Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Demonstration based trajectory optimization for generalizable robot motions

Learning motions from human demonstrations provides an intuitive way for non-expert users to teach tasks to robots. In particular, intelligent robotic co-workers should not only mimic human demonstrations but should also be able to adapt them to varying application scenarios. As such, robots must have the ability to generalize motions to different workspaces, e.g. to avoid obstacles not present during original demonstrations. Towards this goal our work proposes a unified method to (1) generalize robot motions to different workspaces, using a novel formulation of trajectory optimization that explicitly incorporates human demonstrations, and (2) to locally adapt and reuse the optimized solution in the form of a distribution of trajectories. This optimized distribution can be used, online, to quickly satisfy via-points and goals of a specific task. We validate the method using a 7 degrees of freedom (DoF) lightweight arm that grasps and places a ball into different boxes while avoiding obstacles that were not present during the original human demonstrations.
Association Between Inpatient Sleep Loss and Hyperglycemia of Hospitalization

OBJECTIVE To determine whether inpatient sleep duration and efficiency are associated with a greater risk of hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients with and without diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort study, medical inpatients ≥50 years of age were interviewed, and their charts were reviewed to obtain demographic data and diagnosis. Using World Health Organization criteria, patients were categorized as having normal blood glucose, impaired fasting blood glucose, or hyperglycemia based on morning glucose from the electronic health record. Wrist actigraphy measured sleep. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression models, controlling for subject random effects, tested the association between inpatient sleep duration and proportional odds of hyperglycemia versus impaired fasting blood glucose or impaired fasting blood glucose versus normal blood glucose in hospitalized adults. RESULTS A total of 212 patients (60% female and 74% African American) were enrolled. Roughly one-third (73, 34%) had diabetes. Objective inpatient sleep measures did not differ between patients with or without diabetes. In ordinal logistic regression models, each additional hour of in-hospital sleep was associated with an 11% (odds ratio 0.89 [95% CI 0.80, 0.99]; P = 0.043) lower proportional odds of a higher glucose category the next morning (hyperglycemia vs. elevated and elevated vs. normal). Every 10% increase in sleep efficiency was associated with an 18% lower proportional odds of a higher glucose category (odds ratio 0.82 [95% CI 0.74, 0.89]; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Among medical inpatients, both shorter sleep duration and worse sleep efficiency were independently associated with greater proportional odds of hyperglycemia and impaired fasting glucose.
Energy cost of walking in children with cerebral palsy: relation to the Gross Motor Function Classification System

This study compared the energy cost of walking in children with cerebral palsy (CP) classified at different levels of the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) with that in children with typical development. Sixteen female and 14 male children with CP (mean age 9 years 6 months, SD 2 years 4 months, range 6 years 4 months to 13 years 4 months) and 14 male and 13 female typically developing children (mean age 10 years, SD 1 year 6 months, range 7 years 1 month to 12 years 11 months) participated. Children with CP were classified at GMFCS level I, n=5; level II, n=10; level III, n=9; and level IV, n=6. Energy cost was assessed by the gas dilution method as each child walked around an oval track wearing a dilution mask. Significant differences were found across GMFCS levels (p < 0. 0001) and between adjacent levels (p < 0.013). Children with CP displayed a higher energy cost of walking than the typically developing children (p < 0.0001). A strong correlation (0.87) was found between the energy cost of walking and GMFCS level (p < 0.01) when children with typical development were assigned a GMFCS level of zero to allow statistical analysis. This indicates increasing energy cost of walking with increasing severity of functional involvement. These differences in energy cost across GMFCS levels provide another distinguishing factor between GMFCS levels and further emphasize the importance of considering metabolic demand in determining treatment options.
Perfect Matchings in Claw-free Cubic Graphs

Lovasz and Plummer conjectured that there exists a fixed positive constant $c$ such that every cubic $n$-vertex graph with no cutedge has at least $2^{cn}$ perfect matchings. Their conjecture has been verified for bipartite graphs by Voorhoeve and planar graphs by Chudnovsky and Seymour. We prove that every claw-free cubic $n$-vertex graph with no cutedge has more than $2^{n/12}$ perfect matchings, thus verifying the conjecture for claw-free graphs.
The single‐photon signal in rod bipolar cells of the dogfish retina.

