Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic Long-Term Vehicle Motion Prediction and Tracking in Large Environments

Vehicle position tracking and prediction over large areas is of significant importance in many industrial applications, such as mining operations. In a small area, this can easily be achieved by providing vehicles with a constant communication link to a control center and having the vehicles broadcast their position. The problem dramatically changes when vehicles operate within a large environment of potentially hundreds of square kilometers and in difficult terrain. This paper presents algorithms for long-term vehicle motion prediction and tracking based on a multiple-model approach. It incorporates a probabilistic vehicle model that includes the structure of the environment. The prediction algorithm evaluates the vehicle position using acceleration, speed, and timing profiles built for the particular environment and considers the probability that the vehicle will stop. A limited number of data collection points distributed around the field are used to update the vehicle position estimate when in communication range, and prediction is used at points in between. A particle filter is used to estimate the vehicle position using both positive and negative information (whether communication is possible) in the fusion stage. The algorithms presented are validated with experimental results using data collected from a large-scale mining operation.
Exploring the Relationship between Self-Regulated Vocabulary Learning and Web-Based Collaboration

Collaborative learning has placed an emphasis on co-constructing knowledge by sharing and negotiating meaning for problem-solving activities, and this cannot be accomplished without governing the self-regulatory processes of students. This study employed a Web-based tool, Google Docs, to determine the effects of Webbased collaboration on vocabulary improvements among learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). The work performed in this study represents a further step toward identifying the factors that influence self-regulated vocabulary strategy use and perceptions of Web-based collaboration (SRvsWBC). In total, 210 undergraduate students participated in this study and undertook the designed tasks, such as vocabulary pre-/posttests and a selfreport questionnaire survey of SRvsWBC. The findings of the study suggest that collaboration using a Webbased tool affects knowledge development, and provide insights into the integrated spectrum of self-regulation, L2/FL learning, and Web-based technology that will be useful for pedagogy.
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tubular epithelial cells in human renal biopsies.

BACKGROUND In recent studies performed on cultured cells and experimental nephropathies, it has been hypothesized that tubular epithelial cells (TEC), via epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), can become collagen-producing cells. According to this theory, they should proceed through several activating steps, such as proliferation and phenotype changes, to eventually synthesize extracellular matrix (ECM). METHODS To evaluate whether EMT operates in human TECs, 133 renal biopsies of different renal diseases were studied, analyzing by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization the possible expression of markers of proliferation (PCNA, Mib-1), cellular phenotype (vimentin, alpha-SMA, cytokeratin, ZO-1) and ECM production (prolyl 4-hydroxylase, HSP47, interstitial collagens). RESULTS Independently of histological diagnosis, variable degrees of TEC positivity for PCNA (2.7 +/- 2.4 cells/field) and Mib-1 (1.9 +/- 2.3) were present. TECs expressing vimentin (1.4 +/- 4.7) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA; 0.04 +/- 0.4) also were detected. It was possible to observe loss of epithelial antigens from 8 to 10% of the tubular cross sections. Moreover, TECs were stained by prolyl 4-hydroxylase (3.6 +/- 4.3), heat shock protein-47 (HSP47; 2.9 +/- 5.4), collagen type I (0.2 +/- 2.7) and type III (0.3 +/- 2.0). Collagen types I and III mRNAs were found in 0.8 to 1.4 cells/field. The number of TEC with EMT features were associated with serum creatinine and the degree of interstitial damage (P< or = 0.03), and even considering the 45 cases with mild interstitial lesions, the tubular expression of all markers remained strictly associated with renal function (P< or = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that, via transition to a mesenchymal phenotype, TEC can produce ECM proteins in human disease and directly intervene in the fibrotic processes. Moreover, the association of EMT features with serum creatinine supports the value of these markers in the assessment of disease severity.
Inflammatory Versus Proliferative Processes in Epidermis

