Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust SLAM system based on monocular vision and LiDAR for robotic urban search and rescue

In this paper, we propose a monocular SLAM system for robotic urban search and rescue (USAR), based on which most USAR tasks (e.g. localization, mapping, exploration and object recognition) can be fulfilled by rescue robots with only a single camera. The proposed system can be a promising basis to implement fully autonomous rescue robots. However, the feature-based map built by the monocular SLAM is difficult for the operator to understand and use. We therefore combine the monocular SLAM with a 2D LIDAR SLAM to realize a 2D mapping and 6D localization SLAM system which can not only obtain a real scale of the environment and make the map more friendly to users, but also solve the problem that the robot pose cannot be tracked by the 2D LIDAR SLAM when the robot climbing stairs and ramps. We test our system using a real rescue robot in simulated disaster environments. The experimental results show that good performance can be achieved using the proposed system in the USAR. The system has also been successfully applied and tested in the RoboCup Rescue Robot League (RRL) competitions, where our rescue robot team entered the top 5 and won the Best in Class small robot mobility in 2016 RoboCup RRL Leipzig Germany, and the champions of 2016 and 2017 RoboCup China Open RRL competitions.
Identifying Ideological Perspectives of Web Videos using Patterns Emerging from Folksonomies

We are developing a classier that can automatically identify a web video's ideological perspective on a political or social issue (e.g., pro-life or pro-choice on the abortion issue). The problem has received little attention, possibly due to inherent diculties in content-based ap- proaches. We propose to develop such a classier based on the pattern of tags emerging from folksonomies. The experimental results are positive and encouraging.
Antecedents for aggression and the function analytic approach to the assessment of aggression and violence in personality disordered patients within secure settings

The aim of this paper is to explore the validity and clinical utility of a function analytic approach to the assessment of aggression and violence in patients with personality disorder. This paper begins with a review of the factors that are associated with aggression in personality disordered patients, and focuses in particular upon those patients whose aggressive and violent behaviour has been the reason for their admission to a secure facility, and who may continue to engage in aggression. Two approaches that may explain such aggression are discussed and evaluated: (1) the identification of personality traits that may influence aggression and (2) the differentiation of hostile and instrumental aggression. Some limitations with these two approaches are identified, and an argument is made for function analytic assessment methods. An overview of one form of functional assessment, the Assessment and Classification of Function method, which assists in the classification of differential forms of aggression, is provided. Finally, the clinical and treatment implications of the function analytic approach are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Combined low-dose cytarabine, melphalan and mitoxantrone for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome.

BACKGROUND Low-dose cytarabine (ara-C) has been used to treat older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), but has resulted in complete remission for <20% of cases. A pilot study of the efficacy of a combination chemotherapy using low-dose ara-C, melphalan (Mel), and mitoxantrone (Mit) was conducted. PATIENTS AND METHODS The treatment comprised ara-C (10 mg/m2) twice daily, melphalan (2 mg/body) every other day, and mitoxantrone (3 mg/m2) every 3 days. The treatment was discontinued if the nuclear cell count was <15,000/microl with <20% blast count in the bone marrow. The primary end-points were initial response and tolerability. RESULTS The study comprised 9 patients with AML or high-risk MDS (median age, 75 years). Complete remission was achieved in 3 patients. All the patients displayed grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. One patient died from sepsis. CONCLUSION The present regimen was more effective and displayed similar safety, compared with low-dose ara-C alone.
Déterminants de la stratégie sociétale des multinationales en France

Ce papier traite des facteurs explicatifs de la strategie societale des multinationales etrangeres en France. Le concept de la strategie societale des multinationales est presente dans un premier temps pour ensuite, identifier les determinants de la strategie societale et ce dans le cadre de deux champs theoriques qui sont la theorie institutionnelle et la theorie du choix strategique.Pour analyser les determinants de la strategie societale, deux modeles de regression logistique ont ete developpes et testes empiriquement. Les resultats montrent que la pression des groupes d’interet, la legislation europeenne, les normes sociales et l’engagement des dirigeants ont une influence sur la strategie societale des multinationales.
SDN VANETs in 5G: An architecture for resilient security services

Vehicular ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs) have been promoted as a key technology that can provide a wide variety of services such as traffic management, passenger safety, as well as travel convenience and comfort. VANETs are now proposed to be part of the upcoming Fifth Generation (5G) technology, integrated with Software Defined Networking (SDN), as key enabler of 5G. The technology of fog computing in 5G turned out to be an adequate solution for faster processing in delay sensitive application, such as VANETs, being a hybrid solution between fully centralized and fully distributed networks. In this paper, we propose a three-way integration between VANETs, SDN, and 5G for a resilient VANET security design approach, which strikes a good balance between network, mobility, performance and security features. We show how such an approach can secure VANETs from different types of attacks such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) targeting either the controllers or the vehicles in the network, and how to trace back the source of the attack. Our evaluation shows the capability of the proposed system to enforce different levels of real-time user-defined security, while maintaining low overhead and minimal configuration.
Vitamin A supplementation in children with poor vitamin A and iron status increases erythropoietin and hemoglobin concentrations without changing total body iron.

