Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robot Motion Planning in Dynamic Uncertain Environments

In the real world, mobile robots often operate in dynamic and uncertain environments. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a motion planner capable of real-time planning that also addresses uncertainty concerns. In this paper, a new algorithm, Dynamic AO* (DAO*), is developed for navigation tasks of mobile robots. DAO* not only performs a good anytime behavior and offers a fast replanning framework, but also considers the motion uncertainty. Moreover, by incorporating DAO* with D* Lite, a new planning architecture, DDAO*, is represented to efficiently search in large state spaces. Finally, simulations and experiments are shown to verify the efficiency of the proposed algorithms.
Structural characterization of Bordetella parapertussis lipid A Published, JLR Papers in Press, November 17, 2008.

Bordetella parapertussis like B. pertussis, is a causal agent of whooping cough but is not a strictly human pathogen. Because its endotoxin, a major structural component of the Gram-negative outer membrane, is an important virulence factor, we have analyzed the structure of its toxic lipid domain, in one rough and two smooth bacterial strains. Chemical analyses and mass spectra obtained before and after recently developed mild-alkali treatments revealed that the lipids A have the common bisphosphorylated β-(1→6)-linked D-glucosamine disaccharide with hydroxytetradecanoic acid in amide linkages. All three strains have two major molecular species: a tetraacyl and a pentaacyl species. The rough strain is richer in a minor hexaacyl species. Acylation at the C-2, C-3, and C-3′ positions was different from that of the B. pertussis lipid A. The C-2 position carries a secondary hexadecanoic acid, the C-3 position is free, and the C-3′ position is substituted with hydroxydecanoic acid (not at C-3 as in B. pertussis), and the rough strain hexaacyl species carries a second secondary hexadecanoic acid. Like the lipid A of B. pertussis, the hydroxytetradecanoic acid at the C-2′ position was substituted by tetradecanoic acid.
The Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Gamma Oscillatory Activity in Schizophrenia

Background Gamma (γ) oscillations (30–50 Hz) have been shown to be excessive in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) during working memory (WM). WM is a cognitive process that involves the online maintenance and manipulation of information that is mediated largely by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) represents a non-invasive method to stimulate the cortex that has been shown to enhance cognition and γ oscillatory activity during WM. Methodology and Principal Findings We examined the effect of 20 Hz rTMS over the DLPFC on γ oscillatory activity elicited during the N-back task in 24 patients with SCZ compared to 22 healthy subjects. Prior to rTMS, patients with SCZ elicited excessive γ oscillatory activity compared to healthy subjects across WM load. Active rTMS resulted in the reduction of frontal γ oscillatory activity in patients with SCZ, while potentiating activity in healthy subjects in the 3-back, the most difficult condition. Further, these effects on γ oscillatory activity were found to be specific to the frontal brain region and were absent in the parieto-occipital brain region. Conclusions and Significance We suggest that this opposing effect of rTMS on γ oscillatory activity in patients with SCZ versus healthy subjects may be related to homeostatic plasticity leading to differential effects of rTMS on γ oscillatory activity depending on baseline differences. These findings provide important insights into the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying WM deficits in SCZ and demonstrated that rTMS can modulate γ oscillatory activity that may be a possible avenue for cognitive potentiation in this disorder.
Valuation of plug-in vehicle life-cycle air emissions and oil displacement benefits