Epidermal keratinocytes respond to injury by becoming activated, i.e. hyperproliferative, migratory, and proinflammatory. These processes are regulated by growth factors and cytokines. One of the markers of activated keratinocytes is keratin K6. We used a novel organ culture system to show that tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) induces the expression of K6 protein and mRNA in human skin. Multiple isoforms of K6 are encoded by distinct genes and have distinct patterns of expression. By having shown previously that proliferative signals, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), induce expression of the cytoskeletal protein keratin K6b, we here demonstrate that the same isoform, K6b, is also induced by TNFα, a proinflammatory cytokine. Specifically, TNFα induces the transcription of the K6b gene promoter. By using co-transfection, specific inhibitors, and antisense oligonucleotides, we have identified NFκB and C/EBPβ as the transcription factors that convey the TNFα signal. Both transcription factors are necessary for the induction of K6b by TNFα and act as a complex, although only C/EBPβ binds the K6b promoter DNA. By using transfection, site-directed mutagenesis, and footprinting, we have mapped the site that responds to TNFα, NFκB, and C/EBPβ. This site is separate from the one responsive to EGF and AP1. Our results show that the proinflammatory (TNFα) and the proliferative (EGF) signals in epidermis separately and independently regulate the expression of the same K6b keratin isoform. Thus, the cytoskeletal responses in epidermal cells can be precisely tuned by separate proliferative and inflammatory signals to fit the nature of the injuries that caused them.
Effects of longitudinal body position and swimming speed on mechanical power of deep red muscle from skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis).

The mechanical power output of deep, red muscle from skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) was studied to investigate (i) whether this muscle generates maximum power during cruise swimming, (ii) how the differences in strain experienced by red muscle at different axial body locations affect its performance and (iii) how swimming speed affects muscle work and power output. Red muscle was isolated from approximately mid-way through the deep wedge that lies next to the backbone; anterior (0.44 fork lengths, ANT) and posterior (0.70 fork lengths, POST) samples were studied. Work and power were measured at 25 degrees C using the work loop technique. Stimulus phases and durations and muscle strains (+/- 5.5 % in ANT and +/- 8 % in POST locations) experienced during cruise swimming at different speeds were obtained from previous studies and used during work loop recordings. In addition, stimulus conditions that maximized work were determined. The stimulus durations and phases yielding maximum work decreased with increasing cycle frequency (analogous to tail-beat frequency), were the same at both axial locations and were almost identical to those used by the fish during swimming, indicating that the muscle produces near-maximal work under most conditions in swimming fish. While muscle in the posterior region undergoes larger strain and thus produces more mass-specific power than muscle in the anterior region, when the longitudinal distribution of red muscle mass is considered, the anterior muscles appear to contribute approximately 40% more total power. Mechanical work per length cycle was maximal at a cycle frequency of 2-3 Hz, dropping to near zero at 15 Hz and by 20-50% at 1 Hz. Mechanical power was maximal at a cycle frequency of 5 Hz, dropping to near zero at 15 Hz. These fish typically cruise with tail-beat frequencies of 2.8-5.2 Hz, frequencies at which power from cyclic contractions of deep red muscles was 75-100% maximal. At any given frequency over this range, power using stimulation conditions recorded from swimming fish averaged 93.4 +/- 1.65% at ANT locations and 88.6 +/- 2.08% at POST locations (means +/- S.E.M., N=3-6) of the maximum using optimized conditions. When cycle frequency was held constant (4 Hz) and strain amplitude was increased, work and power increased similarly in muscles from both sample sites; work and power increased 2.5-fold when strain was elevated from +/- 2 to +/- 5.5%, but increased by only approximately 12% when strain was raised further from +/- 5.5 to +/- 8%. Taken together, these data suggest that red muscle fibres along the entire body are used in a similar fashion to produce near-maximal mechanical power for propulsion during normal cruise swimming. Modelling suggests that the tail-beat frequency at which power is maximal (5 Hz) is very close to that used at the predicted maximum aerobic swimming speed (5.8 Hz) in these fish.
REM Sleep and EEG Abnormalities in Criminal Psychopaths

