Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Training Agents With Interactive Reinforcement Learning and Contextual Affordances

In the future, robots will be used more extensively as assistants in home scenarios and must be able to acquire expertise from trainers by learning through crossmodal interaction. One promising approach is interactive reinforcement learning (IRL) where an external trainer advises an apprentice on actions to speed up the learning process. In this paper we present an IRL approach for the domestic task of cleaning a table and compare three different learning methods using simulated robots: 1) reinforcement learning (RL); 2) RL with contextual affordances to avoid failed states; and 3) the previously trained robot serving as a trainer to a second apprentice robot. We then demonstrate that the use of IRL leads to different performance with various levels of interaction and consistency of feedback. Our results show that the simulated robot completes the task with RL, although working slowly and with a low rate of success. With RL and contextual affordances fewer actions are needed and can reach higher rates of success. For good performance with IRL it is essential to consider the level of consistency of feedback since inconsistencies can cause considerable delay in the learning process. In general, we demonstrate that interactive feedback provides an advantage for the robot in most of the learning cases.
A Visual Attention Monitor Based on Steady-State Visual Evoked Potential

Attention detection is important for many applications. Automatic determination of users' visual attention state is challenging because attention involves numerous complex and internal human cognitive functions. Behavioral observations, such as eye gaze or response to external stimuli, can provide clues for users' visual attention state; however, users' cognitive state cannot be easily known. Conventional electroencephalography-based methods detect attention by observing the dynamic changes in the frontal lobe of the brain, especially in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, that area in the brain is associated with many functions, some of which correlate with conscious experience but are not directly related to attention. In this paper, we design an attention monitoring system to detect whether the brain experiences a visual stimulus consciously. Our experiments verified the feasibility of our design, and the average classification rate ranged from 72% to 82%.
Advanced tools and framework for historical film restoration

Digital restoration of film content that has historical value is crucial for the preservation of cultural heritage. Also, digital restoration is not only a relevant application area of various video processing technologies that have been developed in computer graphics literature but also involves a multitude of unresolved research challenges. Currently, the digital restoration workflow is highly labor intensive and often heavily relies on expert knowledge. We revisit some key steps of this workflow and propose semiautomatic methods for performing them. To do that we build upon state-of-the-art video processing techniques by adding the components necessary for enabling (i) restoration of chemically degraded colors of the film stock, (ii) removal of excessive film grain through spatiotemporal filtering, and (iii) contrast recovery by transferring contrast from the negative film stock to the positive. We show that when applied individually our tools produce compelling results and when applied in concert significantly improve the degraded input content. Building on a conceptual framework of film restoration ensures the best possible combination of tools and use of available materials.
HMGN1 and 2 remodel core and linker histone tail domains within chromatin

Abstract The structure of the nucleosome, the basic building block of the chromatin fiber, plays a key role in epigenetic regulatory processes that affect DNA-dependent processes in the context of chromatin. Members of the HMGN family of proteins bind specifically to nucleosomes and affect chromatin structure and function, including transcription and DNA repair. To better understand the mechanisms by which HMGN 1 and 2 alter chromatin, we analyzed their effect on the organization of histone tails and linker histone H1 in nucleosomes. We find that HMGNs counteract linker histone (H1)-dependent stabilization of higher order ‘tertiary’ chromatin structures but do not alter the intrinsic ability of nucleosome arrays to undergo salt-induced compaction and self-association. Surprisingly, HMGNs do not displace H1s from nucleosomes; rather these proteins bind nucleosomes simultaneously with H1s without disturbing specific contacts between the H1 globular domain and nucleosomal DNA. However, HMGNs do alter the nucleosome-dependent condensation of the linker histone C-terminal domain, which is critical for stabilizing higher-order chromatin structures. Moreover, HMGNs affect the interactions of the core histone tail domains with nucleosomal DNA, redirecting the tails to more interior positions within the nucleosome. Our studies provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms whereby HMGNs affect chromatin structure.
A New Latent Semantic Analysis based Methodology for Knowledge Extraction from Biomedical Literature and Biological Pathways Databases

Nowadays, a considerable amount of genetic and biomedical studies are mostly diffused on the Web and freely available. This exciting capability, if from one side opens the way to new scenarios of cooperating research, on the other side makes the knowledge retrieval and extraction an extremely time consuming operation. In this context, the development of new tools and algorithms to automatically support the scientist activity to achieve a reliable interpretation of the complex interactions among biological entities is mandatory. In this paper we present a new methodology aimed at quantifying the biological degree of correlation among biomedical terms present in literature. The proposed method overcomes the limitation of current tools based on public literature information only, by exploiting the trustworthy information provided by biological pathways databases. We demonstrate how to integrate trusted pathway information in a semantic correlation extraction chain based on UMLS Metathesaurus and relying on PubMed as literature database. The effectiveness of the obtained results remarks the importance of automatically quantifying the degree of correlation among biomedical terms in order to helpfully support the scientist research activity.
The “early‐sorting” endocytic compartment of rat hepatocytes is involved in the intracellular pathway of caveolin‐1 (VIP‐21)

