Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Formation Control and Collision Avoidance for Multi-Agent Systems and a Connection between Formation Infeasibility and Flocking Behavior

A feedback control strategy that achieves convergence of a multi-agent system to a desired formation configuration avoiding at the same time collisions is proposed. The collision avoidance objective is handled by a decentralized navigation function that vanishes when the desired formation tends to be realized. When inter-agent objectives that specify the desired formation cannot occur simultaneously in the state space the desired formation is infeasible. It is shown that under certain assumptions, formation infeasibility forces the agents velocity vectors to a common value at steady state. This provides a connection between formation infeasibility and flocking behavior for the multi-agent system.
Into the Woods or a Stroll in the Park: How Virtual Contact with Nature Impacts Positive and Negative Affect

This study examined the effects of virtual contact with nature on positive and negative affect, and investigated the psychological process of perceived restorativeness as a mediator of this relationship. A sample of 220 Australians aged between 18 and 75 years (M = 49.07, SD = 14.34, female = 72%) participated in the study. Participants were randomly allocated to one of the three experimental conditions experienced through video presentations: (1) ‘wild’ nature, (2) ‘urban’ nature, and (3) non-nature control. They then completed measures of perceived restorativeness as well as positive and negative affect. Compared to the non-nature control condition, the experience of wild nature resulted in significantly higher levels of positive affect and lower levels of negative affect. The experience of urban nature resulted in significantly lower levels of negative affect only compared to the non-nature control video. Experience of wild and urban nature resulted in greater perceptions of restorativeness as compared to the non-nature control video. Restorativeness was a significant underlying psychological mediating path through which nature experience exerted its influence on affect. These results have the potential to inform nature-based green care interventions for mental health as well as for urban planning to maximize beneficial effects of natural environments.
Measures and predictors of community-based employment and earnings of persons with schizophrenia in a multisite study.

OBJECTIVE Data from a national study of persons with schizophrenia-related disorders were examined to determine clinical factors and labor-market conditions related to employment outcomes. METHODS Data were obtained from the U.S. Schizophrenia Care and Assessment Program, a naturalistic study of more than 2,300 persons from organized care systems in six U.S. regions. Data were collected via surveys and from medical records and clinical assessments at baseline and for three years. Outcome measures included any community-based (nonsheltered) employment, 40 or more hours of work in the past month, employment at or above the federal minimum wage, days and hours of work, and earnings. Bivariate and multiple regression analyses of data from more than 7,000 assessments tested relationships between outcomes and sociodemographic, clinical, and local labor market characteristics. RESULTS The employment rate was 17.2%; only 57.1% of participants who worked reported 40 or more hours of past-month employment. The mean hourly wage was $7.05, and mean monthly earnings were $494.20. Employment rates and number of hours worked were substantially below those found in household surveys or in baseline data from trials of employment programs but substantially higher than those found in a recent large clinical trial. Strong positive relationships were found between clinical factors and work outcomes, but evidence of a relationship between local unemployment rates and outcomes was weak. CONCLUSIONS Work attachment and earnings were substantially lower than in previous survey data, not very sensitive to labor market conditions, and strongly related to clinical status.
Classi(cid:12)cation Trees With Unbiased Multiway Splits

Two univariate split methods and one linear combination split method are proposed for the construction of classi(cid:12)cation trees with multiway splits. Examples are given where the trees are more compact and hence easier to interpret than binary trees. A major strength of the univariate split methods is that they have negligible bias in variable selection, both when the variables di(cid:11)er in the number of splits they o(cid:11)er and when they di(cid:11)er in number of missing values. This is an advantage because inferences from the tree structures can be adversely a(cid:11)ected by selection bias. The new methods are shown to be highly competitive in terms of computational speed and classi(cid:12)cation accuracy of future observations.
Increase in emergency admissions to hospital for children aged under 15 in England, 1999–2010: national database analysis

Objective To investigate a reported rise in the emergency hospital admission of children in England for conditions usually managed in the community. Setting and design Population-based study of hospital admission rates for children aged under 15, based on analysis of Hospital Episode Statistics and population estimates for England, 1999–2010. Main outcome Trends in rates of emergency admission to hospital. Results The emergency admission rate for children aged under 15 in England has increased by 28% in the past decade, from 63 per 1000 population in 1999 to 81 per 1000 in 2010. A persistent year-on-year increase is apparent from 2003 onwards. A small decline in the rates of admissions lasting 1 day or more has been offset by a twofold increase in short-term admissions of <1 day. Considering the specific conditions where high emergency admission rates are thought to be inversely related to primary care quality, admission rates for upper respiratory tract infections rose by 22%, lower respiratory tract infections by 40%, urinary tract infections by 43% and gastroenteritis by 31%, while admission rates for chronic conditions fell by 5.6%. Conclusions The continuing increase in very-short-term admission of children with common infections suggests a systematic failure, both in primary care (by general practice, out-of-hours care and National Health Service Direct) and in hospital (by emergency departments and paediatricians), in the assessment of children with acute illness that could be managed in the community. Solving the problem is likely to require restructuring of the way acute paediatric care is delivered.
Dynamics of inertial dewetting