Hare's (1970) REM deficit theory in psychopathy was investigated. The repeated finding of EEG slowing in waking psychopaths has been interpreted as reflecting cortical immaturity, cortical underarousal, and an intense need for sensory stimulation of psychopaths. REM sleep has been implicated in cortical maturation during development and in daily cortical maintenance. Hare postulated a possible REM deficit in psychopaths to account for their apparent cortical abnormalities. Three groups of incarcerated criminals were investigated: psychopaths with normal waking EEGs (n = 8), psychopaths with abnormal EEGs (n = 9), and nonpsychopaths with normal EEGs (n = 6). The sleep stages of each inmate were recorded for one baseline and two experimental nights. No significant differences were found in the sleep patterns of these groups using stepwise, multiple discriminant analysis. The psychopaths with abnormal EEGs tended to have the highest REM time and REM% of the inmates, contrary to Hare's theory.
Helping Women Recover : Creating Gender-Responsive Treatment

In the last two decades, clinicians and researchers have developed a solid body of knowledge in best practices for the treatment of addicted women. Research indicates that clinical services for addiction treatment that address women's specific issues are more effective for women than are traditional programs, originally designed for men (Abbott & Kerr, 1995; Carten, 1996; Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1994; Covington, 1998a; Finklestein, 1993). However, many of the services that women encounter in the public and private sectors are not designed for women. In addition, they often lack cohesion and consistency because they are constructed from a variety of resources that are not consistent in their theoretical bases.
PET: a standalone tool for assessing machine translation through post-editing

Machine translation (MT) post-editing is now a popular practice in the translation industry. It has been shown to allow translations to be produced at lower cost without a decrease in quality. The post-editing of automatic translations can provide useful information for MT researchers and developers to evaluate translations and systems. We describe a standalone tool that has two main purposes: allow the post-editing of translations from any MT system and collect sub-segment and segment level information from the post-editing process, e.g., detailed keystroke and time statistics
Evolutionary Refinement of Trading Algorithms for Dividend Stocks

This paper describes a Stock Strategist application which can mine, test, validate and refine complex equity trading strategies based on historical financial data. We address the capabilities and operation of the program and detail the currently implemented strategy to trade stocks that pay high dividend yields. Additionally we will present preliminary results which show the ability of the system to automatically refine a specific trading strategy using genetic algorithms. The methodology of the test will be discussed and the results of two variant genetic algorithm approaches will be compared and contrasted.
Planning for Early Emergence in Neurosurgical Patients: A Randomized Prospective Trial of Low-Dose Anesthetics

BACKGROUND: For early detection of a cerebral complication, rapid awakening from anesthesia is essential after craniotomy. Systemic hypertension is a major drawback associated with fast tracking, which may predispose to formation of intracranial hematoma. Although various drugs have been widely evaluated, there are limited data with regards to use of anesthetics to blunt emergence hypertension. We hypothesized that use of low-dose anesthetics during craniotomy closure facilitates early emergence with a decrease in hemodynamic consequences. METHODS: Three emergent techniques were evaluated in 150 normotensive adult patients operated for supratentorial tumors under standard isoflurane anesthesia. At the time of dural closure, the patients were randomized to receive low-dose propofol (3 mg · kg−1 · h−1), fentanyl (1.5 &mgr;g · kg−1 · h−1) or isoflurane (end-tidal concentration of 0.2%) until the beginning of skin closure. Nitrous oxide was discontinued after head dressing. RESULTS: Median time to emergence was 6 min with propofol, 4 min with fentanyl, and 5 min with isoflurane (P = 0.008). More patients had hypertension in the pre-extubation compared with extubation or postextubation phase (P = 0.009). Comparing the three groups, fewer patients required esmolol with fentanyl use overall, and in the pre-extubation phase (P = 0.01). Significant midline shift in the preoperative cerebral imaging scans was found to be an independent risk factor for emergence hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Pain during surgical closure may be an important cause of sympathetic stimulation leading to emergence hypertension. The use of low-doses of fentanyl during craniotomy closure is more advantageous than propofol or isoflurane for early emergence in neurosurgical patients and is the most effective technique for preventing early postoperative hypertension.
Water dynamics in the hydration layer around proteins and micelles.

