Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Real-time Replanning in Belief Space : An Experimental Study on Physical Mobile Robots

Methods based on the POMDP (Partially-Observable Markov Decision Process) framework for planning under uncertainty rely on the knowledge about the system model and the noise models. However, in practical cases there are always discrepancies between the models used for computation and the realworld models. This paper proposes a dynamic replanning scheme which can perform real-time replanning as the system deviates from the desired plan or encounters any sign of such discrepancies. The main contribution of this paper is to implement a belief space planner on a physical robot and making POMDP methods one step closer to becoming a practical tool for robot motion planning. We demonstrate the planning results on an i-robot create equipped with a monocular camera. Moreover, we show that not only is the proposed method robust to model discrepancies, but also that it is robust to changes in the environment (both in the obstacle map and information sources), as well as unforeseen large deviations in robot’s location.
Prevalence and Causes of Blindness and Low Vision in Southern Sudan

Background Blindness and low vision are thought to be common in southern Sudan. However, the magnitude and geographical distribution are largely unknown. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of blindness and low vision, identify the main causes of blindness and low vision, and estimate targets for blindness prevention programs in Mankien payam (district), southern Sudan. Methods and Findings A cross-sectional survey of the population aged 5 y and above was conducted in May 2005 using a two-stage cluster random sampling with probability proportional to size. The Snellen E chart was used to test visual acuity, and participants also underwent basic eye examination. Vision status was defined using World Health Organization categories of visual impairment based on presenting visual acuity (VA). A total of 2,954 persons were enumerated and 2,499 (84.6%) examined. Prevalence of blindness (presenting VA of less than 3/60 in the better eye) was 4.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4–4.8); prevalence of low vision (presenting VA of at least 3/60 but less than 18/60 in the better eye) was 7.7% (95% CI, 6.7–8.7); whereas prevalence of monocular visual impairment (presenting VA of at least 18/60 in better eye and VA of less than 18/60 in other eye) was 4.4% (95% CI, 3.6–5.3). The main causes of blindness were considered to be cataract (41.2%) and trachoma (35.3%), whereas low vision was mainly caused by trachoma (58.1%) and cataract (29.3%). It is estimated that in Mankien payam 1,154 persons aged 5 y and above (lower and upper bounds = 782–1,799) are blind, and 2,291 persons (lower and upper bounds = 1,820–2,898) have low vision. Conclusions Blindness is a serious public health problem in Mankien, and there is urgent need to implement comprehensive blindness prevention programs. Further surveys are essential to confirm these tragic findings and estimate prevalence of blindness and low vision in the entire region of southern Sudan in order to facilitate planning of VISION 2020 objectives.
Explaining growth? The case of the trade–growth relationship

This paper provides a critical analysis of the modelling strategies adopted in the trade–growth literature. Despite a huge number of econometric studies, there is a growing dissatisfaction with such studies and serious questions over what exactly has been learnt from them. Econometric work has been criticized for, amongst other things, its lack of clear relationship to underlying theory and questionable use of proxies for trade policy. It is frequently unclear what hypothesis is being tested in this literature. Universalist assumptions of the effects of trade policy have been undermined by earlier confident predictions of the effects of trade liberalization having not been borne out systematically by the past quarter century experience. This paper argues that the results of econometric analyses of the trade–growth relations are indicative of fundamental difficulties with the cross-country modeling strategy. The failure to find a clear trade–growth relationship consistently across countries and between time periods could, though, provide the starting point for further investigation. Alternative modelling strategies are considered here. An incipient research agenda has proposed a return to the comparative case study approach, incorporating the institutional and historical specificities of each country and thereby (implicitly or explicitly) rejecting universalist or homogeneity assumptions. Nevertheless, such a careful work has not been able thus far to provide a clear research agenda; there has been no consensus on the conclusions or methods of this approach in relation to trade–growth linkages. Whilst this has undoubtedly stimulated further research it has yet to produce a clear corpus of alternative work. This paper provides a critical analysis of the strategies adopted to address the theoretical and econometric critiques advanced of this work.
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate Inhibits Growth of Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells by Enhancing the Capacity of Glutathione Synthesis