1. Responses of depolarizing bipolar cells to dim light flashes were recorded with intracellular micro‐electrodes in the dark‐adapted retina of the dogfish, Scyliorhinus canicula. 2. Fluctuations in the responses were analysed by a method of matched filtering in order to improve the signal‐to‐noise ratio. 3. Both the mean and variance of the response amplitude increased linearly with light intensity for intensities not exceeding a mean of 1 photon absorbed per 50 rods. 4. On the assumption that the most significant source of the fluctuation is the quantal absorption of light by the rod outer segments, a single photoisomerization leads to a post‐synaptic event of mean size 250 micronV. 5. The mean number of rods in the pool sending signals to a bipolar cell is estimated as 1600. Individual rod pools are 90‐330 micrometer in diameter on the retinal surface. 6. It is estimated that the conductance of 1 divided by 400 of the total number of light‐modulated ionic channels in the bipolar cell is increased by a single photon acting within its rod pool. 7. In the absence of a light stimulus, the residual noise in the output of a matched filter can be interpreted as due mainly to spontaneous isomerization of rhodopsin in the rods and behaves as the ‘dark light’ postulated to limit detection at absolute threshold.
Influence of organisational climate and locus of control on job satisfaction and turnover intentions

This study examined the influence of perceived organisational climate and locus of control on job satisfaction and turnover intentions of commercial bank workers in Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. To determine this, a 2X2 ANOVA was used to analyse the data. Results from a field study of 200 employees of 25 commercial banks randomly selected support the role of perceived organisational climate and locus of control on job satisfaction. The two variables also interacted to influence job satisfaction. However, only perceived organisational climate influenced turnover intentions. The results of this study suggest that when employees perceive that their organisational climate is favourable, their job satisfaction is increased. This may explain why bank employees have lower intention to quit as a result of their belief that their organisations value and consider them very important. IFE PsychologIA Vol. 13(2) 2005: 102-113
Berücksichtigung zeitlicher Anforderungen bei der Generierung von Testfällen für den Integrationstest

Verteilte Systeme bestehen aus nebenlaufigen Komponenten, die miteinander uber Nachrichten oder Ereignisse kommunizieren. Ob das System sich korrekt verhalt, bestimmt nicht nur der Inhalt und die Reihenfolge von Ereignissen, sondern auch ihr zeitlicher Abstand. Die klassische Losung mittels Pfadsuche in Zustandsdigrammen fur den Integrationstest zustandsbehafteter Komponenten basiert auf der Konstruktion eines globalen Zustandsraumes. Bei der Pfadgenerierung bleibt jedoch ein wesentliches Problem ungelost: zur Generierungszeit sind manche Pfade nicht bestimmbar, ohne Berucksichtigung der aktuellen Werte der Attribute, die zur Laufzeit den Prozess steuern. Die in dieser Arbeit vorgestellte Losung umfasst die zufallsbasierte bzw. evolutionare Bestimmung der an das System zu sendenden Ereignisse und ihres Abstands. Die generierten Testfalle prufen, ob eine Implementierung die modellierten Anforderungen erfullt.
Combining UML and B for the specification and validation of RBAC policies in business process activities

Integrating access control into business processes is a non-trivial task. This paper presents an approach that combines the UML and B languages for the specification and validation of RBAC policies at the process level. It starts by modeling the access control rules using our extension of UML2 activity diagrams denominated as BAAC@UML (Business Activity Access Control with UML). The BAAC@UML models are then translated into a specification in the B language using our B4MSecure platform. Finally, the last step validates the RBAC policy by testing its formal specification using the B tools (Provers and Animators).
An intervention case study of a bilingual child with phonological disorder

A bilingual Punjabi-English-speaking child, whose speech was characterized by inconsistent errors in both languages, participated in an intervention programme. A core vocabulary therapy approach was used targeting consistency of production. The accuracy and intelligibility of the child’s speech improved in both languages, even though therapy had only been provided in English. The results of the study contrast with a previous study targeting consistent phonological errors in a bilingual child. While the results of single case studies should be interpreted with caution, the findings suggest that phonological therapy targeting the deficit underlying speech disorder is effective in remediating the errors in both of the child’s languages. However, therapy simply correcting specific surface speech patterns is only effective in the language targeted in therapy. These data have theoretical implications regarding the nature of phonological disorders, and the separateness of bilingual children’s phonological systems. There are also clinical implications regarding intervention for bilingual children with disordered speech.
language and the game of life

steels & belpaeme's (s&b's) simulations contain all the right components, but they are put together wrongly. color categories are unrepresentative of categories in general and language is not merely naming. language evolved because it provided a powerful new way to acquire categories (through instruction, rather than just the old way of other species, through trial-and-error experience). it did not evolve so that multiple agents looking at the same objects could let one another know which of the objects they had in mind, co-coining names for them on the fly.
Ia determinants on stimulated human T lymphocytes. Occurrence on mitogen- and antigen-activated T cells