This review deals with dynamics of water molecules in the hydration layer that surrounds self-assemblies and proteins in aqueous solutions. This topic has not only seen a vigorous upsurge of interest in the past decade but also has been a subject of investigation for almost half a century now. The basic motivation behind such studies is that they provide valuable information regarding the structure and dynamics of hydration layers and also about the dynamics of self-assemblies and biomolecules themselves. Perhaps the perception about this problem was aptly voiced by Robinson et al. a few years ago when they observed that this "is the most important problem in science that hardly anyone wants to see solved. While one may certainly argue over the superlative used and the skepticism voiced, the need for a better understanding of this important problem was apparent. Fortunately, considerable progress has been made in recent years by the combination of a host of experimental, theoretical, and computer simulation techniques. We aim to review a part of this progress. Because the existing literature is huge, my review may not be exhaustive but I hope to address at least some of the key issues.
Hepatic resection after rescue cetuximab treatment for colorectal liver metastases previously refractory to conventional systemic therapy.

PURPOSE In patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CLM) resistant to first-line chemotherapy, the impact of cetuximab therapy on resectability is unknown. This study was performed to determine the post-cetuximab resectability rate and to examine postoperative outcomes for these heavily pretreated patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS From February 2004 to April 2006, we evaluated 151 patients with unresectable CLM resistant to initial chemotherapy and subsequently treated with systemic cetuximab. Resectability rates, patient outcomes, and tumoral and nontumoral liver pathology were assessed. RESULTS A total of 27 patients underwent surgery after a median of six cycles of cetuximab + irinotecan (20 of 27), oxaliplatin (four of 27), or both (one of 27). Eighteen patients (67%) had experienced treatment failure after at least two lines of chemotherapy before cetuximab. Twenty-five of the 27 patients who had surgery underwent hepatectomy: nine of 133 patients who were treated completely at our institution (resectability rate, 7%) and 16 of 18 patients who were referred from other institutions after systemic cetuximab therapy. Postoperative mortality was 3.7% (one of 27), with a complication rate of 50%. Histopathologic liver abnormalities were found in nine patients (36%), without specific lesions attributable to cetuximab. After median follow-up of 16 months, 23 of 25 patients who underwent resection (92%) were alive, and 10 patients (40%) were disease free. Median overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) from initiation of cetuximab therapy were 20 and 13 months, respectively. CONCLUSION For CLM refractory to conventional chemotherapy, combination therapy with cetuximab increases resectability rates without increasing operative mortality or liver injury. The median OS and PFS of 20 and 13 months, respectively, suggest that this novel oncosurgical strategy benefits patients with previously refractory disease who respond subsequently to cetuximab.
Fractal Geometry: Mathematical Foundations and Applications

Part I Foundations: mathematical background Hausdorff measure and dimension alternative definitions of dimension techniques for calculating dimensions local structure of fractals projections of fractals products of fractals intersections of fractals. Part II Applications and examples: fractals defined by transformations examples from number theory graphs of functions examples from pure mathematics dynamical systems iteration of complex functions-Julia sets random fractals Brownian motion and Brownian surfaces multifractal measures physical applications.
The Mitsubishi MelfaRxm middleware and application: A case study of RV-2AJ robot

