Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robot Navigation with Distance Queries

We consider the problem of online robot navigation in an unfamiliar two-dimensional environment, using comparatively limited sensing information. In particular, the robot has local sensors to detect the proximity of obstacles and permit boundary-following, and it is able to determine its current distance and relative bearing to its final destination (via distance queries). By contrast, most previous algorithms for online navigation have assumed that the robot knows its exact current position. Because determining exact location is prone to error that accumulates over time, the usefulness of such algorithms may be limited. In contrast, distance queries give less information, but the accuracy of each query is independent of the number of queries, which means distance queries can be more robust. We formally define our model and give new, efficient navigation algorithms and lower bounds for this setting.
M theory on `toric' G(2) cones and its type II reduction

We analyze a class of conical G2 metrics admitting two commuting isometries, together with a certain one-parameter family of G2 deformations which preserves these symmetries. Upon using recent results of Calderbank and Pedersen, we extract the IIA reduction of eleven-dimensional supergravity on such backgrounds, as well as its type IIB dual. The associated type II solutions are expected to contain 6-branes and 5-branes respectively. By studying the general asympotics of the IIA and IIB solutions around the relevant loci, we confirm the interpretation of such solutions in terms of localized and delocalized branes. In particular, we find explicit, general expressions for the string coupling and R-R/NS-NS fields in the vicinity of these objects. Our solutions contain and generalize the field configurations relevant for certain models considered in recent work of Acharya and Witten.
Capital structure and its determinants in the UK - a decompositional analysis

Prior research on capital structure by Rajan and Zingales (1995) suggests that the level of gearing in UK companies is positively related to size and tangibility, and negatively correlated with profitability and the level of growth opportunities. However, as argued by Harris and Raviv (1991), ‘The interpretation of results must be tempered by an awareness of the difficulties involved in measuring both leverage and the explanatory variables of interest’. In this study the focus is on the difficulties of measuring gearing, and the sensitivity of Rajan and Zingales' results to variations in gearing measures are tested. Based on an analysis of the capital structure of 822 UK companies, Rajan and Zingales' results are found to be highly definitional-dependent. The determinants of gearing appear to vary significantly, depending upon which component of debt is being analysed. In particular, significant differences are found in the determinants of long- and short-term forms of debt. Given that trade credit and equivalent, on average, accounts for more than 62% of total debt, the results are particularly sensitive to whether such debt is included in the gearing measure. It is argued, therefore, that analysis of capital structure is incomplete without a detailed examination of all forms of corporate debt.
European Union 1997 Seafood-Safety Ban: The Economic Impact on Bangladesh Shrimp Processing

Major markets for Bangladesh frozen shrimp are the European Union, the United States, and Japan. Bangladesh frozen shrimp imports into the EU and the United States have experienced safety and quality problems. The 1997 European Commission ban on Bangladesh seafood imports into the EU cost the Bangladesh frozen shrimp processing industry US$14.665 million in lost revenues.
A New Recurrent Neural CRF for Learning Non-linear Edge Features

Conditional Random Field (CRF) and recurrent neural models have achieved success in structured prediction. More recently, there is a marriage of CRF and recurrent neural models, so that we can gain from both non-linear dense features and globally normalized CRF objective. These recurrent neural CRF models mainly focus on encode node features in CRF undirected graphs. However, edge features prove important to CRF in structured prediction. In this work, we introduce a new recurrent neural CRF model, which learns non-linear edge features, and thus makes non-linear features encoded completely. We compare our model with different neural models in well-known structured prediction tasks. Experiments show that our model outperforms state-of-the-art methods in NP chunking, shallow parsing, Chinese word segmentation and POS tagging.
Nontraded Goods, Market Segmentation, and Exchange Rates

