Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pose estimation of rigid transparent objects in transparent clutter

Transparent objects are ubiquitous in human environments but, due to their special interaction with light, very few vision methods exist to identify them. We propose a new algorithm for recognition and pose estimation of rigid transparent objects which can deal with overlapping instances and cluttered environments. Using an active depth sensor for segmentation of the objects and 2d edge analysis for pose estimation, we are able to provide accurate identification and position. The proposed method is evaluated on a Microsoft Kinect and also on a PR2 robot. Results show that the algorithm is robust and accurate enough for robotic grasping and that it can be used in practical applications like table cleaning.
Optical Clock Recovery and 3R Regeneration for 10-Gb/s NRZ Signal to Achieve 10&#8201;000-hop Cascadability and 1&#8201;000&#8201;000-km Transmission

This letter experimentally demonstrates all-optical clock recovery and optical 3R regeneration for a 10-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) format. The 3R regenerator has achieved 10 000-hop cascadability and 1 000 000-km transmission for a pseudorandom bit sequence (PRBS) of 27-1. A semiconductor-optical-amplifier-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (SOA-MZI) as an NRZ to pseudoreturn-to-zero converter and a Fabry-Perot filter perform the all-optical clock recovery from an NRZ signal. A pair of SOA-MZIs combined with a synchronous modulator provides the 2R regeneration and retiming functions. The cascadability of the 3R regenerator is investigated in a recirculating loop transmission experiment by eye diagram, bit-error rate, and Q-factor measurements. Transmission with the 3R regenerator shows significant performance improvement over that without 3R regeneration. A 100-hop cascadability is also demonstrated for PRBS 231-1, enabling 10 000-km error-free transmission with a low power penalty of 1.2 dB
Rapid chondrocyte maturation by serum‐free culture with BMP‐2 and ascorbic acid

In serum‐containing medium, ascorbic acid induces maturation of prehypertrophic chick embryo sternal chondrocytes. Recently, cultured chondrocytes have also been reported to undergo maturation in the presence of bone morphogenetic proteins or in serum‐free medium supplemented with thyroxine. In the present study, we have examined the combined effect of ascorbic acid, BMP‐2, and serum‐free conditions on the induction of alkaline phosphatase and type X collagen in chick sternal chondrocytes. Addition of either ascorbate or rhBMP‐2 to nonconfluent cephalic sternal chondrocytes produced elevated alkaline phosphatase levels within 24–72 h, and simultaneous exposure to both ascorbate and BMP yielded enzyme levels at least threefold those of either inducer alone. The effects of ascorbate and BMP were markedly potentiated by culture in serum‐free medium, and alkaline phosphatase levels of preconfluent serum‐free cultures treated for 48 h with BMP + ascorbate were equivalent to those reached in serum‐containing medium only after confluence. While ascorbate addition was required for maximal alkaline phosphatase activity, it did not induce a rapid increase in type X collagen mRNA. In contrast, BMP added to serum‐free medium induced a three‐ to fourfold increase in type X collagen mRNA within 24 h even in the presence of cyclohexamide, indicating that new protein synthesis was not required. Addition of thyroid hormone to serum‐free medium was required for maximal ascorbate effects but not for BMP stimulation. Neither ascorbate nor BMP induced alkaline phosphatase activity in caudal sternal chondrocytes, which do not undergo hypertrophy during embryonic development. These results indicate that ascorbate + BMP in serum‐free culture induces rapid chondrocyte maturation of prehypertrophic chondrocytes. The mechanisms for ascorbate and BMP action appear to be distinct, while BMP and thyroid hormone may share a similar mechanism for induction. J. Cell. Biochem. 66:394–403, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Different CFTR Mutational Spectrum in Alcoholic and Idiopathic Chronic Pancreatitis?