The sinusoidal plasma membrane of the hepatocyte is organized into functional and structural microdomains whose origin, maintenance, and functioning are closely related with the endocytic compartment. Three different subcellular fractions, from rat liver, containing caveolin‐1, the structural protein of caveolae, were morphologically and biochemically characterized. A caveolae‐enriched plasma membrane fraction (CEF), contains large membrane structures surrounding attached internal plasmalemmal vesicles; the receptor‐recycling compartment (RRC), contains tubules and vesicles with similar morphology to the internal vesicles observed by electron microscopy in CEF; and finally, caveolin‐1 was also detected in early‐sorting endosomes (CURL, compartment of uncoupling receptors and ligands). In this study, we show that following an intravenous administration of retinol‐binding protein (RBP), there was a redistribution of caveolin‐1 from the plasma membrane (CEF) to intracellular endocytic compartments (RRC and early‐sorting endosomes). Thus, these results indicate that, in the hepatocyte, caveolae are dynamic structures actively interacting with the endocytic compartment.
A prototype for wireless sensor networks to the detection of forest fires in large-scale

Location determination is an important problem for almost all WSN applications. However, obviously becomes an important target in the case of surveillance systems for forest fires do not have to support real-time monitoring of each point of an area at any time location early threat of fire.Solutions applying wireless sensor networks, on the other hand, can gather sensorial data values, like temperature and humidity, from all points of a area incessantly, day and night, and allow for fresh and precise data to the fire-fighting center rapidly.In this paper, we present the pattern and implementation of a model for the detection and localization of forest fires and the control environment. In order to know precisely and almost in real time the risk of forest fires, we design and are implementing a protocol type “Range-based” for a large-scale deployment based on convex hull. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated by simulations, we show that our framework can supply quick response to forest fires while consuming energy efficiently.
Gantry Robot Kinematic Analysis User Interface Based on Visual Basic and MATLAB Mahir

: Affordable and competitive industrial automation is of key importance for small and medium enterprises, in World. A key factor is the introduction of new robot automation concepts that ease fast deployment and extend available task repertoire. A range of software tools and methods were found to be useful and necessary for efficient engineering and integration. For experimental evaluation, a full-scale prototype robot was designed and built, robot CAD software was adapted to the configuration needs, and both simulations and physical experiments were carried out. In this paper we created a GUI in Visual Basic.NET which is communicate with Matlab via COM Server. Here Visual Basic is a client and Matlab is a server. GUI is done to simplify Gantry Robot Kinematic Analysis Based On D.H Method to be easy for user to change the design parameter for studying of robot kinematic behavior, Our findings make us believe that enhanced software tools should be integrated on a higher symbolic (or meta-) level to better support transformation of data and code generation, and this bring a new dimension of flexibility into manufacturing.
Phenolics in Foods: Extraction, Analysis and Measurements

The increasing consumers demands to acquire healthier fruits and vegetables as well as the urgency in looking to natural compounds with antioxidant activity and enhanced antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacterial strains have encouraged a quick expansion of research studies about enhanced phenolic extraction and identification methods. Considering the importance of phenolics as natural compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, this chapter aims to present the most updated information about extraction methods, ranging from the traditional to the most advanced processes, as well as the access to the modern methods used in the identification and quantification of phenolics. The main goal of this chapter is to provide the reader with a broad view on the different protocols used to extract, identify and quantify phenolic compounds from different kinds of foods, including fruits and vegetables.
Mapping contingent planning into multi-valued planning

Contingent planning involves generating plans in uncertainty environment under partial observability. However, traditional contingent planning problems, described by propositional logic, suffer from many problems. For example, the belief state space is too large. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach that can map propositional contingent planning tasks into multi-valued contingent planning task (MCPT). Experimental results have shown that our approach is sound and efficient.
Toward a clinical model of suicidal behavior in psychiatric patients.

