Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Roboethics -a comparative analysis of social acceptance of robots between the West and Japan-

1.Introduction Thestudyandapplicationofsocialrobotsisenteringthelimelightinmanycountries,andnowa daysthereareahugenumberoflaboratoriesbothineducationalinstitutionsandinindustrialfacilities dedicatedtoRobotics. Inmyopinion,thereisaninterestingdifferenceinthestudyapproachtoRobot icsbetweenWesternresearchersandJapaneseresearchers.IntheWest,inadditiontotheactual developmentofrobots,academicresearchersoftendiscusshowtoapplysocialrobotstohuman societies. Theparticipantsinthediscussionshaveverycolorfulbackgrounds,fromthefieldofEngi neeringtothefieldofLiberalArts. Suchdiscussionshaveraisedanewkindofacademicstudy, Roboethics. Meanwhile,Japan,acountrycalledthekingdomoftherobot,istakingtheworldleadin theresearchanddevelopmentofsocialrobots. Infact,theactualapplicationofsocialrobotsinJapan isalreadytakingastepforwardforeconomicpurposes. In2004April,theMinistryofEconomy,Trade andIndustry(METI)ofJapanpresentedareportonanunofficialmeetingaboutfuturerobotsin2025. Inthereport,theMET工presentsaclearvisionthattheJapanesegovernmentisstrategicallytargeting, andnamesthisambitiouspoliticalstrategyastheNext-generationRobot. Thefuturesocietyofthe Next一generationRobotprojectgivesaveryconcretevisionofhumanlifewithrobots,andtheseare notfantasystorieswrittenbyasciencefictionwriter. However,discussingtheethicalissuesofthe applicationofrobotstoJapanesesocietyseemstobelesspopular. In2004,duringmystaytostudy attheSantAnnaSchoolofAdvancedStudiesinPisainItalyIhadmanychancestotalkwithItalian researchersinboththeRoboticsandRoboethicsfields. Inoticedthattheyfeelfrustratedindiscuss ingRoboethicalissueswithJapaneseresearchersbecause,accordingtothem,theJapaneseresearch ersarenotabletoprovideprofoundfeedbackwhenaskedtheiropinionsontheethicalissuesof applyingrobotstosociety. Oneoftheresearcherssaidthat"Japanisoneofthebestcountriesfor Robotics,butJapaneseRoboticsresearchersdonothaveanysoundopinionsontheethicalissuesof theirownstudy.ThisisalackinJapan. IdonotagreewithhisopinionthatitisalackinJapan. Inthispaper,Iprovideafeedbackto him,raisingthequestion! whyaretheethicalissuesofRoboticssofocusedoninWesternsocieties,and notinJapan? IhaveastrongopinionthatitisnotalackinJapanbutasocial,cultural,andindustrial differencebetweenJapanandtheWest. Inordertoapproachthistheme,Imadetworesearch limitations. First,Idefinethetypeofsocialrobottodealwith,aHumanoidRobot. Thereasonfor
Percolation of Code to Enhance Parallel Dispatching and Execution

This note investigates the increase in parallel execution rate as a function of the size of an instruction dispatch stack with lookahead hardware. Under the constraint that instructions are not dispatched until all preceding conditional branches are resolved, stack sizes as small as 2 or 4 achieve most of the parallelism that a hypothetically infinite stack would.
Concentrations of luteinising hormone and progesterone in pregnant and non-pregnant heifers

