Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mobile Robot Navigation In A Dynamic World Using An Unsteady Diffusion Equation Strategy

This paper discusses a method for map and sensorbased planning and execution, i.e. navigation, of smooth collision-free robot motion paths. Application of an unsteady diffusion equation model to path planning in a time-varying world distinguishes this approach from prior work in the field. Collision-free robot paths between a start and a mission dependent goal point are generated very rapidly by on-line simulation of a diffusion process and by repetitively evaluating the gradient of the computed concentration distribution functions. Related numerical algorithms are appropriate for implementation on a massively parallel distributed processor architecture. This paper describes application of the approach to various scenarios of robot vehicle navigation. Results of a field experiment performed with the mobile robot MACROBE are presented.
Tactile feedback for virtual automotive steering wheel switches

In order to minimize a driver's distraction while interacting with automotive systems, tactile feedback for virtual switches can be employed. Although several guidelines exist for feedback design, the exact settings are technology dependent and need careful investigation for each technology, especially when it is a newly invented one as in the present case. The present technology combines the advantages of mechanical switches and capacitive touchscreens without implicating each technology's disadvantages. A human-machine-interaction study was conducted in order to evaluate two waveforms and four different frequencies in terms of user preference. Users performed a pairwise comparison and rated each signal afterwards on a semantic differential. The 230 Hertz sine wave was preferred most in the study, although not all differences between the stimuli became significant. The newly developed technology could therefore be optimized with the present study in terms of user preference. The results of the present study may be transferable for other non-capacitive or capacitive touchscreen devices.
Severe gastrointestinal bleeding in Crohn's disease.

INTRODUCTION Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is rare in Crohn's disease. METHODS We characterized the clinical features and course of such hemorrhage in patients seen at our institution from 1992 to 2000. RESULTS Five patients had gastrointestinal bleeding during Crohn's disease. All patients had a known Crohn's disease, with a mean duration of the disease of 6 years. The source of bleeding was identified in four patients (80%). Endoscopy was, in all patients, the first diagnostic procedure. An Hartmann total colectomy with closure of the rectal stump and ileostomy was performed in three patients, while two patients with ileal massive bleeding were treated conservatively. One patient had a recurrence of bleeding from the small bowel one week later but he didn't required surgical treatment. One patient with pancolic Crohn's disease died on 10th postoperative day because of multiorgan failure and septic complications. CONCLUSIONS Gastrointestinal bleeding is rare in Crohn's disease, with a predilection for site of involvement. The preoperative diagnosis of the site of bleeding is not easy, and enteroscopy should be mandatory in such patients. Surgery is required for half of cases and recurrent haemorrhage should be an appropriate indication for surgery.
Overexpression of murine phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate 5‐kinase type Iβ disrupts a phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate regulated endosomal pathway

The type I phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate 5‐kinases (PI4P5K) phosphorylate phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate [PI(4)P] to produce phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]. PI(4,5)P2 has been implicated in signal transduction, receptor mediated endocytosis, vesicle trafficking, cytoskeletal structure, and membrane ruffling. However, the specific type I enzymes associated with the production of PI(4,5)P2 for the specific cellular processes have not been rigorously defined. Murine PI4P5K type Iβ (mPIP5K‐Iβ) was implicated in receptor mediated endocytosis through the isolation of a truncated and inactive form of the enzyme that blocked the ligand‐dependent downregulation of the colony‐stimulating factor‐1 receptor. The present study shows that enforced expression of mPIP5K‐Iβ in 293T cells resulted in the accumulation of large vesicles that were linked to an endosomal pathway. Similar results were obtained after the expression of the PI(4,5)P2‐binding pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of phospholipase‐Cδ (PLC‐δ). Analysis of the conserved domains of mPIP5K‐Iβ led to the identification of dimerization domains in the N‐ and C‐terminal regions. Enforced expression of the individual dimerization domains interfered with the proper subcellular localization of mPIP5K‐Iβ and the PLC‐δ‐PH domain and blocked the accumulation of the endocytic vesicles induced by these proteins. In addition to regulating early steps in endocytosis, these results suggest that mPIP5K‐Iβ acts through PI(4,5)P2 to regulate endosomal trafficking and/or fusion. J. Cell. Biochem. 85: 131–145, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Competitive Positioning in Markets with Nonuniform Preferences