Human T-cell blasts were generated by stimulation with mitogens and antigens. A proportion of these blasts expressed Ia antigens detectable by immunofluorescence with both allo- and hetero-antiserums. The maximal expression of Ia antigens was delayed and usually occurred after the peak of blastogenesis. Among the three mitogens used, pokeweed mitogen (PWM) was most effective in giving a high percentage and intense Ia staining of T-cell blasts. Phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A blasts gave weaker and lower percentages of Ia staining. Activation by alloantigens and soluble antigens such as tetanus toxoid and purified protein derivative resulted in Ia expression on T cells comparable to PWM stimulation. Depletion of Ia+ cells from freshly isolated T cells with anti-Ia and complement decreased subsequent Ia expression, suggesting that a proportion of Ia+ blasts were derived from Ia-bearing peripheral blood T cells. When the specificities of the Ia antigens on T-cell blasts were examined with alloantiserums, it was evident that the T blasts expressed similar HLA-DR determinants to those on B cells from the same donor; occasional minor differences between stimulated T cells and autologous B-cell lines or fresh B cells were encountered.
Classification and characterization of clinical finding expressions in medical literature

Text mining of clinical findings has been employed to extract clinical information contained in “electronic medical records” without the need for labor intensive work by medical experts. However, the automated building of disease ontology necessitates knowledge acquisition of clinical findings documented in “medical literature” that requires an independent strategy. This study performs a preliminary analysis of clinical finding expressions in medical literature to enable the automated acquisition of disease knowledge. To this end, we selected descriptions of 20 diseases in a free-text format and annotated the texts to extract expressions of clinical findings. This resulted in 1368 expressions with varying lengths and syntactic features, and 161 annotator comments. The comments suggested that certain types of expressions, which were further classified into 10 categories. Also, in-depth analyses of their syntactic and semantic characteristics were performed, resulting in the following observations. First, expressions of clinical findings have certain patterns, syntactic and semantic, which can be exploited for appropriate knowledge acquisition. Second, clinical knowledge may guide the knowledge acquisition process in a top-down manner. Third, natural language processing of medical literature requires specific considerations compared with the processing of health records, namely, i) distinction of subjects, ii) handling of generalized knowledge, and iii) processing of expressions for examination results. This preliminary survey on the expressions in medical literature provides helpful insights for future corpus design.
The Early Literacy Project: Connecting across the Literacy Curriculum

Research was conducted on the efficacy of an integrated reading-writing program for primary-grade students with mild disabilities. The literacy program was designed to incorporate five principles of teaching and learning: the involvement of students in contextualized literacy activities, the development of learning-to-learn strategies, the construction of classroom dialogues about literacy, the enactment of responsive instruction designed to support learners in their zones of proximal development, and the creation of literacy communities. Furthermore, the study involved three different groups of learners: students of control teachers, students of first-year teachers, and students of second-year teachers. The results clearly indicated the effects of the integrated literacy program on students' reading and writing performance, especially the students of the most experienced teachers. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.
Characterization of a Neurohypophyseal Hormone‐Like Activity Isolated From Ovine Pineal Glands

The milk‐ejecting response of lactating mouse mammary gland tissue to ovine pineal extracts indicated the presence of a neurohormone‐like bioactivity in this tissue. After successive fractionation on gel permeation chromatography and reversed‐phase liquid chromatography (HPLC) in conjunction with radioimmunoassays (RIA), it was demonstrated that the milk‐ejection response to ovine pineal components with an Mr < 1,000 corresponded to a biologically active peptide sequence that probably differs from that of arginine vasopressin, arginine vasotocin, and oxytocin and from peptides with a COOH‐terminal Pro‐Arg‐Gly‐amide ending. Gel permeation chromatography in formic acid appeared also to indicate the presence of a noncovalent interaction of the neurohormone‐like bioactivity with proteins (Mr > 25,000) of the pineal.
Purinergic modulation of preBötzinger complex inspiratory rhythm in rodents: the interaction between ATP and adenosine

Non‐technical summary Hypoxia causes an increase in breathing followed by a secondary depression that is most pronounced, and potentially life‐threatening, in premature infants. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is released in brainstem respiratory networks during hypoxia, where it attenuates the secondary respiratory depression. Mechanisms are unknown but likely to be complex because ATP is degraded by enzymes into ADP, which is excitatory, and adenosine (ADO), which is inhibitory. We demonstrate in mouse, like rat, that ATP in the preBötzinger complex (preBötC), a site critical for inspiratory rhythm generation, increases frequency. Unlike rat, this increase is only observed in mouse if ADO receptors are blocked. Differential ATP sensitivity is likely to reflect that ADO is only inhibitory in mouse, and that mouse preBötC enzymes favour ADO production. Thus, purinergic signalling in preBötC networks appears balanced to favour inhibition in mouse but excitation in rat. Knowledge of purinergic signalling increases our understanding of processes underlying respiratory responses to hypoxia.
In Praise of Styling: A Neuroevolutionary Perspective on Visual Culture