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), the key effectors in hepatic fibrogenesis, is characterized by enhanced cell proliferation and overproduction of extracellular matrix. Oxidative stress promotes HSC activation. Glutathione (GSH) is the most important intracellular antioxidant, whose synthesis is mainly regulated by glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL). We reported previously that (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major and most active component in green tea extracts, inhibited HSC activation. The aim of this study is to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. We hypothesize that this inhibitory effect of EGCG might mainly result from its antioxidant capability by increasing de novo synthesis of GSH. In this report, we observe that EGCG enhances the levels of cytoplasmic and mitochondrial GSH and increases GCL activity by inducing gene expression of the catalytic subunit GCLc, leading to de novo synthesis of GSH. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analyses show that de novo synthesis of GSH is required for EGCG to regulate the expression of genes relevant to apoptosis and to cell proliferation. Additional experiments demonstrate that exogenous transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 suppresses GCLc gene expression and reduces the level of GSH in cultured HSC. Transient transfection assays and Western blotting analyses further display that EGCG interrupts TGF-β signaling by reducing gene expression of TGF-β receptors and Smad4, leading to increased expression of GCLc. These results support our hypothesis and collectively demonstrate that EGCG increases the level of cellular GSH in HSC by stimulating gene expression of GCLc, leading to the inhibition of cell proliferation of activated HSC in vitro.
Construction from Mu dl ( lac Apr ) Lysogens of Lambda Bacteriophage

Bacteriophage Mu dl (lac Aprr) was used to obtain strains of Escherichia coli K-12 in which the lac genes are expressed from the promoter of pheA, the structural gene for the enzyme chorismate mutase P-prephenate dehydratase. A derivative of bacteriophage lambda which carries the pheA-lac fusion was prepared; the method used is generally applicable for the construction, from Mu dl lysogens, of specialized transducing lambda phage carrying the promoter-lac fusions. A restriction enzyme cleavage map of A ppheA-lac for the enzymes HindlIl and PstI is presented.
A survey on load balancing algorithms for virtual machines placement in cloud computing

The emergence of cloud computing based on virtualization technologies brings huge opportunities to host virtual resource at low cost without the need of owning any infrastructure. Virtualization technologies enable users to acquire, configure, and be charged on pay‐per‐use basis. However, cloud data centers mostly comprise heterogeneous commodity servers hosting multiple virtual machines (VMs) with potential various specifications and fluctuating resource usages, which may cause imbalanced resource utilization within servers that may lead to performance degradation and service level agreements violations. So as to achieve efficient scheduling, these challenges should be addressed and solved by using load balancing strategies, which have been proved to be nondeterministic polynomial time (NP)‐hard problem. From multiple perspectives, this work identifies the challenges and analyzes existing algorithms for allocating VMs to hosts in infrastructure clouds, especially focuses on load balancing. A detailed classification targeting load balancing algorithms for VM placement in cloud data centers is investigated, and the surveyed algorithms are classified according to the classification. The goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and comparative understanding of existing literature and aid researchers by providing an insight for potential future enhancements.
Enhancing RTT prediction schemes using global function minimization

Numerous round trip time (RTT) prediction schemes use the least squares method to embed hosts in virtual euclidean spaces. The least squares method minimizes the residuals between measured data (measured RTTs) and their approximation (euclidean distances between the host position and fixed points, to which the distance was measured). This is achieved by minimizing an objective function, which is defined as a sum of square differences between measured distances to fixed points (landmarks) and euclidean distances to those landmarks in a virtual space. Since there is no direct way (closed form) for finding minima of the objective function, numerical function minimization must be used. In this paper we identify the problem of existence of multiple local minima of objective functions and their impact on resulting RTT predictions. To overcome this problem, we propose an algorithm for finding all local minima of the objective function. By finding all minima, we are able to identify the global minimum of the objective function, and thus ensure the optimal embedding of a host in the virtual space. To evaluate our algorithm we compare it with standard methods for function minimization using data collected by the Planet-Lab all-pings experiment.
Ritonavir's role in reducing fentanyl clearance and prolonging its half-life.

