Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cooperative Localization and Mapping

Practical realization of autonomous multi-vehicle control in feature rich GPS-denied areas requires that agents possess the capability to generate and share maps with details adequate for successful operation in complex environments. In addition, coordination of behaviors among robotic vehicles in a swarm is greatly enhanced by exploitation of information acquired by all members of the group. The representation of, and mechanism for this information exchange and the control algorithms that utilize this information are the key components of autonomous multi-vehicle control. The use of stigmergic potential fields (SPF) and distributed control algorithms to realize adaptive, cooperative behaviors within the context of feature-rich GPS-denied environments is the focus of this paper. Specifically, the described control algorithms have been combined with the leading simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) approaches to yield robust multi-robot behaviors including exploration and mapping
Quantitative evaluation of margin sharpness of pulmonary nodules in lung CT images

Pulmonary nodules are the potential manifestation of lung cancer. Margin sharpness of a nodule is an important imaging characteristic for estimation of its malignancy. Quantitative evaluation of margin sharpness could be helpful in the development of content-based image retrieval system of pulmonary nodules and computer-aided diagnosis system for lung cancer. In this article, margin sharpness of a nodule is represented using the combination of histogram spread of averaged gradient and acutance of nodule. The novelty of the proposed method lies in the parsimony of model representing the margin sharpness. The most recent technique on the computation of margin sharpness of pulmonary nodules considers a representative slice of the nodule and it depends on manual segmentation of nodules by a trained radiologist. The authors have automated the most recent technique for comparative study. The reproducibility of the proposed technique is evaluated on reference image database to evaluate response (RIDER) coffee break data set. The performance of the proposed and competing techniques across modalities are evaluated in terms of precision, mean similarity and normalised discounted cumulative gain on 891 nodules of LIDC/IDRI public database. The proposed method outperforms the competing techniques.
hnRNPs Relocalize to the Cytoplasm following Infection with Vesicular Stomatitis Virus

ABSTRACT Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) matrix protein inhibits nuclear-cytoplasmic mRNA transport. The goal of this work is to determine whether VSV inhibits the nuclear-cytoplasmic transport of heterogeneous ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs), which are thought to serve as mRNA export factors. Confocal microscopy experiments showed that hnRNPA1, hnRNPK, and hnRNPC1/C2, but not hnRNPB1 or lamin A/C, are relocalized to the cytoplasm during VSV infection. We determined whether protein import is inhibited by VSV by transfecting cells with a plasmid encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) tagged with either the M9 nuclear localization sequence (NLS) or the classical NLS. These experiments revealed that both the M9 NLS and the classical NLS are functional during VSV infection. These data suggest that the inhibition of protein import is not responsible for hnRNP relocalization during VSV infection but that hnRNP export is enhanced. We found that hnRNPA1 relocalization was significantly reduced following the silencing of the mRNA export factor Rae1, indicating that Rae1 is necessary for hnRNP export. In order to determine the role of hnRNPA1 in VSV infection, we silenced hnRNPA1 in HeLa cells and assayed three aspects of the viral life cycle: host protein synthesis shutoff concurrent with the onset of viral protein synthesis, replication by plaque assay, and cell killing. We observed that host shutoff and replication are unaffected by the reduction in hnRNPA1 but that the rate of VSV-induced apoptosis is slower in cells that have reduced hnRNPA1. These data suggest that VSV promotes hnRNPA1 relocalization in a Rae1-dependent manner for apoptotic signaling.
A GENERALIZED, VARIOGRAM-BASED FRAMEWORK FOR MULTI-SCALE ORDINATION