BACKGROUND Vitamin A deficiency impairs iron metabolism; vitamin A supplementation of vitamin A-deficient populations may reduce anemia. The mechanism of these effects is unclear. In vitro and in animal models, vitamin A treatment increases the production of erythropoietin (EPO), a stimulant of erythropoiesis. OBJECTIVE We measured the effect of vitamin A supplementation on hemoglobin, iron status, and circulating EPO concentrations in children with poor iron and vitamin A status. DESIGN In a double-blind, randomized trial, Moroccan schoolchildren (n = 81) were given either vitamin A (200,000 IU) or placebo at baseline and at 5 mo. At baseline, 5 mo, and 10 mo, hemoglobin, indicators of iron and vitamin A status, and EPO were measured. RESULTS At baseline, 54% of children were anemic; 77% had low vitamin A status. In the vitamin A group at 10 mo, serum retinol improved significantly compared with the control group (P < 0.02). Vitamin A treatment increased mean hemoglobin by 7 g/L (P < 0.02) and reduced the prevalence of anemia from 54% to 38% (P < 0.01). Vitamin A treatment increased mean corpuscular volume (P < 0.001) and decreased serum transferrin receptor (P < 0.001), indicating improved iron-deficient erythropoiesis. Vitamin A decreased serum ferritin (P < 0.02), suggesting mobilization of hepatic iron stores. Calculated from the ratio of transferrin receptor to serum ferritin, overall body iron stores remained unchanged. In the vitamin A group at 10 mo, we observed an increase in EPO (P < 0.05) and a decrease in the slope of the regression line of log10(EPO) on hemoglobin (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION In children deficient in vitamin A and iron, vitamin A supplementation mobilizes iron from existing stores to support increased erythropoiesis, an effect likely mediated by increases in circulating EPO.
Nonstationary Function Optimization Using Genetic Algorithms with Dominance and Diploidy

Specifically, we apply genetic algorithms that include diploid genotypes and dominance operators to a simple nonstationary problem in function optimization: an oscillating, blind knapsack problem. In doing this, we find that diploidy and dominance induce a form of long term distributed memory that stores and occasionally remembers good partial solutions that were once desirable. This memory permits faster adaptation to drastic environmental shifts than is possible without the added structures and operators. This paper investigates the use of diploid representations and dominance operators in genetic algorithms (GAs) to improve performance in environments that vary with time. The mechanics of diploidy and dominance in natural genetics are briefly discussed, and the usage of these structures and operators in other GA investigations is reviewed. An extension of the schema theorem is developed which illustrates the ability of diploid GAs with dominance to hold alternative alleles in abeyance. Both haploid and diploid GAs are applied to a simple time varying problem: an oscillating, blind knapsack problem. Simulation results show that a diploid GA with an evolving dominance map adapts more quickly to the sudden changes in this problem environment than either a haploid GA or a diploid GA with a fixed dominance map. These proof-of-principle results indicate that diploidy and dominance can be used to induce a form of long term distributed memory within a population of structures. In the remainder of this paper, we explore the mechanism, theory, and implementation of dominance and diploidy in artificial genetic search. We start by examining the role of diploidy and dominance in natural genetics, and we briefly review examples of their usage in genetic algorithm circles. We extend the schema theorem to analyze the effect of these structures and mechanisms. We present results from computational experiments on a 17-object, oscillating, blind 0-1 knapsack problem. Simulations with adaptive dominance maps and diploidy are able to adapt more quickly to sudden environmental shifts than either a haploid genetic algorithm or a diploid genetic algorithm with fixed dominance map. These results are encouraging and suggest the investigation of dominance and diploidy in other GA applications in search and machine learning.
Early Cognitive and Environmental Correlates of Language Development at 4 Years

