Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BEHAVIORAL DESIGN BY OPERATING UNDERLYING EVALUATION FUNCTIONS

Conventional robotic behaviors are directly programmed depending on the designer’s personal experience. With this method, it is difficult to create new behavioral designs. In this study, the authors aim to establish a new method of designing robotic behaviors by operating underlying evaluation functions in mathematical forms that can generates behaviors in computer calculations. The characteristics of the method lie in the process of obtaining the evaluation function from a model behavior, which is opposite to the conventional process in which a predefined evaluation function generates the optimum behavior. This method is composed of two stages: (1) acquiring the evaluation function and (2) synthesizing the acquired evaluation functions and creating a new behavioral pattern from them. Our simulation shows that some evaluation functions of generating behaviors are synthesized using this method.
Electrical results of vertical Si N-Tunnel FETs

This paper reports on the process integration of vertical Tunnel FETs (TFETs) and analyzes the impact of process and geometrical parameters on the device performance. The gate-source overlap is shown to be a critical parameter, especially when the overlap is marginal. The study also suggests that a high interface trap density is at the origin of the poor onset characteristic of the vertical TFET and that improvement in passivating the surface of the vertical nanowires should be beneficial.
Plague immunization. 3. Serologic response to multiple inoculations of vaccine.

Studies with sera collected during a 20-year period from 117 individuals who received multiple inoculations of plague vaccine, USP, revealed three patterns of serologic response. Eighty-four individuals responded with high titers of indirect hemagglutinating antibody, 23 produced intermediate antibody titers, and 10 did not produce significant antibody titers. After approximately five booster inoculations, each individual attained a plateau level of antibody that remained constant regardless of subsequent administration of booster inoculations. Long-term intervals between booster inoculations did not result in a marked decline in antibody titers. Following suspected episodes of exposure to virulent Yersinia pestis, antibody titers of 29 individuals increased abruptly but returned to previously established plateau levels within 18 months.
Development of mouse eggs fertilized in vitro by epididymal spermatozoa.

mouse eggs can be fertilized in vitro by epididymal spermatozoa in the presence of bovine follicular fluid (Iwamatsu & Chang, 1969, 1970, 1971) or in its absence (Toyoda, Yokoyama & Hosi, 1971), but whether such eggs can develop in culture and even mature into fetuses following transfer to recipients has not been investigated. This paper reports the results of experiments designed to determine the proportion of mouse eggs fertilized in vitro by epididymal spermatozoa in the absence of bovine follicular fluid, and the proportion of fertilized eggs which developed into blastocysts following further culture. The possibility of normal development following the transfer of such eggs to the oviducts of recipients was also investigated. Superovulation in mature female Swiss albino mice, weighing 21 to 25 g,
A Geometric Approach to Trajectory Planning for Underactuated Mechanical Systems

In the last decade, multi-rotors flying robots had a rapid development in industry and hobbyist communities thanks to the affordable cost and their availability of parts and components. The high number of degrees of freedom and the challenging dynamics of multi-rotors gave rise to new research problems. In particular, we are interested in the development of technologies for an autonomous fly that would allow using multi-rotors systems to be used in contexts where the presence of humans is denied, for example in post-disaster areas or during search-and-rescue operations. Multi-rotors are an example of a larger category of robots, called “under-actuated mechanical systems” (UMS) where the number of actuated degrees of freedom (DoF) is less than the number of available DoF. This thesis applies methods coming from geometric mechanics to study the under-actuation problem and proposes a novel method, based on the Hamiltonian formalism, to plan a feasible trajectory for UMS. We first show the application of a method called “Variational Constrained System approach” to a cart-pole example. We discovered that it is not possible to extend this method to generic UMS because it is valid only for a sub-class of UMS, called “super-articulated” mechanical system. To overcome this limitation, we wrote the Hamilton equations of the quadrotor and we apply a numerical “direct method” to compute a feasible trajectory that satisfies system and endpoint constraints. We found that by including the system energy in the multi-rotor states, we are able to compute maneuvers that cannot be planned with other methods and that overcome the under-actuation constraints. To demonstrate the benefit of the method developed, we built a custom quadrotor and an experimental setup with different obstacles, such as a gap in a wall and we show the correctness of the trajectory computed with the new method. Thesis Advisor: Prof. Paolo Fiorini Title: Full Professor
The mediating role of self-stigma in perceived public stigma and attitudes toward mental health help-seeking among university students in Malaysia