An experiment was conducted to determine if concentrations of luteinising hormone or progesterone were different in pregnant or non-pregnant heifers for seven days before and 20 days after a successful or non-successful insemination. Heifers with an oestrous cycle length of 18 to 24 days only were used and they were bled at 08.00, 16.00 and 24.00 each day for seven days before and for 20 days after insemination with thawed semen (treatment 1) or semen diluent (treatment 2). Animals allocated to treatment 3 had the embryo nonsurgically flushed from the uterus at days 10 to 12 while animals allocated to treatment 4 were inseminated with semen diluent and then had a viable embryo transferred to the uterus between days 10 and 12. All animals were slaughtered between 19 and 21 days after insemination and pregnancy rate determined. There were no differences in basal luteinising hormone levels between treatments. Blood concentrations of progesterone were not different before insemination and for 16 days after insemination for pregnant (11 out of 15) and non-pregnant heifers (14) allocated to treatments 1 and 2. Between days 17 and 20, progesterone concentrations declined in non-pregnant heifers. Transfer of an embryo to non-pregnant heifers on day 10 to 12, did not affect progesterone concentrations, but non-surgical flushing of the embryo caused a decline in blood concentrations of progesterone. It was concluded that basal blood concentrations of luteinising hormone and progesterone, in samples taken three times daily were not different in pregnant or non-pregnant heifers before and for 16 days after insemination.
Synaptic and intrinsic conductances shape picrotoxin‐induced synchronized after‐discharges in the guinea‐pig hippocampal slice.

1. A computer model was constructed of the guinea‐pig hippocampal region in vitro, containing 100 pyramidal neurones. This approach has contributed to the understanding of brief (usually less than 100 ms) epileptic events known as ‘interictal spikes’. The present study addresses the cellular mechanisms of more prolonged epileptic events, lasting 200 ms and more, that may represent short‐duration seizures. Each neurone was simulated with a nineteen‐compartment model using six voltage‐dependent ionic conductances. The neurones were randomly interconnected with excitatory synapses, each synapse exerting a fast voltage‐independent alpha‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) component and a slower voltage‐dependent N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) component. Each neurone received input from twenty other neurones. 2. This model was able to generate, in response to synaptic noise or to stimulation of one neurone, a series of synchronized population bursts, the initial (primary) burst being longer than later (secondary) bursts, terminating in a prolonged after‐hyperpolarization. The simulated after‐discharge potentials resemble those recorded experimentally from pyramidal neurones during perfusion of the hippocampal slice with media containing picrotoxin, a blocker of synaptic inhibition mediated by GABAA receptors. 3. Simulated after‐discharges agree with the following experiments: over a certain range of total NMDA conductance, blockade of AMPA receptors will prevent the occurrence of synchronized firing, whereas, blockade of NMDA receptors will, in contrast, abolish the secondary bursts, leaving a shortened and somewhat smaller primary burst. Dendritic potential oscillations occur in phase with somatic oscillations. When interneurones (some generating GABAA‐mediated IPSPs, others generating GABAB IPSPS) are included in the model, the occurrence of synchronized events was suppressed, the most significant suppressant effect coming from GABAA IPSPS. 4. The model predicts that: a dendritic calcium spike occurs during each secondary burst; AMPA receptors serve to maintain the synchrony of secondary bursts, as well as to initiate the primary burst; and that with sufficient total NMDA conductance, synchronized firing can occur even with AMPA receptors blocked. 5. The model suggests, in addition, that the duration of the initial burst is determined in part by the experimentally observed delay between Ca2+ entry and peaking of the after‐hyperpolarization (AHP) conductance, and hence reflects properties of the individual pyramidal neurones. Specifically, a pattern of a long initial burst followed by brief secondary bursts is elicited in single‐cell simulations by injection of a steady depolarizing current into the apical dendrite. The same pattern is produced when the single‐cell model includes only calcium and calcium‐dependent conductances. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Intestinal microbiome of poultry and its interaction with host and diet

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract of poultry is densely populated with microorganisms which closely and intensively interact with the host and ingested feed. The gut microbiome benefits the host by providing nutrients from otherwise poorly utilized dietary substrates and modulating the development and function of the digestive and immune system. In return, the host provides a permissive habitat and nutrients for bacterial colonization and growth. Gut microbiome can be affected by diet, and different dietary interventions are used by poultry producers to enhance bird growth and reduce risk of enteric infection by pathogens. There also exist extensive interactions among members of the gut microbiome. A comprehensive understanding of these interactions will help develop new dietary or managerial interventions that can enhance bird growth, maximize host feed utilization, and protect birds from enteric diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria.
Rate Variable, Multi-Binary Turbo Codes with Controlled Error-Floor

