Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modular reservoir computing networks for imitation learning of multiple robot behaviors

Autonomous mobile robots must accomplish tasks in unknown and noisy environments. In this context, learning robot behaviors in an imitation based approach would be desirable in the perspective of service robotics as well as of learning robots. In this work, we use Reservoir Computing (RC) for learning robot behaviors by demonstration. In RC, a randomly generated recurrent neural network, the reservoir, projects the input to a dynamic temporal space. The reservoir states are mapped into a readout output layer which is the solely part being trained using standard linear regression. In this paper, we use a two layered modular structure, where the first layer comprises two RC networks, each one for learning primitive behaviors, namely, obstacle avoidance and target seeking. The second layer is composed of one RC network for behavior combination and coordination. The hierarchical RC network learns by examples given by simple controllers which implement the primitive behaviors. We use a simulation model of the e-puck robot which has distance sensors and a camera that serves as input for our system. The experiments show that, after training, the robot learns to coordinate the Goal Seeking (GS) and the Object Avoidance (OA) behaviors in unknown environments, being able to capture targets and navigate efficiently.
A systematic review of surface electromyography analyses of the bench press movement task

Background The bench press exercise (BP) plays an important role in recreational and professional training, in which muscle activity is an important multifactorial phenomenon. The objective of this paper is to systematically review electromyography (EMG) studies performed on the barbell BP exercise to answer the following research questions: Which muscles show the greatest activity during the flat BP? Which changes in muscle activity are related to specific conditions under which the BP movement is performed? Strategy PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library were searched through June 10, 2016. A combination of the following search terms was used: bench press, chest press, board press, test, measure, assessment, dynamometer, kinematics and biomechanics. Only original, full-text articles were considered. Results The search process resulted in 14 relevant studies that were included in the discussion. The triceps brachii (TB) and pectoralis major (PM) muscles were found to have similar activity during the BP, which was significantly higher than the activity of the anterior deltoid. During the BP movement, muscle activity changes with exercise intensity, velocity of movement, fatigue, mental focus, movement phase and stability conditions, such as bar vibration or unstable surfaces. Under these circumstances, TB is the most common object of activity change. Conclusions PM and TB EMG activity is more dominant and shows greater EMG amplitude than anterior deltoid during the BP. There are six factors that can influence muscle activity during the BP; however, the most important factor is exercise intensity, which interacts with all other factors. The research on muscle activity in the BP has several unresolved areas, such as clearly and strongly defined guidelines to perform EMG measurements (e.g., how to elaborate with surface EMG limits) or guidelines for the use of exact muscle models.
Glucose dysregulation in nondiabetic patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: acute and chronic glucose dysregulation in STEMI.

BACKGROUND Admission hyperglycaemia is associated with an increased risk of mortality after myocardial infarction. Whether long-term glucose dysregulation (assessed by HbA1c) is more important than acute hyperglycaemia is unknown. We evaluated the prognostic value of admission glucose and HbA1c levels in nondiabetic patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS In 504 unselected, consecutive patients with STEMI, glucose and HbA1c levels were measured on admission. Glucose was categorised as <11.1 mmol/l (n=422) and >or= 11.1 mmol/l (n=82). HbA1c levels were categorised as <6.0% (n=416) and >or=6.0% (n=88). Mean follow-up was 1.6+/-0.6 years. RESULTS Patients with hyperglycaemia on admission were comparable with those with normoglycaemia. However,patients with HbA1c >or=6.0%, as compared with those with HbA1c <6%, were older, were more often on beta-blockers and more frequently had multivessel disease. Thirty-day mortality in the subsequent glucose categories (<11.1 mmol/l and >or=11.1 mmol/l) was 4% and 19% (p<0.001) and in the subsequent HbA1c categories (<6% and >or=6%) was 5% and 12% (p=0.03). After multivariable analyses, admission glucose (OR 4.91,95% CI 2.03 to 11.9, p< 0.001) but not HbA1c (OR 1.33, 95%CI 0.48 to 3.71, p=0.58) was significantly associated with 30-day mortality. Among 30-day survivors, neither admission glucose nor HbA1c were predictors of long-term mortality. CONCLUSION Elevated admission glucose is an important predictor of 30-day outcome after STEMI, while prior long-term glucose dysregulation is a covariate of other high-risk clinical characteristics. Among 30-day survivors, neither admission blood glucose nor HbA1c were predictors of long-term outcome.
Silencing Bcl-2 in models of mantle cell lymphoma is associated with decreases in cyclin D1, nuclear factor-κB, p53, bax, and p27 levels