The number of cases related to poor mental health is rising dramatically in Malaysia. Stigma and discrimination related to mental illness has become a major barrier for those living with mental health issues to seek psychological treatment. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate the mediating effect of self-stigma between perceived public stigma and helpseeking attitudes. A quantitative cross-sectional research and convenience sampling method was adopted to recruit 555 university students from private and public university in Malaysia. The questionnaire distributed consisted of four sections, which include Social Stigma of Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH), Self-stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) and Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale Short Form (ATSPPHS-SF), and demographic information. The results obtained from multiple linear regression indicated perceived public stigma negatively predicted the help-seeking attitudes. Moreover, the findings also stated that self-stigma negatively predicted the attitudes toward mental health help-seeking. As expected, self-stigma plays a mediating role between the relationship of perceived public stigma and help-seeking attitudes. This research provides the latest statistic to mental health field by filling in the knowledge gap and also serves as a reference in planning mental health awareness campaign in order to increase public’s help-seeking attitudes.
Fabrication and testing of a large area, high density, parylene MEMS µECoG array

We report the design, microfabrication and testing of a flexible 256-electrode array for micro-electrocorticography (µECoG) with an electrode pitch of 500 µm. Our µECoG grid is a flexible five-layer parylene MEMS device (two layers of platinum insulated by three layers of parylene) featuring plasma-etched vias and a monolithically integrated parylene cable which is compression-bonded to a fan-out board using anisotropic conductive film (ACF) technology. We have characterized the device by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) and recorded acoustic evoked potentials in vivo from the rat primary auditory cortex.
Nucleo-cytoplasmic distribution of β-catenin is regulated by retention

β-catenin is the central signalling molecule of the canonical Wnt pathway, where it activates target genes in a complex with LEF/TCF transcription factors in the nucleus. The regulation of β-catenin activity is thought to occur mainly on the level of protein degradation, but it has been suggested that β-catenin nuclear localization and hence its transcriptional activity may additionally be regulated via nuclear import by TCF4 and BCL9 and via nuclear export by APC and axin. Using live-cell microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), we have directly analysed the impact of these factors on the subcellular localization of β-catenin, its nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling and its mobility within the nucleus and the cytoplasm. We show that TCF4 and BCL9/Pygopus recruit β-catenin to the nucleus, and APC, axin and axin2 enrich β-catenin in the cytoplasm. Importantly, however, none of these factors accelerates the nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling of β-catenin, i.e. increases the rate of β-catenin nuclear import or export. Moreover, the cytoplasmic enrichment of β-catenin by APC and axin is not abolished by inhibition of CRM-1-dependent nuclear export. TCF4, APC, axin and axin2 move more slowly than β-catenin in their respective compartment, and concomitantly decrease β-catenin mobility. Together, these data indicate that β-catenin interaction partners mainly regulate β-catenin subcellular localization by retaining it in the compartment in which they are localized, rather than by active transport into or out of the nucleus.
Microplastics in bivalves and their habitat in relation to shellfish aquaculture proximity in coastal British Columbia, Canada

Shellfish aquaculture often uses large amounts of plastic equipment and has been suggested as a potential source of microplastic contamination in the marine environment. To determine the influence of shellfish aquaculture on microplastic concentrations in bivalves and their environment, we compared microplastic particle (MP) concentrations in Manila clams Venerupis philippinarum and Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas grown on commercial shellfish beaches with those in individuals of the same species grown on nearby non-aquaculture beaches in 6 regions of coastal British Columbia, Canada. MP concentrations did not differ between shellfish aquaculture and non-aquaculture sites for either bivalve species, sediment, or water samples. Plastic presence differed by site and oysters on sites with many synthetic anti-predator nets contained significantly, yet marginally, more MPs than those on sites without (0.05 vs. 0.03 g–1 dry-tissue weight on average). However, analysis of suspected MPs using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in di cated a predominance of fibres from textiles (including nylon and polyester), which are not typically used in shellfish aquaculture, suggesting that this may be caused by the larger average body weight of oysters grown at non-aquaculture sites rather than by the degradation of aquaculture infrastructure.
Partial discharges in dielectric liquids

In this paper, we have investigated the behavior of dielectric properties (partial discharges) of liquids of different natures (silicon oil, aromatic liquid). Partial discharges measurements have been done over the voltage range (0-25 kVpp). Two types of devices have been analyzed. The first one consists of a ceramic covered by liquid, the second one of a needle-plane system embedded in liquid. The origin of partial discharges for the both devices is discussed. A mixture of corona effect and discharge in micro voids appear for the ceramic based system whereas only the corona effect was identified for the second one. Results are then discussed in correlation with potential applications in power electronic components where rubber and gel are used for IGBT module.
What is Ascape and Why Should You Care?