In this letter we propose rate variable turbo codes based on the parallel concatenation of tailbiting recursive systematic multibinary (m-ary) convolutional codes. Rate variability is not achieved by puncturing, which can have adverse effects on the minimum distance of the code. Using a variable number of input lines of the encoder, we obtain several different overall rates ranging from 1/2 to 7/8. The most suitable soft-in- soft-out decoding algorithm for these turbo codes is based on the dual reciprocal code, which is very efficient for high rate codes. A particular interleaver design, namely the "backbone" interleaver, guarantees a high hamming weight in codewords with information weight 2 and 3, as well as good minimum distances and fairly low multiplicities for higher information weights. Therefore, these codes have very low error floors.
Vascular endothelial growth factor and endothelin-1 levels in normal pregnant women and pregnant women with pre-eclampsia

The aim of the study was to estimate the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in maternal serum from normal pregnant women and women with pre-eclampsia. Serum concentrations of VEGF and ET-1 were measured in maternal blood in control group (n = 40) and in pregnancies complicated by pre-eclampsia (n = 40). Results showed that maternal VEGF levels were significantly raised in women with pre-eclampsia (p < 0.001). ET-1 concentration was not significantly different among women with pre-eclampsia compared with that in the control group. It was concluded that an increase in serum VEGF level was demonstrated in pre-eclampsia, suggesting that VEGF is involved in pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. Further studies are needed to determine the serum concentrations of VEGF in pregnant women before the development of pre-eclampsia.
Apoptosis of Liver-Derived Cells Induced by Parvovirus B19 Nonstructural Protein

ABSTRACT Parvovirus B19 has been implicated in some cases of acute fulminant non-A, non-B, non-C, non-G liver failure. Our laboratory previously demonstrated that B19 infection of hepatocytes induces apoptosis and that the B19 viral nonstructural protein, NS1, may play a critical role. To study the involvement of NS1 in apoptosis of liver cells, we generated a fusion protein of NS1 with enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) in a system allowing for inducible gene expression. Transfection of the liver-derived cell line HepG2 with the eGFP/NS1 vector allowed expression of the fusion protein, which was visualized by fluorescence microscopy and demonstrated by immunoblotting. The fusion protein localized to discrete domains in the nucleus. Transfection of HepG2 cells with the eGFP/NS1 vector led to apoptosis of 35% of transfected cells, a sevenfold increase over cells transfected with the parent eGFP expression vector. Mutation of the eGFP/NS1 vector to eliminate the nucleoside triphosphate-binding site of NS1 significantly decreased apoptosis, as did treatment of transfected cells with inhibitors of caspase 3 or 9. Neutralization of tumor necrosis factor alpha or Fas ligand had no effect on apoptosis. These results demonstrate that NS1 is sufficient to induce apoptosis in liver-derived cells and that it does so through the initiation of an intrinsic caspase pathway.
Roles of ICAM-3 and CD14 in the recognition and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells by macrophages.

Introduction Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells is an important aim of current cell-death research. Intuitively it is expected that, in the absence of rapid, efficient, and non-phlogistic removal of apoptotic cells and bodies, the process of apoptosis would lose its physiological benefits and, through spillage of intracellular macromolecules, the dying cells would wreak havoc in a manner analogous to necrosis, causing damage to neighbouring cells, eliciting inflammation and perhaps also causing autoimmune disease (for reviews, see [l-31). In the simplest terms, the minimal requirements for clearance of apoptotic cells without losing the value of apoptosis are: (i) changes at the surface of apoptotic cells that occur before loss of plasma membrane integrity; (ii) recognition of one or more of these changes by one or more phagocyte receptors; and (iii) a subsequent phagocytic response that results in the engulfment of the apoptotic cell without release of pro-inflammatory mediators. We have been studying the clearance of apoptotic leucocytes by the human professional phagocyte, the monocyte-derived macrophage, and have identified: (i) the intercellular adhesion molecule, intercellular adhesion molecule (1CAM)-3, as an important marker of apoptotic leucocytes that interacts with macrophages; (ii) the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GP1)-linked glycoprotein CD14 as a macrophage receptor of apoptotic leucocytes; and (iii) a dichotomy in CD14-dependent macrophage responses, a noninflammatory response being elicited during clearance of apoptotic leucocytes and a proinflammatory response being activated during clearance of the CD14-binding endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Figure 1).
Integrating parallel analysis modules to evaluate the meaning of answers to reading comprehension questions

