Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prototyping an autonomous delivery vehicle

Abstract In this paper, we describe the hardware and software components of a fully autonomous prototype delivery vehicle. Equipped with a robotic arm, the demonstrator is capable of delivering packages and picking up new ones by interacting with custom-made delivery boxes. As highly accurate positioning w. r. t. a box is required for successful handover of packages, we track the pose (position and orientation) of the box using a high-resolution on-board camera. The resulting estimate is relayed to our planning and control modules, which ensure that the vehicle reaches its required pose with centimeter-level accuracy. In order to deliver packages, the car needs to autonomously navigate our test facility, avoiding static and dynamic obstacles while obeying simple traffic rules. As one focus is on the practical challenges encountered when building a prototype, we cover issues ranging from sensor calibration and system identification to perception, planning, control, and the implementation of high-level behaviors. While some of the proposed solutions to these problems are not necessarily novel, they allowed us to demonstrate the vehicle’s capabilities after a development phase of less than 12 months.
Gradient-based minimization for multi-expert Inverse Reinforcement Learning

We present a model-free method for solving the Inverse Reinforcement Learning (IRL) problem given a set of trajectories generated by different experts' policies. In many applications, the observed demonstrations are not produced by the same policy. In fact, they may be provided by multiple experts that follow different (but similar) policies or even by the same expert that does not always replicate the same policy (e.g., human expert). We propose to model different experts' demonstrations as generated by policies sampled from a distribution. Differently from many other IRL approaches, the proposed methodology requires neither knowledge about the dynamics of the system nor to iteratively solve the direct problem for different candidate reward functions, thus providing an efficient solution to the IRL problem.
Why did I get cancer? Perceptions of childhood cancer survivors in Korea

ABSTRACT This study explored whether and how childhood cancer survivors in Korea ask and resolve the question of what may have caused their cancer. Thirty-one childhood cancer survivors participated in in-depth interviews about their self-questioning process in this regard. The findings indicate that Korean childhood cancer survivors pondered this question alone due to the stigma attached to cancer in the family and society. Their answers included internal factors (doing “bad things,” having unhealthy eating habits, engaging in magical thinking, having a stress-prone personality, or having a biological susceptibility) or external factors (stressors, random events, the environment, or medical conditions). How they perceived the cause of cancer had an impact on aspects of their current lives. Psychosocial care standards or guidelines are needed in regard to the provision of a safe environment in which Korean cancer survivors and their parents can share their perceptions and process their thoughts.
A novel filtering-based F0 estimation algorithm with an application to voice conversion

We propose a novel F0 estimation algorithm that initially estimates the glottal closure instants (GCIs) or pitch and then computes the corresponding fundamental frequency (F0). The proposed method eliminates the assumption that F0 is constant over a segment of short duration (i.e., 20–30 ms). We use our previously proposed novel filtering-based approach for GCI estimation. As the proposed method directly operates on the entire speech signal, it does not require to set the window length and thus, it is free from the problem of spectral leakage. Measuring the effectiveness of proposed F0 estimation algorithm w.r. t. three state-of-the-art methods, namely, Yet Another Algorithm for Pitch tracking (YAAPT), Speech Transformation and Representation using Adaptive Interpolation of weiGHT spectrum (STRAIGHT) and Pitch Detection Algorithm (PDA), is challenging in the absence of the ground truth. Since accurate estimation of Fo will impact the quality of converted voice in Voice Conversion (VC) task. Hence, we measure the effectiveness Fo estimation algorithm in the application of VC task. The quality and speaker similarity of the converted voice have been evaluated using two subjective measures, namely, Mean Opinion Scores (MOS) and ABX test, respectively.
Epidemiological and clinical features of respiratory viral infections in hospitalized children during the circulation of influenza virus A(H1N1) 2009