Objective: Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations are responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF) and have been postulated as a predisposing risk factor to chronic pancreatitis (CP), but controversial results demand additional support. We have therefore investigated the role of the CFTR gene in a cohort of 68 CP patients. Methods: We have performed the CFTR gene analysis using 2 screening techniques. Fragments showing abnormal migration patterns were characterized by sequencing. Patients were classified in alcoholic (ACP) (n = 37) and idiopathic (ICP) (n = 31) chronic pancreatitis. Clinical features of CP and CF were evaluated. Results: Sixteen mutations/variants were identified in 27 patients (40%), most of them (35%) presenting a single CFTR mutant gene. The 1716G/A variant showed the highest frequency accounting for 22% in ICP and 5% in ACP, in contrast with other more common mutations such as F508del found in 8% of ACP and the 5T variant identified in 7% of patients. Acute pancreatitis, abdominal pain, tobacco, pancreatic calcifications, and pancreatic pseudocysts showed significant higher values in ACP than ICP patients. No significant differences were found between patients with and without CFTR mutations. Conclusions: Apart from reinforcing previous findings our data highlight the increased susceptibility of CFTR heterozygous to developing CP. Heterozygosity, combined with other factors, places these individuals at greater risk.
The effects of total sleep deprivation on bayesian updating

Subjects performed a decision task (Grether, 1980) in both a well-rested and experimentally sleep-deprived state. We found two main results: 1) final choice accuracy was unaffected by sleep deprivation, and yet 2) the estimated decision model differed significantly following sleep-deprivation. Following sleep deprivation, subjects placed significantly less weight on new information in forming their beliefs. Because the altered decision process still maintains decision accuracy, it may suggest that increased accident and error rates attributed to reduced sleep in modern society stem from reduced auxiliary function performance (e.g., slowed reaction time, reduced motor skills) or other components of decision making, rather than the inability to integrate multiple pieces of information.
Athlete leadership in sport teams: Current understanding and future directions

ABSTRACT Leadership is a fundamental aspect of sports performance, particularly within team sport environments. Over the past 25 years there has been significant research exploring the role of the coach/manager in this regard. However, this only represents one aspect of leadership within the sporting domain. Equally important, although far less examined, is the concept of athlete leadership. The role of athlete leaders, both formal (e.g., the captain) and informal (such as motivators and cultural architects) can have a significant impact upon a range of team-related factors including satisfaction, cohesion, and team dynamics. However, the mechanisms through which this impact occurs are less well understood. Also, while the development of leadership skills has been proposed as an important aspect of coach development programmes there is very little consensus regarding the approaches that should be adopted in developing athlete leaders and their associated leadership skills. This paper reviews the existing literature relating to athlete leadership seeking to provide clarity regarding current understanding. Building upon this base the paper then highlights future areas for research and theoretical development.
Elevated serum retinol‐binding protein 4 concentrations are associated with renal dysfunction and uric acid in type 2 diabetic patients

While some studies have reported that retinol‐binding protein 4 (RBP4) might induce insulin resistance, other studies have demonstrated that the presence of albuminuria in diabetic patients and increased uric acid are related to insulin resistance. Therefore, this study attempted to further investigate the relationship among serum RBP4, serum uric acid, and the severity of albuminuria in diabetic patients.
Sexual selection on female ornaments in the sex‐role‐reversed Gulf pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli)

Understanding how selection acts on traits individually and in combination is an important step in deciphering the mechanisms driving evolutionary change, but for most species, and especially those in which sexual selection acts more strongly on females than on males, we have no estimates of selection coefficients pertaining to the multivariate sexually selected phenotype. Here, we use a laboratory‐based mesocosm experiment to quantify pre‐ and post‐mating selection on female secondary sexual traits in the Gulf pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli), a sexually dimorphic, sex‐role‐reversed species in which ornamented females compete for access to choosy males. We calculate selection differentials and gradients on female traits, including ornament area, ornament number and body size for three episodes of selection related to female reproductive success (number of mates, number of eggs transferred and number of surviving embryos). Selection is strong on both ornament area and ornament size, and the majority of selection occurs during the premating episode of selection. Interestingly, selection on female body size, which has been detected in previous studies of Gulf pipefish, appears to be indirect, as evidenced by a multivariate analysis of selection gradients. Our results show that sexual selection favours either many bands or larger bands in female Gulf pipefish.
A Survey of Sensors for Localization of Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs)

Acquiring knowledge about the environment is a fundamental task for Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs). To accomplish this, UGVs must extract information from measurements that are gathered from various sensors. In search for a solution, scientists have developed a variety of sensors and techniques for extracting the information needed from the data gathered by sensors. This paper starts by giving a brief review of localizations techniques. It then reviews some of the most common sensors that are used by the localization techniques.
Specific airway conductance in relation to postconceptional age during infancy.