BACKGROUND The human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor ritonavir is a potent inhibitor of the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme, and ritonavir's concomitant administration with the substrates of this enzyme may lead to dangerous drug interactions. METHODS The authors investigated possible interactions between ritonavir and intravenously administered fentanyl in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study in two phases. Twelve healthy volunteers received orally ritonavir or placebo for 3 days; the dose of ritonavir was 200 mg three times on the first day and 300 mg three times on the second. The last dose of ritonavir 300 mg or placebo was given on the morning of the third day. On the second day, 2 h after the afternoon pretreatment dose, fentanyl 5 microg/kg was injected intravenously in 2 min with naloxone to moderate its effects, and 15 timed venous blood samples were collected for 18 h. RESULTS Ritonavir reduced the clearance of fentanyl by 67% from 15.6+/-8.2 to 5.2+/-2.0 ml x min(-1) x kg(-1) (P<0.01). The area under the fentanyl plasma concentration-time curve from 0 to 18 h was increased from 4.8+/-2.7 to 8.8+/-2.3 ng x ml(-1) x h(-1) by ritonavir (P<0.01). Ritonavir did not affect the initial concentrations and the steady-state volume of distribution of fentanyl. One subject discontinued participation before fentanyl administration because of severe side effects, and during the study 8 of the remaining 11 subjects reported nausea. CONCLUSIONS Ritonavir can inhibit the metabolism of fentanyl significantly, so caution should be exercised if fentanyl is given to patients receiving ritonavir medication.
Preschool irritability predicts child psychopathology, functional impairment, and service use at age nine.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the predictive validity and clinical significance of chronic irritability during early childhood. This prospective, longitudinal study examined associations of preschool chronic irritability with psychiatric disorders, functional impairment, and service use at age nine in a large community sample. METHODS Four hundred and forty-six children were assessed at age three and again at age nine. Child psychopathology and functional impairment were assessed at age three with the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA) with parents and at age nine with the Kiddie-Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) with parents and children. Items from the PAPA were used to create a dimensional measure of chronic irritability at age three. At age nine, mothers, fathers, and youth completed the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Screen for Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED). RESULTS Chronic irritability at age three predicted any current and lifetime anxiety disorders at age nine, current and lifetime generalized anxiety disorder, and current separation anxiety, after controlling for baseline anxiety disorders. In addition, preschool irritability predicted increases in anxiety and disruptive behavior disorder symptoms on the K-SADS, and maternal and paternal reports of depressive and anxiety symptoms on the CDI and SCARED. Lastly, preschool irritability predicted greater functional impairment and outpatient treatment use, even after controlling for all psychiatric disorders at baseline. CONCLUSIONS Findings underscore the central role of irritability in developmental psychopathology and support the importance of early detection and interventions targeting preschool irritability.
Stigma as an Obstacle to AIDS Action

The control of the spread of AIDS depends on the willingness of the U.S. society to undertake a series of prevention actions. A corollary of this is that the prevention action must be managed in a manner that is sympathetic to affected populations. The presence of homophobia is widely recognized in African American churches, and has hampered their ability to engage in AIDS prevention. This article explores the problem of homophobia in the African American community. A secondary analysis of focus group transcripts was undertaken. The data indicate that homophobia is common in various segments of the community. Stigma creates a heavy burden for gay men and impedes their ability to fight AIDS. The data suggest that more effective AIDS prevention will require eradicating stigmatizing attitudes toward gay men.
The Effects of the World Trade Center Event on Birth Outcomes among Term Deliveries at Three Lower Manhattan Hospitals

The effects of prenatal exposure to pollutants from the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster on fetal growth and subsequent health and development of exposed children remain a source of concern. We assessed the impact of gestational timing of the disaster and distance from the WTC in the 4 weeks after 11 September on the birth outcomes of 300 nonsmoking women who were pregnant at the time of the event. They were recruited at delivery between December 2001 and June 2002 from three hospitals close to the WTC site. Residential and work addresses of all participants for each of the 4 weeks after 11 September 2001 were geocoded for classification by place and timing of exposure. Average daily hours spent at each location were based on the women’s reports for each week. Biomedical pregnancy and delivery data extracted from the medical records of each mother and newborn included medical complications, type of delivery, length of gestation, birth weight, birth length, and head circumference. Term infants born to women who were pregnant on 11 September 2001 and who were living within a 2-mile radius of the WTC during the month after the event showed significant decrements in term birth weight (−149 g) and birth length (−0.82 cm), compared with infants born to the other pregnant women studied, after controlling for sociodemographic and biomedical risk factors. The decrements remained significant with adjustment for gestational duration (−122 g and −0.74 cm, respectively). Women in the first trimester of pregnancy at the time of the WTC event delivered infants with significantly shorter gestation (−3.6 days) and a smaller head circumference (−0.48 cm), compared with women at later stages of pregnancy, regardless of the distance of their residence or work sites from the WTC. The observed adverse effects suggest an impact of pollutants and/or stress related to the WTC disaster and have implications for the health and development of exposed children.
Big Data and New Metrics of Scholarly Expertise

