Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using General-Purpose Planning for Action Selection in Human-Robot Interaction

A central problem in designing and implementing interactive systems—action selection—is also a core research topic in automated planning. While numerous toolkits are available for building end-to-end interactive systems, the tight coupling of representation, reasoning, and technical frameworks found in these toolkits often makes it difficult to compare or change the underlying domain models. In contrast, the automated planning community provides general-purpose representation languages and multiple planning engines that support these languages. We describe our recent work on automated planning for task-based social interaction, using a robot that must interact with multiple humans in a bartending domain.
Distributed bandwidth broker for QoS multicast traffic

The differentiated services model is the emerging standard to provide Quality-of-Service (QoS) support for multimedia applications in the future Internet. This model involves bandwidth broker agents performing admission control and network configuration functionalities. A great deal of effort has been recently devoted to investigate viable approaches to the implementation of mechanisms that automatically perform the bandwidth broker functions, yet no standard policy has been proposed so far. In this paper we propose a distributed measurement-based protocol that performs admission control functionalities for multicast traffic in diff-serv networks. The protocol supports dynamic changes of the multicast group membership, operates on-demand, and supports the premium service. We prove that the proposed protocol performs an effective and efficient admission control function.
ÍNDICE DE RIGOR MORTIS DE TILÁPIAS DO NILO ABATIDAS DE DIFERENTES FORMAS APÓS CULTIVO EM ESGOTO DOMÉSTICO TRATADO

Comparou-se o Indice de Rigor Mortis (IRM) da musculatura das tilapias do Nilo cultivadas em esgoto domestico tratado, que foram submetidas ou nao a depuracao antes do abate por imersao em solucao com eugenol e por hipotermia, objetivando avaliar se ha influencia dos tratamentos na qualidade do pescado produzido. O experimento teve duracao de 170 horas no qual foram testados quatro diferentes tratamentos: DE, depuradas por cinco dias em agua bruta e abatidas com eugenol; DH, depuracao semelhante e abate por hipotermia; EE, sem depuracao e abate com eugenol; e EH, sem depuracao e abate por hipotermia. Os diferentes tratamentos provocaram diferencas no tempo de inicio do rigor mortis . As duas tecnicas de sacrificio foram eficazes, porem o uso do eugenol apresentou melhor resultado, proporcionando maiores valores do indice no rigor pleno. Ao final do experimento foi observado que, apesar dos quatro tratamentos nao apresentarem diferenca estatisticamente significativa, o EE apresentou maior valor de IRM, seguido pelo EH, DH e DE. Nao foi observada diferenca na evolucao do rigor mortis entre as tilapias que foram depuradas ou nao. Os peixes sacrificados com eugenol alcancaram maior valor de IRM no rigor pleno quando comparados aos que foram sacrificados por hipotermia.
Visualization of Electron Transport Coefficients in RF Electric and Magnetic Fields Crossed at Arbitrary Angles

The Boltzmann equation for charged particle swarms in gases subject to arbitrarily oriented spatially homogeneous and time-dependent electric and magnetic fields is solved by a recently developed multiterm theory, and attention is focused on the portrayal of the electron transport properties. Temporal variations of the electron transport data are presented for the Reid ramp model gas in varying configurations of electric and magnetic fields for a fixed field frequency and amplitudes of the electric and magnetic fields.
Climate response of direct radiative forcing of anthropogenic black carbon