Thoracic gas volume (TGV) and airway conductance (Gaw) were measured in 69 healthy infants during the 1st yr of life, using an adaptation of the whole body plethysmographic technique in which a heated rebreathing system was used to eliminate temperature differences in respired gas. There was highly significant correlations between TGV and body wt (r=0.99), and between Gaw and TGV (r=0.97) in all the infants. However, the relationship between Gaw and TGV (i.e., specific conductance (SGaw)) was dependent on postconceptional age (PCA) in preterm infants, falling from 0.50 s-1-cmH2O-1 at 31 wk to 0.32 s-1-cmH2O-1 at 40 wk PCA. Gestational age and postnatal age per se did not affect this relationship, showing it to be a maturational event unaffected by the time of birth. After 40 wk, the decrease in SGaw was far more gradual throughout the 1st yr of life. Black and Chinese infants were found to have significantly higher values for SGaw than their White counterparts, which may be due to anatomical differences in nasal structure.
Laughter in French Spontaneous Conversational Dialogs

This paper presents a quantitative description of laughter in height 1-hour French spontaneous conversations. The paper includes the raw figures for laughter as well as more details concerning inter-individual variability. It firstly describes to what extent the amount of laughter and their durations varies from speaker to speaker in all dialogs. In a second suite of analyses, this paper compares our corpus with previous analyzed corpora. In a final set of experiments, it presents some facts about overlapping laughs. This paper have quantified these all effects in free-style conversations, for the first time.
Retrieval Inhibition and Memory Distortion

Despite the fact that misinformation effects have long been studied by both applied researchers and modelers of human memory, there is little consensus as to the value of such endeavors. We argue that this may be due to a failure to identify the underlying mechanism responsible for such memory distortions. We consider novel evidence for a relationship between retrieval-induced forgetting and the reporting of misinformation. We also explore the extent to which retrieval inhibition underpins this relationship and the implications this has for the modeling of memory and finding potential solutions to real-world problems.
Training Intelligent Agents in the Semantic Web Era: The Golf Advisor Agent

Agent training techniques study methods to embed empirical, inductive knowledge representations into intelligent agents, in dynamic, recursive or semi-automated ways, expressed informs that can be used for agent reasoning. This paper investigates how data-driven rule-sets can be transcribed into ontologies, and how semantic web technologies as OWL can be used for representing inductive systems for agent decision-making. The method presented avoids the transliteration of data-driven knowledge into conventional if-then-else systems, rather demonstrates how inferencing through description logics and Semantic Web inference engines can be incorporated into the training process of agents that manipulate categorical and/or numerical data.
Prevention of Overuse Injuries by a Concurrent Exercise Program in Subjects Exposed to an Increase in Training Load

