Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Potential FunctionFormationControl ofNonholonomic MobileRobotswithCurvatureConstraints ⋆

In this paper two formation control strategies for nonholonomic mobile robots with curvature constraints are proposed. The strategies are based on a saturated potential function which makes possible the design of decentralized formation controls scheme and avoids agents collisions considering its dimensions. Provided that the communication graph is always connected, the control strategies guarantee the formation will achieve a configuration that minimizes the potential function.
Predicting clicks in online display advertising with latent features and side-information

We review a method for click-through rate prediction based on the work of Menon et al. [11], which combines collaborative filtering and matrix factorization with a side-information model and fuses the outputs to proper probabilities in [0,1]. In addition we provide details, both for the modeling as well as the experimental part, that are not found elsewhere. We rigorously test the performance on several test data sets from consecutive days in a click-through rate prediction setup, in a manner which reflects a real-world pipeline. Our results confirm that performance can be increased using latent features, albeit the differences in the measures are small but significant.
El pensamiento de José Bleger sobre el psicoanálisis

El trabajo de José Bleger no es fácil de resumir: es fruto del desarrollo de su pensamiento durante muchos años de trabajo. Asimismo, tiene puntos de inflexión que surgieron de su praxis, concepto que se vio en la necesidad de volver a elaborar en 1969 (Bleger, 2012). Aunque el psicoanálisis era la preocupación central de Bleger, él creía que este debía aplicarse de diferentes formas en diferentes campos y no quedarse confinado a la práctica clínica o a las elaboraciones teóricas. Para él, el psicoanálisis era un vehículo para una profunda revolución epistemológica (Bleger, 1971a), y la epistemología, tal como la entendía, no era ajena al campo mismo del psicoanálisis. “El estudio acerca de cómo adquirimos y sistematizamos el conocimiento psicoanalítico”, escribió, “es parte del psicoanálisis mismo” (Bleger, 1958, p.22).
Association between Perivascular Spaces and Progression of White Matter Hyperintensities in Lacunar Stroke Patients

Objectives Perivascular spaces are associated with MRI markers of cerebral small vessel disease, including white matter hyperintensities. Although perivascular spaces are considered to be an early MRI marker of cerebral small vessel disease, it is unknown whether they are associated with further progression of MRI markers, especially white matter hyperintensities. We determined the association between perivascular spaces and progression of white matter hyperintensities after 2-year follow-up in lacunar stroke patients. Methods In 118 lacunar stroke patients we obtained brain MRI and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements at baseline, and a follow-up brain MRI 2 years later. We visually graded perivascular spaces and white matter hyperintensities at baseline. Progression of white matter hyperintensities was assessed using a visual white matter hyperintensity change scale. Associations with white matter hyperintensity progression were tested with binary logistic regression analysis. Results Extensive basal ganglia perivascular spaces were associated with progression of white matter hyperintensities (OR 4.29; 95% CI: 1.28–14.32; p<0.05), after adjustment for age, gender, 24-hour blood pressure and vascular risk factors. This association lost significance after additional adjustment for baseline white matter hyperintensities. Centrum semiovale perivascular spaces were not associated with progression of white matter hyperintensities. Conclusions Our study shows that extensive basal ganglia perivascular spaces are associated with progression of white matter hyperintensities in cerebral small vessel disease. However, this association was not independent of baseline white matter hyperintensities. Therefore, presence of white matter hyperintensities at baseline remains an important determinant of further progression of white matter hyperintensities in cerebral small vessel disease.
Body image and body schema: The shared representation of body image and the role of dynamic body schema in perspective and imitation

Abstract Our commentary addresses two issues that are not developed enough in the target article. First, the model does not clearly address the distinction among external objects, external body parts, and internal bodies. Second, the authors could have discussed further the role of body schema with regard to its dynamic character, and its role in perspective and in imitation.
Uva-dare (digital Academic Repository) Selective Accumulation of Langerhans-type Dendritic Cells in Small Airways of Patients with Copd Selective Accumulation of Langerhans-type Dendritic Cells in Small Airways of Patients with Copd

General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: Abstract Background: Dendritic cells (DC) linking innate and adaptive immune responses are present in human lungs, but the characterization of different subsets and their role in COPD pathogenesis remain to be elucidated. The aim of this study is to characterize and quantify pulmonary myeloid DC subsets in small airways of current and ex-smokers with or without COPD. Methods: Myeloid DC were characterized using flowcytometry on single cell suspensions of digested human lung tissue. Immunohistochemical staining for langerin, BDCA-1, CD1a and DC-SIGN was performed on surgical resection specimens from 85 patients. Expression of factors inducing Langerhans-type DC (LDC) differentiation was evaluated by RT-PCR on total lung RNA.
Advanced interaction with mobile projection interfaces