Cognitive and environmental factors related to language development were studied in 46 preterm (birthweight less than 1501 grams) and 50 fullterm infants. The children were administered the Bayley Scales at 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 months, the Uzgiris-Hunt Scales at 4, 8, 12, and 18 months, the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), a scale that measures the characteristics of the environment, at 12 months and 3 years, and the Reynell Developmental Language Scales at 2, 3, and 4 years. The Bayley Scales, even as early as 4 months, were significantly correlated with Reynell Comprehension and Expression scores at 4 years. In general, the perceptual motor items of the Bayley tended to be most predictive early in development. Later in development items related to conceptual abilities became predictive and, finally, items related to early language abilities predicted subsequent language scores. The Means-End Relationships, Object Permanence, and Space and Scheme scales of the Uzgiris-Hunt were related to language comprehension and expression at 4 years. In addition, Gestural Imitation was related to language expression. Some of the HOME scales at 12 months were significantly correlated with subsequent language comprehension scores, while most of the HOME scores at 3 years were significantly correlated with all language measures. Although both environmental and cognitive factors are significant predictors of language development, the cognitive factors appear to be more significant in the early months and the environmental factors become more significant later in development.
The Universal Parser and interlanguage: domain-specific mental organization in the comprehension of combien interrogatives in English-French interlanguage

From the perspective of Fodor’s (1983) theory of mental organization and Chomsky’s (1995) Minimalist theory of grammar, I consider constraints on the interpretation of French-type and English-type cardinality interrogatives in the task of sentence comprehension, as a function of a universal parsing algorithm (Universal Parser) and hypotheses embodied in a French-type vs. English-type functional lexicon respectively. I argue on the basis of the interpretation of cardinality interrogatives in English-French interlanguage that second language comprehension appears to require this view of mental organization in which a universal parsing algorithm interacts with an interlanguage lexicon. Specifically, I argue that the Minimalist view of mental organization in the area of grammar provides some insight into the basis of these constraints in mental functioning.
Transformational leadership and speaking up: Power distance and structural distance as moderators

We explored the mechanism of the effects of transformational leadership on employees’ speaking up (voice), especially probing the moderating effects of power distance and structural distance. We used a questionnaire to conduct an investigation with dyads of leaders (113 senior engineers and 51 project managers) and their subordinates (495 engineers). The results from hierarchical regression modeling indicated that, in the relationship between transformational leadership and employees’ speaking up, structural distance was a positive moderator but power distance was a negative and stronger moderator than structural distance. Implications of these results for theory and management practice are discussed.
Japan's teacher acculturation: critical analysis through comparative ethnographic narrative

Cross‐cultural teaching and research in Canada and Japan is reported. Ethnographic narrative methods were used to examine Japan's teacher acculturation. Canada's teachers are largely required to work in isolation, to learn their practice through trial and error. There is little provision for mentorship and insufficient time to reflect. In contrast, Japan's teachers have opportunities for reflection, collegiality and collaboration. Moreover, effective induction practices have evolved gradually, becoming a tacit part of teaching culture. Japan's teacher acculturation is characterized by significant teacher relationships; leadership and guidance; and further cultivated through professional development. However, undeveloped pre‐service programmes, one‐way, ‘top–down’ pedagogical exchanges, and ineffective mentors are contentious issues, hampering teacher education reforms. Nevertheless, Japanese induction practices challenge us to ameliorate teacher education to focus more on the needs of beginning teachers.
Rituximab specifically depletes short-lived autoreactive plasma cells in a mouse model of inflammatory arthritis

There is increasing appreciation of the important role of B cells in many autoimmune diseases and consequently, increasing interest in treating these disorders through B cell-depletion therapy with rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. Yet, precisely how this and related drugs exert their therapeutic effects remains controversial. In particular, it is unclear how, in a number of contexts, rituximab can greatly reduce the titer of serum autoantibodies without substantially altering the overall antibody titer. We have studied the action of this drug in the K/BxN mouse model of inflammatory arthritis after first crossing in a human CD20 transgene. Rituximab treatment of these mice led to a decrease in the titer of serum antibodies targeting glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, the relevant autoantigen, but not in the total antibody titer. Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase-specific plasma cells did not reside primarily in the bone marrow as expected but rather in the spleen and lymph nodes, where they had short lives, expressed CD20, and were rapidly depleted by rituximab. These data support a model whereby autoreactive plasma cells (at least certain specificities thereof) are intrinsically different from protective antimicrobial plasma cells in their differentiation, migration, and survival properties. Rituximab targets the former and spares the latter.
Effects of inviting customers to share responsibility in the context of impersonal service

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how customers respond to a service provider’s invitation to share responsibility for the experience of an “impersonal” service that is not customized but available to all customers on an equal footing; specifically to assess the extent to which the tendency to psychological reactance moderates their responses. Design/methodology/approach – Four studies investigate the effects of such invitations on perceptions of shared responsibility, the mechanism underlying that process, the effect of trait reactance on susceptibility to an invitation, and the extent to which a predisposition to reactance moderates the effect of an invitation on willingness to share blame for service failure. Findings – Service customers are more likely to feel a sense of shared responsibility and less likely to experience reactance in response to a “reciprocal” invitation to participate in “co-creation” of the experience than to a more “unilateral” invitation. That heightened perce.
Estrada Index of Graphs

