Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Structure and Solution of the Simultaneous Localisation and Map Building Problem

Paul Michael Newman Doctor of Philosophy The University of Sydney March 1999 On the Structure and Solution of the Simultaneous Localisation and Map Building Problem This thesis is concerned with the simultaneous localisation and map building (SLAM) problem. The SLAM problem asks if it is possible for an autonomous vehicle to start in an unknown location in an unknown environment and then to incrementally build a map of this environment while simultaneously using this map to compute absolute vehicle location. The map and robot location estimates obtained from a successful SLAM system provide essential information upon which high level tasks such as path planning are predicated. A practicable solution to the SLAM problem is of inestimable value in the quest to create a truly autonomous mobile robot. The thesis has three principal theoretical contributions. The first is the elucidation of the structure of the SLAM problem. This is achieved by the analysis of a conventional and well known SLAM algorithm using global coordinates called, in this thesis, the Absolute Map Filter or AMF. Using this algorithm, three convergence theorems central to the SLAM problem are proved for the first time. They prove that the uncertainty in the estimated map decreases monotonically and achieves a defined lower bound. Futhermore, in the limit as the number of landmark observations increases, the relationship between landmarks becomes perfectly known. These proofs constitute the second theoretical contribution of the thesis. The third principal theoretical contribution of this thesis is the development of a novel SLAM solution capable of solving the SLAM problem in real time. This algorithm is called the Geometric Projection Filter or GPF. Rather than estimate the location of landmarks in global coordinates it estimates the relationships between individual landmarks. The convergence properties of this algorithm are derived and compared with those of the conventional AMF algorithm. An implementation of the GPF and the AMF is provided on a custom built subsea vehicle. The performance of the two filters are compared and shown to have the properties predicted by the preceding theoretical analysis. This implementation constitutes the fourth principal contribution of the thesis. It shows that the GPF can be used as the basis of a substantive real time deployment of a mobile robot in an initially unknown environment.
Effect of training intensity on subcutaneous adipose leptin, adiponectin, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor mRNA expression in middle‐aged women

Obesity, especially abdominal one, is associated with a whole body pro‐inflammatory state and metabolic syndrome. Adipocytokines secreted by adipose tissue have been suggested as a possible linking between obesity and its related‐metabolic syndrome complications. The goal of this study was to study the effect of training intensity on mRNA levels of leptin, adiponectin, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) in subcutaneous adipose tissue.
The Dual City and the Poor: Social Polarisation, Social Segregation and Life Chances

Despite its appeal and apparent clarity the dual city idea hides a rather vague and confused image of the post-industrial city and its socio-spatial patterning. This paper focuses on the meaning of the dual city as a spatial model and its relation to the modern poverty idea. First, the presuppositions of the dual city concept are discussed, underlining the ambiguous relations between the concepts of economic restructuring, social polarisation and social stratification and the socio-spatial divide the dual city suggests. Evidence from the Netherlands is used to sustain the argument. Secondly, the concept of life chances is introduced to clarify the role of the spatial concentration of poverty in shaping the urban poverty problem. Following the discerned three dimensions of the life chances concept as a lead, it is argued that the spatial concentration of poverty is both an outcome and a part of the restricted life chances of the urban poor.
Phyto-Immunotherapy, a Complementary Therapeutic Option to Decrease Metastasis and Attack Breast Cancer Stem Cells

In this review, we report on the complexity of breast cancer stem cells as key cells in the emergence of a chemoresistant tumor phenotype, and as a result, the appearance of distant metastasis in breast cancer patients. The search for mechanisms that increase sensitivity to chemotherapy and also allow activation of the tumor-specific immune response is of high priority. As we observed throughout this review, natural products isolated or in standardized extracts, such as P2Et or others, could act synergistically, increasing tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy, recovering the tumor microenvironment, and participating in the induction of a specific immune response. This, in turn, would lead to the destruction of cancer stem cells and the decrease in metastasis. Source of Data: Relevant studies were found using the following keywords or medical subject headings (MeSH) in PubMed, and Google Scholar: “immune response” and “polyphenols” and “natural products” and “BCSC” and “therapy” and “metabolism” and “immunogenic cell death. ” The focus was primarily on the most recent scientific publication.
STRATEGIES OF COPPER TOLERANCE IN ROOT AND SHOOT OF BROAD BEAN (Vicia faba L.)