Ascape is a framework designed to support the development, visualization, and exploration of agent based models. In this article I will argue that agent modeling tools and Ascape, in particular, can contribute significantly to the quality, creativity, and efficiency of social science simulation research efforts. Ascape is examined from the perspectives of use, design, and development. While Ascape has some unique design advantages, a close examination should also provide potential tool users with more insight into the kinds of services and features agent modeling toolkits provide in general.
Reducing power consumption in an optical circuit-switched core network by switching off amplifiers

Power consumption of the core network of the Internet has become a critical issue due to increasing traffic rates and availability of bandwidth-intensive applications. Past research shows that a considerable amount of power can be saved by switching off network components. In this paper, we propose two heuristic algorithms to reduce power consumption of a fiber transport network, while guaranteeing full connectivity and flow protection. Preliminary simulation results show that the proposed schemes offer improvements in reducing power consumption over existing algorithms. At peak and off-peak traffic loads in the network, the proposed Multi-Objective Algorithm (MOA) reduces power consumption by 28.7% and 62.6%, respectively.
Chikungunya Virus nsP3 Blocks Stress Granule Assembly by Recruitment of G3BP into Cytoplasmic Foci

ABSTRACT Chikungunya virus nonstructural protein nsP3 has an essential but unknown role in alphavirus replication and interacts with Ras-GAP SH3 domain-binding protein (G3BP). Here we describe the first known function of nsP3, to inhibit stress granule assembly by recruiting G3BP into cytoplasmic foci. A conserved SH3 domain-binding motif in nsP3 is essential for both nsP3-G3BP interactions and viral RNA replication. This study reveals a novel role for nsP3 as a regulator of the cellular stress response.
A W-band micro coaxial passive monopulse comparator network with integrated cavity-backed patch antenna array

An integrated W-band passive monopulse comparator network is constructed using four rat-race hybrids, designed using the Polystrata™ 3-D sequential micromachining process. The comparator network has a simulated azimuth null of 44.6 dB and elevation null of 44.4 dB. The network is monolithically integrated with an array of cavity backed patch antennas and diode detectors for measurement purposes. An azimuth null of 31.4 dB and an elevation null of 22.5 dB are measured at 93.5 GHz.
Quantitative Electroencephalogram of Posterior Cortical Areas of Fluent and Stuttering Participants during Reading with Normal and Altered Auditory Feedback

In the left and right hemisphere, posterior quantitative electroencephalogram Beta band activity (13.5–25.5 Hz) of seven adult participants who stutter and seven age-matched normal controls was obtained while subjects read text under three experimental conditions of normal auditory feedback, delayed auditory feedback, and frequency-altered feedback. Data were obtained from surface electrodes affixed to the scalp using a commercial electrode cap. Electroencephalogram activity was amplified, band-pass analog-filtered, and then digitized. During nonaltered auditory feedback, stuttering participants displayed Beta band hyperreactivity, with the right temporal-parietal lobe region showing the greatest activity. Under conditions of delayed auditory feedback and frequency-altered auditory feedback, the stuttering participants displayed a decrease in stuttering behavior accompanied by a strong reduction in Beta activity for the posterior-temporal-parietal electrode sites, and the left hemisphere posterior sites evidenced a larger area of reactivity. Such findings suggest than an alteration in the electrical fields of the cortex occurred in the stuttering participants under both conditions, possibly reflecting changes in neurogenerator status or current dipole activity. Further, one could propose that stuttering reflects an anomaly of the sensory-linguistic motor integration wherein each hemisphere generates competing linguistic messages at hyperreactive amplitudes.
Behavioral effects of the imidazoline I2 receptor ligand BU99006 in rats

The imidazoline I2 receptor ligand BU99006 binds to and attenuates effects mediated by I2 receptors in vitro, although its effects in vivo have not been studied previously. This study examined the effects of BU99006 in two behavioral assays in rats: hypothermia and 2-BFI discrimination. BU99006 (3.2–15 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) produced a dose-dependent hypothermic effect (rectal temperature), which was antagonized by the I2 receptor antagonist idazoxan. BU99006 (3.2 or 10 mg/kg administered 10 min or 2 h before the session, respectively) did not significantly alter hypothermia produced by the I2 receptor agonist 2-BFI (10 mg/kg). In rats discriminating 5.6 mg/kg 2-BFI, BU99006 (1.78–17.8 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) produced 40 and 82% responding on the 2-BFI-associated lever when it was administered immediately or 2 h before the test sessions, respectively. BU99006 enhanced the discriminative stimulus and rate-suppressing effects of 2-BFI. Collectively, these data suggest that BU99006 is an imidazoline I2 receptor agonist with no evidence of I2 receptor antagonism in rats.
Reversing LRP5‐Dependent Osteoporosis and SOST Deficiency–Induced Sclerosing Bone Disorders by Altering WNT Signaling Activity

