Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual Arm Robot Control based on Navigation Function with Prescribed Performance Guarantees

In this thesis, a controller based on the navigation function and prescribed performance control concepts for controlling the absolute and the relative position of the end-e ectors of a dual arm manipulator is proposed. The end-e ectors of the dual arm manipulator are considered as sphere agents being assigned with a desired position (absolute position) and a desired formation vector (relative position). The objective is to guarantee convergence of the end-e ectors to the desired position as well as the evolution of the end-e ectors’ formation error within prescribed transient bounds. The main contribution is the combination of conventional navigation functions that enable the system to satisfy position based constraints, such as collision avoidance, with the prescribed performance control methodology that imposes, time-dependent constraints for the relative position of the ende ectors. The controller is designed in order to guarantee coherence of the two concepts and achieve the two-fold objective. Simulation and experimental results illustrate the e ectiveness of the proposed scheme. Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisors Dr. Dimos V. Dimarogonas and Dr. Yiannis Karayiannidis for giving me the opportunity to work with them on my master’s thesis project. I am sincerely grateful for their continous guidance and support that made this thesis possible. Their focus and their immense experience have been invaluable and I have learned a lot by working with them. Second, sincere thanks to Francisco Vina for his insightful discussions and inputs during the course of writing and implementing the code. Last but not least, deep gratitude to my family and friends for their encouragement during the time of this project.
Atopic dermatitis: a disease of altered skin barrier and immune dysregulation

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an important chronic or relapsing inflammatory skin disease that often precedes asthma and allergic disorders. New insights into the genetics and pathophysiology of AD point to an important role of structural abnormalities in the epidermis as well as immune dysregulation not only for this skin disease but also for the development of asthma and allergies. Patients with AD have a unique predisposition to colonization or infection by microbial organisms, most notably Staphylococcus aureus and herpes simplex virus. Measures directed at healing and protecting the skin barrier and addressing the immune dysregulation are essential in the treatment of patients with AD, and early intervention may improve outcomes for both the skin disease as well as other target organs.
A Web Application for Geothermal Borefield Design

The correct design of a borehole heat exchanger (BHE) system implies the accurate knowledge of borehole and ground thermal properties, the correct evaluation of building heating or cooling demands and the correct procedure to assess the final overall BHE length related to BHE configuration shape. A careful design is required to make profitable payback plans and provide expected long time performance. In this paper the principle and description of a web-based suite of tools for BHE design is presented. The web application intends to implement some of the main procedures universally adopted in BHE system design. A section of the present paper describes the implementation of an improved ASHRAE method which allows the BHE system to be designed by considering three representative building heat loads, their respective thermal resistances based on ICS model and a temperature penalty variable which takes into account the long term BHE interaction effect. A new hybrid implementation of the Ashrae method based on g-function calculation is also described for arbitrary borehole field configuration design. This arbitrary shaped borefield design allows the designer to fit the peculiar needs of each application project. Current free or commercial programs allow the user to design BHE systems according to a priori determined set of available configurations in terms of borefield shape and borehole to borehole distances while real applications often require the borehole field geometry not to respect a regular matrix configuration. A further section describes a toolkit for Thermal Response Test (TRT) analysis which allows the estimation of BHE and ground thermal properties. This toolkit provides also a method for the evaluation of the error related to TRT analysis results. Furthermore, a section for analytical estimation of borehole thermal resistance based on literature review is also presented.
The membrane‐bound but not the soluble form of human Fas ligand is responsible for its inflammatory activity

The ectopic expression of Fas ligand (FasL/CD95L) in tissues or tumors induces neutrophil infiltration and the destruction of the tissues or the rejection of tumors. It has been suggested thatthe infiltrated neutrophils are responsible for the latter phenomena. FasL is synthesized as a type II transmembrane protein, and soluble FasL is produced by a proteolytic mechanism from the membrane‐bound form. We previously demonstrated that uncleavable membrane‐bound FasL of mice induces IL‐1β release from inflammatory cells, and suggested that the IL‐1β enhances neutrophil infiltration. However, recent papers reported that human soluble FasL is directly chemoattractive to neutrophils in vitro and proposed that the soluble form of FasL is responsible for its inflammatory activity. Therefore, in this report, we investigated which form is responsible for the inflammatory activities of human FasL. We produced tumor cell lines expressing one or both forms of human FasL. Cells expressing both forms or only the membrane‐bound form of FasL induced neutrophil infiltration when transplanted into the peritoneal cavity of syngeneic mice, while cells expressing only the soluble form did not. Purified soluble FasL failed to induce neutrophil infiltration in vivo. IL‐1β release from inflammatory peritoneal exudate and acceleration of tumor rejection were also mediated by membrane‐bound but not soluble FasL. These results indicate that the membrane‐bound form of FasL is primarily responsible for its inflammatory activity.
SWSN: A safe wireless sensor network module for fail-silent systems