We investigate the nature of competitive equilibrium for brands competing in a multi-attribute product space when consumer preferences for product attributes follow nonuniform distributions. We establish subgame-perfect equilibria in a two-stage game, where firms choose positions in the first stage and prices in the second stage. Two types of entry scenarios are investigated. In the first, the number of brands is given exogenously, and all of them choose positions simultaneously. In the second scenario, firms enter in sequence, and the early entrants can choose strategies to deter the entry of later entrants. We find the equilibria for two, three, and four brands for consumer preferences that follow a beta distribution. Nonuniform distributions result in equilibrium configurations that are substantially different from those obtained for uniform consumer distributions. In the two brands case, for sufficiently concentrated distributions we find asymmetric position equilibria with one firm at the corner of the market and one firm at an interior position. In the case of three brands, for sufficiently concentrated preferences we find symmetric equilibria that do not yield maximal differentiation. We also establish an equilibrium for the case of four competing brands. In addition we characterize entry deterring positioning strategies and examine how they vary with the distribution of consumer preferences.
Effects of exercise on lipoprotein particles in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

PURPOSE Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) commonly have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is associated with marked abnormalities of lipoprotein size and subclass particle concentration. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a moderate-intensity exercise program without weight loss on lipoprotein profiles in women with PCOS. METHODS Thirty-seven sedentary PCOS women were randomized to either an 8- to 12-wk ramp-up followed by a 12-wk moderate-intensity exercise program (16-24 wk total, approximately 228 min x wk at 40-60% peak V x O2, n = 21) or control (no change in lifestyle, n = 16). PCOS was defined as <or=8 menses per year and hyperandrogenism (biochemical or clinical with Ferriman-Gallwey score >or=8). Fasting lipoprotein profiles were obtained before and after the intervention. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to quantify the following: average particle size, total and subclass concentrations of HDL, LDL, and VLDL particles, and calculated HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and VLDL triglycerides. Wilcoxon exact rank sums tests were used to compare changes in these parameters in the exercise group relative to controls. RESULTS Twenty women (8 exercisers, 12 controls) completed the study. Comparing exercisers to controls, significant changes were seen in concentrations of the following lipoprotein parameters that are associated with decreased insulin resistance: decreased large VLDL (P = 0.007), calculated triglycerides (P = 0.003), VLDL triglycerides (P = 0.003), and medium/small HDL (P = 0.031) and increased large HDL (P = 0.002) and average HDL size (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In this trial, moderate-intensity exercise without significant weight loss improved several components of the lipoprotein profiles of women with PCOS. These findings support the beneficial role of moderate exercise in this high-risk population.
GENETIC DIVERSITY AND EXPANDING NONINDIGENOUS RANGE OF THE RHIZOCEPHALAN LOXOTHYLACUS PANOPAEI PARASITIZING MUD CRABS IN THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC

Nonindigenous parasite introductions and range expansions have become a major concern because of their potential to restructure communities and impact fisheries. Molecular markers provide an important tool for reconstructing the pattern of introduction. The parasitic castrator Loxothylacus panopaei, a rhizocephalan barnacle, infects estuarine mud crabs in the Gulf of Mexico and southeastern Florida. A similar parasite introduced into Chesapeake Bay before 1964, presumably via infected crabs associated with oysters from the Gulf of Mexico, was identified as L. panopaei. Our samples of this species during 2004 and 2005 show that the introduced range has expanded as far south as Edgewater, Florida, just north of the northern endemic range limit. The nonindigenous range expanded southward at a rate of up to 165 km/yr with relatively high prevalence, ranging from 30 to 93%. Mitochondrial DNA sequences from the cytochrome oxidase I gene showed that these nonindigenous L. panopaei are genetically distinct from the endemic parasites in southeastern Florida and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The genetic difference was also associated with distinct host spectra. These results are incompatible with an eastern Gulf source population, but suggest that unrecognized genetic and phenotypic population structure may occur among Gulf of Mexico populations of Loxothylacus.
A Pilot Study on the Use of Botulinum Toxin in Spasmodic Torticollis

ABSTRACT: Dystonic torticollis has been treated with local injections of botulinum toxin in a single blind study of 12 patients. A significant decrease of abnormal movements was recorded, and pain improved. Further studies are desirable to define the optimum dosage and site for injections, and the long term effects of repeated injections.
AFFIRMATIVE ACCESS VERSUS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: HOW HAVE TEXAS’ RACE-BLIND POLICIES AFFECTED COLLEGE OUTCOMES?