Changes in dry mass and some physiological parameters were investigated in root and shoot of broad bean (Vicia faba L.) exposed to different concentrations of CuSO4 (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg kg -1 ) for 15 days. Low Cu concentration did not affect dry mass of root and shoot. However, the negative effect of copper on dry mass was noticed in root than shoot especially at the higher concentrations of copper due to the accumulation of Cu was higher in root than that in shoot. Cu induced changes in the concentration of photosynthetic pigments, Zn, K and Ca. Exposure to Cu induced the accumulation of organic solutes (soluble sugar, soluble protein and total free amino acids) in root than shoot. Level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was correlated with the concentration of Cu in broad bean tissues. Copper stimulated the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) and this stimulation was more obvious in shoot than root.
COVID-19 Related Experience, Knowledge, Attitude, and Behaviors Among 2,669 Orthodontists, Orthodontic Residents, and Nurses in China: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Objectives: To assess the current COVID-19 related experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among orthodontists, orthodontic residents, and orthodontic nurses in China, and to identify factors associated with their self-perceived and actual level of knowledge, as well as their willingness to treat/care for COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in China using a 37-item questionnaire developed based on previous research. A professional online survey tool (www.wjx.cn) and a social media platform (WeChat) were used to display and distribute the questionnaire. Data were collected during April 11 to 13, 2020, when most regions of China had resumed dental practice except for high-risk regions such as Wuhan. Then the data were analyzed with multivariable generalized estimating equations. Results: A total of 2,669 valid questionnaires were collected. Orthodontic services were suspended for nearly all respondents (97.8%) during the epidemic, and 68.0% had resumed work by the time they completed the questionnaire. The majority of respondents (80.2%) were confident that they understood COVID-19 related knowledge, but most of them only correctly answered less than half of the questions testing their actual level of knowledge. About two-thirds (64.1%) were willing to treat/care for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. The completion of relevant training programs was significantly associated with more confidence in knowledge mastery (P < 0.001) and a higher actual level of knowledge (P < 0.001), but did not increase their willingness to treat/care for patients with COVID-19 (P = 0.235). Conclusions: Before work resumption, COVID-19-related training programs are essential for the improvement of knowledge, confidence, and preparedness of orthodontic professionals. Sufficient and proper protection should also be provided to ensure safety and reduce the psychological burden on them. Clinical Relevance: The findings can provide evidence for policy-making related to the resumption of elective dental services.
Androgen and Androgen Receptors as Regulators of Monocyte and Macrophage Biology in the Healthy and Diseased Lung

Androgens, the predominant male sex hormones, drive the development and maintenance of male characteristics by binding to androgen receptor (AR). As androgens are systemically distributed throughout the whole organism, they affect many tissues and cell types in addition to those in male sexual organs. It is now clear that the immune system is a target of androgen action. In the lungs, many immune cells express ARs and are responsive to androgens. In this review, we describe the effects of androgens and ARs on lung myeloid immune cells—monocytes and macrophages—as they relate to health and disease. In particular, we highlight the effect of androgens on lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung fibrosis. We also discuss the therapeutic use of androgens and how circulating androgens correlate with lung disease. In addition to human studies, we also discuss how mouse models have helped to uncover the effect of androgens on monocytes and macrophages in lung disease. Although the role of estrogen and other female hormones has been broadly analyzed in the literature, we focus on the new perspectives of androgens as modulators of the immune system that target myeloid cells during lung inflammation.
Smoke pollution's impacts in Amazonia

[Extract] The Brazilian Amazon—the largest tropical rainforest in the world—has reached its highest level of deforestation since 2008 (Display footnote number:1). In 2019, 10,897 km2 of land were deforested, a 50.7% jump over the previous year (Display footnote number:1). A combination of threats, including tens of thousands of forest fires (Display footnote number:2), expanding road networks (Display footnote number:3, 4), weakened environmental laws (Display footnote number:5, 6), and a failure to enforce environmental laws and regulations (Display footnote number:6), is responsible. Given the staunchly pro-development policies of Brazil’s current government, a coalition of key actors in the financial sector is needed to help protect the embattled Amazon rainforest.
Does Green Space Really Matter for Residents' Obesity? A New Perspective From Baidu Street View

Despite a growing literature on the topic, the association between neighborhood greenness and body weight is inconsistent. The objective of this research is to examine the association between neighborhood greenness and residents' obesity levels in a high population density area. We accounted for three greenness features: green access, green exposure, and view-based green index. We used the novel technique of deep convolutional neural network architecture to extract eye-level information from Baidu Street View images to capture the urban vertical greenness level. The research involved a survey with 9,524 respondents from 40 communities in Shanghai. Generally, we found all aspects of horizontal greenery, vertical greenery, and proximity of green levels to be impactful on body weight; however, only the view-based green index consistently had an adverse effect on weight and obesity.
Mammography Adherence among High-Risk Women with Breast Cancer and Either a Non-Pathogenic Mutation Identified or Untested BRCA1/2 Genetic Status