Background It is unknown whether an exercise program can prevent overuse injuries in the lower extremity. An often encountered and important risk factor for the development of lower extremity overuse injuries is an abrupt increase in activity level. Hypothesis A preventive training program based on a literature review of intrinsic risk factors, and performed concurrent with an increase in physical activity, can reduce the incidence of overuse knee injuries and medial tibial stress syndrome, as well as increase running distance. Study Design Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods A total of 1020 soldiers aged 20.9 years (range, 19–26 years) undergoing 3 months of basic military training consecutively enrolled from December 2004 to December 2005. The prevention program consisted of an exercise program of 15 minutes’ duration 3 times a week, including 5 exercises for strength, flexibility, and coordination; the placebo program consisted of 5 exercises for the upper body. Results During the observation period, 223 subjects sustained an injury, with 50 and 48 of these fulfilling the study criteria for overuse knee injuries or medial tibial stress syndrome, respectively. There were no significant differences in incidence of injury between the prevention group and the placebo group (incidence, 0.22 vs 0.19; P = .162; relative risk = 1.05 [range, 0.98–1.11]). The soldiers in the prevention group had the greater improvement in running distance in 12-minute run tests (82 vs 43 m; P = .037). Conclusion An exercise program with an emphasis on muscular strengthening, coordination, and flexibility based on intrinsic risk factors identified through a literature review did not influence the risk of developing overuse knee injuries or medial tibial stress syndrome in subjects undergoing an increase in physical activity. The program increased maximal running distance in a 12-minute test.
An Improved Multi-state Particle Swarm Optimization for Discrete Optimization Problems

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been successfully applied to solve various optimization problems. Recently, a state-based algorithm called multi-state particle swarm optimization (MSPSO) has been proposed to solve discrete combinatorial optimization problems. The algorithm operates based on a simplified mechanism of transition between two states. However, the MSPSO algorithm has to deal with the production of infeasible solutions and hence, additional step to convert the infeasible solution to feasible solution is required. In this paper, the MSPSO is improved by introducing a strategy that directly produces feasible solutions. The performance of the improved multi-state particle swarm optimization (IMSPSO) is empirically evaluated based on a set of travelling salesman problems (TSPs). The experimental results showed the newly introduced approach is promising and consistently outperformed the binary PSO algorithm.
7-Mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate substitutes for heat-stable factor (mobile factor) for growth of Methanomicrobium mobile

Methanomicrobium mobile requires a heat-stable factor present in ruminal fluid and in boiled cell extract from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum for growth. By comparing the growth of M. mobile with boiled cell extract with that observed with various methanogenic cofactors, we found that 7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate (HS-HTP) supported sustained growth of M. mobile, at an optimal concentration of 100 microM. No derivatives or possible biosynthetic precursors of HS-HTP could replace HS-HTP as the sole source of growth factor. Results suggest that the growth requirement might be satisfied by 7-mercaptoheptanoic acid plus a second, unidentified heat-stable factor.
A Large-Area Nanoplasmonic Sensor Fabricated by Rapid Thermal Annealing Treatment for Label-Free and Multi-Point Immunoglobulin Sensing

Immunoglobulins are important biomarkers to evaluate the immune status or development of infectious diseases. To provide timely clinical treatments, it is important to continuously monitor the level of multiple immunoglobulins. Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based nanoplasmonic sensors have been demonstrated for multiplex immunoglobulins detection. However, the sensor fabrication process is usually slow and complicated, so it is not accessible for large-area and batch fabrication. Herein, we report a large-area (2 cm × 2 cm) nanofabrication method using physical vapor deposition followed by a rapid thermal annealing treatment. To optimize the sensor performance, we systematically characterized three fabrication conditions, including (1) the deposition thickness; (2) the maximum annealing temperature, and (3) the annealing time. The corresponding absorbance spectrum profile and surface morphology of the nanostructures were observed by a UV-VIS spectrometer and atomic force microscopy. We then tested the sensitivity of the sensor using a glucose solution at different concentrations. The results showed that the sensor with 10 nm gold deposition thickness under 5-min 900 °C rapid thermal annealing can achieve the highest sensitivity (189 nm RIU−1). Finally, we integrated this nanoplasmonic sensor with a microchannel and a motorized stage to perform a 10-spot immunoglobulin detection in 50 min. Based on its real-time, dynamic and multi-point analyte detection capability, the nanoplasmonic sensor has the potential to be applied in high-throughput or multiplex immunoassay analysis, which would be beneficial for disease diagnosis or biomedical research in a simple and cost-effective platform.
Inhibition of NF-κB Activity by IκBβ in Association with κB-Ras