We assess the economic value of life-cycle air emissions and oil consumption from conventional vehicles, hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs), and battery electric vehicles in the US. We find that plug-in vehicles may reduce or increase externality costs relative to grid-independent HEVs, depending largely on greenhouse gas and SO2 emissions produced during vehicle charging and battery manufacturing. However, even if future marginal damages from emissions of battery and electricity production drop dramatically, the damage reduction potential of plug-in vehicles remains small compared to ownership cost. As such, to offer a socially efficient approach to emissions and oil consumption reduction, lifetime cost of plug-in vehicles must be competitive with HEVs. Current subsidies intended to encourage sales of plug-in vehicles with large capacity battery packs exceed our externality estimates considerably, and taxes that optimally correct for externality damages would not close the gap in ownership cost. In contrast, HEVs and PHEVs with small battery packs reduce externality damages at low (or no) additional cost over their lifetime. Although large battery packs allow vehicles to travel longer distances using electricity instead of gasoline, large packs are more expensive, heavier, and more emissions intensive to produce, with lower utilization factors, greater charging infrastructure requirements, and life-cycle implications that are more sensitive to uncertain, time-sensitive, and location-specific factors. To reduce air emission and oil dependency impacts from passenger vehicles, strategies to promote adoption of HEVs and PHEVs with small battery packs offer more social benefits per dollar spent.
Low Occurrence of Tuberculosis Drug Resistance among Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients from an Urban Setting, with a Long-Running DOTS Program in Zambia

We set out to determine the levels of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to first- and second-line TB drugs in an urban population in Zambia. Sputum samples were collected consecutively from all smear-positive, new and previously treated patients, from four diagnostic centres in Ndola between January and July 2006. Drug susceptibility testing was performed using the proportion method against four first- and two second-line TB drugs. Results. Among 156 new cases, any resistance was observed to be 7.7%, monoresistance to isoniazid and rifampicin was 4.5% and 1.3%, respectively. Of 31 retreatment cases, any resistance was observed to be 16.1%, monoresistance to isoniazid and rifampicin was 3.3% for each drug, and one case of resistance to both isoniazid and rifampicin (multidrug resistance) was detected. No resistance to kanamycin or ofloxacin was detected. Conclusion. Although not representative of the country, these results show low levels of drug resistance in a community with a long-standing DOTS experience. Resource constrained countries may reduce TB drug resistance by implementing community-based strategies that enhance treatment completion.
Material Characterization of Arbitrarily Shaped Dielectrics Based on Reflected Pulse Characteristics

The relative permittivity of materials is extracted using time domain radar pulse reflection measurements. The pulse reflected from an arbitrarily shaped dielectric object is compared with that reflected from its metallic equivalent to determine the object's dielectric constant. The proposed method achieves accuracies of over 85% for permittivity and within 2 mm for material thickness estimations. Using the proposed technique, the complex relative permittivity for various objects is extracted over a frequency range from 3 to 10 GHz. This method has been applied to determine the permittivity of a ridge of sand and to dielectric imaging.
Bayesian on-line learning of driving behaviors

This paper presents a novel self-supervised on-line learning method to discover driving behaviors from data acquired with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a camera. Both sensors where mounted in a car that was driven by a human through a typical city environment with intersections, pedestrian crossings and traffic lights. The presented system extracts motion segments from the IMU data and relates them to visual cues obtained from camera data. It employs a Bayesian on-line estimation method to discover the motion segments based on change-point detection and uses a Dirichlet Compound Multinomial (DCM) model to represent the visual features extracted from the camera images. By incorporating these visual cues into the on-line estimation process, labels are computed that are equal for similar motion segments. As a result, typical traffic situations such as braking maneuvers in front of a red light can be identified automatically. Furthermore, appropriate actions in form of observed motion changes are associated to the discovered traffic situations. The approach is evaluated on a real data set acquired in the center of Zurich.
Heat Suppresses Activation of an Auxin-Responsive Promoter in Cultured Guard Cell Protoplasts of Tree Tobacco1[OA]