Empirical evidence suggests that movements in international relative prices (such as the real exchange rate) are large and persistent. Nontraded goods, both in the form of final consumption goods and as an input into the production of final tradable goods, are an important aspect behind international relative price movements. In this paper we show that nontraded goods have important implications for exchange rate behavior, even though fluctuations in the relative price of nontraded goods account for a relatively small fraction of real exchange rate movements. In our quantitative study nontraded goods magnify the volatility of exchange rates when compared to the model without nontraded goods. Cross-country correlations and the correlation of exchange rates with other macro variables are closer in line with the data. In addition, contrary to a large literature, standard alternative assumptions about the currency in which firms price their goods are virtually inconsequential for the properties of aggregate variables in our model, other than the terms of trade.
A Classification of Issues and Approaches in Automatic Service Composition

Resulting from the constantly increasing usage of service oriented computing, the problem of automatic composition of services is rapidly gaining attention. Many solutions have been proposed, yet too little attention has been paid to thoroughly analyzing the different needs that require the ability of (automatic) service composition. This paper therefore aims at identifying the different cases in which service composition is needed and at classifying existing approaches accordingly. Three distinguishable types of service composition applications are described along with their basic problems and various approaches addressing the identified classes are presented.
New integration approach of photogrammetric and LIDAR techninques for architectural surveys

In the last few years, LIDAR and image-matching techniques have been employed in many application fields because of their quickness in point cloud generation. Nevertheless, these techniques do not assure complete and reliabl e results, especially in complex applications such as architectural surveys: laser scanning techniques do not allow the correct position of object breaklines to be extracted while image matching results requir e an accurate editing and they are not acceptable f or bad-textured images. For this reason several authors have already suggested overc oming of these problems through a combination of LIDAR and photogrammetric techniques. These works considers the integration a s the possibility to share point clouds generated b y these techniques; however, a complete and automatic integration, in order to ach ieve more complete information, has never been implemented. In this paper, a new integration approach is propos ed. This integration is focused on the possibility of overcoming the problems of each technique. In this approach LIDAR and multi-image matching techniques combine and share information in order to extract building breaklines in the space, perform the point cloud segmentation and speed up the modelling process in an automatic way. This integration is still an ongoing process: the algori thm workflow and first performed tests on real faca des are presented in this paper, in order to evaluate the reliability of the proposed m ethod; finally, an overview on the future developme nts is offered.
Unique Aspects of Cryptochrome in Chronobiology and Metabolism, Pancreatic β-Cell Dysfunction, and Regeneration: Research into Cysteine414-Alanine Mutant CRY1

Cryptochrome proteins (CRYs), which can bind noncovalently to cofactor (chromophore) flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), occur widely among organisms. CRYs play indispensable roles in the generation of circadian rhythm in mammals. Transgenic mice (Tg mice), ubiquitously expressing mouse CRY1 having a mutation in which cysteine414 (the zinc-binding site of CRY1) being replaced with alanine, display unique phenotypes in their circadian rhythms. Moreover, male Tg mice exhibit symptoms of diabetes characterized by beta-cell dysfunction, resembling human maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY). The lowered proliferation of β-cells is a primary cause of age-dependent β-cell loss. Furthermore, unusually enlarged duct-like structures developed prominently in the Tg mice pancreases. The duct-like structures contained insulin-positive cells, suggesting neogenesis of β-cells in the Tg mice. This review, based mainly on the author's investigation of the unique features of Tg mice, presents reported results and recent findings related to molecular processes associated with mammalian cryptochromes, especially their involvement in the regulation of metabolism. New information is described with emphasis on the aspects of islet architecture, pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, and regeneration.
A composite adaptive output feedback tracking controller for robotic manipulators

This paper provides a solution to the composite adaptive output feedback tracking control problem for robotic manipulators. The proposed controller utilizes an update law that is a composite of a gradient update law driven by the link position tracking error and a least squares update law driven by the prediction error. In order to remove the controller's dependence on link velocity measurements, a linear filter and a new prediction error formulation are designed. The controller provides semi-global asymptotic link position tracking performance.
Recognition of Anterior Peritoneal Reflections and Their Relationship With Rectal Tumors Using Rectal Magnetic Resonance Imaging