The challenges to deal with to design a WSN node which can be used in safety-relevant application are, to the present day, still to be completely investigated and solved. Nevertheless, a prototype implementation is presented in this paper, with an emphasis on the chosen hardware architecture and components, highlighting the limitations imposed by specific choices. Furthermore, an example application of a wearable device is presented, where this prototype is tested. The specific choices about the input stage turn out to be well-suited to the chosen application and the sensors used, that will enable real-time tracking of the movements in a cost-efficient way and with reduced components.
Asteroseismology of RXJ 2117+3412, the hottest pulsating PG 1159 star

The pulsating PG 1159 planetary nebula central star RXJ 2117+3412 has been observed over three successive seasons of a multisite photometric campaign. The asteroseismological analysis of the data, based on the 37 identified ` = 1 modes among the 48 independent pulsation frequencies detected in the power spectrum, leads to the derivation of the rotational splitting, the period spacing and the mode trapping cycle and amplitude, from which a number of fundamental parameters can be deduced. The average rotation period is 1.16 ± 0.05 days. The trend for the rotational splitting to decrease with increasing periods is incompatible with a solid body rotation. The total mass is 0.56 −0.04 M and the He-rich envelope mass fraction is in the range 0.013–0.078 M∗. The luminosity derived from asteroseismology is log(L/L ) = 4.05 +0.23 −0.32 and the distance 760 +230 −235 pc. At such a distance, the linear size of the planetary nebulae is 2.9 ± 0.9 pc. The role of mass loss on the excitation mechanism and its consequence on the amplitude variations is discussed.
Molecular and Immuno-Characteristics of Immunoglobulin-like Glycoproteins in Cancer Cell-expressed Biomarker, CA215

RP215 monoclonal antibody (Mab) was shown to recognize a specific carbohydrate-associated epitope found in cancer cell-expressed glycoproteins, known as CA215. The membrane-bound and soluble forms of CA215 were detected in almost all of the cancer cells in humans, but rarely found in normal tissues. Through MALDI-TOF MS analysis, it has been reported previously that as much as 40% of the detected tryptic peptides of CA215 showed high degrees of sequence homology to those found in immunoglobulin heavy chains. The cancer cell-derived immunoglobulins were further purified from CA215 by affinity column-linked with goat anti-human IgG for molecular characterizations. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine the mRNA levels of various immunoglobulin genes expressed by cancer cells of single or multi-cell origins and compared with those found in normal human serum. The stability of CA215 was investigated under different experimental conditions. It was observed that the RP215-specific epitope in CA215 is stable at neutral pH, in human serum or in mice (half life of 5–18 days), but unstable at extreme pH’s (pH ≤ 2.0; pH ≥ 12.0) or high temperatures. Enzyme immunoassays were performed with several secondary antibody probes related to human IgG. It was demonstrated that cancer cell-expressed immunoglobulins with RP215-specific epitope have much lower immunoactivity than that of normal human IgG (≤ 5%), despite the fact that both showed almost identical amino acid sequence in the respective Fc region reported previously. This could be the result of aberrant glycosylation of CA215 in cancer cells. Aberrant glycosylation of glycoproteins may have important biological implications on the proliferation of cancer cells in vitro or in vivo.
Short-term Hormonal Control of Hepatic Lipogenesis

Lipids are essential components of all living cells, functioning as an energy store and playing an important role in all biologic membranes. Triacylglycerols, the storage form and most abundant of the glycerolipids, represent a highly concentrated form of energy, yielding twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrate or protein. The phospholipids are amphipathic compounds which, along with cholesterol, are found in membranes where they interact to provide a polar-faced, hydrophobic continuum of critical importance for proper cell structure and function. A major function of lipogenesis is to store (as triacylglycerols) the chemical energy or foodstuffs ingested above the immediate requirements of an organism. Contrary to protein, which is not stored, and to carbohydrate, which can only be stored in limited quantities, the capacity to store triacylglycerols is almost unlimited. The ability to keep large amounts of triacylglycerols on board would not be useful, however, if it were not possible to quickly and efficiently stop diverting foodstuffs into triacylglycerol formation and to quickly and efficiently start utilizing these compounds to provide the energy necessary to synthesize ATP. For this reason, mechanisms have evolved which finely tune the synthesis and degradation of triacylglycerol to the ever changing demand for ATP. In contrast, phospholipid and cholesterol synthesis must be, at least, partially maintained (or their degradation curtailed), even in the face of limited food intake or frank starvation, to provide sufficient quantities of these lipids to fulfill their crucial role in biologic membranes. In rodents the proportion of total body fatty acids synthesized by the liver ranges from 3% (fasted animals) to 50%
Use of inactivated bluetongue virus serotype 8 vaccine against virulent challenge in sheep and cattle