[1] The equilibrium climate effect of direct radiative forcing of anthropogenic black carbon (BC) is examined by 100-year simulations in the Goddard Institute for Space Studies General Circulation Model II-prime coupled to a mixed-layer ocean model. Anthropogenic BC is predicted to raise globally and annually averaged equilibrium surface air temperature by 0.20 K if BC is assumed to be externally mixed. The predicted increase is significantly greater in the Northern Hemisphere (0.29 K) than in the Southern Hemisphere (0.11 K). If BC is assumed to be internally mixed with the present-day level of sulfate aerosol, the predicted annual mean surface temperature increase rises to 0.37 K globally, 0.54 K for the Northern Hemisphere, and 0.20 K for the Southern Hemisphere. The climate sensitivity of BC direct radiative forcing is calculated to be 0.6 K W−1 m2, which is about 70% of that of CO2, independent of the assumption of BC mixing state. The largest surface temperature response occurs over the northern high latitudes during winter and early spring. In the tropics and midlatitudes, the largest temperature increase is predicted to occur in the upper troposphere. Direct radiative forcing of anthropogenic BC is also predicted to lead to a change of precipitation patterns in the tropics; precipitation is predicted to increase between 0 and 20°N and decrease between 0 and 20°S, shifting the intertropical convergence zone northward. If BC is assumed to be internally mixed with sulfate instead of externally mixed, the change in precipitation pattern is enhanced. The change in precipitation pattern is not predicted to alter the global burden of BC significantly because the change occurs predominantly in regions removed from BC sources.
Characterization of mobile phone localization errors with OpenCellID data

We examine the publicly available OpenCellID database for the purpose of estimating the position of mobile devices along with the positioning accuracy in any given geographic region. We present a method coping with typical distortions and artifacts in the data to compute robust estimates of cell positions and localization error distributions. Applying the method to analyze different regions and mobile networks reveals that the localization errors follow a fat-tailed distribution with similar shapes and properties. We experimentally validate the approach using an independent set of GPS and cell ID data collected by 250 individuals over a period of several weeks. The localization error estimated from OpenCellID data agrees well with the experimental error distribution. While there are significant differences between urban and rural areas, we show that there is only a weak correlation between antenna density and empirical localization errors.
Topical glyceryl trinitrate treatment of chronic noninsertional achilles tendinopathy. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Noninsertional Achilles tendinopathy is a degenerative overuse disorder. No method has been universally successful in treating this condition. Topically applied nitric oxide has been shown, in animal models, to be effective for the treatment of fractures and cutaneous wounds through mechanisms that may include stimulation of collagen synthesis in fibroblasts. The goal of the present study was to determine if topical glyceryl trinitrate improves clinical outcome measures in patients with Achilles tendinopathy. METHODS A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving a total of sixty-five patients (eighty-four Achilles tendons) was performed to compare continuous application of topical glyceryl trinitrate (at a dosage of 1.25 mg per twenty-four hours) with rehabilitation alone for the treatment of noninsertional Achilles tendinopathy. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the glyceryl trinitrate group showed reduced pain with activity at twelve weeks (p = 0.02) and twenty-four weeks (p = 0.03), reduced night pain at twelve weeks (p = 0.04), reduced tenderness at twelve weeks (p = 0.02), decreased pain scores after the hop test at twenty-four weeks (p = 0.005), and increased ankle plantar flexor mean total work compared with the baseline level at twenty-four weeks (p = 0.04). Twenty-eight (78%) of thirty-six tendons in the glyceryl trinitrate group were asymptomatic with activities of daily living at six months, compared with twenty (49%) of forty-one tendons in the placebo group (p = 0.001, chi-square analysis). The mean effect size for all outcome measures was 0.14. CONCLUSIONS Topical glyceryl trinitrate significantly reduced pain with activity and at night, improved functional measures, and improved outcomes in patients with Achilles tendinopathy.
Characterization of a Self-Transferable Plasmid from Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhimurium Clinical Isolates Carrying Two Integron-Borne Gene Cassettes Together with Virulence and Drug Resistance Genes