Multi-scale ordination (MSO) deals with potential scale dependence in spe- cies assemblages by studying how results from multivariate ordination may be different at different spatial scales. MSO methods were initially based on two-term local covariances between species and, therefore, required sampling designs composed of adjacent quadrats. A variogram-based MSO, recently introduced by H. H. Wagner, is applicable to very diverse sampling designs and for use with principal-components analysis, correspondence analysis, and derived ''two-table'' (also called ''direct'') ordination methods, i.e., redundancy anal- ysis and canonical correspondence analysis. In this paper we put forward an enlarged framework for variogram-based MSO that relies on a generalized definition of inter-species covariance and on matrix expression of spatial contiguity between sampling units. This enables us to provide distance-explicit decompositions of variances and covariances (in their generalized meaning) that are con- sistent with many ordination methods in both their single- and two-table versions. A spatially explicit apportioning of diversity indices is proposed for some particular definitions of variance. Referring to two-table ordination methods allowed the multi-scale study of re- sidual spatial patterns after factoring out available environmental variables. Some aspects of the approach are briefly illustrated with vegetation data from a Neotropical rain forest in French Guiana.
Maternal Filicide in Hong Kong, 1971–85

A retrospective study of all mothers charged with killing or attempted killing of their biological children during the period 1971 to May 1985 in Hong Kong was carried out. Adopting d'Orban's (1979) classification of maternal filicides into battering, mentally ill, neonaticide, unwanted child, retaliating and mercy-killing groups, a detailed analysis of offenders, victims, offences and legal dispositions was performed. Marked similarities and little differences are noted when our findings are compared with those of Western researchers. The commonest age group of mothers was 25–29 years. Most mothers were married. Mentally-ill mothers constituted the largest group and they were beset by social and marital problems. The next most common group were battering mothers who had similar violent family backgrounds and a multitude of other social stresses, as did battering mothers in the West. The most dangerous period for the victims appeared to be during the first six months. Methods of assault were similar to those found in the West but throwing the victim out of a high-rise building was also a common method here. Courts were generally lenient towards offenders, as in the West.
Effects of Injury on the Indoleamines in Cerebral Cortex

Abstract: : It was shown previously that focal cortical freezing lesions in rats cause widespread depression of local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) in cortical areas of the lesioned hemisphere. This was interpreted as reflecting functional depression. The underlying mechanisms were postulated to involve alterations of bioorganic amine systems. Accordingly, levels of serotonin (5‐HT), its metabolite 5‐hydroxyin‐dole acetic acid (5‐HIAA), and its precursor tryptophan were determined by an HPLC method with electrochemical detection in frontoparietal cortical areas of both hemispheres at 4 h and 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10 days after a unilateral cortical freezing lesion. The 5‐HT content was significantly lower than normal in the lesioned hemisphere only at 24 h, whereas the 5‐HIAA level peaked at 24 h but was significantly elevated above normal values between 4 h and 6 days after lesioning. No changes were noted in 5‐HT and 5‐HIAA contents in the hemisphere contralateral to the lesion. These results indicate that cortical 5‐HT metabolism is increased throughout the lesioned hemisphere of a focally injured brain. The increase in tryptophan content of the lesioned brain appeared to have a time course more closely related to previously demonstrated changes in cortical LCGU than to the increase in 5‐HIAA content.
Chemical Labels Metabolically Installed Into the Glycoconjugates of the Target Cell Surface Can Be Used to Track Lymphocyte/Target Cell Interplay via Trogocytosis: Comparisons with Lipophilic Dyes and Biotin

Trogocytosis, the process whereby lymphocytes capture membrane components from the cells they interact with, is classically evidenced by the transfer of fluorescent lipophilic compounds or biotinylated proteins from target cells to T or B cells. A particular class of molecules, not studied explicitly so far in the context of trogocytosis is glycoconjugates. Here, we used a method to metabolically install chemical labels in target cell glycoconjugates. Working with those target cells, we describe the conditions allowing CTL to be detected based on glycoconjugate trogocytosis triggered by antigen or stimulatory antibodies. Accordingly, we used this method to monitor the CTL response triggered in mice after vaccination. In addition, we documented the applicability of this approach to the detection of CD4+ T and B cells. Overall, glycoconjugates were transferred between target cells and lymphocytes during trogocytosis with efficiencies comparable or higher than measured for biotinylated proteins or lipophilic dyes incorporated into general membrane lipids. From a technological point of view, our approach can be employed to detect reactive lymphocytes via glycoconjugate trogocytosis. More generally, we believe that the ever-growing ability to employ chemistry in living systems to label particular compounds will be powerful in unraveling the contributions of glycosylation to various aspects of T and B cells biology.
Relative contribution of insulin secretion and sensitivity at different stages of glucose tolerance: non-obese versus obese Japanese subjects.