Last year’s Supreme Court rulings upholding affirmative action in higher education have renewed debate on the consequences of affirmative action and the effectiveness of proposed race-blind alternatives. This study uses unique administrative data to examine students’ enrollment choices and academic performance before and after Texas eliminated affirmative action in higher education. By focusing on the actual experiences of students under both affirmative action and race-blind policies, this paper improves on earlier studies, which relied on simulations. In addition, the study is among the first to consider the effects of the policy change on ethnic gaps in college achievement. I find that race-blind policies have roughly restored the number of minorities at UT–Austin, but not at Texas A&M. However, due to enrollment growth, minorities represent a smaller share of entering students than before the ban on affirmative action. Further, minorities are now less likely than whites with similar test scores to enroll at a selective public university. In turn, minorities are now more likely to attend less-selective public colleges than before the 1996 ban. Gaps between minority and white GPAs and retention rates have narrowed at the two most selective public universities. Changes in observed student characteristics suggest it is unlikely minorities’ relative achievement gains are due simply to declines in white students’ qualifications. Instead revised institutional policies may lead to better student-school matches, or programs to improve the performance of targeted students may be effective.
The red nucleus and its efferent nervous pathways in the monkey

A morphological study of the red nucleus and its efferent nervous pathways based on retrograde cellular degeneration (cell loss) and on degenerated fibers impregnated with osmic acid gave the folowing results. Interruption of the rubro‐tegmentospinal tract was associated with a complete disappearance of the cells in the contralateral magnocellular red nucleus and some cell loss in the adjoining tegmental gray. Interruption of the central tegmental bundle results in a complete cell loss in the parvicellular part of the ipsilateral red nucleus. Such a lesion is associated with degeneration of the rubro‐olivary fibers that terminate along the dorsal lamella of the ipsilateral principal olive. The interruption of the superior cerebellar peduncle does not lead to any cell loss in the red nuclei. The above findings suggest that in the monkey the red nucleus proper discharges exclusively downwards. The small‐celled part gives rise to fibers that travel in the ipsilateral central tegmental bundle and the large‐celled part gives rise to entirely crossed axons that descend in the rubro‐tegmentospinal tract. There apparently exist marked differences in the distribution of the nervous elements within the red nucleus and, correspondingly, in the origin of the efferent nervous pathways in the cat and in the monkey. The interruption of the rubro‐tegmentospinal tract does not lead per se to any noticeable motor impairment but appears to be an essential feature in the appearance of postural tremor and possibly in the production of other extrapyramidal signs in the monkey.
Structural origins of magnetic anisotropy in sputtered amorphous Tb-Fe films.

Using x-ray-absorption fine-structure measurements we have obtained clear evidence for structural anisotropy in amorphous sputter-deposited TbFe films exhibiting perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Modeling of the data shows that perpendicular anisotropy in these films is associated with Fe-Fe and Tb-Tb pair correlations which are greater in plane and Tb-Fe correlations which are greater perpendicular to the film plane. Upon annealing at 300 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C the measured structural anisotropy disappears and the magnetic anisotropy decreases to a level consistent with magnetoelastic interactions between the film and substrate.
Familial spastic paraplegia with amyotrophy, oligophrenia, and central retinal degeneration.

About 200 pedigrees with familial spastic paraplegia have been recorded in the literature. In many of the cases other abnormalities were observed in addition. * Cases with coexisting spastic paraplegia and ataxia have been described as hereditary ataxia of the spastic type by Bell and Carmichael in their critical study of familial spastic paraplegia. 2 In the present article a syndrome comprising paraplegia, amyotrophy, oligophrenia, and central retinal degeneration occurring in two pairs of brothers (A and B) is described. This syndrome does not appear to have been reported earlier. Report of Cases CaseAl. —The patient was a 37-year-old man, the older brother of Patient A2. According to the relatives, he had always been mentally retarded, probably with no deterioration. Since the age of 30(? ) he had observed increasing stiffness and weakness in his legs when walking, especially in going down stairs. The difficulty in walking had become so pronounced that
The British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register

The British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) established a nationwide register for patients with rheumatological disorders treated with biologic agents. The register is designed as a national prospective study whose primary purpose is to assess long term toxicity from the use of these agents in routine practice. In addition, the data will be capable of addressing the benefits from their use in relation to their toxicity. One specific feature of the BSR register is the recruitment and collection of data from a parallel comparison group, comprising patients with active rheumatoid arthritis treated with conventional disease modifying agents. Both class specific and drug specific analyses of the group treated with biologicals are planned.
The infrared spectrum of the Galactic center and the composition of interstellar dust.