Background: Little is known about the illness perceptions of women with a previous breast cancer diagnosis and either no access to a personal BRCA1/2 test or tested and a no pathogenic mutation identified result and how this might impact their mammography adherence. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of illness beliefs, specifically those relating to emotional representations and cure and control beliefs about breast cancer, and socio-economic status (SES) on mammography adherence of these women. The traditional health belief model (HBM) was compared to a modified model which allowed for the contribution of emotions in health surveillance decision-making. Method: Mailed self-report questionnaires were completed by 193 women recruited from an Australian Familial Cancer Centre. Step-wise logistic regression analyses were conducted on n=150 [aged 27-89 years (M=56.9)] for whom complete data were available. Results: The questionnaire response rate was 36%. Higher levels of emotional representations of breast cancer were associated with greater mammography adherence (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.03-1.36, p =.019). Middle income was six times more likely to predict mammography adherence than lower income (OR = 6.39, 95% CI = 1.03 – 39.63, p =.047). The modified HBM was superior to the traditional HBM in predicting mammography adherence (X2 [15, N = 118] = 26.03, p =.038). Conclusions: Despite a modest response rate, our data show that emotional illness representations about breast cancer and middle income status were found to significantly predict mammography adherence. Therefore, providing surveillance services and delivering information considerate of financial status and constructed around emotional motivators may facilitate mammography adherence among women like those described in this study.
Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among firefighters/paramedics of a US fire department: a cross-sectional study

Objectives We estimate the point seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the frontline firefighter/paramedic workforce of a South Florida fire department located in the epicentre of a State outbreak. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to estimate the point seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using a rapid immunoglobulin (Ig)M-IgG combined point-of-care lateral flow immunoassay among frontline firefighters/paramedics collected over a 2-day period, 16–17 April 2020. Fire department personnel were emailed a survey link assessing COVID-19 symptoms and work exposures the day prior to the scheduled drive-through antibody testing at a designated fire station. Off-duty and on-duty firefighter/paramedic personnel drove through the fire station/training facility in their personal vehicles or on-duty engine/rescue trucks for SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. Results Among the 203 firefighters/paramedics that make up the fire department workforce, 18 firefighters/paramedics (8.9%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, of which 8 firefighters/paramedics (3.9%) were IgG positive only, 8 (3.9%) were IgM positive only and 2 (0.1%) were IgG/IgM positive. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the serological test is estimated to be 33.2% and the negative predictive value is 99.3%. The average number of COVID-19 case contacts (ie, within 6 feet of an infected person (laboratory-confirmed or probable COVID-19 patient) for ≥15 min) experienced by firefighters/paramedics was higher for those with positive serology compared with those with negative (13.3 cases vs 7.31 cases; p=0.022). None of the antibody positive firefighters/paramedics reported receipt of the annual influenza vaccine compared with firefighters/paramedics who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (0.0% vs 21.0%; p=0.027). Conclusion Rapid SARS-CoV-2 IgM-IgG antibody testing documented early-stage and late-stage infection in a firefighter workforce providing insight to a broader medical surveillance project on return to work for firefighters/paramedics. Given the relatively low PPV of the serological test used in this study back in April 2020, caution should be used in interpreting test results.
An immunogenic NSCLC microenvironment is associated with favorable survival in lung adenocarcinoma

The tumor microenvironment consists of an intricately organized system through which immune cells and cancer cells may communicate to regulate anti-tumor immunogenicity. To this end, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been shown to activate a variety of immunological mechanisms, thereby broadening our understanding of lung cancer immunobiology. However, while recent work has highlighted the importance of NSCLC immunology and prognosis, studies have not yet examined the tumor microenvironment (TME) globally in regards to the survival outcomes between two major NSCLC subtypes: lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). In the present study, we identify an immunogenic tumor microenvironment state in NSCLC that is enriched for the lung adenocarcinoma subtype. By utilizing TME cell enrichment scores and RNA-seq expression data, we show that the inflamed TME is associated with favorable patient survival in lung adenocarcinoma, but this does not hold true for lung squamous cell carcinoma. Moreover, differentially regulated pathways between immune-inflamed and immune-excluded tumors within LUAD and LUSC were not subtype specific. Instead, immune-inflamed LUSC samples possessed elevated immune checkpoint marker expression when compared to those of the LUAD samples, thereby offering a putative explanation for our prognostic observations. These results shed light on the immunological prognostic effects within lung cancer and may encourage further TME exploration between these two subtypes as the landscape of NSCLC therapy progresses.
Agro-morphological characterization of the Turkish lentil landraces