AbstractOur goal was to explore the factors influencing the visualization of anterior peritoneal reflections (APRs) using rectal MRI. We evaluated the usefulness of rectal MRI in measuring the distance from the anal verge to the APR and determining the relationship between the APR and the rectal tumor.Clinical and imaging data from 319 patients who underwent surgery after MRI examination between October 2010 and December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The distance from the anal verge to the APR and the relationship between the APR and the location of the rectal tumor was evaluated. analysis of variance, logistic regression, independent samples t tests, and Kappa tests were used for statistical analysis.The APR was visible in 283 of 319 cases using rectal MRI. The APR was more readily observed in patients who were older than 58 years (P = 0.046), in patients whose subcutaneous fat thicknesses were >22.2 mm (P = 0.004), in patients with nondistended bladders (P = 0.001), and in those with an anteversion of the uterus (P = 0.001). There was a significant difference between the distance from the anal verge to the APR between females (10.4 ± 1.1 cm) and males (10.0 ± 1.2 cm; P = 0.014). The accuracy in predicting tumor location with respect to the APR was 70%, 50%, 98.2%, respectively for patients with tumors located above, at, and below the APR (compared with the location determined during surgery). Most of the APRs were visible using rectal MRI, whereas certain internal factors influence visualization. Rectal MRI could be a useful tool for evaluating the distance from the anal verge to the APR and relationship between rectal tumors and the APR.
Tetraspanin protein (TSP-15) is required for epidermal integrity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Epidermal integrity is essential for animal development and survival. Here, we demonstrate that TSP-15, a member of the tetraspanin protein family, is required for epithelial membrane integrity in Caenorhabditis elegans. Reduction of tsp-15 function by mutation or by RNA interference elicits abnormalities of the hypodermis, including dissociation of the cuticle and degeneration of the hypodermis. Lethality during molting often results. Examination of GFP transgenic animals, genetic mosaic analysis and rescue assays revealed that TSP-15 functions in hyp7, a large syncytium that composes most of the hypodermis. Assays with a membrane-impermeable dye or leakage analysis of a hypodermal-specific marker indicate that the barrier function of the hypodermal membrane is impaired owing to the loss or reduction of TSP-15. These results indicate that TSP-15 functions in the maintenance of epithelial cell integrity.
Evolutionary Dynamics of Human Toll-Like Receptors and Their Different Contributions to Host Defense

Infectious diseases have been paramount among the threats to health and survival throughout human evolutionary history. Natural selection is therefore expected to act strongly on host defense genes, particularly on innate immunity genes whose products mediate the direct interaction between the host and the microbial environment. In insects and mammals, the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) appear to play a major role in initiating innate immune responses against microbes. In humans, however, it has been speculated that the set of TLRs could be redundant for protective immunity. We investigated how natural selection has acted upon human TLRs, as an approach to assess their level of biological redundancy. We sequenced the ten human TLRs in a panel of 158 individuals from various populations worldwide and found that the intracellular TLRs—activated by nucleic acids and particularly specialized in viral recognition—have evolved under strong purifying selection, indicating their essential non-redundant role in host survival. Conversely, the selective constraints on the TLRs expressed on the cell surface—activated by compounds other than nucleic acids—have been much more relaxed, with higher rates of damaging nonsynonymous and stop mutations tolerated, suggesting their higher redundancy. Finally, we tested whether TLRs have experienced spatially-varying selection in human populations and found that the region encompassing TLR10-TLR1-TLR6 has been the target of recent positive selection among non-Africans. Our findings indicate that the different TLRs differ in their immunological redundancy, reflecting their distinct contributions to host defense. The insights gained in this study foster new hypotheses to be tested in clinical and epidemiological genetics of infectious disease.
EVOLUTIONARY TRANSITIONS BETWEEN STATES OF STRUCTURAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERS AMONG THE ALGAL CHAROPHYTA (VIRIDIPLANTAE)