OBJECTIVE We examined the relative contribution of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity at different stages of glucose tolerance in non-obese and obese Japanese subjects. METHODS A total of 641 subjects who underwent 75-g glucose tolerance testing were divided into two groups: 436 non-obese subjects (body mass index: BMI <25) and 205 obese subjects (BMI ≥25). The subjects were further divided into four groups: those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and diabetes. We compared insulin secretion and sensitivity indices, such as the insulinogenic index (IGI), homeostatic model insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), homeostatic model assessment of β-cell (HOMA-β) and insulin sensitivity index (ISI). RESULTS In a univariate analysis, the obese subjects had higher levels of HOMA-IR, HOMA-β and IGI associated with lower ISI values in comparison with that observed in the non-obese subjects at different stages of glucose tolerance. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the HOMA-IR was a significant independent factor between the non-obese and obese subjects; the odds ratio (OR) (95% confidential interval: CI) was 3.78 (2.04-7.01; p<0.01) in the NGT group, 4.91 (2.06-11.72; p<0.01) in the IGT group and 2.02 (1.22-3.34; p<0.01) in the diabetes group. Although a similar trend was also observed in the IFG group (OR=15.83), the difference did not reach a level of statistical significance (p=0.066). CONCLUSION These data suggest that obese subjects are characterized by increased insulin resistance rather than reduced insulin secretion at all stages of glucose tolerance. Therefore, non-obese subjects and obese subjects are distinct entities at all stages of glucose tolerance.
New approaches in genome analysis by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis: application to the analysis of Pseudomonas species

Summary A general method for the evaluation of macrorestriction fragment patterns is presented and its applicability to the taxonomy of bacteria is demonstrated for 32 Pseudomonas species. Strains were differentiated at the species and subspecies level by genome size and macrorestriction fragment fingerprints of the chromosome that had been separated on pulsed‐field gels. The relatedness of bacteria was ascertained from the similarity of Asnl, Dral, Spel, Sspl or Xbal fragment patterns. In general, the dendrograms calculated from the genome fingerprints corresponded with the phylogenetic classification obtained from phenotypic marker or nucleic acid hybridization analysis, but several exceptions were noted. The techniques and algorithms presented herein are generally applicable to the genome analysis of bacteria, lower eukaryotes, and DNA fragments cloned in yeast artificial chromosomes.
Thumb Metacarpophalangeal Joint Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair With Condylar Shaving

Introduction Injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) are relatively common and are best treated in the acute setting. The acute version of this injury can often be repaired primarily but in the chronic setting the ligamentous remnants are often retracted making this method of repair difficult. We present a novel alternative approach for UCL repair after chronic injuries or difficult acute injuries. Methods We describe the procedure and postoperative results. A standard S-shaped incision over the dorsal ulnar aspect of the thumb is used. The adductor aponeurosis is identified and separated from the joint capsule. A proximally based and distally based rectangular flap containing the UCL remnants is elevated exposing the metacarpophalangeal joint. A burr is used to shave the condyles on the ulnar aspect of the metacarpal and proximal phalanx. The joint is stabilized with a Kirschner wire. A suture anchor is used to secure the proximally based flap. The distal flap is secured on top of this using the same sutures from the anchor. The repaired ligament is secured to the volar plate on the palmar aspect using a 4-0 Ethibond. Results This surgical technique has been used extensively by the senior authors; we present a representative case. At 3 months the patient had a grip strength of 85 lbs, tripod pinch of 12 lbs, lateral pinch of 5 lbs, 2-point pinch of 6 lbs, active range of motion at metacarpophalangeal joint of 0 to 70 and passive range of motion at the metacarpophalangeal joint MP of 0 to 85. Conclusion Despite a number of options for ligament reconstruction many of the described methods of repair are relatively complex and involve derangement of local tissues. We offer a novel adjunct to current methods of UCL reconstruction in which condylar shaving makes repair much more simple and avoids the use of a tendon graft. This approach provides a shorter course for the retracted UCL remnants allowing primary repair in the chronic setting and in the difficult acute repair.
Experience With an Anesthesiologist Interventional Model for Endoscopy in a Pediatric Hospital

