Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are ( explicit ) multi-robot coordination and multi-agent coordination really so different ?

Largely because of significant qualitative differences between the respective systems under study, the multi-agent and multi-robot research communities have each developed their own methods for perception, reasoning, and action in individual agents/robots. In particular, the multi-robot community has historically studied both implicit and explicit coordination techniques. Implicit coordination techniques employ dynamics of interaction among the robots and the environment in order to achieve the desired collective performance, often in the form of designed emergent behavior. These methods, while often very elegant and efficient, have so far defied general analysis, but show great promise in particular for large-scale teams of simple individuals, and are being studied actively in robotics as well as in several other fields (including mathematics, artificial life, etc.). Explicit coordination techniques, in comparison, deal with comparatively more sophisticated agents/robots, and employ intentional communication and collaboration methods much like those employed in multi-agent systems. Therefore, at the level of explicit coordination among multiple individuals, the differences between techniques used in multi-agent systems (MAS) and those used in multi-robot systems (MRS) are in fact very few. This is not to say that MAS and MRS are equivalent in any fundamental way, but rather that although robotics researchers employ sophisticated specialized techniques of various sorts (e.g., controltheoretic (Hao, Laxton, Agrawal, Lee & Benson 2003, Pereira, Das & Kumar 2003), probabilistic (Riley & Veloso 2002, Thomas Röfer and Matthias Jüngel 2003)) when designing single-robot control systems, they have so far tended to use techniques that are already well-known in the agent community when designing explicitly coordinated MRS. The discussion in the rest of this paper deals with explicitly coordinated MRS, so MRS can heretofore be assumed to refer to such systems and to exclude implicit MRS. In our previous work (Gerkey & Matarić 2003a), we examined the similarity among existing MRS in some depth, focusing on the problem of multi-robot task allocation (MRTA). We showed that many of the MRTA architectures that can be found in the literature are in fact solving well-understood optimization problems (e.g., the Online Assignment Problem (Kalyanasundaram & Pruhs 1993)) using well-understood techniques (e.g., the canonical Greedy Algorithm (Ahuja, Magnanti & Orlin 1993)). We also offered a theoretically sound, non-economic explanation for the success of market-based task allocation mechanisms (e.g., (Dias & Stentz 2001), (Gerkey & Matarić 2002)) based on well-known results from linear programming (Gale 1960). In a recent extension to our analysis (Gerkey & Matarić 2003b), we developed a taxonomy of MRTA problems, dividing the space along three axes:
Carotid body and cardiorespiratory alterations in intermittent hypoxia: the oxidative link

Intermittent hypoxia, a feature of obstructive sleep apnoea, potentiates ventilatory hypoxic responses, alters heart rate variability and produces hypertension, partially owing to an enhanced carotid body responsiveness to hypoxia. Since oxidative stress is a potential mediator of both chemosensory and cardiorespiratory alterations, we hypothesised that an antioxidant treatment may prevent these alterations. Accordingly, we studied the effects of ascorbic acid (1.25 g·L−1 drinking water) on plasma lipid peroxidation, nitrotyrosine and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) immunoreactivity in the carotid body, ventilatory and carotid chemosensory responses to acute hypoxia, heart rate variability and arterial blood pressure in male Sprague–Dawley rats exposed to 5% O2; 12 episodes·h−1; 8 h·day−1 or sham condition for 21 days. Intermittent hypoxia increased plasma lipid peroxidation, nitrotyrosine and iNOS expression in the carotid body, enhanced carotid chemosensory and ventilatory hypoxic responses, modified heart rate variability and produced hypertension. Ascorbic acid prevented the increased plasma lipid peroxidation and nitrotyrosine formation within the carotid body, and the enhanced carotid chemosensory and ventilatory responses to hypoxia, as well as heart rate variability alterations and hypertension. The present results support an essential role for oxidative stress in the generation of carotid body chemosensory potentiation and systemic cardiorespiratory alterations induced by intermittent hypoxia.
Reinforcement Learning of Two-Issue Negotiation Dialogue Policies