ABSTRACT An unusual self-transferable virulence-resistance plasmid (pUO-StVR2) was found in nine multidrug-resistant (ACSSuT phenotype) Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium clinical isolates that were assigned to four different phage types and a single and distinctive XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profile. pUO-StVR2 is an IncFII plasmid of about 140 kb in length carrying the spvA, spvB, and spvC (Salmonella plasmid virulence) and rck (resistance to complement killing) genes. It also carries the oxa1/aadA1a (ampicillin resistance and streptomycin-spectinomycin resistance) gene cassette configuration located within a class 1 integron with qacEΔ1/sul1 (ammonium antiseptics resistance and sulfadiazine resistance); the transposon genes merA, tnpA, and tnpR (mercury resistance, transposase, and resolvase of Tn21, respectively); and the catA1 (chloramphenicol resistance) and tet(B) (tetracycline resistance) genes. The insertion of resistance genes into a Salmonella virulence plasmid constitutes a new and interesting example of plasmid evolution and presents a serious public health problem.
SPRITE: Stewart Platform Robot for Interactive Tabletop Engagement

We present the design of the Stewart Platform Robot for Interactive Tabletop Engagement (SPRITE). This robot is designed for use in socially assistive robotics, a field focusing on non-contact social interaction to help people achieve goals relating to health, wellness, and education. We describe a series of design goals for a tabletop, socially assistive robot, including expressive movement, affective communication, a friendly, nonthreatening, and customizable appearance, and a safe, robust, and easily-repaired mechanical design.
Patient and Provider Attitudes Toward the Use of Patient Portals for the Management of Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review

Background Patient portals provide patients with the tools to better manage and understand their health status. However, widespread adoption of patient portals faces resistance from patients and providers for a number of reasons, and there is limited evidence evaluating the characteristics of patient portals that received positive remarks from patients and providers. Objective The objectives of this systematic review are to identify the shared characteristics of portals that receive favorable responses from patients and providers and to identify the elements that patients and providers believe need improvement. Methods The authors conducted a systematic search of the CINAHL and PubMed databases to gather data about the use of patient portals in the management of chronic disease. Two reviewers analyzed the articles collected in the search process in order remove irrelevant articles. The authors selected 27 articles to use in the literature review. Results Results of this systematic review conclude that patient portals show significant improvements in patient self-management of chronic disease and improve the quality of care provided by providers. The most prevalent positive attribute was patient-provider communication, which appeared in 10 of 27 articles (37%). This was noted by both patients and providers. The most prevalent negative perceptions are security (concerns) and user-friendliness, both of which occurred in 11 of 27 articles (41%). The user-friendliness quality was a concern for patients and providers who are not familiar with advanced technology and therefore find it difficult to navigate the patient portal. The high cost of installation and maintenance of a portal system, not surprisingly, deters some providers from implementing such technology into their practice, but this was only mentioned in 3 of the 27 articles (11%). It is possible that the incentives for meaningful use assuage the barrier of cost. Conclusions This systematic review revealed mixed attitudes from patients and their providers regarding the use of patient portals to manage their chronic disease. The authors suggest that a standard patient portal design providing patients with the resources to understand and manage their chronic conditions will promote the adoption of patient portals in health care organizations.
Developmental characteristics of adapting mouse small intestine crypt cells.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Following massive small bowel resection (SBR), the remnant intestine undergoes an adaptive process characterized by increases in a number of physiologic and morphologic parameters. These changes are the result of a stimulus that increases crypt cell mitosis and augments cellular progression along the villus axis. To better define this process, we identified patterns of gene expression specifically within adapting intestinal crypt cells following SBR. METHODS Laser capture microdissection was used to isolate mouse intestinal crypt cells following SBR or sham operation. Multiple biological and technical complementary DNA microarray replicates allowed rigorous statistical analyses for identification of important expression profiles. Major groups of genes were classified as to site of action, functional pathway, and possible regulatory groups. RESULTS A total of 300 genes differentially expressed at significant levels within adapting crypt enterocytes were analyzed. Comparison of this list of differentially expressed adapting crypt cell genes with a generalized mouse gene expression database (from 82 developing and adult mouse tissues) showed the greatest overlap with developing and immature intestinal tissues. We identified prominent groups of genes involved with cell growth, signal transduction, and nucleic acid binding. Genes not previously shown to be involved with adaptation or development and maturation were identified. CONCLUSIONS Identification of similar genes coordinately regulated during both adaptation and development, processes that share key morphologic features, provides a basis for new mechanistic insights into these shared characteristics.
Early Expression of a Trypanosoma brucei VSG Gene Duplicated from an Incomplete Basic Copy