Cultured guard cell protoplasts (GCP) of tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) comprise a novel system for investigating the cell signaling mechanisms that lead to acquired thermotolerance and thermoinhibition. At 32°C in a medium containing an auxin (1-naphthaleneacetic acid [NAA]) and a cytokinin (6-benzylaminopurine), GCP expand, regenerate cell walls, dedifferentiate, and divide. At 38°C, GCP acquire thermotolerance within 24 h, but their expansion is limited and they neither regenerate walls nor reenter the cell cycle. These putative indicators of auxin insensitivity led us to hypothesize that heat suppresses induction of auxin-regulated genes in GCP. Protoplasts were transformed with BA-mgfp5-ER, in which the BA auxin-responsive promoter regulates transcription of mgfp5-ER encoding thermostable green fluorescent protein (GFP) or with a similar 35S-cauliflower mosaic virus constitutive promoter construct. Heat suppressed NAA-mediated activation of BA. After 21 h at 32°C in media with NAA, 49.0% ± 3.9% of BA-mgfp5-ER transformants strongly expressed GFP; expression percentages were similar to those of 35S-mgfp5-ER transformants at 32°C or 38°C. After 21 h at 38°C in media with NAA, 7.9% ± 1.6% of BA-mgfp5-ER transformants weakly expressed GFP, similar to GCP cultured at 32°C in media lacking NAA. Expression at 38°C was not increased by incubating for 48 h or increasing NAA concentrations 20-fold. After 9 to 12 h at 38°C, BA was no longer activated when cells were transferred to 32°C. Heat-stressed cells accumulate reactive oxygen species, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) suppresses auxin-responsive promoter activation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mesophyll protoplasts. H2O2 did not suppress BA activation at 32°C, nor did superoxide and H2O2 scavengers prevent BA suppression at 38°C.
한국어판 음성장애지수(Voice Handicap Index, VHI)의 타당도 및 VHI-10의 임상적 유용성

배경 및 목적: 본 연구에서는 한국어판 음성장애지수(Voice Handicap Index, VHI, 이하 VHI)-30 및 VHI-10의 신뢰도 및 타당도를 제시하고, VHI-10의 유용성을 확인하고자 하였다. 방법: 한국인 성인을 대상으로 후두암을 제외한 음성장애군 156명과 정상 성인 66명에게 내용타당도를 거친 VHI-30과 IPVI(Iowa.
Improving Dense Packings of Equal Disks in a Square

We describe a new numerical procedure for generating dense packings of disks and spheres inside various geometric shapes. We believe that in some of the smaller cases, these packings are in fact optimal. When applied to the previously studied cases of packing n equal disks in a square, the procedure conrms all the previous record packings [NO1] [NO2] [GL], except for n = 32, 37, 48, and 50 disks, where better packings than those previously recorded are found. For n = 32 and 48, the new packings are minor variations of the previous record packings. However, for n =3 7 and 50, the new patterns dier substantially. For example, they are mirror-symmetric, while the previous record packings are not. AMS subject classication: primary 05B40, secondary 90C59
Anatomical Modularity of Verbal Working Memory? Functional Anatomical Evidence from a Famous Patient with Short-Term Memory Deficits

Cognitive skills are the emergent property of distributed neural networks. The distributed nature of these networks does not necessarily imply a lack of specialization of the individual brain structures involved. However, it remains questionable whether discrete aspects of high-level behavior might be the result of localized brain activity of individual nodes within such networks. The phonological loop of working memory, with its simplicity, seems ideally suited for testing this possibility. Central to the development of the phonological loop model has been the description of patients with focal lesions and specific deficits. As much as the detailed description of their behavior has served to refine the phonological loop model, a classical anatomoclinical correlation approach with such cases falls short in telling whether the observed behavior is based on the functions of a neural system resembling that seen in normal subjects challenged with phonological loop tasks or whether different systems have taken over. This is a crucial issue for the cross correlation of normal cognition, normal physiology, and cognitive neuropsychology. Here we describe the functional anatomical patterns of JB, a historical patient originally described by Warrington et al. (1971), a patient with a left temporo-parietal lesion and selective short phonological store deficit. JB was studied with the H215O PET activation technique during a rhyming task, which primarily depends on the rehearsal system of the phonological loop. No residual function was observed in the left temporo-parietal junction, a region previously associated with the phonological buffer of working memory. However, Broca's area, the major counterpart of the rehearsal system, was the major site of activation during the rhyming task. Specific and autonomous activation of Broca's area in the absence of afferent inputs from the other major anatomical component of the phonological loop shows that a certain degree of functional independence or modularity exists in this distributed anatomical-cognitive system.
The Effects of Basic Military Training on Shooting Tasks in Conditions of Sleep Deprivation