Title of Thesis: EVOLUTIONARY TRANSITIONS BETWEEN STATES OF STRUCTURAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERS AMONG THE ALGAL CHAROPHYTA (VIRIDIPLANTAE). Jeffrey David Lewandowski, Master of Science, 2004 Thesis Directed By: Associate Professor, Charles F. Delwiche, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics The Charophyta comprise green plant representatives ranging from familiar complex-bodied land plants to subtle and simple forms of green algae, presumably the closest phylogenetic relatives of land plants. This biological lineage provides a unique opportunity to investigate evolutionary transition series that likely facilitated once-aquatic green plants to colonize and diversify in terrestrial environments. A literature review summarizes fundamental structural and developmental transitions observed among the major lineages of algal Charophyta. A phylogenetic framework independent of morphological and ontological data is necessary for testing hypotheses about the evolution of structure and development. Thus, to further elucidate the branching order of the algal Charophyta, new DNA sequence data are used to test conflicting hypotheses regarding the phylogenetic placement of several enigmatic taxa, including the algal charophyte genera Mesostigma, Chlorokybus, Coleochaete, and Chaetosphaeridium. Additionally, technical notes on developing RNA methods for use in studying algal Charophyta are included.
The Social Security Earnings Test and Labor Supply of Older Men

The social security earnings test reduces a 65-69-year-old's benefits at a 33-percent rate and a 62-64 year-old's benefits at a 50-percent rate once earnings pass a threshold amount--among the highest marginal tax rates in the economy. Previous research dismissed the importance of the earnings test but failed to take advantage of three more recent changes in the earnings-test rules, each applying to some age groups and not others, in order to identify its impact. Data on earnings distributions before and after these rules changes demonstrate that a significant number of older workers are clustered with earnings just at or below the earnings-exempt amount--so the earnings test leads some beneficiaries to hold down their labor supply. Furthermore, the bunching moves when the exempt amount moves and disappears when the earnings test is eliminated. An econometric model of labor supply is also formulated to incorporate the entire range of beneficiaries' responses to the earnings test. The resulting estimates imply substantial deadweight loss from older workers changing their labor supply to avoid taxation. Simulations predict a 5.3-percent boost to aggregate labor supply from eliminating the earnings test, and at a minimal fiscal cost. In contrast, a slight decrease in labor supply is predicted from the recently legislated increase in the exempt amount. It will be important to keep in mind this apparent sensitivity of older workers to tax and transfer rules conditional on working, which will affect the outcome of policies that attempt to induce people to work longer. Another important consideration involves 62-64-year-olds, who face an earnings test as restrictive as it was in the mid-1970s. The tighter earnings test rules will be extended to 65- and 66-year-olds as the normal retirement age is raised.
Interactions among Vascular-Tone Modulators Contribute to High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and Augmented Vasoreactivity in Highlanders

Background The interactions among various biomarkers remained unexplored under the stressful environment of high-altitude. Present study evaluated interactions among biomarkers to study susceptibility for high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) in HAPE-patients (HAPE-p) and adaptation in highland natives (HLs); both in comparison to HAPE-free sojourners (HAPE-f). Methodology/Principal Findings All the subjects were recruited at 3500 m. We measured clinical parameters, biochemical levels in plasma and gene expression using RNA from blood; analyzed various correlations between and among the clinical parameters, especially arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) and biochemical parameters like, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), serotonin (5-HT), 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α (8-isoPGF2α), endothelin-1 (ET-1), plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide (NO) in HAPE-p, HAPE-f and HLs. ADMA, 5-HT, 8-isoPGF2α, ET-1 levels, and PAC were significantly higher (p<0.0001, each), whereas SOD activity and NO level were significantly lower in HAPE-p than HAPE-f (p≤0.001). Furthermore, ADMA, 5-HT, 8-isoPGF2α, NO levels and PAC were significantly higher (p<0.0001), whereas ET-1 level significantly (p<0.0001) and SOD activity non-significantly (p>0.05) lower in HLs than HAPE-f. The expression of respective genes differed in the three groups. In the correlations, SaO2 inversely correlated with ADMA, 5-HT and 8-isoPGF2α and positively with SOD in HAPE-p (p≤0.009). MAP correlated positively with 5-HT and 8-isoPGF2α in HAPE-p and HLs (p≤0.004). A strong positive correlation was observed between ADMA and 5-HT, 5-HT and 8-isoPGF2α (p≤0.001), whereas inverse correlation of SOD with ET-1 in HAPE-p and HLs (p≤0.004), with 5-HT and 8-isoPGF2α in HAPE-p (p = 0.01) and with 5-HT in HLs (p = 0.05). Conclusions/Significance The interactions among these markers confer enhanced vascular activity in HLs and HAPE in sojourners.
Double-stranded RNA bacteriophage phi 6 protein P4 is an unspecific nucleoside triphosphatase activated by calcium ions