Please cite this paper as: Zuccotti et al. (2011) Epidemiological and clinical features of respiratory viral infections in hospitalized children during the circulation of influenza virus A(H1N1) 2009. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 5(6), e528–e534.
Seasonal Changes in Brain GnRH Immunoreactivity and Song-Control Nuclei Volumes in an Opportunistically Breeding Songbird

White-winged crossbills (Loxia leucoptera) are opportunistic breeders that can nest at almost any time of year if there is sufficient food. Other cardueline finches that have been shown to breed on a strictly seasonal schedule become absolutely refractory to the stimulatory effects of long-day photoperiod, dramatically down-regulate hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and reduce the volume of several song-control nuclei in autumn. This study examined whether changes in photoperiod modify the GnRH and song-control systems in white-winged crossbills. Adult male and female crossbills were captured and held on a naturally changing photoperiod. Brains of male and female birds were collected in May, October, and January. GnRH content was assessed by immunocytochemistry and the volumes of Nissl-defined song-control nuclei (HVc, Area X, and the robust nucleus of the archistriatum) were reconstructed. In contrast to other cardueline finches, GnRH immunoreactivity was relatively stable across the year, exhibiting only modest seasonal variation. The song control system, on the other hand, exhibited large seasonal changes as well as sex differences. Thus, crossbills appear to maintain hypothalamic GnRH content year round, perhaps to facilitate a rapid response to favorable breeding conditions, even on short days. However, song control nuclei are dramatically affected by photoperiod. Future work should examine these systems in crossbills breeding on short days to compare photoperiod-dependent and -independent effects on neural plasticity.
Inflation Dynamics in Latin America 1

We analyze inflation’s persistence in the 1980-2006 period for the ten largest Latin American economies using univariate time-series techniques. Although the estimated degree of inflation persistence appears to be different across countries, for the region as a whole the persistence seems to be very high. However, the estimated degree of persistence falls in all countries once we permit structural breaks in the mean of inflation. The timing of these breaks coincides with shifts in the monetary policy regimes and is similar across countries. Regardless of the changes in the mean, the degree of persistence appears to be decreasing in the region, even though for some countries persistence does not seem to be changing.
Efficacy and safety of tocilizumab with inhibition of interleukin-6 in adult-onset Still’s disease: A meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives: Tocilizumab (TCZ) is the only available biologics inhibiting interleukin-6 presently, and emerging evidences have figured that elevated serum level of interleukin-6 is a crucial link of the pathogenesis of adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD). However, evidence about the efficacy and safety of TCZ in AOSD with strong power is still scarce. Thus, this meta-analysis was conducted to synthetically assess the efficacy and safety of TCZ on AOSD. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Biological Medical Literature database were comprehensively searched up to 31 July 2017 for the pertinent studies. The pooled remission rates were synthesized by fixed effect model or randomized effects model, depended on heterogeneity. Results: Ten original studies contained 147 individuals were included in our analysis. The overall partial and complete remission rates were 85.38 (95% CI: 69.32–96.88%) and 77.91% (95% CI: 57.91–90.04%), respectively, and the remission rate of refractory patients was 87.92% (95% CI: 56.53–100.00%). Conclusion: The use of TCZ could significantly reduce the need of corticosteroids for AOSD patients. Impressive improvements were attained in both clinical and laboratory parameters. Compared with conventional therapy, TCZ treatment was safety. In conclusion, TCZ was effective and well tolerated for the treatment of AOSD.
Rule-based and word-level statistics-based processing of language: insights from neuroscience

ABSTRACT To flexibly convey meaning, the human language faculty iteratively combines smaller units such as words into larger structures such as phrases based on grammatical principles. During comprehension, however, it remains unclear how the brain encodes the relationship between words and combines them into phrases. One hypothesis is that internal grammatical principles governing language generation are also used to parse the hierarchical syntactic structure of spoken language. An alternative hypothesis suggests, in contrast, that decoding language during comprehension solely relies on statistical relationships between words or strings of words, that is, the N-gram statistics, and no hierarchical linguistic structures are constructed. Here, we briefly review distinctions between rule-based hierarchical models and statistics-based linear string models for comprehension. Recent neurolinguistic studies show that tracking of probabilistic relationships between words is not sufficient to explain cortical encoding of linguistic constituent structure and support the involvement of rule-based processing during language comprehension.
Improved TF-IDF weight method based on sentence similarity for spoken dialogue system