Molecular mechanisms responsible for lymphoma resistance to apoptosis often involve the bcl-2 pathway. In this study, we investigated the cell signaling pathways activated in bcl-2-overexpressing human mantle cell lymphoma cell lines (JVM-2 and Z-138) that have been treated with oblimersen, a molecular gene silencing strategy that effectively suppresses bcl-2 in vitro and in vivo. Z-138 cells expressed higher levels of bcl-2 and were more sensitive to the effects of bcl-2 silencing, mediated by oblimersen or bcl-2 small interfering RNA, in vitro. Tumors derived following injection of Z-138 cells were sensitive to oblimersen as judged by decreases in tumor growth rate and decreases in cell proliferation (as measured by Ki-67). Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis of oblimersen-treated Z-138 tumors revealed a dose-dependent decrease in bcl-2 levels and an associated increase in the proapoptotic proteins caspase-3 and caspase-9. Silencing bcl-2 in Z-138 xenografts revealed an associated dose-dependent suppression of bax, a decrease in nuclear factor-κB and phospho-nuclear factor-κB, and transient loss of p53 levels. Coimmunoprecipitation studies suggest that the latter observation is mediated by an association between bcl-2 and phospho-mdm2. Bcl-2 silencing also led to p27 down-regulation and coimmunoprecipitation studies point to a role for bcl-2 in regulation of p27 localization/degradation. Bcl-2 silencing was also correlated with loss of cyclin D1a protein levels but not cyclin D1b levels. Coimmunoprecipitation studies indicate that bcl-2 may mediate its effects on cyclin D1a via interaction with p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase as well as a previously unreported interaction between bcl-2 and cyclin D1a. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(4):749–58]
Quantitative analysis of ultrasound B-mode images of carotid atherosclerotic plaque: correlation with visual classification and histological examination

This paper presents a quantitative comparison of three types of information available for 52 patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy: subjective classification of the ultrasound images obtained during scanning before operation, first- and second-order statistical features extracted from regions of the plaque in still ultrasound images from three orthogonal scan planes and finally a histological analysis of the surgically removed plaque. The quantitative comparison was made with the linear model and with separation of the available data into training and test sets. The comparison of subjective classification with features from still ultrasound images revealed an overall agreement of 60% for classification of echogenicity and 70% for classification of structure. Comparison of the histologically determined relative volume of soft materials with features from the still images revealed a correlation coefficient of r=-0.42 (p=0.002), for mean echogenicity of the plaque region. The best performing feature was of second order and denoted contrast (r=-0.5). Though significant, the latter correlation is probably not strong enough to be useful for clinical prediction of relative volume of soft materials for individual patients. Reasons for this is discussed in the paper, together with suggestions for improvements.
Cellular automata and Lyapunov exponents

The first definition of Lyapunov exponents (depending on a probability measure) for a one-dimensional cellular automaton was introduced by Shereshevsky in 1991. The existence of an almost everywhere constant value for each of the two exponents (left and right), requires particular conditions for the measure. Shereshevsky establishes an inequality involving these two constants and the metric entropies of both the shift and the cellular automaton. In this paper we first prove that Shereshevsky's two exponents exist for a more suitable class of measures, then, keeping the same conditions, we define new exponents, called average Lyapunov exponents which are smaller than or equal to the former. We obtain two inequalities: the first one is analogous to Shereshevsky's but concerns the average exponents; the second is the Shereshevsky inequality but with more suitable assumptions. These results are illustrated by two non-trivial examples, both proving that average exponents provide a better bound for the entropy, and one showing that the inequalities are strict in general.
Blood eosinophils and inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β-2 agonist efficacy in COPD