ABSTRACT This paper advances an alternative perspective on what is commonly referred to as styling. Adopting a neuroevolutionary perspective, it challenges the trivialization of this seminal facet of designing. Via its long evolutionary history in a hostile environment the brain specialized in visual knowledge, with language and later numeracy as comparatively minor add-ons. Visual knowledge acquisition became an evolutionary imperative, feeding the highly sophisticated neural storage and classification systems that accompanied this specialization. Styling is an extension of visual knowledge acquisition into visual knowledge creation. It is contended that styling is an evolutionary exaptation whereby the original brain function of visual knowledge acquisition was adapted to externalize visual information. This externalization subsequently became a powerful means of indicating group identity and allegiance, and laid the foundations of visual culture. The externalization it shares with the fine arts; the distinction being that styling is associated with purposive objects. Emerging evidence also indicates that styling predisposes us to positive or negative attitudes to such non-aesthetic features of products and services as usability and trust. As such, it emotionally primes us. Evidence is presented that suggests a process of deceptively high sophistication, and one that questions fundamental assumptions in this field.
Verb Aspect and Situation Models

The role of verb aspect in the construction of situation models was examined in this study. Participants read stories that contained a sentence that described an activity that either was completed (i.e., perfective aspect) or was in progress (i.e., imperfective aspect), and three subsequent sentences that could be interpreted as either subsequent to or concurrent with the target sentence activity. Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that in-progress activities had a higher likelihood of being perceived as ongoing in the subsequent context than did completed activities. Furthermore, verb aspect and world knowledge have an interactive impact in understanding the duration of narrative events. Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrated that the activation of in-progress activities decayed at a slower rate than completed activities. The results of this study support the claim that grammatical markers provide processing instructions for situation model construction and the maintenance of information in working memory.
Attending to the exploration side of infant attachment: Contributions from self-determination theory.

Understanding the intergenerational transmission of attachment patterns has been a main focus of attachment research for many years. Most of the empirical work conducted on this question has addressed maternal sensitivity to infants’ attachment needs. Given that security of attachment is defined as an attachment/exploration balance, some researchers have stressed the need to explore maternal behaviours in the context of infant exploration. The authors propose that self-determination theory (SDT) could contribute to attachment work in this respect given that it has clearly operationalized parental exploration-related behaviours and has related them to numerous child outcomes. This article highlights conceptual, empirical, and methodological parallels that can be drawn between SDT and attachment theory, thus suggesting that they could be complementary on many levels.
Optimal Tangent Plane Recovery From Noisy Manifold Samples

Constructing an efficient parametrization of a large, noisy data set of points lying close to a smooth manifold in high dimension remains a fundamental problem. One approach consists in recovering a local parametrization using the local tangent plane. Principal component analysis (PCA) is often the tool of choice, as it returns an optimal basis in the case of noise-free samples from a linear subspace. To process noisy data, PCA must be applied locally, at a scale small enough such that the manifold is approximately linear, but at a scale large enough such that structure may be discerned from noise. Using eigenspace perturbation theory, we study the stability of the subspace estimated by PCA as a function of scale, and bound (with high probability) the angle it forms with the true tangent space. By adaptively selecting the scale that minimizes this bound, our analysis reveals the optimal scale for local tangent plane recovery.
Design of operational management strategies for achieving fishery ecosystem objectives

Ecosystem objectives in fisheries management usually flow from high-level national policies or strategies and international agreements. Consequently they are often broadly stated and hence are difficult to incorporate directly in management plans. Predicting the results of any management action is very uncertain because the dynamics of ecosystems are complex and poorly understood. Methods to design and evaluate operational management strategies have advanced considerably in the past decade. These management-strategy-evaluation (MSE) methods rely on simulation testing of the whole management process using performance measures derived from operational objectives. The MSE approach involves selecting (operational) management objectives, specifying performance measures, specifying alternative management strategies, and evaluating these using simulation. The MSE framework emphasizes the identification and modelling of uncertainties, and propagates these through to their effects on the performance measures. The framework is outlined and illustrated by three ecosystem-related applications: management of benthic habitats and broad fish community composition; by-catch of species of high conservation value; and foodchain interactions and dependencies. Challenges to be overcome before broader ecosystem-related objectives can be fully handled are discussed briefly.
Competencies for effective leadership in higher education

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to set out to investigate the role of the Pro‐Vice‐Chancellor, Rector, or Principal of a university, and the competencies (attitudes, knowledge and behaviour) that are needed for effective leadership in higher education.Design/methodology/approach – Semi‐structured interviews were held with Pro‐Vice‐Chancellors at ten UK universities representative of the sector.Findings – Most respondents perceived that academic credibility and experience of university life were crucial for effective leadership in higher education, and continued with their research and teaching activities alongside their managerial roles. People skills, including the ability to communicate and negotiate with others, were also felt to be important. Most universities in the study had no systematic approach for either identifying or developing leadership skills.Research limitations/implications – Although this was a relatively small study, the research highlights the need for a more proactive approa.