OBJECTIVE Risk factors for suicide attempts have rarely been studied comprehensively in more than one psychiatric disorder, preventing estimation of the relative importance and the generalizability of different putative risk factors across psychiatric diagnoses. The authors conducted a study of suicide attempts in patients with mood disorders, psychoses, and other diagnoses. Their goal was to determine the generalizability and relative importance of risk factors for suicidal acts across diagnostic boundaries and to develop a hypothetical, explanatory, and predictive model of suicidal behavior that can subsequently be tested in a prospective study. METHOD Following admission to a university psychiatric hospital, 347 consecutive patients who were 14-72 years old (51% were male and 68% were Caucasian) were recruited for study. Structured clinical interviews generated axis I and axis II diagnoses. Lifetime suicidal acts, traits of aggression and impulsivity, objective and subjective severity of acute psychopathology, developmental and family history, and past substance abuse or alcoholism were assessed. RESULTS Objective severity of current depression or psychosis did not distinguish the 184 patients who had attempted suicide from those who had never attempted suicide. However, higher scores on subjective depression, higher scores on suicidal ideation, and fewer reasons for living were reported by suicide attempters. Rates of lifetime aggression and impulsivity were also greater in attempters. Comorbid borderline personality disorder, smoking, past substance use disorder or alcoholism, family history of suicidal acts, head injury, and childhood abuse history were more frequent in suicide attempters. CONCLUSIONS The authors propose a stress-diathesis model in which the risk for suicidal acts is determined not merely by a psychiatric illness (the stressor) but also by a diathesis. This diathesis may be reflected in tendencies to experience more suicidal ideation and to be more impulsive and, therefore, more likely to act on suicidal feelings. Prospective studies are proposed to test this model.
Constructing Commonality: Standardization and Modernization in Chinese Nation-Building

This essay examines the importance of Chinese nation-building in the contemporary era. Defining nation-building in terms of processes that help to bridge local differences especially but not only when also distinguishing China from the rest the world, I argue that a focus on globalization has masked the importance of Chinese nation-building to contemporary social change. I analyze three very different societal arenas in which national forms of commonality are being constructed: the consolidation of the education system, the expansion of the urban built environment, and the spread of the Chinese Internet. Though each arena illustrates a very different aspect of the nation-building process, they all result in an increased degree of commonality in lived experience and communicative practice across China.
Requirement for Cell-to-Cell Contact in Epstein-Barr Virus Infection of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells and Keratinocytes

ABSTRACT Two nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines and one keratinocyte cell line could be infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) by cocultivation with virus-producing cells but not by cell-free virus. Using porous culture inserts to manipulate the cell-to-cell contact, we demonstrated that contact between EBV donor B cells and EBV recipient epithelial cells was required for the infection. Cell-to-cell contact not only provided a CR2-independent route of infection but also enhanced CR2-mediated infection in a synergistic manner. Activity of two EBV promoters (Cp and Wp) and expression of EBNA2 were detected in the infected population. A small proportion of the infected cells spontaneously entered an EBV lytic state, which could be induced prominently by chemical treatment. This study provides information on how EBV may infect epithelial cells in vivo, such as at the onset of NPC development.
Detection and quantification of the age-related point mutation A 189 G in the human mitochondrial DNA

Mutation analysis in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region is widely used in population genetic studies as well as in forensic medicine. Among the difficulties linked to the mtDNA analysis one can find the detection of heteroplasmy which can be inherited or somatic. Recently, age-related point mutation A189G was described in mitochondrial DNA and shown to accumulate with age in muscles. We carried out the detection of this 189 heteroplasmic point mutation using three technologies: automated DNA sequencing, Southern blot hybridization using a digoxigenin-labeled oligonucleotide probe and PNA/Real Time PCR combined method on different biological samples. Our results give additional information on the increase in mutation frequency with age in muscle tissue and revealed that the PNA/Real Time PCR is a largely more sensitive method than DNA sequencing for heteroplasmy detection. These investigations could be of interest in the detection and interpretation of mtDNA heteroplasmy in anthropological and forensic studies.
Feeling safe and content: A specific affect regulation system? Relationship to depression, anxiety, stress, and self-criticism

Recent work in the neuroscience of positive affect has suggested that there may be two different types of positive affect. One is linked to a drive/seeking system (and may be dopaminergic mediated) and the other is a soothing-contentment system (and may be opiate/oxytocin mediated). This study sought to develop a self-report scale that could tap these positive affects in regard to characteristic feelings individuals may have. Results from 203 students suggested three (rather than two) underlying factors: activated positive affect, relaxed positive affect, and safe/content positive affect. It was the safe/content positive affect that had the highest negative correlations with depression, anxiety and stress, self-criticism, and insecure attachment. Hence, greater clarity on the different types and functions of positive affect may demystify the relationship between positive emotions and well-being.
The Diary of Antera Duke, an Eighteenth-Century African Slave Trader