This study presents an improved TF-IDF weight method based on sentence similarity for spoken dialogue system to improve the accuracy of retrieval. When the structure database is insufficient to answer user's query, the system then turned to Google Big Data as a response source. The query which structure database cannot handle is processed syntactic analyzed through CKIP Parser. After determined the sentence category, the Head word as a keyword is taken according sentence categories. The reply statement is crawled back from Google Big Data, and output the reply statement through speech synthesis. The experimental result of information retrieval shows that the average accuracy rate of outside test is 84.66%.
Avoiding Accidents at the Champagne Reception

Using a lifting and balancing task, we contrasted two alternative views of planning joint actions: one postulating that joint action involves distinct predictions for self and other, the other postulating that joint action involves coordinated plans between the coactors and reuse of bimanual models. We compared compensatory movements required to keep a tray balanced when 2 participants lifted glasses from each other’s trays at the same time (simultaneous joint action) and when they took turns lifting (sequential joint action). Compared with sequential joint action, simultaneous joint action made it easier to keep the tray balanced. Thus, in keeping with the view that bimanual models are reused for joint action, predicting the timing of their own lifting action helped participants compensate for another person’s lifting action. These results raise the possibility that simultaneous joint actions do not necessarily require distinguishing between one’s own and the coactor’s contributions to the action plan and may afford an agent-neutral stance.
A Comparison of the Use of Clinical-Guideline–Recommended Antihypertensive Regimens in Mexican American, Non-Hispanic Black, and Non-Hispanic White Adults With Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension in the United States

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the use of clinical-guideline–recommended antihypertensive regimens among Mexican Americans (MAs) and non-Hispanic blacks and whites with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Methods A secondary data analysis based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2012 cohort data included 1857 noninstitutionalized civilian MA, black, and white adults with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Unadjusted and adjusted 2-way analysis of variance models evaluated whether there was a difference in the use of recommended antihypertensive regimens across race/ethnic group. Results There was no difference in the use of recommended regimens across race/ethnic group (MAs, 79.1%; blacks, 81.7%; whites, 82.3%). Similarly, there was no difference between blood pressure goal levels and the use of recommended therapies across race/ethnicity (P = .632). Mexican Americans were least likely and blacks most likely to be on 3 or more antihypertensive drug classes (16.8% vs 28%). Furthermore, MAs were least likely to be on recommended add-on therapies such as calcium channel blockers and diuretics. Conclusion Racial/ethnic medication use disparities were observed when looking at the number of antihypertensive drug classes per patient regimen, and add-on therapy use was evaluated. Along with lifestyle modifications, frequent antihypertensive regimen reassessment is necessary.
Superimposed Training for Channel Estimation in FBMC-OQAM

Wireless broadband communication systems are always requiring higher data rates. In order to achieve this goal, we should provide advanced schemes which are capable of improving the spectral efficiency and reusing, in a better way, the available radio spectrum resources. Filter Bank Multi-Carrier Offset Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (FBMC-OQAM) combined with Superimposed Training (ST) is a promising technique with a very high spectral efficiency. This improvement is due to the low out-of-band emissions of FBMC-OQAM, because it uses a well-designed prototype filter, and the lack of dedicated pilot tones owing to ST scheme. However, this combination is not straightforward due to the appearance of the self-interference at receiver side in FBMC-OQAM. In this paper, we provide a novel channel estimation which is capable of dealing with this self-interference in the context of combining these two techniques.
Fashion and Apparel Classification using Convolutional Neural Networks