We have obtained 5-8 micrometers spectra of the Galactic center from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory at resolving powers of approximately 50, approximately 150, and approximately 300. These spectra show absorption features at 5.5, 5.8, 6.1, and 6.8 micrometers. Together with previously observed features in the 3 micrometers region, these features are compared with laboratory spectra of candidate materials. The 3.0 and 6.1 micrometers features are due to the OH stretching and bending variations of H2O and are well fitted by water of hydration in silicates (e.g., talc). The 3.0 micrometer band is equally well fitted by ice mixtures containing 30% H2O, but such mixtures do not provide a good fit to the observed 6.1 micrometer band. The 3.4 and 6.8 micrometers features are identified with the CH stretching and deformation modes in CH2 and CH3 groups in saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons. The 6.1 micrometer band shows a short wavelength shoulder centered on 5.8 micrometer, attributed to carbonyl (C double bond O) groups in this interstellar hydrocarbon dust component. Finally, the narrow 5.5 micrometer feature is also attributed to carbonyl groups, but in the form of metal carbonyls [e.g., Fe(CO)4]. We have derived column densities and abundances along the line of sight toward the Galactic center for the various identified dust components. This analysis shows that hydrocarbon grains contain only 0.08 of the elemental abundance of C and contribute only a relatively minor fraction (0.1) of the total dust volume. Most of the interstellar dust volume is made up of silicates (approximately 0.6). Small graphite grains, responsible for the 2200 angstroms bump, account for 0.07 of the total dust volume. The remaining one-quarter of the interstellar dust volume consists of a material(s) without strong IR absorption features. Likely candidates include large graphite grains, diamonds, or amorphous carbon grains, which all have weak or no IR active modes. Finally, various models for the origin of the hydrocarbon dust component of the interstellar dust are discussed. All of them face some problems in explaining the observations, in particular, the absence of the spectroscopic signature of hydrocrbon grains in sources associated with molecular clouds.
A General Theory Of Time-sequential Sampling

Abstract In this paper, we consider the problem of optimum sampling of spatio-temporal signals. Recently, there has been increasing interest in this topic due to the advent of next generation television systems. Time-sequential sampling is a sampling paradigm in which samples are taken from the signal, one at a time, according to a prescribed ordering which is repeated after one complete frame of data is acquired. This paper extends previous work on time-sequential sampling to include arbitrary periodic patterns, as well as sampling on lattices with arbitrary geometries. As a result, a unifying theory is developed which includes such classical field-instantaneous lattices as field-quincunx and line-quincunx, proposed for downsampling of high-definition television signals, as specific examples. Such a formulation provides a systematic way for studying the aliasing effects of the ordering in which a signal is sampled. The design and analysis of these patterns is facilitated by introducing a powerful technique from the geometry of numbers which permits these tasks to be carried out in a coordinate system where the time-sequential patterns are rectangularly periodic. The resulting anti-aliasing patterns have a congruential structure. By further extending the theory to include time-sequential sampling on selected cosets of a lattice, we can analyze sampling patterns which are not true lattices, such as the bit-reversed sampling pattern.
A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Embodied Nature of Occupation at End of Life

Background. Occupational therapists propose that occupation is a basic human need across the lifespan. However, there is limited understanding of how occupation contributes to the end-of-life experience. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the embodied nature of occupation at end of life from the perspectives of Canadians 60 years of age or older who are diagnosed with a terminal illness. Methods. The study adopted a phenomenological methodological approach to conduct semi-structured interviews with eight participants. Findings. Six themes were identified. Participants described orientations toward occupations that involved: living with death, reworking everyday life, being guided by the will of the body, giving priority to relationships, attending to the small things, and engaging existential orientations. Implications. This study contributes to knowledge about occupation at end of life and offers a starting point to guide practice that is attentive to the lived dimensions of occupation at end of life.
Bound States of Dispersion-Managed Solitons From Single-Mode Yb-Doped Fiber Laser at Net-Normal Dispersion

The bound states of multiple dispersion-managed solitons (DMSs) were experimentally investigated from a net-normal-dispersion passive mode-locked Yb-doped fiber laser based on the nonlinear polarization rotation mechanism through the proper adjustment of the waveplate at certain pump power. The long-term operation of the bound double DMSs has been experimentally verified and reveals the possible application in the fields of optical communication. In addition, we observed multiple bound solitons and the bound states of the multiple solitons whose intensity autocorrelation traces were similar to that operating at single and double bound soliton states. By means of the grating pairs at the outside laser cavity for pulse compression, the bound states of multiple solitons below 1 ps can be experimentally retrieved. The observed results in this paper illustrate that the passive mode-locked fiber laser around zero cavity dispersion can provide the platform to explore the fundamental physics of soliton dynamics.
Sudden Flare of Rheumatoid Arthritis Associated with Newly Diagnosed Atrial Flutter

We present an 89-year-old woman with newly diagnosed atrial flutter associated with a flare of her rheumatoid arthritis (RA). She had a history of diet-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and RA and presented with lightheadedness and worsening hand pain. She was found to be in new atrial flutter with rapid ventricular response and to have an active RA flare. In addition to adequate atrial flutter rate control, her RA flare was managed by adding hydroxychloroquine and doubling her existing methotrexate dose.