Introduction Chapter One The Diary and Old Calabar History Chapter Two The Slave Trade at Old Calabar Chapter Three The Produce Trade at Old Calabar Chapter Four Old Calabar's Trading Networks Chapter Five The Diary of Antera Duke: Notes on the Text THE DIARY OF ANTERA DUKE Appendix A Index of African Names Appendix B Antera Duke's Trading Expedition from Old Calabar to Little Cameroon Bibliography
Fuzzy-Logic-Based Terrain Identification with Multisensor Fusion for Transtibial Amputees

Terrain identification is essential for the control of robotic transtibial prostheses to realize smooth locomotion transitions. In this paper, we present a real-time fuzzy-logic-based terrain identification method with multisensor fusion. Five locomotion features, including the foot inclination angle at the first strike, the shank inclination angle at the first strike, foot strike sequence, the foot inclination angle at mid-stance, and the shank inclination angle at toe-off, are used to identify different terrains and terrain transitions. These features are measured by the fusion of two triaxis gyroscopes, two triaxis accelerometers, two force sensitive resistors, and a timer, which can be embedded into the prosthesis. Based on these features, a fuzzy-logic-based identification method is proposed to identify five terrains: level ground, stair ascent, stair descent, ramp ascent, and ramp descent. Moreover, a transition constraint function is developed to improve the identification performance. The execution time of the identification method is 0.79 ms ± 0.02 ms (mean ± standard error of mean) and continuous terrain identification results show that the method can be operated online in real time. The average identification accuracy of 98.74% ± 0.32% is obtained from experiments with six able-bodied and three amputee subjects during steady locomotion periods (no terrain transition). In locomotion transition periods, all the eight transitions we studied are correctly identified and the average identification delay is 9.06% ± 3.46% of one gait cycle.
Clustering on heterogeneous networks

Objects that are interrelated with each other are often represented as homogeneous networks, in which objects are of the same entity type and relationships between objects are of the same relationship type. However, heterogeneous information networks, composed of multiple types of objects and/or relationships, are ubiquitous in real life. Mining heterogeneous information networks is a new and promising field of research in data mining, and clustering is an important way to identify underlying patterns in data. Although clustering on homogeneous networks has been studied for several decades, clustering on heterogeneous networks has been explored only recently. However, some progress has already been made with respect to this theme, ranging from algorithms to various related applications. This paper presents a brief summary of current research regarding heterogeneous network clustering and addresses some promising research directions. First, it presents a formalized definition and two important aspects of heterogeneous information networks to elaborate why clustering on heterogeneous networks is of significance. Then, this review provides a concise classification of existing heterogeneous network clustering algorithms based on their methodological principles. In addition, it discusses experimental developments and applications of heterogeneous network clustering. The paper addresses several open problems and critical issues for future research. WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov 2014, 4:213–233. doi: 10.1002/widm.1126
Visual Analog Scales

Visual analog scales (VASs) have long been used as a method of measuring preferences for health outcomes. They are easy and inexpensive to implement, can be administered quickly, and lend themselves to self-completion. Over time, however, disturbing questions have emerged concerning the validity of the VAS approach. This article reviews briefly the history, theory, practice, problems, and advantages of VASs; presents some suggestions to improve the validity of VASs; and recommends a limited but useful role for VASs in the process of measuring preferences for health states.
Topographic maps of multisensory attention

The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) region is uniquely situated at the intersection of visual, somatosensory, and auditory association cortices, ideally located for processing of multisensory attention. We examined the internal architecture of the IPS region and its connectivity to other regions in the dorsal attention and cinguloinsular networks using maximal connectivity clustering. We show with resting state fMRI data from 58 healthy adolescent and young adult volunteers that points of maximal connectivity between the IPS and other regions in the dorsal attention and cinguloinsular networks are topographically organized, with at least seven maps of the IPS region in each hemisphere. Distinct clusters of the IPS exhibited differential connectivity to auditory, visual, somatosensory, and default mode networks, suggesting local specialization within the IPS region for different sensory modalities. In an independent task activation paradigm with 16 subjects, attention to different sensory modalities showed similar functional specialization within the left intraparietal sulcus region. The default mode network, in contrast, did not show a topographical relationship between regions in the network, but rather maximal connectivity in each region to a single central cluster of the other regions. The topographical architecture of multisensory attention may represent a mechanism for specificity in top-down control of attention from dorsolateral prefrontal and lateral orbitofrontal cortex and may represent an organizational unit for multisensory representations in the brain.