We present an empirical study of applying deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to the task of fashion and apparel image classification to improve meta-data enrichment of e-commerce applications. Five different CNN architectures were analyzed using clean and pre-trained models. The models were evaluated in three different tasks person detection, product and gender classification, on two small and large scale datasets.
Intraglomerular gap junctions enhance interglomerular synchrony in a sparsely connected olfactory bulb network

Despite sparse connectivity, population‐level interactions between mitral cells (MCs) and granule cells (GCs) can generate synchronized oscillations in the rodent olfactory bulb. Intraglomerular gap junctions between MCs at the same glomerulus can greatly enhance synchronized activity of MCs at different glomeruli. The facilitating effect of intraglomerular gap junctions on interglomerular synchrony is through triggering of mutually synchronizing interactions between MCs and GCs. Divergent connections between MCs and GCs make minimal direct contribution to synchronous activity.
Granzyme B inhibits keratinocyte migration by disrupting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated signaling

Abstract Chronic non-healing wounds including diabetic, venous, and decubitus skin ulcers are currently lacking effective therapies. Non-healing diabetic ulcers can lead to amputations as progress into a highly chronic state before detection and existing treatments for these wounds often fail. Granzyme B (GzmB) is a serine protease that was, until recently, believed to function exclusively in cytotoxic lymphocyte-mediated apoptosis. However, during excessive or chronic inflammation, GzmB can accumulate in the extracellular milieu, retain its activity, and cleave a number of important extracellular proteins. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane receptor involved in cellular processes such as proliferation and migration. EGFR signaling is integral to the wound healing process. The present study investigated the effects of GzmB on keratinocyte cell migration using HaCaT cell line. Using electric cell-substrate impedance sensing and scratch assays, the present study demonstrates that GzmB inhibits keratinocyte migration by interfering with the EGFR pathway. GzmB limited cell transition into a migratory morphology and was found to reduce ligand-induced EGFR phosphorylation. Inhibition of GzmB reversed the aforementioned effects. In summary, data from the present study suggest key role for GzmB in the pathogenesis of impaired wound healing through the impairment of EGFR signaling and cell migration.
Digiart: Building new 3D cultural heritage worlds

The use of serious game (SG) for learning is now further extended in cultural heritage (CH). SGs simulate the real world through the application of 3D models that initiates interaction, imagination and trigger the immersion of the user. The design and development of three SGs that gamify three case studies of european CH are presented, in the context of Digiart European Union funded project. The first case study concerns the Scladina cave in Belgium. The second SG simulates an anthropology virtual museum for Liverpool John Moores University in United Kingdom. The third case study communicates with the public, the Palace of Aigai in Greece. Pioneering techniques have been used for generating accurate 3D models such as archaeological sites and artifacts. The embodiment of these assets into an interactive and fully immersive virtual environment of a game engine is the subject of this report.
Changes in oxidative stress severity and antioxidant potential during muscle atrophy and reloading in mice

[Purpose] Changes in oxidative stress severity and antioxidant potential are routinely used as oxidative stress markers. While several studies have reported the relationship between these markers and exercise, little is known about the dynamic nature of these markers during muscle atrophy and reloading. Therefore, we examined changes in oxidative stress severity and antioxidant potential during muscle atrophy and reloading. [Subjects and Methods] Muscle atrophy was induced in mice by casting the limb for 2 weeks. Mice were then subjected to reloading for 2 weeks. The severity of oxidative stress (hydroperoxide) and antioxidant potential (degree of reduction) were quantified. [Results] Muscle atrophy was induced by cast immobilization. The muscle mass of mice recovered to similar levels as the control group following 2 weeks of reloading. The degree of oxidative stress was within the normal range throughout the experimental period. The antioxidant potential decreased to the clinical borderline level 2 weeks after immobilization, further decreased after 1 day of reloading, and then recovered to within the normal range. [Conclusion] Performing d-ROMs and BAP tests may contribute to the understanding to atrophic process of skeletal muscle in clinical practice of physical therapy.
Multi-scale self-searching saliency detection combined with rectangular diffusion