Contextualised, meaning-based interaction in the foreign language is widely recognised as crucial for second language acquisition. Correspondingly, current exercises in foreign language teaching generally require students to manipulate both form and meaning. For intelligent language tutoring systems to support such activities, they thus must be able to evaluate the appropriateness of the meaning of a learner response for a given exercise. We discuss such a content-assessment approach, focusing on reading comprehension exercises. We pursue the idea that a range of simultaneously available representations at different levels of complexity and linguistic abstraction provide a good empirical basis for content assessment. We show how an annotation-based NLP architecture implementing this idea can be realised and that it successfully performs on a corpus of authentic learner answers to reading comprehension questions. To support comparison and sustainable development on content assessment, we also define a general exchange format for such exercise data.
Cocaine Experience Controls Bidirectional Synaptic Plasticity in the Nucleus Accumbens

Plasticity of glutamatergic synapses is a fundamental mechanism through which experience changes neural function to impact future behavior. In animal models of addiction, glutamatergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) exerts powerful control over drug-seeking behavior. However, little is known about whether, how or when experience with drugs may trigger synaptic plasticity in this key nucleus. Using whole-cell synaptic physiology in NAc brain slices, we demonstrate that a progression of bidirectional changes in glutamatergic synaptic strength occurs after repeated in vivo exposure to cocaine. During a protracted drug-free period, NAc neurons from cocaine-experienced mice develop a robust potentiation of AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission. However, a single re-exposure to cocaine during extended withdrawal becomes a potent stimulus for synaptic depression, abruptly reversing the initial potentiation. These enduring modifications in AMPAR-mediated responses and plasticity may provide a neural substrate for disrupted processing of drug-related stimuli in drug-experienced individuals.
RF CMOS gate resistance and noise characterization

RF CMOS devices have been characterized and modeled by RF extension models using BSIM3v3 as the core transistor. The extension element of gate resistance has been measured under different bias conditions for devices with different geometries. The results show that the Rg dependence on Vgs is more pronounced for longer channel devices than shorter channel devices, which means the current common practice of using Rg extracted under one bias condition to generate RF extension models is problematic and needs to be re-evaluated. Especially, if models are provided across large channel length range, the Rg dependence on bias for longer channel lengths must be examined carefully. Device high frequency noise has also been measured and compared with simulation. The results show that RF extension based on BSIM3v3 SPICE model cannot predict device noise performance adequately. A practical solution which has been implemented in Cadence SPECTRE is presented.
Using transcranial magnetic stimulation to investigate the cortical origins of motor overflow: a study in schizophrenia and healthy controls

Background. Previous research has confirmed the presence of increased motor overflow in schizophrenia. There are essentially two theories regarding the cortical origins of overflow. Recent research suggests that both may be correct, and that the cortical origin of overflow is highly dependent upon the population in which it presents. Motor overflow, due to an abnormally active ipsilateral corticospinal tract, may indicate a potentially severe brain abnormality arising in early development. In contrast, bilaterally active corticospinal tracts accounting for overflow probably represent a naturally occurring response during fatiguing contractions. Method. The cortical origins of motor overflow in 20 participants with schizophrenia and 20 normal controls were investigated through the use of a number of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocols. Results. Each of the experimental protocols employed independently supported the contention that overflow was originating in the hemisphere contralateral to the involuntary movement. Conclusions. Results indicated that the origins of overflow in schizophrenia are the same as those seen in the normal control group, i.e. motor overflow seems to be due to the presence of bilaterally active corticospinal tracts. Potential explanations for greater motor overflow seen in schizophrenia are discussed.
Regulation of the IL-21 Gene by the NF-κB Transcription Factor c-Rel