Objective We performed a review of studies of fluticasone propionate (FP)/salmeterol (SAL) (combination inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting β2-agonist (LABA)) in patients with COPD, which measured baseline (pretreatment) blood eosinophil levels, to test whether blood eosinophil levels ≥2% were associated with a greater reduction in exacerbation rates with ICS therapy. Methods Three studies of ≥1-year duration met the inclusion criteria. Moderate and severe exacerbation rates were analysed according to baseline blood eosinophil levels (<2% vs ≥2%). At baseline, 57–75% of patients had ≥2% blood eosinophils. Changes in FEV1 and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) scores were compared by eosinophil level. Results For patients with ≥2% eosinophils, FP/SAL was associated with significant reductions in exacerbation rates versus tiotropium (INSPIRE: n=719, rate ratio (RR)=0.75, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.92, p=0.006) and versus placebo (TRISTAN: n=1049, RR=0.63, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.79, p<0.001). No significant difference was seen in the <2% eosinophil subgroup in either study (INSPIRE: n=550, RR=1.18, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.51, p=0.186; TRISTAN: n=354, RR=0.99, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.47, p=0.957, respectively). In SCO30002 (n=373), no significant effects were observed (FP or FP/SAL vs placebo). No relationship was observed in any study between eosinophil subgroup and treatment effect on FEV1 and SGRQ. Discussion Baseline blood eosinophil levels may represent an informative marker for exacerbation reduction with ICS/LABA in patients with COPD and a history of moderate/severe exacerbations.
Relationship between exhaled nitric oxide and mucosal eosinophilic inflammation in children with difficult asthma, after treatment with oral prednisolone.

Exhaled nitric oxide (FE(NO)) has been proposed as a noninvasive marker of airway inflammation in asthma, and may reflect airway eosinophilia. We examined the relationship between FE(NO) and eosinophilic inflammation in endobronchial biopsies from 31 children with difficult asthma (mean age [range] 11.9 [6-17] yr), following 2 wk of prednisolone (40 mg/d). Endobronchial biopsy was also performed in seven children without asthma. Biopsy eosinophils were detected using antibody to major basic protein, and point-counting used to derive an "eosinophil score. " FE(NO) readings and suitable biopsies for analysis were both obtained in 21 of 31 children with asthma. Adherence to prednisolone was demonstrated in 17 of these 21. Within this group, there was a correlation between FE(NO) and eosinophil score (r = 0.54, p = 0.03). The relationship was strongest in patients with persistent symptoms after prednisolone, in whom FE(NO) > 7 ppb was associated with a raised eosinophil score. For all patients, FE(NO) < 7 ppb was associated with an eosinophil score within the nonasthmatic range, regardless of symptoms. We propose that FE(NO) is associated with eosinophilic inflammation in children with difficult asthma, following prednisolone, and may help in identifying patients in whom persistent symptoms are associated with airway eosinophilia.
Simulation-based test algorithm generation for random access memories

Although there are well known test algorithms that have been used by the industry for years for testing semiconductor random-access memories (RAMs), systematic evaluation of their effectiveness and efficiency has been a difficult job. In the past, it was mainly done manually by proving a certain algorithm can detect a certain type of fault. As memory technology keeps innovating, the growing complexity of the memories and number of fault types that need to be covered will require more effective and efficient test algorithms to be discovered in much shorter time. A systematic approach for developing and evaluating memory test algorithms is thus desired. We propose such an approach here: test algorithm generation by simulation (TAGS), which generates and optimizes test algorithms, given a test time budget. Experimental results show that the algorithms generated by TAGS are more efficient than the traditional test algorithms. Using TAGS, a series of test algorithms with a detailed list of faults covered by each algorithm can be generated, providing easy trade-off between test time and fault coverage.
Semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots : synthesis, assembly, spectroscopy and applications