We use hand-crafted simulated negotiators (SNs) to train and evaluate dialogue policies for two-issue negotiation between two agents. These SNs differ in their goals and in the use of strong and weak arguments to persuade their counterparts. They may also make irrational moves, i.e., moves not consistent with their goals, to generate a variety of negotiation patterns. Different versions of these SNs interact with each other to generate corpora for Reinforcement Learning (RL) of argumentation dialogue policies for each of the two agents. We evaluate the learned policies against hand-crafted SNs similar to the ones used for training but with the modiﬁcation that these SNs no longer make irrational moves and thus are harder to beat. The learned policies generally do as well as, or better than the hand-crafted SNs showing that RL can be successfully used for learning argumentation dialogue policies in two-issue negotiation scenarios.
Imaging of Multiple Myeloma and Related Plasma Cell Dyscrasias

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable plasma cell malignancy of the bone marrow. MM has 3 components: diffuse marrow infiltration, focal bone lesions, and soft-tissue (extramedullary) disease. The hallmark biomarker in blood or urine is a monoclonal immunoglobulin, the monoclonal protein. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is a similar disease with secretion of IgM. Staging is classically performed with the 1975 Durie–Salmon system, which includes conventional radiographs. Recently updated, the Durie–Salmon Plus staging system includes CT, MRI, and 18F-FDG PET/CT. The hallmark radiographic lesion of symptomatic MM is a well-demarcated, focal osteolytic bone lesion. The number of focal bone lesions correlates inversely with outcome. Extramedullary disease is typically an aggressive, poorly differentiated form of MM that confers inferior outcome, with median survival of less than 1 y if present at diagnosis. Achievement of a complete response on 18F-FDG PET before stem-cell transplantation correlates with a superior outcome.
Genius: negotiation environment for heterogeneous agents

In this demo, we present Genius, a tool that facilitates research in the area of bilateral multi-issue negotiation. It implements an open architecture allowing easy development and integration of existing negotiating agents. Genius can be used to simulate individual negotiation sessions as well as tournaments between negotiating agents in various negotiation scenarios. It allows the specification of negotiation domains and preference profiles by means of a graphical user interface. A number of negotiating agent implementations as well as negotiation scenarios have been collected in Genius. Genius can be used in experiments with human negotiators that negotiate against automated agents or other humans. An analytical toolbox integrated in Genius calculates optimal solutions, such as the Pareto efficient frontier, Nash product and others. This toolbox may be used to visualize a negotiation process and creates an extensive log.
X-Box Binding Protein 1 Is Essential for the Anti-Oxidant Defense and Cell Survival in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Damage to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is an early event in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a key transcription factor that regulates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis and cell survival. This study aimed to delineate the role of endogenous XBP1 in the RPE. Our results show that in a rat model of light-induced retinal degeneration, XBP1 activation was suppressed in the RPE/choroid complex, accompanied by decreased anti-oxidant genes and increased oxidative stress. Knockdown of XBP1 by siRNA resulted in reduced expression of SOD1, SOD2, catalase, and glutathione synthase and sensitized RPE cells to oxidative damage. Using Cre/LoxP system, we generated a mouse line that lacks XBP1 only in RPE cells. Compared to wildtype littermates, RPE-XBP1 KO mice expressed less SOD1, SOD2, and catalase in the RPE, and had increased oxidative stress. At age 3 months and older, these mice exhibited apoptosis of RPE cells, decreased number of cone photoreceptors, shortened photoreceptor outer segment, reduced ONL thickness, and deficit in retinal function. Electron microscopy showed abnormal ultrastructure, Bruch's membrane thickening, and disrupted basal membrane infolding in XBP1-deficient RPE. These results indicate that XBP1 is an important gene involved in regulation of the anti-oxidant defense in the RPE, and that impaired activation of XBP1 may contribute to RPE dysfunction and cell death during retinal degeneration and AMD.
Asymptotically Stable Adaptive–Optimal Control Algorithm With Saturating Actuators and Relaxed Persistence of Excitation