Background Endoscopy is now a routine part of the work-up for many patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. Adults tolerate these procedures well, with either no sedation or a relatively light level. In contrast, children often require deep sedation or a general anesthetic to successfully perform these procedures. Therefore, pediatric endoscopies may require more time, personnel, and monitoring equipment to provide optimal conditions for the patient. The goals of this retrospective case series were to describe the anesthesia times and recovery duration of the different procedures, the types and amounts of medications commonly used, and the types and rates of complications experienced. Methods Patients (2,306) who underwent endoscopy in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital endoscopy suite during a 4-year period were identified. A random sample of 720 charts was reviewed retrospectively. Results Patients ranged in age from younger than 1 year to 29 years. Patients most often had abdominal pain or multiple gastrointestinal symptoms. Sixty-eight percent of patients underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopies; 30% colonoscopy or a combination of the two. Ninety-five percent of patients received a propofol-based anesthetic. Midazolam, fentanyl, and alfentanil were frequently used as supplemental agents. Complications occurred infrequently and were airway related. All complications were easily treated, with no adverse sequelae. Conclusions This model of anesthesiologist-provided sedation/anesthesia for gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures has been extremely successful in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and has served to heighten awareness of many issues surrounding sedation and anesthesia outside of the operating room, while ensuring a high level of care is provided.
Education and Alzheimer disease without dementia

Background: Individuals with no cognitive impairment during life but with neuropathologic Alzheimer disease (AD) may represent cases of presymptomatic, or unrecognized early symptomatic, AD. The cognitive reserve hypothesis suggests that at a particular level of AD pathology, highly educated individuals are less likely to manifest clinical symptoms of dementia vs less-educated individuals. Objective: To investigate whether education can help explain a clinical diagnosis of no dementia within 1 year of death among individuals with neuropathologic diagnoses of AD. Methods: Samples of participants (age 65+ years at last clinical assessment) meeting each of three neuropathologic criteria for AD were constructed using data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Minimum and Neuropathology Data Sets. Generalized linear mixed models (using the logit link function) were used in each sample to examine whether years of education was associated with dementia within 1 year of death, adjusting for other relevant variables. Results: Twelve percent of individuals meeting Khachaturian (122/1,009), 19% meeting low, intermediate, or high likelihood for National Institute on Aging/Reagan Institute (320/1,704), and 14% meeting possible, probable, or definite Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (265/1,835) neuropathologic criteria for AD were nondemented at their final clinical assessment. Persons with more education were less likely to have a dementia diagnosis in each sample. Conclusions: Regardless of the neuropathologic criteria used, education is predictive of dementia status among individuals with neuropathologic Alzheimer disease. These results support the theory that individuals with greater cognitive reserve, as reflected in years of education, are better able to cope with AD brain pathology without observable deficits in cognition.
Inhibition properties of propolis extracts to some clinically important enzymes

Abstract The present study was conducted to envisage inhibition effects of propolis on the crucial enzymes, urease, xanthine oxidase (XO) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Some of the antioxidant properties of the propolis samples were determined using the total phenolic content (TPE) and total flavonoids in the eight different ethanolic propolis extracts (EPE) samples. Inhibition values of the enzymes were expressed as inhibition concentration (IC50; mg/mL or μg/mL) causing 50% inhibition of the enzymes with donepezil, acetohydroxamic acid and allopurinol as reference inhibitors. All the propolis extracts exhibited variable inhibition effects on these enzymes, but the higher the phenolic contents the lower the inhibitions values (IC50 = 0.074 to 1.560 mg/mL). IC50 values of the P5 propolis sample having the highest TPE, obtained from Zonguldak, for AChE, urease and XO were 0.081 ± 0.009, 0.080 ± 0.006 and 0.074 ± 0.011 μg/mL, respectively. The EPE proved to be a good source of inhibitor agents that can be used as natural inhibitors to serve human health.
Random-anisotropy model: Monotonic dependence of the coercive field on D/J.