-Growth mechanism, shape and composition control of semiconductor nanocrystals. -Synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals in organic solvents. -Aqueous synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals. Multishell semiconductor nanocrystals. -Self-assembly of semiconductor nanocrystals into ordered superstructures. -Semiconductor nanocrystal-polymer composites. -Layer-by-layer assembly with semiconductor nanoparticles and nanowires. -Exciton-phonon interaction in semiconductor nanocrystals. -Anti-Stokes photoluminescence in semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots. -Exciton dynamics and energy transfer processes in semiconductor nanocrystals. -Flourescence spectroscopy of single CdSe nanocrystals. -Applications of quantum dots in biomedicine.
Jerky, a Protein Deficient in a Mouse Epilepsy Model, Is Associated with Translationally Inactive mRNA in Neurons

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a common seizure disorder, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. We reported previously that inactivation of the jerky gene in mice causes recurrent limbic seizures highly similar to TLE. Electrophysiological studies showed abnormal firing in hippocampal neurons in these mice, but it is not known how a deficiency in the Jerky protein leads to neuronal hyperexcitability. Here we show that Jerky is a brain-specific protein with a high expression level in neurons. Jerky binds mRNAs with high affinity, and it is a component of messenger ribonucleoprotein complexes in vivo. However, Jerky is not associated with ribosomes and actively translating mRNAs. These data suggest that Jerky may regulate mRNA use in neurons, and its deficiency could lead to perturbations in the regulated use of preexisting mRNAs.
MultiChord: A Resilient Namespace Management Protocol

MultiChord is a new variant of the Chord namespace management algorithm [7] that includes lightweight mechanisms for accommodating a limited rate of change, specifically, process joins and failures. This paper describes the algorithm formally and evaluates its performance, using both simulation and analysis. Our main result is that lookups are provably correct—that is, each lookup returns results that are consistent with a hypothetical ideal system that differs from the actual system only in entries corresponding to recent joins and failures—in the presence of a limited rate of change. In particular, if the number of joins and failures that occur during a given time interval in a given region of system are bounded, then all lookups are correct. A second result is a guaranteed upper bound for the latency of a lookup operation in the absence of any other lookups in the system. Finally, we establish a relationship between the deterministic assumptions of bounded joins and failures and the probabilistic assumptions (which are often used to model large scale networks). In particular, we derive a lower bound for the mean time between two violations of the deterministic assumptions in a steady state system where joins and failures are modeled by Poisson processes.
Carotid Artery Stenosis: Anesthetic Considerations for Open and Endovascular Management

Carotid artery stenosis is a major risk factor for stroke, which is the second leading cause of death worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA), a surgical intervention to prevent stroke due to extracranial carotid stenosis, was first documented in 1954 in a patient with hemiplegia. Since then, multiple randomized controlled trials in the 1990s have shown an advantage of CEA plus aspirin over aspirin alone in preventing stroke. Interventional options were further advanced in 1994 when endovascular carotid artery stenting (CAS) was initially introduced and, in 2004, when it was subsequently approved by the FDA. According to the American Heart Association, CEA is the most frequently performed surgical procedure to prevent stroke, but the rates of CAS are increasing, and outcome comparisons between CEA and CAS are a topic of intense research. This chapter will focus on a brief discussion of the anesthetic considerations pertaining to the interventional treatment of carotid artery stenosis.
MEG Frequency Analysis Depicts the Impaired Neurophysiological Condition of Ischemic Brain

