relationship was not moderated by diagnosis. Results may indicate that PA and anxiety sensitivity are more noticeable to informants of those with MDD and PD, respectively. However, all associations between self- and informant-reports were moderate at best, which suggests that informant-reports may still contribute unique information to the assessment of personality and thus should be obtained when possible.
Investor Reactions to Management Earnings Guidance Attributions: The Effects of News Valence, Attribution Locus, and Outcome Controllability

We conduct two experiments to investigate how investors react to attributions accompanying management guidance. In our first experiment, we find that investors provide lower earnings estimates when management attributes negative guidance news to external factors than internal factors. When the guidance news is positive, the locus (internal versus external) of the attributions has no effect on investors' earnings estimates. In our second experiment, we separate out the effect of the attribution's outcome controllability (controllable versus uncontrollable) from that of attribution locus in a negative guidance news setting. We find that investors provide higher earnings estimates for internal and outcome controllable attributions than for internal and outcome uncontrollable attributions attributions. Outcome controllability does not matter when attributions are external. Our study extends prior research by showing how the valence of management guidance and the characteristics of guidance attributions jointly influence investors' earnings judgments.
The Physiology of Apology: An Investigation into Potential Sex Differences

The Physiology of Apology: An Investigation into Potential Sex Differences Daniel Stephenson Current literature on apology indicates that men and women differ in the types of apologies they offer and accept. In a recent study, Whited, Wheat, and Larkin (2010) showed that males and females may also experience differing physiological benefits following an apology. The purpose of the current study was to replicate the experimental study by Whited et al. and extend it by examining two different types of apologies. This study employed a 2 (men, women) X 3 (elaborate apology, simple apology, no apology) between subjects design to determine whether sex of participant and type of apology influenced the rate of cardiovascular and affective recovery from a standard experimental transgression. Seventy-Seven participants performed a mental arithmetic task during which they were verbally harassed by the experimenter. Following the task/verbal harassment, participants received either an elaborate apology, a simple apology, or no apology from the experimenter, followed by a 10-minute recovery period. Blood pressure [systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), mean arterial (MAP)], heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HF-HRV) were measured throughout the experiment. Findings indicated that participant sex and type of apology did not influence SBP, DBP, MAP, or HR recovery. However, a significant type of apology by sex of participant interaction was detected for a measure of parasympathetic nervous system recovery, HF-HRV. Women randomized to the elaborate apology condition recovered more quickly than women in the simple apology condition, and men in the simple apology condition recovered more quickly than women in the simple apology condition. Although findings failed to replicate the work of Whited et al., new clues were discovered regarding how men and women respond to different types of apologies.
Cardioprotective Effect of Electroacupuncture Pretreatment on Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury via Antiapoptotic Signaling

Objectives. Our previous study has used RNA-seq technology to show that apoptotic molecules were involved in the myocardial protection of electroacupuncture pretreatment (EAP) on the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) animal model. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate how EAP protects myocardium against myocardial I/R injury through antiapoptotic mechanism. Methods. By using rats with myocardial I/R, we ligated the left anterior descending artery (LAD) for 30 minutes followed by 4 hr of reperfusion after EAP at the Neiguan (PC6) acupoint for 12 days; we employed arrhythmia scores, serum myocardial enzymes, and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) to evaluate the cardioprotective effect. Heart tissues were harvested for western blot analyses for the expressions of pro- and antiapoptotic signaling molecules. Results. Our preliminary findings showed that EAP increased the survival of the animals along with declined arrhythmia scores and decreased CK, LDH, CK-Mb, and cTnT levels. Further analyses with the heart tissues detected reduced myocardial fiber damage, decreased number of apoptotic cells and the protein expressions of Cyt c and cleaved caspase 3, and the elevated level of Endo G and AIF after EAP intervention. At the same time, the protein expressions of antiapoptotic molecules, including Xiap, BclxL, and Bcl2, were obviously increased. Conclusions. The present study suggested that EAP protected the myocardium from I/R injury at least partially through the activation of endogenous antiapoptotic signaling.