We present the results of a numerical study of the zero-temperature remanence and coercivity for the random anisotropy model (RAM), showing that, contrary to early calculations for this model, the coercive field increases monotonically with increases in the strength D of the random anisotropy relative to the strength J at the exchange field. Local-field adjustments with and without spin flips are considered. Convergence is difficult to obtain for small values of the anisotropy, suggesting that this is the likely source of the nonmonotonic behavior found in earlier studies. For both large and small anisotropy, each spin undergoes about one flip per hysteresis cycle, and about half of the spin flips occur in the vicinity of the coercive field. When only non-spin-flip adjustments are considered, at large anisotropy the coercivity is proportional to the anisotropy. At small anisotropy, the rate of convergence is comparable to that when spin flips are included.
Experimental signature and physical mechanisms of substrate enhanced gate current in MOS devices

This paper examines in detail the phenomenon of Substrate Enhanced Electron Injection (SEEI). By using floating gate devices less aggressively scaled than the MOSFETs of Bude (1995) we are able to: (1) develop criteria to separate SEEI from the coexisting channel hot electron (CHE) injection; (2) point out a direct proportionality between the gate (I/sub G/) and the substrate (I/sub B/) currents that provides a signature of SEEI; (3) reconcile SEEI with reported mechanisms of optical minority carrier generation in the substrate.
A Functional Role of HLA-G Expression in Human Gliomas: An Alternative Strategy of Immune Escape1

HLA-G is a nonclassical MHC molecule with highly limited tissue distribution that has been attributed chiefly immune regulatory functions. Glioblastoma is paradigmatic for the capability of human cancers to paralyze the immune system. To delineate the potential role of HLA-G in glioblastoma immunobiology, expression patterns and functional relevance of this MHC class Ib molecule were investigated in glioma cells and brain tissues. HLA-G mRNA expression was detected in six of 12 glioma cell lines in the absence of IFN-γ and in 10 of 12 cell lines in the presence of IFN-γ. HLA-G protein was detected in four of 12 cell lines in the absence of IFN-γ and in eight of 12 cell lines in the presence of IFN-γ. Immunohistochemical analysis of human brain tumors revealed expression of HLA-G in four of five tissue samples. Functional studies on the role of HLA-G in glioma cells were conducted with alloreactive PBMCs, NK cells, and T cell subpopulations. Expression of membrane-bound HLA-G1 and soluble HLA-G5 inhibited alloreactive and Ag-specific immune responses. Gene transfer of HLA-G1 or HLA-G5 into HLA-G-negative glioma cells (U87MG) rendered cells highly resistant to direct alloreactive lysis, inhibited the alloproliferative response, and prevented efficient priming of cytotoxic T cells. The inhibitory effects of HLA-G were directed against CD8 and CD4 T cells, but appeared to be NK cell independent. Interestingly, few HLA-G-positive cells within a population of HLA-G-negative tumor cells exerted significant immune inhibitory effects. We conclude that the aberrant expression of HLA-G may contribute to immune escape in human glioblastoma.
Adaptive Backstepping Control of a Class of Unknown Backlash-like Hysteresis Nonlinear Systems

This note presents a backstepping adaptive controller design schemes for a class of uncertain nonlinear single-input-single-output system preceded by unknown backlash-like hysteresis nonlinearities, where the hysteresis is modeled by a differential equation, in the presence of bounded external disturbances. In the scheme, we propose an alternative smooth control law and the tracking error is still ensured to approach a prescribed bound in this case. Unlike some existing control schemes,the developed backstepping controls do not require the model parameters within known intervals and the knowledge on the bound of "disturbance-like" term is not required. Besides showing global stability, we also give an explicit bound on the L2 performance of the tracking error in terms of design parameters. Simulation results illustrates the effectiveness of our schemes.