Purpose Quantitative imaging of neuromagnetic fields based on automated region of interest (ROI) setting was analyzed to determine the characteristics of cerebral neural activity in ischemic areas. Methods Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to evaluate spontaneous neuromagnetic fields in the ischemic areas of 37 patients with unilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusive disease. Voxel-based time-averaged intensity of slow waves was obtained in two frequency bands (0.3–4 Hz and 4–8 Hz) using standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) modified for a quantifiable method (sLORETA-qm). ROIs were automatically applied to the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), anterior middle cerebral artery (MCAa), posterior middle cerebral artery (MCAp), and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Positron emission tomography with 15O-gas inhalation (15O-PET) was also performed to evaluate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF). Statistical analyses were performed using laterality index of MEG and 15O-PET in each ROI with respect to distribution and intensity. Results MEG revealed statistically significant laterality in affected MCA regions, including 4–8 Hz waves in MCAa, and 0.3–4 Hz and 4–8 Hz waves in MCAp (95% confidence interval: 0.020–0.190, 0.030–0.207, and 0.034–0.213), respectively. We found that 0.3–4 Hz waves in MCAp were highly correlated with CBF in MCAa and MCAp (r = 0.74, r = 0.68, respectively), whereas 4–8 Hz waves were moderately correlated with CBF in both the MCAa and MCAp (r = 0.60, r = 0.63, respectively). We also found that 4–8 Hz waves in MCAp were statistically significant for misery perfusion identified on 15O-PET (p<0.05). Conclusions Quantitatively imaged spontaneous neuromagnetic fields using the automated ROI setting enabled clear depiction of cerebral ischemic areas. Frequency analysis may reveal unique neural activity that is distributed in the impaired vascular metabolic territory, in which the cerebral infarction has not yet been completed.
Novel polymorphism in the promoter region of the human nerve growth‐factor gene

We describe a novel T to C transition at position −198 from the transcription start of the human nerve growth‐factor (NGF) gene. In British Caucasoid healthy control group that we have genotyped, T and C allele frequencies are 0.633 and 0.367, respectively. This polymorphism affects vitamin D receptor (VDR) binding to its motif in the NGF promoter.
Contrasting Mechanical and Hydraulic Properties of Wet and Dry Fault Zones in a Proposed Shale‐Hosted Nuclear Waste Repository

The underground disposal of high‐level nuclear waste is a pressing issue for several countries. In Switzerland, the Opalinus Clay formation is a shale with favorable barrier properties. However, small‐to‐large faults intersecting the formation bring the long‐term integrity of the future repositories into question. Here we present the first systematic laboratory study on the frictional strength, stability, dilatancy, and permeability of simulated Opalinus Clay gouge under typical repository conditions. Wet gouges exhibit an extremely low coefficient of friction (μf~0.16), velocity‐strengthening behavior, and shear‐enhanced dilatancy at the onset of slip, and permeability increase. Conversely, dry gouges remain weak (μf~0.36) but exhibit a transition from unstable to stable sliding with increasing sliding velocity. Thus, we infer that faults hosted in Opalinus Clay could be easily reactivated via aseismic creep, possibly acting as poor fluid conduits. However, if temporarily dried, the faults become potentially unstable, at least, at low sliding velocities (<~10 μm/s).
The Relevance Voxel Machine (RVoxM): A Self-Tuning Bayesian Model for Informative Image-Based Prediction

This paper presents the relevance voxel machine (RVoxM), a dedicated Bayesian model for making predictions based on medical imaging data. In contrast to the generic machine learning algorithms that have often been used for this purpose, the method is designed to utilize a small number of spatially clustered sets of voxels that are particularly suited for clinical interpretation. RVoxM automatically tunes all its free parameters during the training phase, and offers the additional advantage of producing probabilistic prediction outcomes. We demonstrate RVoxM as a regression model by predicting age from volumetric gray matter segmentations, and as a classification model by distinguishing patients with Alzheimer's disease from healthy controls using surface-based cortical thickness data. Our results indicate that RVoxM yields biologically meaningful models, while providing state-of-the-art predictive accuracy.