According to the characteristics of human visual system, a multi-scale self-search saliency detection method combined with the rectangular diffusion is proposed. In this paper, we first measure saliency from foreground and background respectively and then fuse them. In foreground view, we rank superpixels on center point, inner layer rectangle, middle layer rectangle and outer layer rectangle in the image as seed nodes by manifold ranking, which is named rectangular diffusion, and then fuse them. Outer layer rectangle diffusion need to be corrected for it includes little saliency object. In background view, we first sort all the superpixels by their feature weight of CIELab color space, and then drop the least 60% superpixels, which is named self-searching, and last remove superpixels on middle layer rectangle to form background seed point, and then apply manifold ranking to generate saliency map from background view. In comparison experiments on datasets of MSRA-1000, CSSD, ECSSD, THUS-10000 and SED, our method performs well against the state-of-the-art methods. It gets highest precision-recall curve on five datasets, which fully shows its effectiveness.
Kir2 inward rectification–controlled precise and dynamic balances between Kir2 and HCN currents initiate pacemaking activity

Spontaneous rhythmic action potential or pacemaking activity of pacemaker cells controls rhythmic signaling such as heartbeat. The mechanism underlying the origin of pacemaking activity is not well understood. In this study, we created human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells that show pacemaking activity through heterologous expression of strong inward rectifier K+ subfamily 2 isoform 1 (Kir2.1) channels, hyperpolarization‐activated cyclic nucleotide‐gated isoform 2 (HCN2) nonselective cation channels, and voltage‐gated Na+ subfamily 1 isoform 5 or Ca2+ subfamily 3 isoform 1 (Nav1.5 or Cav3.1) channels. A range of relative levels of Kir2.1 and HCN2 currents dynamically counterbalance, generating spontaneous rhythmic oscillation of resting membrane potential between — 64 and —34 mV and determining oscillation rates. Each oscillation cycle begins with an autodepolarization phase, which slowly proceeds to the threshold potential that activates Nav1.5 or Ca.v3. 1 channels and triggers action potential, causing engineered HEK293 cells to exhibit pacemaking activity at a rate of ≤67 beats/min. Engineered HEK293 cells with Kir2.1 and either HCN3 or HCN4 also show the oscillation. Engineered HEK293 cells expressing HCN2 and other Kir2 channels, which lack Kir2.1‐like complete inward rectification, do not show the oscillation. Therefore, Kir2.1‐like inward rectification–controlled precise and dynamic balances between Kir2 and HCN currents initiate spontaneous rhythmic action potential and form an origin of pacemaking activity; Kir2 and HCN channels play essential roles in pacemaking activity. —Chen, K. , Zuo, D. , Wang, S. ‐Y. Chen, H. Kir2 inward rectification‐controlled precise and dynamic balances between Kir2 and HCN currents initiate pacemaking activity. FASEB J. 32, 3047–3057 (2018). www.fasebj. org
Understanding Jordanian Women’s Values and Beliefs Related to Breast Cancer: A Focused Ethnography

Purpose: To understand Jordanian women’s beliefs and values related to breast health and how these beliefs influence their decisions to receive breast cancer screening. Design: A focused ethnography method was used; 31 key informants were recruited from Ma’an city located in the southern part of Jordan. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. Data Analysis: Leininger’s four phases of qualitative data analysis. Findings: Three major themes were identified: (a) Feeling of embarrassment, fear, denial, and lack of knowledge are common experience among women regarding breast cancer screening; (b) Hesitancy on the part of health care professionals to offer education about breast health and screening; and (c) Willingness to learn about breast health and cancer screening. Conclusions: Based on the findings, it is recommended that nurses be trained about breast assessment and additional resources mobilized for mammography and health promotion programs targeting rural Jordan.