The dynamics of fast dewetting is considered in both unidirectional and axisymmetric dewetting cases. The analysis provides the front and dewetting velocities along with the wave speed (Froude number larger than 1) based on the momentum and continuity equations. The model does not require any fitting parameter. In the unidirectional case, the present model results are direct, while in the axisymmetric case, a simple trial-and-error procedure is required. Culick’s law (derived for the rupture of soap films and extended to unidirectional fast dewetting velocity by other investigators) is found to be a limiting case for both the dewetting and front velocities at small values of the film thickness for both unidirectional and axisymmetric dewetting geometries. The proposed model results show favorable agreement with published experimental front velocity data at large values of the film thickness.
Contextually Appropriate Reference Generation

We describe a system for contextually appropriate anaphor and pronoun generation for Turkish. It uses Binding Theory and Centering Theory to model local and nonlocal reference. We describe the rules for Turkish, and their computational treatment. A cascaded method for anaphor and pronoun generation is proposed for handling pro-drop and discourse constraints on pronominalization. The system has been tested as a standalone nominal expression generator and also as a reference planning component of a transfer-based MT system.
Influences of Mental Illness Stigma on Perceptions of and Responses to Requests for Favors

ABSTRACT This article examines mental illness stigma effects on a request for a favor from a mentally ill individual. Four hundred and fourteen participants interacted with a hypothetical target on Facebook who was believed to have schizophrenia, depression, or a tooth cavity (i.e., the control group). Participants were asked to rate the favor request in terms of face threat, in addition to writing a response, which was then coded using message design logics. Results indicated that a request by a schizophrenic target threatened participants’ positive face more significantly than that of a target with depression or without any mental illness. Participants’ responses to the schizophrenic target were more likely to be conventional messages, whereas responses to the depressed target were more likely to be rhetorical messages. Theoretical and practical contributions are considered.
Patient-controlled Analgesia With Propacetamol-Fentanyl Mixture for Prevention of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in High-risk Patients Undergoing Spine Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: This randomized trial evaluated the effect of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) based on fentanyl mixed with either propacetamol or an equivalent volume of normal saline on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in highly susceptible patients undergoing spinal surgery. Materials and Methods: One hundred eight nonsmoking female patients were randomly and evenly allocated to receive IV-PCA with either propacetamol (4 g) or normal saline mixed to fentanyl (20 &mgr;g/kg). Primary study outcome was PONV incidence at 24 hours postsurgery. Secondary outcomes were nausea severity, pain intensity (100-mm visual analog scale), use of rescue antiemetics and analgesics, patient satisfaction, and adverse events at 6, 12, and 24 hours postsurgery. Results: Postsurgery, the propacetamol versus normal saline group had lower PONV incidence at 24 hours (41% vs. 66%, P=0.011); pain intensity at rest and rescue analgesic requirements at 6 to 12 hours (30±15 vs. 41±19, P=0.008; and 25% vs. 49%, P=0.036, respectively) and at 12 to 24 hours (25±15 vs. 35±17, P=0.008; and 19% vs. 42%, P=0.044, respectively); and higher patient satisfaction score (6.4±1.4 vs. 5.7±1.8, P=0.028). Conclusions: In patients undergoing spinal surgery and at risk of developing PONV, continuous IV-PCA based on propacetamol mixed to fentanyl, relative to fentanyl alone, effectively reduced the incidence of PONV, pain intensity at rest, and additional use of rescue analgesics with higher patient satisfaction.
String GUT scenarios with stabilized moduli