This paper proposes a control algorithm based on adaptive dynamic programming to solve the infinite-horizon optimal control problem for known deterministic nonlinear systems with saturating actuators and nonquadratic cost functionals. The algorithm is based on an actor/critic framework, where a critic neural network (NN) is used to learn the optimal cost, and an actor NN is used to learn the optimal control policy. The adaptive control nature of the algorithm requires a persistence of excitation condition to be a priori validated, but this can be relaxed using previously stored data concurrently with current data in the update of the critic NN. A robustifying control term is added to the controller to eliminate the effect of residual errors, leading to the asymptotically stability of the closed-loop system. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach for a controlled Van der Pol oscillator and also for a power system plant.
XMM-Newton Observations of the Black Widow Pulsar PSR B1957+20

We report on XMM-Newton observations of the "Black Widow pulsar", PSR B1957+20. The pulsar's X-ray emission is non-thermal and best modeled with a single powerlaw spectrum of photon index 2.03(+0.51/-0.36). No coherent X-ray pulsations at the pulsar's spin-period could be detected, though a strong binary-phase dependence of the X-ray flux is observed for the first time. The data suggest that the majority of the pulsar's X-radiation is emitted from a small part of the binary orbit only. We identified this part as being near to where the radio eclipse takes place. This could mean that the X-rays from PSR B1957+20 are mostly due to intra-shock emission which is strongest when the pulsar wind interacts with the ablated material from the companion star.
Toxoplasmosis in HIV infection: An overview

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite presenting as a zoonotic infection distributed worldwide. In HIV-positive individuals, it causes severe opportunistic infections, which is of major public health concern as it results in physical and psychological disabilities. In healthy immunocompetent individuals, it causes asymptomatic chronic persistent infections, but in immunosuppressed patients, there is reactivation of the parasite if the CD4 counts fall below 200 cells/μl. The seroprevalence rates are variable in different geographic areas. The tissue cyst or oocyst is the infective form which enters by ingestion of contaminated meat and transform into tachyzoites and disseminate into blood stream. In immunocompetent persons due to cell-mediated immunity the parasite is transformed into tissue cyst resulting in life long chronic infection. In HIV-infected people opportunistic infection by T. gondii occurs due to depletion of CD4 cells, decreased production of cytokines and interferon gamma and impaired cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity resulting in reactivation of latent infection. The diagnosis can be done by clinical, serological, radiological, histological or molecular methods, or by the combination of these. There is various treatment regimen including acute treatment, maintenance therapy should be given as the current anti T. gondii therapy cannot eradicate tissue cysts. In HIV patients, CD4 counts <100; cotrimoxazole, alternately dapsone + pyrimethamine can be given for 6 months. Hence, early diagnosis of T. gondii antibodies is important in all HIV-positive individuals to prevent complications of cerebral toxoplasmosis.
Strategy Matters: The Role of Strategy Type for IT Business Value

There is a general consensus among practitioners and researchers alike that IT business alignment improves business performance. Typically, alignment is analyzed at a strategic level. Yet, it has to be implemented in daily operations to be effective. Therefore, in this paper we introduce the concept of operational IT business alignment, reflecting the functional integration at the structural level and representing the linkage between business and IT structure. Using structural equation modeling and data from 136 banks we show that operational IT business alignment positively impacts IS usage and IT flexibility and in turn process performance. Especially, it is shown that the effect of IT business alignment strongly depends on the type of business strategy a firm follows.
Three-Dimensional in Vivo Imaging of Green Fluorescent Protein-Expressing T Cells in Mice with Noncontact Fluorescence Molecular Tomography