The bone formation inhibitor sclerostin encoded by SOST binds in vitro to low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein (LRP) 5/6 Wnt co‐receptors, thereby inhibiting Wnt/β‐catenin signaling, a central pathway of skeletal homeostasis. Lrp5/LRP5 deficiency results in osteoporosis‐pseudoglioma (OPPG), whereas Sost/SOST deficiency induces lifelong bone gain in mice and humans. Here, we analyzed the bone phenotype of mice lacking Sost (Sost−/−), Lrp5 (Lrp5−/−), or both (Sost−/−;Lrp5−/−) to elucidate the mechanism of action of Sost in vivo. Sost deficiency–induced bone gain was significantly blunted in Sost−/−;Lrp5−/− mice. Yet the Lrp5 OPPG phenotype was fully rescued in Sost−/−;Lrp5−/− mice and most bone parameters were elevated relative to wild‐type. To test whether the remaining bone increases in Sost−/−;Lrp5−/− animals depend on Lrp6, we treated wild‐type, Sost−/−, and Sost−/−;Lrp5−/− mice with distinct Lrp6 function blocking antibodies. Selective blockage of Wnt1 class–mediated Lrp6 signaling reduced cancellous bone mass and density in wild‐type mice. Surprisingly, it reversed the abnormal bone gain in Sost−/− and Sost−/−;Lrp5−/− mice to wild‐type levels irrespective of enhancement or blockage of Wnt3a class‐mediated Lrp6 activity. Thus, whereas Sost deficiency–induced bone anabolism partially requires Lrp5, it fully depends on Wnt1 class–induced Lrp6 activity. These findings indicate: first, that OPPG syndrome patients suffering from LRP5 loss‐of‐function should benefit from principles antagonizing SOST/sclerostin action; and second, that therapeutic WNT signaling inhibitors may stop the debilitating bone overgrowth in sclerosing disorders related to SOST deficiency, such as sclerosteosis, van Buchem disease, and autosomal dominant craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, which are rare disorders without viable treatment options. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Oral administration of specific yolk antibodies (IgY) may prevent Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in patients with cystic fibrosis: A phase I feasibility study

Respiratory infection is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infections ultimately occur in virtually all patients. It is impossible to eradicate PA when a patient has been chronically colonized. Immunotherapy with specific egg‐yolk antibodies (IgY) may be an alternative to antibiotics for the prevention of PA infections. We wanted to determine if treatment with specific IgY can prolong the period between the first and the second PA colonization? And long‐term, can the treatment diminish the number of positive PA cultures and postpone the onset of chronic colonization? CF patients gargled daily with an IgY‐antibody preparation, purified from eggs of hens immunized with PA bacteria. They were compared to a group of patients who did not gargle with the preparation. Both groups had their first colonization with PA eradicated by antibiotics. The basic treatment was essentially the same in both groups. In the initial study, the period between the first and second colonization with PA was significantly prolonged for the treated vs. the control group (Kaplan‐Meier P = 0.015, Breslow test). In the prolonged study, the treated group had only 2.5 sputum cultures positive for PA per 100 months of observation, and none of these patients became chronically colonized with PA. No adverse events were reported. In the control group, 13.7 cultures per 100 months of observation were positive for PA, and 5 (24%) patients became chronically colonized with PA. This feasibility study shows that antipseudomonal IgY has the potential to effectively prevent PA colonization without any severe adverse effects. A phase III study should be initiated. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2003; 35:433–440. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On the Additivity and Weak Baselines for Search Result Diversification Research

A recent study on the topic of additivity addresses the task of search result diversification and concludes that while weaker baselines are almost always significantly improved by the evaluated diversification methods, for stronger baselines, just the opposite happens, i.e., no significant improvement can be observed. Due to the importance of the issue in shaping future research directions and evaluation strategies in search results diversification, in this work, we first aim to reproduce the findings reported in the previous study, and then investigate its possible limitations. Our extensive experiments first reveal that under the same experimental setting with that previous study, we can reach similar results. Next, we hypothesize that for stronger baselines, tuning the parameters of some methods (i.e., the trade-off parameter between the relevance and diversity of the results in this particular scenario) should be done in a more fine-grained manner. With trade-off parameters that are specifically determined for each baseline run, we show that the percentage of significant improvements even over the strong baselines can be doubled. As a further issue, we discuss the possible impact of using the same strong baseline retrieval function for the diversity computations of the methods. Our takeaway message is that in the case of a strong baseline, it is more crucial to tune the parameters of the diversification methods to be evaluated; but once this is done, additivity is achievable.
Transverse Vibration of Non-Homogeneous Rectangular Plates of Variable Thickness Using GDQ

: The effect of non-homogeneity on the free transverse vibration of thin rectangular plates of bilinearly varying thickness has been analyzed using generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) method. The non-homogeneity of the plate material is assumed to arise due to linear variations in Young’s modulus and density of the plate material with the in-plane coordinates x and y. Numerical results have been computed for fully clamped and fully simply supported boundary conditions. The solution procedure by means of GDQ method has been implemented in a MATLAB code. The effect of various plate parameters has been investigated for the first three modes of vibration. A comparison of results with those available in literature has been presented.