The aim of this research was to determine the influence of Special Operations Battalion (SOB) basic training on specific shooting tasks in conditions of sleep deprivation. The research was conducted on a sample of 19 members of the Croatian Armed Forces for Special Operations. A specific task of shooting was carried out in four different ways with regard to body position in relation to the target (Sector 1-4). The shooting target was a head and chest silhouette. The paired-samples t-test has shown significant differences (p<.05) in the specific tasks of shooting before and after sleep deprivation. In addition, the results have shown that the SOB basic training had a positive impact on the reduction of sleep deprivation effects in shooting tasks. The obtained data suggest that during the SOB basic training (62 days), adaptation to stress and improvement of the skills of handling weapons has occurred, contributing significantly to better shooting results in stressful conditions, primarily in terms of lack of sleep.
Experimental implementation of a "target dynamics" controller on a two-link brachiating robot

We report on our recent empirical success in the study of a two-link brachiating robot. The "target dynamics" controller developed in our previous work (1997) is implemented on a physical system in our laboratory. The swing locomotion and swing-up behavior of the robot as well as continuous locomotion have been successfully attained. The experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of our control strategy.
The Robust Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem Under Demand Uncertainty

The robust capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) under demand uncertainty is studied to address the minimum cost delivery of a product to geographically dispersed customers using capacity-constrained vehicles. Contrary to the deterministic CVRP, which postulates that the customer demands for the product are deterministic and known, the robust CVRP models the customer demands as random variables, and it determines a minimum cost delivery plan that is feasible for all anticipated demand realizations. Robust optimization counterparts of several deterministic CVRP formulations are derived and compared numerically. Robust rounded capacity inequalities are developed, and it is shown how they can be separated efficiently for two broad classes of demand supports. Finally, it is analyzed how the robust CVRP relates to the chance-constrained CVRP, which allows a controlled degree of supply shortfall to decrease delivery costs.
Does Low IgA in Human Milk Predispose the Infant to Development of Cow's Milk Allergy?

We sought a relationship between total and cow's milk-specific IgA levels in colostrum and human milk and subsequent development of cow's milk allergy (CMA) in the breast-fed infant. The study included 87 nursing mothers and their infants (age, 2 d to 7 mo), followed prospectively up to 1 y. At 1 y, 48 mothers (69% with an atopic constitution) had an infant with CMA, verified by clinical cow's milk challenge, eight (38% with an atopic constitution) had a baby who had had protracted infantile colic but no CMA (disease control group), and 31 (23% with an atopic constitution) had a healthy infant. Total breast-milk IgA was measured by radial immunodiffusion, and IgA antibodies to cow's milk were measured by ELISA during the breast-feeding period. The levels of total and cow's milk-specific IgA antibodies in colostrum and human milk were significantly lower in the mothers whose baby later developed CMA [estimated third day value, 0.38 g/L (95% confidence interval, 0.24–0.82)] than in the ones whose infant remained healthy or had had infantile colic but not CMA [0.82 g/L (95% confidence interval, 0.99–1.51);p < 0.05]. The infants developed CMA significantly more often if the concentration of total IgA antibodies in milk was <0.25 g/L, when measured between 6 d and 4 wk postpartum [sensitivity, 0.55; specificity, 0.92; odds ratio, 14.7 (95% confidence interval, 3.1–70.2);p < 0.001]. The levels of cow's milk-specific IgA positively correlated with the levels of total IgA but not with the development of CMA in the infant. The levels of total or cow's milk-specific IgA did not correlate with maternal atopy. IgA antibodies in colostrum and human milk may prevent antigen entry at the intestinal surface of the breast-fed infant. A low IgA content in human milk may lead to defective exclusion of food antigens and thus predispose an offspring to develop food allergies.
Conceptual Commitments of the LIDA Model of Cognition

Abstract Significant debate on fundamental issues remains in the subfields of cognitive science, including perception, memory, attention, action selection, learning, and others. Psychology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence each contribute alternative and sometimes conflicting perspectives on the supervening problem of artificial general intelligence (AGI). Current efforts toward a broad-based, systems-level model of minds cannot await theoretical convergence in each of the relevant subfields. Such work therefore requires the formulation of tentative hypotheses, based on current knowledge, that serve to connect cognitive functions into a theoretical framework for the study of the mind. We term such hypotheses “conceptual commitments” and describe the hypotheses underlying one such model, the Learning Intelligent Distribution Agent (LIDA) Model. Our intention is to initiate a discussion among AGI researchers about which conceptual commitments are essential, or particularly useful, toward creating AGI agents.
Complications of outpatient LLETZ procedures.