The immunisation properties of an inactivated bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) vaccine were evaluated in sheep and cattle. Five sheep were vaccinated with one dose of vaccine and five cattle were vaccinated with two doses 28 days apart. Six sheep and five cattle served as unvaccinated controls. All animals were subjected to a virulent BTV-8 challenge, and safety and antibody responses were monitored. All control animals developed disease and viraemia, while vaccinated animals were clinically protected and viraemia was completely prevented.
Iberian Odonata distribution: data of the BOS Arthropod Collection (University of Oviedo, Spain)

Abstract Odonata are represented from the Iberian Peninsula by 79 species. However, there exists a significant gap in accessible knowledge about these species,especially regarding their distribution. This data paper describes the specimen-based Odonata data of the Arthropod Collection of the Department of Biología de Organismos y Sistemas (BOS), University of Oviedo, Spain. The specimens were mainly collected from the Iberian Peninsula (98.63% of the data records), especially the northern region. The earliest specimen deposited in the collection dates back to 1950, while the 1980’s and 2000’s are the best-represented time periods. Between 1950 and 2009, 16, 604 Odonata specimens were deposited and are documented in the dataset. Approximately 20% of the specimens belong to the families Coenagrionidae and Calopterygidae. Specimens include the holotype and paratypes of the Iberian subspecies Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis asturica Ocharan, 1983 and Sympetrum vulgatum ibericum Ocharan, 1985. The complete dataset is also provided in Darwin Core Archive format.
Economic losses due to paratuberculosis in dairy cattle

The results of a study of the economic losses caused by paratuberculosis in dairy cattle are reported. The losses in production and the determination of lost future income due to premature disposal are emphasised. A decrease in milk production of 19.5 per cent compared with the lactation two years before culling was recorded in animals showing clinical signs of paratuberculosis. The decrease in production in the last lactation but one compared with the previous lactation was 5 per cent. In animals with non-clinical forms of paratuberculosis these decreases in production were 16 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively.
Properties and Mechanisms of Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity in the Mammalian Brain: Relationships to Learning and Memory

Long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus and long-term depression (LTD) in the cerebellum are two forms of long-lasting synaptic plasticity that currently serve as our primary experimental models of learning and memory formation in mammals. In recent years, there have been considerable advances in our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of these and other forms of synaptic plasticity. This article presents an overview of these developments, considers the relationship of long-term synaptic plasticity mechanisms to learning and memory in view of these developments, and suggests future directions for research in this rapidly growing area of neuroscience.
The nutritional value of degermed, dehulled corn for pigs and its impact on the gastrointestinal tract and nutrient excretion.

Three experiments were designed to assess the feeding value and potential environmental benefits of feeding degermed, dehulled corn, a low fiber by-product originating from the corn dry milling process, to pigs. Twelve 27-kg (SE = 0.8) barrows were used in Exp. 1 to measure the apparent fecal digestibility of DM, GE and N of degermed, dehulled corn compared with corn grain. Two diets were formulated to contain either 96.4% of degermed, dehulled corn or corn grain plus supplemental vitamins and minerals. Digestibilities of DM, GE, and N were greater in degermed, dehulled corn (96.2, 96.0, and 93.6%, respectively) compared with corn grain (89.0, 89.0, and 78.4%, respectively) (P < 0.01). Overall, a 67 and 29% reduction in DM and N excretion, respectively, was observed. In Exp. 2, eight 70-kg (SE =1.8) barrows were surgically fitted with ileal cannulae and fed the same diets as in Exp. 1, to measure the ileal digestibility of nutrients in degermed, dehulled corn. Ileal digestibility of DM, energy, and N was 13, 15, and 7% greater in degermed, dehulled corn (P < 0.05). Apparent ileal digestibility coefficients of leucine, methionine, and phenylalanine were greater in degermed, dehulled corn compared with corn grain (P < 0.05) while a trend for a lower tryptophan digestibility in degermed, dehulled corn was observed (P = 0.067). In Experiment 3, 96 nursery pigs with an initial average BW of 8.8 kg (SE = 0.08), fed a starter diet formulated with degermed, dehulled corn or corn grain as the major grain source, were used in a 28-d growth performance study. At the end of the study, 24 pigs (1 pig per pen) were sacrificed and gastrointestinal tract measurements were taken. Daily growth rates of pigs were the same between diets (0.64 kg/d). A trend for reduced feed intake (P = 0.073) in pigs fed degermed, dehulled corn led to a 4% improvement in gain to feed (P < 0.05). Feeding degermed, dehulled corn had no effect on gut fill, gastrointestinal tract weight, or liver weight (P > 0.05). Ileal villus lengths and crypt depths were not affected by feeding degermed, dehulled corn although ileal villus widths were greater in pigs fed corn grain. Results from these trials suggest that corn processed to remove poorly digestible fiber fractions provides more digestible nutrients than corn grain. As a result, degermed, dehulled corn reduces fecal and N excretion, thus providing a means to reduce nutrient excretion.
Distribution of noradrenaline in the brain of the teleost gasterosteus aculeatus L.: An immunohistochemical analysis