ABSTRACT IκBβ, one of the major IκB proteins, is only partially degraded in response to most extracellular signals. However, the molecular mechanism of this event is unknown. We show here that IκBβ exists in at least two different forms: one that is bound to the NF-κB dimer and the other bound to both NF-κB and κB-Ras, a Ras-like small G protein. Removal of cellular κB-Ras enhances whereas excess κB-Ras blocks induced IκBβ degradation. Remarkably, κB-Ras functions in both GDP- and GTP-bound states, and mutations of the conserved guanine-binding residues of κB-Ras abrogate its ability to block degradation of IκBβ. κB-Ras also directly blocks the in vitro phosphorylation of IκBβ by IKKβ. These observations suggest that IκBβ in the ternary complex is resistant to degradation by most signals. We suggest that specific signals, in addition to those that activate only IKK, are essential for the complete degradation of IκBβ.
Plasma measurement of D-dimer levels for the early diagnosis of ischemic stroke subtypes.

BACKGROUND Different coagulation abnormalities according to stroke subtypes have been reported. We have assessed the clinical utility of D-dimer, a product of fibrin degradation, in the early diagnosis of stroke subtypes. METHODS Patients hospitalized after an acute ischemic cerebrovascular event underwent D-dimer assay (STA Liatest D-Dimer) (reference level, <0.50 micro g/mL) on days 1, 6 +/- 1, and 12 +/- 1 and were studied to identify stroke subtypes. RESULTS We included 126 patients (mean age, 75.5 years) and 63 age-matched control subjects. Stroke subtypes were cardioembolic in 34 patients (27%), atherothrombotic in 34 (27%), lacunar in 31 (25%), and unknown in 27 (21%). At all 3 measurements, D-dimer levels were significantly higher in the cardioembolic group (mean +/- SEM, 2.96 +/- 0.51, 2.58 +/- 0.40, and 3.79 +/- 0.30 micro g/mL, respectively) than in the atherothrombotic (1.34 +/- 0.21, 1.53 +/- 0.26, and 2.91 +/- 0.23 micro g/mL, respectively) (P<.05) and lacunar (0.67 +/- 0.08, 0.72 +/- 0.15, and 0.64 +/- 0.06 micro g/mL, respectively) groups (P<.01). The difference was also significant between the latter 2 groups (P<.01). We found no difference between the lacunar group and controls (0.53 +/- 0.14 micro g/mL). According to day 1 measurements, the optimal cutoff point for predicting cardioembolic stroke was 2.00 micro g/mL, resulting in a specificity of 93.2% and in a sensitivity of 59.3%. For predicting lacunar stroke, the cutoff point was 0.54 micro g/mL, with a specificity of 96.2% and a sensitivity of 61.3%. CONCLUSION The increasing use of the D-dimer assay in clinical practice could be extended to patients presenting with acute cerebrovascular ischemic events to help predict stroke subtype.
Oxygen-independent degradation of HIF-α via bioengineered VHL tumour suppressor complex

Tumour hypoxia promotes the accumulation of the otherwise oxygen‐labile hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐α subunit whose expression is associated with cancer progression, poor prognosis and resistance to conventional radiation and chemotherapy. The oxygen‐dependent degradation of HIF‐α is carried out by the von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) protein‐containing E3 that directly binds and ubiquitylates HIF‐α for subsequent proteasomal destruction. Thus, the cellular proteins involved in the VHL–HIF pathway have been recognized as attractive molecular targets for cancer therapy. However, the various compounds designed to inhibit HIF‐α or HIF‐downstream targets, although promising, have shown limited success in the clinic. In the present study, we describe the bioengineering of VHL protein that removes the oxygen constraint in the recognition of HIF‐α while preserving its E3 enzymatic activity. Using speckle variance–optical coherence tomography (sv–OCT), we demonstrate the dramatic inhibition of angiogenesis and growth regression of human renal cell carcinoma xenografts upon adenovirus‐mediated delivery of the bioengineered VHL protein in a dorsal skin‐fold window chamber model. These findings introduce the concept and feasibility of ‘bio‐tailored’ enzymes in the treatment of HIF‐overexpressing tumours.