Taking into account the recently proposed poly-instanton corrections to the superpotential and combining the racetrack with a Kachru-Kallosh-Linde-Trivedi, respectively, large volume scenario in an intricate manner, we show that we gain exponential control over the parameters in an effective superpotential. This allows us to dynamically stabilize moduli such that a conventional minimal supersymmetric standard model scenario with the string scale lowered to the grand unified theory scale is realized. Depending on the cycles wrapped by the minimal supersymmetric standard model branes, two different scenarios for the hierarchy of soft masses arise. The first one is a supergravity mediated model with M{sub 3/2}{approx_equal}1 TeV while the second one features mixed anomaly supergravity mediation with M{sub 3/2}{approx_equal}10{sup 10} GeV and split supersymmetry. We also comment on dynamically lowering the scales such that the tree level cosmological constant is of the order {lambda}=(10{sup -3} eV){sup 4}.
Overcredibility of molecular phylogenies obtained by Bayesian phylogenetics

Bayesian phylogenetics has recently been proposed as a powerful method for inferring molecular phylogenies, and it has been reported that the mammalian and some plant phylogenies were resolved by using this method. The statistical confidence of interior branches as judged by posterior probabilities in Bayesian analysis is generally higher than that as judged by bootstrap probabilities in maximum likelihood analysis, and this difference has been interpreted as an indication that bootstrap support may be too conservative. However, it is possible that the posterior probabilities are too high or too liberal instead. Here, we show by computer simulation that posterior probabilities in Bayesian analysis can be excessively liberal when concatenated gene sequences are used, whereas bootstrap probabilities in neighbor-joining and maximum likelihood analyses are generally slightly conservative. These results indicate that bootstrap probabilities are more suitable for assessing the reliability of phylogenetic trees than posterior probabilities and that the mammalian and plant phylogenies may not have been fully resolved.
Theoretical Perspectives on the Statics and Dynamics of Species’ Borders in Patchy Environments

Understanding range limits is a fundamental problem in ecology and evolutionary biology. In 1963, Mayr argued that “contaminating” gene flow from central populations constrained adaptation in marginal populations, preventing range expansion, while in 1984, Bradshaw suggested that absence of genetic variation prevented species from occurring everywhere. Understanding stability of range boundaries requires unraveling the interplay of demography, gene flow, and evolution of populations in concrete landscape settings. We walk through a set of interrelated spatial scenarios that illustrate interesting complexities of this interplay. To motivate our individual-based model results, we consider a hypothetical zooplankter in a landscape of discrete water bodies coupled by dispersal. We examine how patterns of dispersal influence adaptation in sink habitats where conditions are outside the species’ niche. The likelihood of observing niche evolution (and thus range expansion) over any given timescale depends on (1) the degree of initial maladaptation; (2) pattern (pulsed vs. continuous, uni- vs. bidirectional), timing (juvenile vs. adult), and rate of dispersal (and hence population size); (3) mutation rate; (4) sexuality; and (5) the degree of heterogeneity in the occupied range. We also show how the genetic architecture of polygenic adaptation is influenced by the interplay of selection and dispersal in heterogeneous landscapes.
Nutritional management of gut health in pigs around weaning

Early weaning of piglets is often accompanied by a severe growth check and diarrhoea. It is well established that this process is multi-factorial and that post-weaning anorexia and undernutrition are major aetiological factors. Gastrointestinal disturbances include alterations in small intestine architecture and enzyme activities. Recent data indicate transiently-increased mucosal permeability, disturbed absorptive–secretory electrolyte balance and altered local inflammatory cytokine patterns after weaning. These responses appear to operate according to two distinct temporal patterns, an acute response followed by a long-lasting adaptation response. Pigs coexist with a diverse and dense commensal microbiota in their gastrointestinal tract. Most of these microbes are beneficial, providing necessary nutrients or protection against harmful pathogens for the host. The microbial colonisation of the porcine intestine begins at birth and follows a rapid succession during the neonatal and weaning period. Following the withdrawal of sow's milk the young piglets are highly susceptible to enteric diseases partly as a result of the altered balance between developing beneficial microbiota and the establishment of intestinal bacterial pathogens. The intestinal immune system of the newborn piglet is poorly developed at birth and undergoes a rapid period of expansion and specialisation that is not achieved before early (commercial) weaning. Here, new insights on the interactions between feed components, the commensal microbiota and the physiology and immunology of the host gastrointestinal tract are highlighted, and some novel dietary strategies are outlined that are focused on improving gut health. Prebiotics and probiotics are clear nutritional options, while convincing evidence is still lacking for other bioactive substances of vegetable origin.
Evidence for Negative Binding Cooperativity within CCR5-CCR2b Heterodimers