Double-stranded RNA bacteriophage phi 6 has an envelope surrounding the nucleocapsid (NC). The NC is composed of a surface protein, P8, and proteins P1, P2, P4, and P7, which form a dodecahedral polymerase complex enclosing the segmented viral genome. Empty polymerase complex particles (procapsids) package positive-sense viral single-stranded RNAs provided that energy is available in the form of nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs). Photoaffinity labelling of both the NC and the procapsid has earlier been used to show that ATP binds to protein P4 and that the NC hydrolyzes NTPs. Using the NC and the NC core particles (NCs lacking surface protein P8) and purified protein P4, we demonstrate here that multimeric P4 is the active NTPase. Isolation of multimeric P4 is successful only in the presence of NTPs. The activity of P4 is the same in association with the viral particles as it is in pure form. P4 is an unspecific NTPase hydrolyzing ribo-NTPs, deoxy NTPs, and dideoxy NTPs to the corresponding nucleoside diphosphates. The Km of the reaction for ATP, GTP, and UTP is around 0.2 to 0.3 mM. The NTP hydrolysis by P4 absolutely requires residual amounts of Mg2+ ions and is greatly activated when the Ca2+ concentration reaches 0.5 mM. Competition experiments indicate that Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions have approximately equal binding affinities for P4. They might compete for a common binding site. The nucleotide specificity and enzymatic properties of the P4 NTPase are similar to the NTP hydrolysis reaction conditions needed to translocate and condense the viral positive-sense RNAs to the procapsid particle.
The Quality and Reporting of Randomized Trials in Cardiothoracic Physical Therapy Could Be Substantially Improved

BACKGROUND: While the number of reports of randomized controlled trials in physical therapy has increased substantially in the last decades, the quality and reporting of randomized trials have never been systematically investigated in the subdiscipline of cardiothoracic physical therapy. The primary aim was to determine the methodological quality and completeness of reporting of cardiothoracic physical therapy trials. Secondary aims were to investigate the range of clinical conditions investigated in these trials and the degree of association between trial characteristics and quality. METHODS: All reports of randomized trials indexed on the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and coded as being relevant to cardiothoracic physical therapy were surveyed. PEDro scale individual items and total score were downloaded, and some characteristics included in the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement were extracted for each trial report. RESULTS: The mean ± SD total PEDro score for the 2,970 included reports of cardiothoracic trials was 4.7 ± 1.4, with 27% being of moderate to high quality. The clinical conditions studied included chronic lung diseases (32% of the trials), cardiac diseases (20%), cardiovascular surgical conditions (5%), sleep disorders (5%), peripheral vascular disease (4%), acute lung disease (4%), critical illness (3%), and other surgical conditions (3%). The multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that endorsement of the CONSORT statement by the publishing journal, time since publication, evidence of trial registration, sources of funding, description of the sample size calculation, and identification of the primary outcome(s) had associations with the total PEDro score. CONCLUSIONS: There is great potential to improve the quality of the conduct and reporting of trials evaluating the effects of cardiothoracic physical therapy.