Given that optical tomography is capable of quantitatively imaging the distribution of several important chromophores and fluorophores in vivo, there has been a great deal of interest in developing optical imaging systems with increased numbers of measurements under optimal experimental conditions. In this article, we present a novel system that enables three-dimensional imaging of fluorescent probes in whole animals using a noncontact setup, in parallel with a three-dimensional surface reconstruction algorithm. This approach is directed toward the in vivo imaging of fluorophore or fluorescent protein concentration in small animals. The system consists of a rotating sample holder and a lens-coupled charge-coupled device camera in combination with a fiber-coupled laser scanning device. By measuring multiple projections, large data sets can be obtained, thus improving the accuracy of the inversion models used for quantitative three-dimensional reconstruction of fluorochrome distribution, as well as facilitating a higher spatial resolution. In this study, the system was applied to determining the distribution of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing T lymphocytes in a transgenic mouse model, thus demonstrating the potential of the system for studying immune system function. The technique was used to image and reconstruct fluorescence originating from 32 × 106 T cells in the thymus and 3 × 105 T cells in the spleen.
Dynamic organization of DNA replication in mammalian cell nuclei: spatially and temporally defined replication of chromosome-specific alpha-satellite DNA sequences

Five distinct patterns of DNA replication have been identified during S- phase in asynchronous and synchronous cultures of mammalian cells by conventional fluorescence microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and immunoelectron microscopy. During early S-phase, replicating DNA (as identified by 5-bromodeoxyuridine incorporation) appears to be distributed at sites throughout the nucleoplasm, excluding the nucleolus. In CHO cells, this pattern of replication peaks at 30 min into S-phase and is consistent with the localization of euchromatin. As S-phase continues, replication of euchromatin decreases and the peripheral regions of heterochromatin begin to replicate. This pattern of replication peaks at 2 h into S-phase. At 5 h, perinucleolar chromatin as well as peripheral areas of heterochromatin peak in replication. 7 h into S-phase interconnecting patches of electron-dense chromatin replicate. At the end of S-phase (9 h), replication occurs at a few large regions of electron-dense chromatin. Similar or identical patterns have been identified in a variety of mammalian cell types. The replication of specific chromosomal regions within the context of the BrdU-labeling patterns has been examined on an hourly basis in synchronized HeLa cells. Double labeling of DNA replication sites and chromosome-specific alpha-satellite DNA sequences indicates that the alpha-satellite DNA replicates during mid S-phase (characterized by the third pattern of replication) in a variety of human cell types. Our data demonstrates that specific DNA sequences replicate at spatially and temporally defined points during the cell cycle and supports a spatially dynamic model of DNA replication.
Predicting information technology usage in the car: towards a car technology acceptance model

This paper is aimed at studying information technology acceptance in an automotive context. Most models of technology acceptance focus on barriers of successful information technology implementation in organizations, while factors that take the contextual situation into account are neglected. We address this issue through deriving context-related determinants from an extensive literature review and a content analysis, and we further describe a technology acceptance modeling process to provide an explanation for drivers' acceptance of in-car technology. Based on our evaluation we take the determinants safety and anxiety into consideration, and propose a theoretical car technology acceptance model (CTAM) by incorporating these determinants into the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. Our modeling approach and proposed questionnaire support decision processes regarding in-vehicle information system implementation in the automotive industry as well as behavior prediction for research purposes.
Preclinical atherosclerosis due to HIV infection: carotid intima-medial thickness measurements from the FRAM study

Background:Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. However, it is controversial whether HIV infection contributes to accelerated atherosclerosis independent of traditional CVD risk factors. Methods:Cross-sectional study of HIV-infected participants and controls without pre-existing CVD from the study of Fat Redistribution and Metabolic Change in HIV Infection (FRAM) and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Preclinical atherosclerosis was assessed by carotid intima-medial thickness (cIMT) measurements in the internal/bulb and common regions in HIV-infected participants and controls after adjusting for traditional CVD risk factors. Results:For internal carotid, mean IMT was 1.17 ± 0.50 mm for HIV-infected participants and 1.06 ± 0.58 mm for controls (P < 0.0001). After multivariable adjustment for demographic characteristics, the mean difference of HIV-infected participants vs. controls was 0.188 mm [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.113–0.263, P < 0.0001]. Further adjustment for traditional CVD risk factors modestly attenuated the HIV association (0.148 mm, 95% CI 0.072–0.224, P = 0.0001). For the common carotid, HIV infection was independently associated with greater IMT (0.033 mm, 95% CI 0.010–0.056, P = 0.005). The association of HIV infection with IMT was similar to that of smoking, which was also associated with greater IMT (internal 0.173 mm, common 0.020 mm). Conclusion:Even after adjustment for traditional CVD risk factors, HIV infection was accompanied by more extensive atherosclerosis measured by IMT. The stronger association of HIV infection with IMT in the internal/bulb region compared with the common carotid may explain previous discrepancies in the literature. The association of HIV infection with IMT was similar to that of traditional CVD risk factors, such as smoking.
BCL-2 and Bax Expression in Skin Flaps Treated with Finasteride or Azelaic Acid