Through the increasing miniaturization of projection units the integration of such units in everyday-life objects is now possible. Even though these so called pico-projectors are already getting integrated into mobile devices like phones or digital cameras, comparably little research has been conducted to empower these devices to their full capabilities. I outline my previous and current work towards an interface design and a privacy framework that will facilitate mobile projection devices to be part in people's everyday-life. In particular my work is divided into two directions, on the one hand the development of a single-user scenario interface and on the other hand a framework to cope with privacy issues. This will allow the deeper exploitation of the capabilities of mobile projection units for a variety of everyday tasks.
Acoustic Source Separation: Fundamental Issues

Acoustic source separation aims at estimating the contribution of each acoustic source from the signals measured at an array of microphones. The measurement signals are usually mixtures of acoustic sources and some noise contributions. When mixtures are assumed to be linear instantaneous mixtures, they can be separated by the method known as blind source separation or independent component analysis. However, in real world applications, the measurement signals are delayed and superimposed sources, i.e., convolutive mixtures of sources. In this paper, we present a fundamental theory and an implementation for blind separation of convolved mixtures of acoustic sources.
Fabrication and modeling of resistance switching cells for ReRAM applications

This paper presents the technology, fabrication process, measurements and modeling of resistance switching devices, that were built using nickel oxide (NiO) as for oxide layers between two platinum layers used as metal electrodes. Processing steps were improved to get correct current-voltage characteristics of resistance switching devices. Such devices can be implemented in so called Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM). To use it in the ReRAM circuit design the circuit model was created that could be used by commercial simulators. Such model was created based on the Schmitt trigger design with some added modifications. It behaves very similarly to the actual cell under triangular voltage sweep (TVS) excitement and its I-V characteristic resembles the hysteresis. For this reason it could be applied in the ReRAM circuit design.
‘Life has actually become more clear’: An examination of resilience among LGBTQ young adults

Though lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) young adults in the USA experience identity-based adversities, they also develop resilience. Research overemphasizes these young people's risks without fully considering their unique social environments. This study documents how LGBTQ young people subjectively and contextually interpret arduous life experiences. Based on 46 LGBTQ young adults aged 19–26 who are either homeless or attending college, we examine how LGBTQ young people with diverse contextual life situations develop understandings of resilience. Findings underscore nuanced processes young people use to reframe their identity-related challenges that enrich their lives in meaningful, resilience-building ways.
Multilevel interdisciplinary intelligent systems in medicine

Intelligent systems often show incompatibility between healthcare levels. The work of medical professionals on each stage is often individual; multilevel interdisciplinary consultations, consilia, diagnostic and a coordinated approach is limited by existing differences. The aim of this work is to point out potential benefits of integrating healthcare levels on the basis of intelligent systems.
The impact of residential area and family size on children’s play habits

ABSTRACT A questionnaire given to 221 mothers for gathering information about residential area and family size and three aspects in children’s play habits: frequency, location, and choice of playmate. The results showed that there was a general tendency to play indoors rather than outdoors, regardless of residential area (urban vs. rural). Family size and the age gap between siblings were found to have a significant impact on play habits. Children with two or more siblings were more likely to play with their siblings, particularly if the age gap between them was less than five years. Playing at home with siblings means that the children in this study spent less time playing outdoors and engaging with familiar and unfamiliar peers. The results discussed in terms of the Childrens’ well being and the development of social skills. Parents, professionals, and community planners should consider ways of encouraging children to play outside.
Parallel Implementation of Edge-Directed Image Interpolation on a Graphics Processing Unit

The edge-directed interpolation scheme is a non-iterative, orientation-adaptive method to enhance image resolution with better visual effect than conventional interpolation methods. It interpolates the missing pixels based on the covariance of a high-resolution image estimated from the covariance of the low-resolution image. In spite of the impressive performance, the computational complexity of covariance-based adaptation is significantly higher than that of the conventional linear interpolation algorithms. In this paper, we propose a GPU-based massively parallel version of the edge-directed interpolation scheme. A speedup of 61.7x can be achieved with respect to its single-threaded CPU counterpart in the host computer.
Reexamining Lucas-Kanade method for real-time independent motion detection: Application to the iCub humanoid robot