It is well established that most G protein-coupled receptors are able to form homo- and heterodimers, although the functional consequences of this process often remain unclear. CCR5 is a chemokine receptor that plays an important role in inflammatory diseases and acts as a major coreceptor for human immunodeficiency viruses. CCR5 was previously shown to homodimerize and heterodimerize with CCR2b, a closely related receptor. In the present study, we have analyzed the functional consequences of this dimerization process, in terms of ligand binding, stimulation of intracellular cascades, and internalization. Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer and coimmunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that CCR5 and CCR2b heterodimerize with the same efficiency as they homodimerize. In contrast to what has been reported previously, no cooperative signaling was observed after costimulation of the two receptors by their respective ligands. However, we observed that CCR5-specific ligands that are unable to compete for monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) binding on cells expressing CCR2b alone efficiently prevented MCP-1 binding when CCR5 and CCR2b were coexpressed. The extent of this cross-competition was correlated with the amount of CCR5 expressed in cells, as determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis. Similar observations were made for the CCR2b-selective ligand MCP-1 that competed efficiently for macrophage inflammatory protein-1β binding on cells expressing both receptors. Internalization assays did not allow us to demonstrate cointernalization of the receptors in response to agonist stimulation. Together, our observations suggest that CCR5 and CCR2b form homo- and heterodimers with similar efficiencies and that a receptor dimer can only bind a single chemokine.
Genomic Heterogeneity of Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: Translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC) is a rare subtype of kidney cancer involving the TFEB/TFE3 genes. We aimed to investigate the genomic and epigenetic features of this entity. Experimental Design: Cytogenomic analysis was conducted with 250K single-nucleotide polymorphism microarrays on 16 tumor specimens and four cell lines. LINE-1 methylation, a surrogate marker of DNA methylation, was conducted on 27 cases using pyrosequencing. Results: tRCC showed cytogenomic heterogeneity, with 31.2% and 18.7% of cases presenting similarities with clear-cell and papillary RCC profiles, respectively. The most common alteration was a 17q gain in seven tumors (44%), followed by a 9p loss in six cases (37%). Less frequent were losses of 3p and 17p in five cases (31%) each. Patients with 17q gain were older (P = 0.0006), displayed more genetic alterations (P < 0.003), and had a worse outcome (P = 0.002) than patients without it. Analysis comparing gene-expression profiling of a subset of tumors bearing 17q gain and those without suggest large-scale dosage effects and TP53 haploinsufficiency without any somatic TP53 mutation identified. Cell line–based cytogenetic studies revealed that 17q gain can be related to isochromosome 17 and/or to multiple translocations occurring around 17q breakpoints. Finally, LINE-1 methylation was lower in tRCC tumors from adults compared with tumors from young patients (71.1% vs. 76.7%; P = 0.02). Conclusions: Our results reveal genomic heterogeneity of tRCC with similarities to other renal tumor subtypes and raise important questions about the role of TFEB/TFE3 translocations and other chromosomal imbalances in tRCC biology. Clin Cancer Res; 19(17); 4673–84. ©2013 AACR.
Measuring system performance and topic discernment using generalized adaptive-weight mean

Standard approaches to evaluating and comparing information retrieval systems compute simple averages of performance statistics across individual topics to measure the overall system performance. However, topics vary in their ability to differentiate among systems based on their retrieval performance. At the same time, systems that perform well on discriminative queries demonstrate notable qualities that should be reflected in the systems' evaluation and ranking. This motivated research on alternative performance measures that are sensitive to the discriminative value of topics and the performance consistency of systems. In this paper we provide a mathematical formulation of a performance measure that postulates the dependence between the system and topic characteristics. We propose the Generalized Adaptive-Weight Mean (GAWM) measure and show how it can be computed as a fixed point of a function for which the Brouwer Fixed Point Theorem applies. This guarantees the existence of a scoring scheme that satisfies the starting axioms and can be used for ranking of both systems and topics. We apply our method to TREC experiments and compare the GAWM with the standard averages used in TREC.
Resolving the problem of non-integrability of nullspace velocities for compliance control of redundant manipulators by using semi-definite Lyapunov functions

In this paper a compliance control law for kinematically redundant manipulators is proposed. The controller contains a Cartesian compliance part and a nullspace compliance part which are complemented by a power-conserving decoupling term. The approach deliberately avoids inertia shaping in order to obtain a control law which does not require the measurement of external forces and becomes less sensitive with respect to model uncertainties. While the controller formulation explicitly uses nullspace velocity coordinates, no integration of these velocities is required. Except for the kinematic singularities of the manipulator's Jacobian matrix, no further algorithmic singularities are introduced. Asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system is shown by utilizing semi-definite Lyapunov functions. Finally, a short planar simulation study is presented which validates the effectiveness of the approach.