IL-21 is a member of the common γ-chain–dependent cytokine family and is a key modulator of lymphocyte development, proliferation, and differentiation. IL-21 is highly expressed in activated CD4+ T cells and plays a critical role in the expansion and differentiation of the Th cell subsets, Th17 and follicular helper T (TFH) cells. Because of its potent activity in both myeloid and lymphoid cell immune responses, it has been implicated in a number of autoimmune diseases and has also been used as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of some cancers. In this study, we demonstrate that c-Rel, a member of the NF-κB family of transcription factors, is required for IL-21 gene expression in T lymphocytes. IL-21 mRNA and protein levels are reduced in the CD4+ cells of rel−/− mice when compared with rel+/+ mice in both in vitro and in vivo models. A c-Rel binding site identified in the proximal promoter of il21 is confirmed to bind c-Rel in vitro and in vivo and to regulate expression from the il21 promoter in T cells. Downstream of IL-21 expression, Th17, TFH, and germinal center B cell development are also impaired in rel−/− mice. The administration of IL-21 protein rescued the development of TFH cells but not germinal center B cells. Taken together, c-Rel plays an important role in the expression of IL-21 in T cells and subsequently in IL-21-dependent TFH cell development.
A single event transient hardening circuit design technique based on strengthening

In a near future of high-density and low-power technologies, the study of soft errors will not only be relevant for memory systems and latches of logic circuits, but also for the combinational parts of logic circuits which seriously affect the system's operation. In this paper, we present a novel design strategy to reduce the impact of radiation-induced single event transients (SET) on logic circuits. This design style achieves SET mitigation by Strengthening the sensitive node using a likeness to feedback techniques. We have analyzed several techniques from hardening radiation at transistor level to a single event transient in 7nm FinFET devices. Simulation results have shown the proposed method has higher soft error robustness than the existing ones.
Oasis: Uso de escáneres láser en infraestructuras ITS para modelización del tráfico

Detectar, predecir y gestionar el trafico a lo largo de una autopista con herramientas inteligentes lo mas automatizadas posibles y con el fin de obtener un trafico uniforme, es uno de los principales objetivos del proyecto CENIT OASIS (Operacion de autopistas seguras inteligentes y sostenibles). Dentro del ambito de la movilidad, es fundamental establecer un modelo de sensorizacion optimo que extraiga la maxima informacion y de la mayor calidad posible. Para ello, la vision artificial se propone como solucion en numerosas aplicaciones de trafico mediante la utilizacion de camaras de video y algoritmos especificos, sin embargo a pesar de su extendida implantacion presenta ciertas limitaciones. La combinacion de las tecnologias de vision artificial con sensores basados en tecnologia LIDAR puede paliar parte de dichas limitaciones y permitir el desarrollo de un sistema mixto robusto y preciso. Desde OASIS se plantea una solucion hibrida, complementaria, basada en la fusion de tecnicas de vision artificial y tecnologias LIDAR para la deteccion y monitorizacion de trafico a nivel microscopico de trafico
Private study with search engine support - Examination papers

There is a growing tendency for model answers to past examination questions to be made available to students. Laudable though this may be, it does encourage some to concentrate on how to answer the usual questions that occur every year, rather than to learn the whole content of the module. Those students may achieve higher marks than they would otherwise do, but would they be less able to apply the content in novel situations? This paper records an evaluation of a proposed system that allows individual parts of past examination papers to be submitted to a search engine. The files used by the search engine are derived from a series of narrated and animated online lectures in digital circuit design. The resulting returns purport to offer a recommendation as to those lecture slides that are relevant for answering the question. The paper briefly describes the essential characteristics of the on-line lectures and how they are specified. The search mechanism is based on a conventional term frequency-inverse document frequency scheme. The post processing of the results prior to display are described and a mock-up of the interface is illustrated. The paper concludes with an objective and discursive evaluation of the results and indicates the path for future work.