Visual motion is a simple yet powerful cue widely used by biological systems to improve their perception and adaptation to the environment. Examples of tasks that greatly benefit from the ability to detect movement are object segmentation, 3D scene reconstruction and control of attention. In computer vision several algorithms for computing visual motion and optic flow exist. However their application in robotics is not straightforward as in these platforms visual motion is often dominated by (self) motion produced by the movement of the robot (egomotion) making it difficult to disambiguate between motion induced by the scene dynamics or by the own actions of the robot. Independent motion detection is an active field in computer vision and robotics, however approaches in this area typically require that some models of both the environment and the robot visual system are available and are hardly suitable for real-time control. In this paper we describe the motionCUT, a derivation of the Lucas-Kanade optical flow algorithm that allows detecting moving objects, irrespectively of the egomotion produced by the robot. Our method is purely visual and does not require information other than the images coming from the cameras. As such it can be easily adapted to any robotic platform. The system was tested on a stereo tracking task on the iCub humanoid robot, demonstrating that the algorithm performs well and can easily execute in real-time.
Sentiment analysis of Facebook data using Hadoop based open source technologies

As more and more enterprises are looking forward to leveraging the connected network of Facebook to capture inputs and feedback on their brands, it is becoming increasingly important to mine the unstructured information from Facebook. The recent advances in open source software technologies in the map reducing paradigm opens up a whole new opportunity for such advanced analytics. This paper illustrates the use of open source technologies for brand sentiment analysis from Facebook data.
Connecting public and private research systems: The design of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

This paper investigates which is the most suitable model to design the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an exemplar of an organization aimed at tightly connecting the public and private research systems. We developed a theoretical model discussing the trade-offs of the several possible EIT configurations, which depend on eleven key dimensions to be considered in shaping the EIT. We carried out a survey among 312 public researchers and applied an ordered probit econometric model to examine which researchers‟ attributes (years and type of experience, field and orientation of research activities) may explain their preferences towards some EIT configurations. We conclude discussing the policy implications of the most critical and controversial dimensions. INTRODUCTION There is wide consensus that the weaknesses of the European innovation system consist in the relatively low level and concentration of investment in higher education and R&D and the poor exploitation of scientific knowledge and research results into economic activity. A key initiative to tackle these weaknesses is the creation of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which aims at pooling the best minds and ideas from universities, research centres and companies to reach the critical mass of excellent resources and coordinating their efforts towards the commercialization of research outcomes. The creation of this new institute falls within the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs and, more in general, within the European and national policies aiming at strengthening the integration of the three elements of the knowledge triangle: education, research and innovation. The ambitious mission of increasing the EU's capacity to transform education and research results into tangible commercial innovation opportunities by reinforcing the connection between education, research and business raises several challenging design questions: how should organizations aimed at spanning the academiaindustry boundary be designed? What should be the role of companies within education and research organizations? What approach should be adopted in performing joint research activities? Which model of governance and financing is the most appropriate to provide the adequate incentives to the various partners to bring together their resources and productively cooperate? This paper tries to answer to these questions through an exploratory analysis on how the EIT should be outlined. Indeed, designing the EIT represents a significant way to contribute to the debate around what are the most effective models to ensure a fruitful collaboration
Rhizosphere Microenvironments of Eight Common Deciduous Fruit Trees Were Shaped by Microbes in Northern China

The rhizosphere microenvironment is the site of nutrient circulation and microbial community formation, and thus is an ongoing topic of research. Although research on this topic is extensive, studies into the rhizosphere microenvironment of fruit trees remain rare. To elucidate the mechanisms driving the fruit tree rhizosphere microenvironment, we assessed soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, the community-level physiological profile (CLPP) and microbial diversity in rhizospheric soils of eight common deciduous fruit trees in northern China. We found that the available minerals, pH, enzyme activities, microbial utilization of six types of carbon (C) substrates, and microbial diversity in the rhizosphere varied among tree species. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that rhizosphere microenvironmental parameters (ammonia nitrogen content, soil pH and invertase activity) were closely related to the soil microbial community. Further analysis revealed that the soil microbial utilization of six C sources, nitrate nitrogen content, and invertase activity were negatively correlated with Ambiguous species and Alternaria; however, these groups were positively correlated with pH. The ammonia nitrogen content was positively correlated with C source utilization and negatively correlated with Ambiguous, Lysobacter, Nitrospira, Alternaria, Fusarium, and Colletotrichum. Interestingly, invertase was closely linked to the microbial community, especially fungal diversity, and was positively correlated with plant-beneficial microbes such as Mortierella, Geomyces, Lysobacter, and Chaetomium, but negatively correlated with pathogenic microbes such as Alternaria, Fusarium, and Colletotrichum. Hence, rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities and microbial community were significantly affected by tree species. Additionally, a variety of environmental factors were closely related to the microbial community in the rhizospheric soils of eight species of deciduous fruit trees.
Adherence and Effectiveness of Positional Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