A collection of lentil landraces comprising 39 genotypes from the south east Anatolia region of Turkey and 7 commercial varieties, were evaluated for 23 (8 qualitative and 15 quantitative) agro-morphological characteristics. A wide range of diversity of almost all of the plant characteristics that were studied was recorded for the lentil genotypes. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed for 12 quantitative traits. The first three principal components accounted for 73.13% of the total variation. PC 1 was positively related to the biological yield, the weight of the pods/plant, the number of the pods/plant, the number of the seeds/plant and the weight of the seeds/plant. PC 2 was closely correlated with the flowering duration, days to maturity and the diameter of the seed and was negatively correlated to days of flowering. PC 3 was positively related to the plant height, the length of the internodes and the protein content and was negatively related to the 100 seed weight. Following the analysis of the agronomic characteristics over the first and second principal components, the lentil landraces formed 4 - 5 different groups.
Effects of Age and Sex on Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter in Healthy Volunteers and Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury

The measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) has been reported as a non-invasive marker for intracranial pressure (ICP). Nevertheless, it is uncertain whether possible ONSD differences occur with age and sex in healthy and brain-injured populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sex and age on ONSD in healthy volunteers and patients with traumatic brain injury. We prospectively included 122 healthy adult volunteers (Galliera Hospital, Genova, Italy), and compared age/sex dependence of ONSD to 95 adult patients (Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK) with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) requiring intubation and invasive ICP monitoring. The two groups were stratified for sex and age. Age was divided into 3 subgroups: (1) young adults: 18–44 years; (2) middle-aged adults: 45–64 years; (3) old adults: >65 years. In healthy volunteers, ONSD was significantly different between males and females [median (interquartile range): 4.2 (3.9–4.6) mm vs. 4.1 (3.6–4.2) mm (p = 0.01), respectively] and was correlated with age (R = 0.50, p < 0.0001). ONSD was significantly increased in group 3 compared to groups 2 and 1, indicating that ONSD values are higher in elderly subjects. In TBI patients, no differences in ONSD were found for sex and the correlation between ONSD and age was non-significant (R = 0.13, p = 0.20). ONSD increases with age and is significantly larger for males in healthy volunteers but not in TBI patients. Different ONSD cut-off values need not be age- or sex-adjusted for the assessment of increased ICP in TBI patients.
New Evidence of Ancient Mitochondrial DNA of the Southern Andes (Calchaquí Valleys, Northwest Argentina, 3,600–1,900 Years before Present)

ABSTRACT Genetic studies on pre-Hispanic populations of the Southern Andes have been increasing steadily in the last decade. Nevertheless, ancient DNA characterization of Formative Period archaeological human remains is particularly scant, especially for Northwest Argentina. To expand current information on genetic characterization of the first agricultural communities of the southern Calchaquí Valleys, we present and discuss the first mitochondrial ancient DNA information obtained on samples dated to ca. 3,600–1,900 years before present from the Cajón Valley, Catamarca Province. Reproducible mtDNA hypervariable region 1 (HVR-1) sequences were obtained in seven individuals. Mitochondrial HVR-1 haplotypes were assigned to three of the four founding haplogroups, D1 (57.1%), C1 (28.5%), and B2 (14.2%), with absence of A2. Our results show that the Cajón Valley sample, with predominance of D1 and C1, differs from that commonly observed in ancient and modern Andean populations, which usually show a high prevalence of haplogroup B2. The fact that the Cajón Valley and Pampa Grande (Salta Province, Argentina) share a prevalence of haplogroup D1 could provide additional evidence to support possible genetic affinities between the valleys and the eastern sub-Andean region during the Formative Period in Northwest Argentina, expanding the archaeological evidence of contact between both populations. Future complete mitogenomic analysis will provide substantial information to formulate new hypotheses about the origins and phylogenetic relationships between the individuals of the Cajón Valley and other groups from the Andes, Gran Chaco, and the Amazon.
Approaches for Genetic Discoveries in the Skin Commensal and Pathogenic Malassezia Yeasts

Malassezia includes yeasts belong to the subphylum Ustilaginomycotina within the Basidiomycota. Malassezia yeasts are commonly found as commensals on human and animal skin. Nevertheless, Malassezia species are also associated with several skin disorders, such as dandruff/seborrheic dermatitis, atopic eczema, pityriasis versicolor, and folliculitis. More recently, associations of Malassezia with Crohn's disease, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbation have been reported. The increasing availability of genomic and molecular tools have played a crucial role in understanding the genetic basis of Malassezia commensalism and pathogenicity. In the present review we report genomics advances in Malassezia highlighting unique features that potentially impacted Malassezia biology and host adaptation. Furthermore, we describe the recently developed protocols for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation in Malassezia, and their applications for random insertional mutagenesis or targeted gene replacement strategies.