The distribution of noradrenergic neurons in the brain of the threespined stickleback was demonstrated with the indirect peroxidase‐antiperoxidase (PAP) immunohistochemical method with antibodies against a noradrenaline‐bovine serum albumin conjugate. Noradrenergic neuronal somata were exclusively located in the isthmal area of the brain stem and in the lower medulla. Noradrenergic varicose axons innervate the reticular formation, motor nuclei, and interpeduncular nucleus of the brain stem, the hypothalamus and habenular nuclei, various parts of the area dorsalis telencephali (forebrain pallium), and the olfactory bulbs. Scattered noradrenergic axons were observed in the optic tectum and in various parts of the cerebellum. It is concluded that the isthmal cell group of the stickleback is, on topological and cytoarchitectonic grounds, equivalent to the ventral portion of the locus coeruleus/subcoeruleus area of amniotes, but that its efferent connections display features characteristic both of those originating in the locus coeruleus, and in the lateral tegmental cell groups of mammals.
An assessment of Salmonella survival in pig manure and its separated solid and liquid fractions during storage

The objective of this study was to examine Salmonella survival in pig manure and its separated fractions during storage. Salmonella declined, but significant reductions were not observed in the manure and liquid until day 56, whereas counts in the solids were lower by day 7. The Salmonella inoculum initially impacted counts but not after days 28–56. By day 112 Salmonella was undetectable in the manure and liquid but was recovered from the solids. There was no clear dominance of particular serotypes and antibiotic resistance transfer was not found. Storage duration and pH impacted Salmonella counts in all samples, with duration having the greatest effect. Of the nutrients, nitrate had the greatest impact in the manure and, together with phosphate, it also affected counts in the liquid fraction. This study demonstrates that if pig manure or its separated fractions are stored under controlled conditions at 10.5°C for 84–112 days Salmonella is reduced or eliminated, irrespective of the initial load.
Iterative reconstruction of fluorine-18 SPECT using geometric point response correction.

UNLABELLED This article demonstrates resolution recovery in 18F SPECT image reconstruction by using an iterative algorithm that corrects for the system geometric response. METHODS Patient and phantom studies were performed using a Picker PRISM 3000 three-detector SPECT system (Picker International, Inc., Cleveland, OH) to image 18F with 511 keV collimators. A measured point response function of the imaging system was used in an iterative reconstruction algorithm in which the projector and backprojector modeled the system point response function by using an efficient layer-by-layer blurring technique. The blurring function was a five-element kernel in the shape of a cross. The iterative reconstruction algorithm was an ordered-subset maximum-likelihood expectation maximization algorithm. RESULTS The iterative reconstruction algorithm with geometric response correction showed an improvement in resolution over the filtered backprojection reconstruction and the iterative reconstruction without correction. CONCLUSION The proposed iterative reconstruction algorithm with geometric response correction is efficient and effective with significant resolution recovery.
Effects of Foot Shape on Energetic Efficiency and Dynamic Stability of Passive Dynamic Biped with Upper Body

Passive dynamic walking has been developed as a possible explanation for the efficiency of the human gait. In this paper, we investigate the effects of foot shape on energetic efficiency and dynamic stability of passivity-based bipeds with upper body. Three walking models with point feet, round feet and flat feet were presented. Each model has an upper body constrained to keep midway between legs. We use computer simulations to find which foot shapes are indeed optimal in view of energetic efficiency and dynamic stability for a passive dynamic biped with upper body. Simulation results indicate that feet improve both the energetic efficiency and dynamic stability of passive dynamic bipeds.
Simulation and comparison of two classes of circularly polarized triple-frequency antennas

Two classes of circularly polarized antennas for triple-frequency operation are presented and discussed in this paper. To achieve triple-frequency operation, the proposed microstrip antenna has three layers, and each arm of the quadrifilar helical antenna consists of three elements with different length. The two triple-frequency antennas can both get circular polarized hemispherical pattern with miniaturized compact size. The bandwidth of VSWR < 2 at each frequency is enough for practical operation. The simulation results and analysis are presented
Blood eosinophilia is associated with unfavorable hospitalization outcomes in children with bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis, the most common indication for hospitalization of young children, is associated with subsequent asthma. Blood eosinophilia is associated with increased severity of asthma, but it is unclear if eosinophilia is associated with severity of illness in bronchiolitis. We hypothesized that blood eosinophilia is associated with unfavorable short‐term outcomes of bronchiolitis hospitalizations.
Effect of growth temperature on fatty acid biosynthesis in Acanthamoeba castellanii.

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