The purpose of this investigation was to explore how adherence to a positional therapy intervention affected therapeutic outcome in participants with positional-related obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Eighteen adult participants identified as having positional-related obstructive sleep apnea by an initial overnight polysomnography study were recruited. Participants were instructed to use a “tennis ball technique” positional device for three weeks at home and record their sleep habits and adherence before a final post-treatment polysomnography evaluation. A repeated measures MANOVA found significant effects of treatment between preand post-test on the objective polysomnography variables of Total Recording Time [F(1,17) = 5.21, p<. 05, η=. 24], Total Sleep Time [F(1,17) = 8.59, p<. 01, η=. 34], Sleep Efficiency [F(1,17) = 5.42, p<. 05, η=. 24], Total REM sleep time [F(1,17) = 9.91, p<. 01, η=. 37], and the ApneaHypopnea Index [F(1,17) = 14.28, p<. 001, η=. 46]. Sleep onset latency was not statistically significant. There were significant effects of treatment on the subjective measures of the Functional Outcome of Sleep Quality [F(1,17) = 8.92, p<. 01, η=. 35], Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [F(1,17) = 11.2, p<. 01, η=. 39], Epworth Sleepiness Scale [F(1,17) = 6.69, p<. 05, η=. 28], and the Brief Symptom Inventory [F(1,17) = 5.14, p<. 05, η=. 23]. No significant interaction effects were found between treatment and adherence when participants were grouped post-hoc into an adherent or non-adherent categories based on their self-reported daily log data. In summary, the results of this study indicated that the positional device was efficacious for significantly improving both 9 objective polysomnography variables and subjective variables of sleep. The results also indicated even partially adherent participants reported significant improvements in nighttime sleep quality and quality of life after the three week treatment period. Mixed Linear Modeling demonstrated that significant improvements in sleep quality, time to sleep onset, and total sleep time were not seen until the last weeks of treatment. This study found very acceptable adherence rates with this positional device design; all participants were able to utilize the therapeutic device on at least a portion of every night during the three-week intervention.
Quantification of prosodic entrainment in affective spontaneous spoken interactions of married couples

Interaction synchrony among interlocutors happens naturally as people adapt their speaking style gradually to promote efficient communication. In this work, we quantify one aspect of interaction synchrony prosodic entrainment, specifically pitch and energy, in married couples’ problem-solving interactions using speech signal-derived measures. Statistical testings demonstrate that some of these measures capture useful information; they show higher values in interactions with couples having high positive attitude compared to high negative attitude. Further, by using quantized entrainment measures employed with statistical symbol sequence matching in a maximum likelihood framework, we obtained 76% accuracy in predicting positive affect vs. negative affect.
Someone to watch over me: presence of an assistant agent on SNS inhibits negative blaming statements in tweeting

This study explored whether artificial cues of others on social networking sites (SNS) have an effect on a user's tweeting behavior in frustrating situations. By manipulating artificial cues of others, we measured the statements posted by participants on a hypothetical SNS under two different experimental situations: one was the agent condition, in which task instructions were given by an assistant agent throughout the task, and the other was the control condition in which task instructions were given through a text box. In each condition, participants were first asked to read fictional stories including frustrating interpersonal and intrapersonal events and to adopt these situations as their own. Participants were then asked to tweet about their feelings on the hypothetical SNS. The negativity and aggressiveness of each statement in both conditions were assessed by other participants. Results demonstrate that the statements for the frustrating interpersonal event posted by participants under the agent condition were more often evaluated as non-negative and less often evaluated as negative-and-blaming-of-others than those posted under the control condition. Conversely, there was no difference between conditions in the statements for the frustrating intrapersonal event. These findings suggest that the implication of the presence of others, such as an assistant agent, in the tweeting environment inhibits disparaging tweeting behavior on SNS.