OBJECTIVE To determine the rates and types of acute complications occurring within 14 days of large loop excision of the transformation zone of the cervix. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective chart review was performed for patients who underwent a loop excision procedure between July 1999 and July 2001. Extracted information included age, parity, ethnicity, indication for the procedure, risk factors for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, histologic classification of the specimen, and type and incidence of complications. Length of follow-up was also recorded. Statistical analysis was performed utilizing Wilcoxon sum analysis. RESULTS Five hundred fifty-seven charts were re- viewed; 74.8% of the patients were < or = 40 years old. Ethnicity was 59% Hispanic. The most common indication for loop excision was high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions on a Pap smear. Of the patients, 40% used tobacco, and 30% had a sexually transmitted disease. The overall complication rate was 9.7%, with a major complication rate of 0.6% and minor complication rate of 9.1%. Minor complications included 14 cases of abdominal pain and 26 of vaginal bleeding, 7 of which required treatment with Monsel solution or placement of Surgicel (Ethicon, Albuquerque, New Mexico). There were 6 cases of vaginal discharge and 1 of bladder spasm. Major complications included 1 patient with a bowel injury who returned to the operating room, 1 who returned to the operating room for hemorrhage and 1 with prolonged observation for chest pain. There was no association between age, parity, risk factors for cervical dysplasia, indication for procedure or pathology of specimen with acute complications. CONCLUSION Any surgical procedure may cause acute complications. While acute complications are not frequent with loop excision, the procedure is not entirely risk free.
An empirical evaluation of virtual hand techniques for 3D object manipulation in a tangible augmented reality environment

In this paper, we present a Fitts' law-based formal evaluation process and the corresponding results for 3D object manipulation techniques based on a virtual hand metaphor in a tangible augmented reality (TAR) environment. Specifically, we extend the design parameters of the 1D scale Fitts' law to 3D scale and then refine an evaluation model in order to bring generality and ease of adaptation to various TAR applications. Next, we implement and compare standard TAR manipulation techniques using a cup, a paddle, a cube, and a proposed extended paddle prop. Most manipulation techniques were well-modeled in terms of linear regression according to Fitts' law, with a correlation coefficient value of over 0.9. Notably, the throughput by ISO 9241-9 of the extended paddle technique peaked at around 1.39 to 2 times higher than in the other techniques, due to the instant 3D positioning of the 3D objects. In the discussion, we subsequently examine the characteristics of the TAR manipulation techniques in terms of stability, speed, comfort, and understanding. As a result, our evaluation process, results, and analysis can be useful in guiding the design and implementation of future TAR interfaces.
Multi-Perspective Context Matching for Machine Comprehension

Previous machine comprehension (MC) datasets are either too small to train end-to-end deep learning models, or not difficult enough to evaluate the ability of current MC techniques. The newly released SQuAD dataset alleviates these limitations, and gives us a chance to develop more realistic MC models. Based on this dataset, we propose a Multi-Perspective Context Matching (MPCM) model, which is an end-to-end system that directly predicts the answer beginning and ending points in a passage. Our model first adjusts each word-embedding vector in the passage by multiplying a relevancy weight computed against the question. Then, we encode the question and weighted passage by using bi-directional LSTMs. For each point in the passage, our model matches the context of this point against the encoded question from multiple perspectives and produces a matching vector. Given those matched vectors, we employ another bi-directional LSTM to aggregate all the information and predict the beginning and ending points. Experimental result on the test set of SQuAD shows that our model achieves a competitive result on the leaderboard.