Suppose $G$ is a simple graph. The eigenvalues $\delta_1, \delta_2,\ldots, \delta_n$ of $G$ are the eigenvalues of its adjacency matrix $A$. The Estrada index of the graph $G$ is defined as $EE = EE(G) = \Sigma_{i=1}^{n} e^{\delta_i}$. In this paper the basic properties of $EE$ are investigated. Moreover, some lower and upper bounds for the Estrada index in terms of the number of vertices, edges and the Randic index are obtained. In addition, some relations between $EE$ and graph energy $E(G)$ are presented.
Unfalsified Virtual Reference Adaptive Switching Control of Plants with Persistent Disturbances

Abstract This paper addresses virtual reference adaptive switching control whereby a data-driven supervisor aims at stabilizing an unknown time-invariant dynamic system by switching at any time in feedback with system one element from a finite family of candidate controllers. Under the only assumption of problem feasibility, viz. the controller family contains a stabilizing controller, the resulting switched system is shown to be stable against arbitrary exogenous persistent bounded disturbances.
A Davidsonian perspective on psychiatric delusions

A number of philosophers have argued that psychiatric delusions threaten Donald Davidson's rationalist account of intentional agency. I argue that a careful look at both Davidson's account and psychiatric delusions shows that, in fact, the two are perfectly compatible. Indeed, a Davidsonian perspective on psychiatric delusions proves remarkably illuminating.
Effect of Lameness in Pigs in Terms of “Five Freedoms”

S OF THE PROCEEDINGS 145 competition for resources and may aggravate the condition. The freedom from fear and distress is also violated when a pig becomes lame as the ability to demonstrate the survival instinct is physically restricted. Despite these obvious links between the effects of lameness and five freedoms, pig welfare is often determined on easily measurable, systematically applied terms such as space allowance. A Tool for On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Pigs in New Zealand Ian Barugh, David Mellor, Eric Neumann, and Daan Vink Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand EpiCentre, Institute for Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand The New Zealand Pork Industry has the Code of Welfare 2005 (Pigs) as its primary welfare legislation. It is based on 20 minimum standards and has recommendations for the care of pigs. The minimum standards are primarily facilities based. The objective of this project was to quantify nonhuman animal-based welfare outcomes by observing pigs, pig behavior, and good husbandry. The first stage was to identify welfare indicators to assess and quantify the on-farm welfare status of pigs. Second, a system (welfare assessment tool) had to be developed to interpret these indicators and link them through to the 20 minimum standards contained in the Code of Welfare 2005 (Pigs). In addition, the tool developed had to be a valid measure of pig health and welfare, accurate in providing a true reflection of the current welfare status, reliable and repeatable, robust and practical, clear and adaptable to allow use by a range of inspectors and production systems. The welfare indicators were developed in consultation with parties of interest including pork producers; pork industry representatives; and technical staff, pig veterinarians, National Welfare Advisory Committee, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty. The tool developed had a series of primary animalbased indicators, including vocalization/noise, appearance (skin and body condiCorrespondence should be sent to Ian Barugh, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, PN 452, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, Manawatu, New Zealand 4442. Email: i.w. barugh@massey.ac. nz
Bounding the Labor Supply Responses to a Randomized Welfare Experiment: A Revealed Preference Approach

We study the short-term impact of Connecticut's Jobs First welfare reform experiment on women's labor supply and welfare participation decisions. A non-parametric optimizing model is shown to restrict the set of counterfactual choices compatible with each woman's actual choice. These revealed preference restrictions yield informative bounds on the frequency of several intensive and extensive margin responses to the experiment. We find that welfare reform induced many women to work but led some others to reduce their earnings in order to receive assistance. The bounds on this latter "opt-in" effect imply that intensive margin labor supply responses are non-trivial.
Factors Affecting Decisions to Volunteer in Nongovernmental Organizations

In 1997, we surveyed members of the Appalachian Trail Conference to identify characteristics and assess motivations of the active and nonactive members in this organization. We investigated the effects of social networks, competing commitments, lifestyle changes, personal growth, and belief of the efficacy of one’s actions on decisions to become and remain active members. We found the determining factors in decisions regarding volunteer activity were competing commitments and efficacy. Active members indicated that the efficacy of their actions was most important in their decision to participate, whereas nonactive members cited the importance of competing commitments in their decision not to participate. Recruitment and retention of volunteers may be aided by increasing the awareness of volunteer programs, ensuring that programs provide results of which individuals are proud, requesting the participation of individuals on both local and national levels, and recognizing volunteers for their contributions.