Intrachromosomal variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes in Trypanosoma brucei are expressed by a mechanism involving gene conversion. The 3’boundary of gene conversion is usually within the last 130 bp of the VSG gene, a region of partially conserved sequences. We report here the loss of the predominant telomeric A VSG gene in the cloned variant antigenic type (VAT) 5A3, leaving only an intrachromosomal A VSG gene (the A‐B gene). The nucleotide sequence of the A‐B VSG gene reveals that it lacks the normal VSG 3′ sequence. Surprisingly, we find cells expressing this A‐B VSG gene in relapse populations arising from VAT 5A3. Since the A VSG mRNAs from these cells have a normal 3′ sequence, the incomplete A‐B VSG gene must be expressed via a partial gene conversion that supplies the functional 3’end. Although the A‐B VSG gene is no longer predominant like the telomeric A VSG gene, it is still expressed more frequently than other intrachromosomal VSG genes, suggesting that factors other than a telomeric location determine whether a VSG gene is expressed early in a serodeme.
Optimal Residential Load Management in Smart Grids: A Decentralized Framework

Severe peak rebounds are likely in absence of a system-wide coordination among customers participating in demand response programs. This paper aims to establish a decentralized system-wide framework to coordinate demand response of residential customers in a smart grid. The objective of the framework is to modify system load profile provided that customers' payments are minimized, and their comfort and privacy are preserved. Home load management (HLM) modules, embedded in customers' smart meters are autonomous agents of the framework. The energy service provider iteratively exchanges load information with HLM modules in the hope of achieving his desired load profile. In each iteration, the service provider announces system load profile to HLM modules. The modules, keeping in mind their own financial and comfort constraints, nonsequentially send back load reschedule proposals to modify system load profile. The received proposals are judged whether they improve system load profile or not. HLM modules with accepted proposals apply their proposed schedules. The modified system load profile is then released, and HLM modules' new proposals are gathered and judged. This procedure is repeated to the point at which no further improvement in the system load profile can be experienced. Performance of the framework is shown by applying it to a system with 50 customers.
Contributions of the Different Extramembranous Domains of the Mechanosensitive Ion Channel MscL to Its Response to Membrane Tension*

MscL is a mechanosensitive channel that is gated by tension in the membrane bilayer alone. It is a homo-oligomer of a protein comprising two transmembrane segments connected by an external loop, with the NH2 and COOH termini located in the cytoplasm. The contributions of the extramembranous domains of the channel to its activity were investigated by specific proteolysis during patch-clamp experiments. Limited proteolysis of the COOH terminus or the NH2 terminus increased the mechanosensitivity of the channel without changing its conductance. Strikingly, after cleavage of the external loop of each monomer, the channel was still functional, and its mechanosensitivity was increased dramatically, indicating that the loop acts as a spring that resists the opening of the channel and promotes its closure when it is open. These results indicate that the integrity of most of the extramembranous domains is not essential for mechanosensitivity. They suggest that these domains counteract the movement of the transmembrane helices to which they are connected, thus setting the level of sensitivity of the channel to tension.
Clinical aspects of different types of amblyopia.