Despite all modern surgical techniques, skin flap that is considered as the main method in most reconstructive surgeries puts the skin tissue at danger of necrosis and apoptosis derived from ischemia. Therefore, finding a treatment for decreasing the apoptosis derived from flap ischemia will be useful in clinic. In present study, we evaluated the effect of azelaic acid 20% and finasteride on expression of BCL-2 and bax proteins after the skin flap surgery. For this purpose, 21 rats were entered in three groups including control, azelaic acid 20% and finasteride, all experienced skin flap surgery and then flap tissue was assessed for determining the expression of proteins in 5 slices prepared from each rat that were graded between – to +++ scales. Both azelaic acid and finasteride increased the expression of BCL-2 protein (p < 0.05) and decrease the expression of bax protein (p < 0.05). These results suggested an antiapoptotic role for finasteride and azelaic acid in preserving the flap after the ischemia reperfusion insult.
Crosstalk between the HpArsRS two-component system and HpNikR is necessary for maximal activation of urease transcription

Helicobacter pylori NikR (HpNikR) is a nickel dependent transcription factor that directly regulates a number of genes in this important gastric pathogen. One key gene that is regulated by HpNikR is ureA, which encodes for the urease enzyme. In vitro DNA binding studies of HpNikR with the ureA promoter (PureA) previously identified a recognition site that is required for high affinity protein/DNA binding. As a means to determine the in vivo significance of this recognition site and to identify the key DNA sequence determinants required for ureA transcription, herein, we have translated these in vitro results to analysis directly within H. pylori. Using a series of GFP reporter constructs in which the PureA DNA target was altered, in combination with mutant H. pylori strains deficient in key regulatory proteins, we confirmed the importance of the previously identified HpNikR recognition sequence for HpNikR-dependent ureA transcription. Moreover, we identified a second factor, the HpArsRS two-component system that was required for maximum transcription of ureA. While HpArsRS is known to regulate ureA in response to acid shock, it was previously thought to function independently of HpNikR and to have no role at neutral pH. However, our qPCR analysis of ureA expression in wildtype, ΔnikR and ΔarsS single mutants as well as a ΔarsS/nikR double mutant strain background showed reduced basal level expression of ureA when arsS was absent. Additionally, we determined that both HpNikR and HpArsRS were necessary for maximal expression of ureA under nickel, low pH and combined nickel and low pH stresses. In vitro studies of HpArsR-P with the PureA DNA target using florescence anisotropy confirmed a direct protein/DNA binding interaction. Together, these data support a model in which HpArsRS and HpNikR cooperatively interact to regulate ureA transcription under various environmental conditions. This is the first time that direct “cross-talk” between HpArsRS and HpNikR at neutral pH has been demonstrated.
New selective inhibitors of calcium‐activated chloride channels – T16Ainh‐A01, CaCCinh‐A01 and MONNA – what do they inhibit?

T16Ainh‐A01, CaCCinh‐A01 and MONNA are identified as selective inhibitors of the TMEM16A calcium‐activated chloride channel (CaCC). The aim of this study was to examine the chloride‐specificity of these compounds on isolated resistance arteries in the presence and absence (±) of extracellular chloride.