The main goal of this paper is reviewing the MelfaRxm middleware that was provided by Mitsubishi for their robot series. MelfaRxm provides the communication abstraction for software control development. Based on Windows platform and high level language, it can produce the real-time and offline programming for control robot. This middleware also supports for developing control multiple robots in one time. Furthermore, the experiment of the robot system has been developed to verify the functional of the middleware. It contains two sections of the interface. First is the control robot interface which presents the function at the robot control unit. Second is the operational interface which presents the manipulator control. Mitsubishi RV-2AJ robot has been chosen as a study case. Finally future work and conclusion will be elaborated.
Deletion of the cyclic di‐AMP phosphodiesterase gene (cnpB) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis leads to reduced virulence in a mouse model of infection

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The pathogenesis by the causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is still not fully understood. We have previously reported that M. tuberculosis Rv3586 (disA) encodes a diadenylate cyclase, which converts ATP to cyclic di‐AMP (c‐di‐AMP). In this study, we demonstrated that a protein encoded by Rv2837c (cnpB) possesses c‐di‐AMP phosphodiesterase activity and cleaves c‐di‐AMP exclusively to AMP. Our results showed that in M. tuberculosis, deletion of disA abolished bacterial c‐di‐AMP production, whereas deletion of cnpB significantly enhanced the bacterial c‐di‐AMP accumulation and secretion. The c‐di‐AMP levels in both mutants could be corrected by expressing the respective gene. We also found that macrophages infected with ΔcnpB secreted much higher levels of IFN‐β than those infected with the wild type (WT) or the complemented mutant. Interestingly, mice infected with M. tuberculosis ΔcnpB displayed significantly reduced inflammation, less bacterial burden in the lungs and spleens, and extended survival compared with those infected with the WT or the complemented mutant. These results indicate that deletion of cnpB results in attenuated virulence, which is correlated with elevated c‐di‐AMP levels.
Responses of microbial decomposers to drought in streams may depend on the environmental context

A consequence of drought in streams is the emersion of decomposing leaf litter, which may alter organic matter recycling. We assessed the effects of emersion on decomposition of black poplar leaves and associated microbes (microbial biomass, extracellular enzyme activities and microbial diversity) in two streams with distinct characteristics, in particular nutrients, temperature and oxygen levels. Leaf decomposition rates, fungal biomass and extracellular enzyme activities were lower in the most impacted stream (high nutrients and temperature, low oxygen). Also, the structure of fungal and bacterial communities differed between streams. Emersion strongly affected all microbial functional measures. Leaf decomposition, fungal biomass and extracellular enzyme activities were more sensitive at the most pristine site, while fungal reproduction and bacterial biomass production were more affected by emersion at the most impacted stream. Microbial community structure was strongly altered after emersion. Although similar effects on leaf-associated microbes were found in both streams, functional responses to emersion differed probably as a consequence of different initial microbial communities with different sensitivity to the drying stress. Our study highlights the need of understanding the effects of drought in streams suffering from different environmental perturbations, since responses to emersion appear to depend on the environmental context.
Method towards a scenario-Based planning of technology exploitation

In today's business environment, market turbulences, changing resources or maturing technologies can dramatically influence technology exploitation. Nevertheless, current methods supporting exploitation decisions focus on static considerations neglecting the influence of environmental discontinuity. Because of complexity and risk embedded in exploitation decisions, technology-oriented companies furthermore rarely think of externally commercializing their technologies. So do companies frequently ignore the benefits of systematically exploiting technologies over their whole lifecycle. In the paper we introduce a scenario-based method for the exploitation of technologies considering the whole technology lifecycle. The method offers the opportunity to evaluate different combinations of technology exploitation options (such as licensing, joint venture etc.). Thereby, the description of environmental factors influencing commercialization strategies over time is a key element. Emphasize is put on the integration of dynamics and the multitude of expected interactions between the variables. Thus, the various expected interactions between influential variables of the exploiting entity, the market and the external environment on the benefit of different commercialization strategies are taken into account using Scenario Technique and a System Dynamics approach. The presented method of this on-going research can assist companies in determining the pathway to commercialize technologies in order to maximize the benefit over the complete lifetime.