Amblyopia is a deficit of vision, principally visual acuity, not immediately correctable by glasses, in the absence of ocular pathology, due to interruption of normal visual development during a sensitive period in childhood. Amblyopia occurs before 6–8 years of age. It may be completely or partially treated by modulation of the visual input during a sensitive period of visual development. The duration of this period varies depending on the cause of amblyopia . Amblyopia is the leading cause of visual impairment in children affecting up to 5% of general population 5, . Population prevalence depends upon the fact if there have been any interventions to prevent or treat the condition, or not. Diagnosis is based on a reduction in best corrected visual acuity by testing visual acuity in each eye separately with a line of symbols with appropriate effect of crowding, and after exclusion of ocular pathology . The acuity testing procedure and refraction must be accurate, and the age related norms must be known for the vision test used. Amblyopia is defined in terms of visual acuity, but other visual functions are affected as well. It is important to recognize that a finding of reduced visual acuity in a child is not a diagnosis of amblyopia. Amblyopia is only found in the setting of a causative factor. If no obvious amblyogenic factor is found on examination, then either the reliability of the visual acuity measurement should be questioned or subtle ocular pathology such as optic nerve hypoplasia or macular disease should be considered .
La gestión automatizada de la información operativa en la empresa de hidroenergía para la toma de decisiones basada en indicadores de desempeño ambiental

En el mundo actual la obtencion de energia a partir del uso del agua para su generacion ocupa un lugar primordial en la agenda global de las naciones para enfrentar los crecimientos energeticos de sus economias, para brindar soluciones de energia a regiones remotas y para ir desplazando su formas de obtencion de la energia hacia fuentes mas limpias y renovables. El cambio climatico es provocado, entre otras causas, por las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, como el dioxido de carbono (CO2), durante el proceso de quema de combustibles fosiles. La emision de otros gases producto de la combustion de portadores energeticos, es medida en dioxido de carbono equivalente.
Fusion of cantilever and diaphragm pressure sensors according to frequency characteristics

This paper reports on an approach to measure sensitive barometric pressure by fusing a cantilever-based differential pressure sensor (DPS) and a commercially available diaphragm-based absolute pressure sensor (APS). At high frequency, the DPS can detect smaller pressure change than the APS. At low frequency, the APS shows less drift absolute pressure than the DPS. By utilizing the DPS and APS at each advantageous frequency, we propose a highly sensitive and drift-free measurement of barometric pressure.
Involvement of 15-lipoxygenase in early stages of atherogenesis

The arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase which is expressed in atherosclerotic lesions is implicated in the oxidative modification of low density lipoproteins during atherogenesis. To obtain experimental in vivo evidence for this hypothesis, we analyzed the structure of oxygenated lipids isolated from the aorta of rabbits fed with a cholesterol-rich diet for different time periods and compared the pattern of oxygenation products with that isolated from low density lipoproteins treated in vitro with the pure rabbit 15-lipoxygenase and with oxygenated lipids isolated from advanced human atherosclerotic lesions. In early atherosclerotic lesions (12-wk cholesterol feeding), specific lipoxygenase products were detected whose structure was similar to those isolated from lipoxygenase-treated low density lipoproteins. The appearance of these products did coincide with the lipid deposition in the vessel wall. In later stages of atherogenesis (26-wk cholesterol feeding) the degree of oxidative modification of the tissue lipids did increase but the share of specific lipoxygenase products was significantly lower, suggesting an increasing overlay of the specific lipoxygenase products by nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation. In advanced human atherosclerotic lesions, large amounts of oxygenation products were detected whose structure suggests a nonenzymatic origin. These data suggest that the arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase is of pathophysiological importance during the early stages of atherogenesis. In later stages of plaque development nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation becomes more relevant.
Alcohol Abuse and Dependence in Latinos Living in the United States Validation of the CAGE ( 4 M ) Questions

Subjects and Methods: We performed a crosssectional interview study in an urban teaching hospital– based primary care practice. Consecutive self-identified Latino subjects provided informed consent. All subjects were interviewed in English or Spanish using 2 alcoholism screening tools, the CAGE (or the Spanish version, the 4M), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and a criterion standard for the diagnosis of alcohol abuse and dependence, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.