The 2013 National Communication Association convention included a deliberative double-session on big data, featuring Professor Lawrence Martin, co-founder of one of the leading business intelligence firms serving institutions of higher education, Academic Analytics. Analyzing the program transcript and deliberative polling results of audience feedback, this article explores how the development and use of new scholarly metrics implicate professional knowledge production in communication, and conversely, how conceptual tools from the rhetorical tradition elucidate the surge of digital scholarship that promises to reshape the intellectual landscape. The essay's middle sections isolate in discourse by and about Academic Analytics three “congruities of expertise”—techne, rhetorical exigence, and audience deference—and three topoi of assessment expertise, identified in the analysis as deference, humanizing metric, and negative synecdoche. The article then reviews an ongoing effort to curate a Wikipedia catalog of “measurement fallacies,” designed to supply inventive resources for scholars engaged in practical dialogues in which big data and new metrics are deployed to assess scholarly expertise.
New remote control strategies for the magnet power supplies of the Elettra Storage Ring

The Elettra Storage Ring is operating for external Users since 1994. High stability, low ripple, DC power supplies are needed for energizing the magnets used to keep the electron beam on the defined path with the required characteristics. The remote control of the power supplies is still based on VME standard and serial MIL 1553 network. A study for upgrading the local power supplies control system, adopting modern technologies and software tools is presented in the article, along with the inherent difficulties due to the large number of units and the impact on the operation of the accelerator.
The Development of Future Time Concepts Through Mother-Child Conversation

This study examined the relationship between characteristics of mothers' talk about future events and young children's ability to contribute to naturalistic conversations about future events. Results indicated that three maternal style factors were related to 2.5- and 4-year-olds' contributions: elaborative/advanced language, general and past reference, and repetitive prompts and preferences. Younger children's contributions were related to elaborative/advanced language and general and past reference factors. Older children's contributions were correlated with all three factors, but the highest correlation was found for elaborative/advanced language. These findings indicate that the maternal style variables affecting children's contributions to conversations about future events are different from those found in research on mother-child talk about past events. Mothers' use of conventional time terms was also related to 4-year-olds' production of temporal terms, suggesting that maternal time references contribute to children's understanding and use of temporal terminology. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between mother-child conversations about future events and the development of young children's understanding of future time.
Separation of Quadruplex Polymorphism in DNA Sequences by Reversed‐Phase Chromatography

This unit describes a method for the separation of a mixture of quadruplex conformations formed from the same parent sequence via reversed‐phase chromatography (RPC). Polymorphism is inherent to quadruplex formation and even relatively simple quadruplex‐forming sequences can fold into a cornucopia of possible conformations and topologies. Isolation of a specific conformation for study can be problematic. This is especially true for conformations of the human telomere sequence d(GGG(TTAGGG)3). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), especially reversed‐phase chromatography, has been a mainstay of nucleic acid research and purification for many decades. We have successfully applied this method to the problem of separating individual quadruplex species in the ensemble from the same parent sequence. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Multimodal legitimation: Selling Scottish independence

This article introduces a framework for analysing multimodal legitimation. Building upon work on legitimation by Van Leeuwen and Van Dijk, a six-layer framework is proposed. This framework pulls together the main aspects of legitimation – seen as a complex and multifaceted concept and practice – which need to be looked into if we are to fully appreciate its functioning in general or any specific instance of its deployment. Using the proposed framework, a video, produced by the Scottish National Party (SNP) encouraging a ‘Yes’ vote in the Scottish referendum on independence, is analysed.
An MBoC Favorite: Morphological classification of the yeast vacuolar protein-sorting mutants: evidence for a prevacuolar compartment in class E vps mutants

The collection of vacuolar protein sorting mutants (vps mutants) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae comprises of 41 complementation groups. The vacuoles in these mutant strains were examined using immunofluorescence microscopy. Most of the vps mutants were found to possess vacuolar morphologies that differed significantly from wild-type vacuoles. Furthermore, mutants representing independent vps complementation groups were found to share aberrant morphological features. Six distinct classes of vacuolar morphology were observed. Mutants from eight vps complementation groups were defective both for vacuolar segregation from mother cells into developing buds and for acidification of the vacuole. Another group of mutants, represented by 13 complementation groups, accumulated a novel organelle distinct from the vacuole that contained a late-Golgi protein, active vacuolar H(+)-ATPase complex, and soluble vacuolar hydrolases. We suggest that this organelle may represent an exaggerated endosome-like compartment. None of the vps mutants appeared to mislocalize significant amounts of the vacuolar membrane protein alkaline phosphatase. Quantitative immunoprecipitations of the soluble vacuolar hydrolase carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) were performed to determine the extent of the sorting defect in each vps mutant. A good correlation between morphological phenotype and the extent of the CPY sorting defect was observed.