Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liborg: a lidar-based robot for efficient 3D mapping

In this work we present Liborg, a spatial mapping and localization system that is able to acquire 3D models on the y using data originated from lidar sensors. The novelty of this work is in the highly efficient way we deal with the tremendous amount of data to guarantee fast execution times while preserving sufficiently high accuracy. The proposed solution is based on a multi-resolution technique based on octrees. The paper discusses and evaluates the main benefits of our approach including its efficiency regarding building and updating the map and its compactness regarding compressing the map. In addition, the paper presents a working prototype consisting of a robot equipped with a Velodyne Lidar Puck (VLP-16) and controlled by a Raspberry Pi serving as an independent acquisition platform.
Performance limitations due to TCP Burstiness in GEO satellite networks with limited buffering

Next generation GEO satellites will use an on board switch to facilitate efficient telecommunication networks. They will provide Internet service provision to particular groups of users. Therefore it is reasonable to believe that, major portion of data traffic to be based on TCP protocol. TCP is bursty in nature. Burstiness of TCP can result poor performance due to the limited buffering available in the on board switch. Several researchers have identified the various problems associated with TCP bursts and have proposed solutions. In this paper we try to illustrate the problem of TCP burstiness in a GEO satellite network using experimental results. Currently we are analyzing the scenario in a simulator aiming to design a transparent support mechanism to alleviate the problem.
Poverty, inequality and the distribution of income in the Group of 20

This paper provides evidence that supports the claim that the absolute number of people in poverty has begun to fall, notwithstanding global population growth, for the first time in the history of the statistics. Moreover we can now picture how narrowing inter-country inequality has outweighed widening national inequality in some countries, so that global inequality has apparently begun to narrow.
IL 1 B Promoter Haplotypes Are Associated with Spirometric Indices and Plasma Total IgE in Chinese Children

Received May 16, 2006 Abstract Interleukin (IL)-1 gene family encodes for pleiotropic pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Genome screens mapped asthma phenotypes to chromosome 2q12-21 where IL-1 gene cluster is located. This study investigated the relation between asthma traits and polymorphisms at positions -31 and -511 of IL-1β gene (IL1B) in Chinese children. Plasma total IgE and allergen-specific IgE concentrations were measured by immunoassays. IL1B promoter genotypes were characterised by restriction fragment length polymorphism. One hundred and fifty-eight patients and 56 controls were recruited. Significant interethnic variations in allele frequencies of IL1B were found between Chinese and other populations. Neither IL1B polymorphisms was associated with asthma. However, patients homozygous for IL1B -31C had lower FEV 1 (p=0.03) and FVC (p=0.008). More subjects with IL1B -31C/-511T haplotype had increased plasma total IgE (OR 1.61, 95%CI 1.02-2.54; p=0.04) and decreased FEV 1 (OR 1.78, 95%CI 1.06-3.02; p=0.03) and FVC (OR 1.87, 95%CI 1.09-3.22; p=0.02). In conclusion, IL1B promoter polymorphisms are associated with poorer lung function and increased plasma total IgE concentration in Chinese children.
Teaching Methodology and Social Cognition in Primary SchoolChildren: A Study of Semi Urban and Rural, Talk Chalk and Nali KaliSchools

Successful social and emotional adjustment in adulthood is determined by the social cognitive ability of a person. The development of social cognition is very crucial during childhood. Children spend most of their active hours at school and hence the school curriculum, schooling, and teaching methodology influence social cognition to a great extent. Semi- urban and rural children have distinct social environments and hence distinct social needs and learning needs. Both these groups have limited social learning opportunities when compared with their urban counter parts. In this case school experiences become the most influencing social environment. This paper aims at comparing and analyzing the influence of the child centered Nali Kali method of teaching in the government schools of Karnataka and the teacher centered Talk Chalk method of teaching usually adopted by other schools on the development of social cognitive abilities in primary school, semi urban and rural children. The study also emphasizes on the demographic and gender differences in the way the two methods influence the social cognition in children. The study further probes into the different activities and concepts in teaching methodologies which foster the growth of social cognitive abilities.
Low Area and High Speed Convolutive Blind Source Separation Using VLSI

This short displays a proficient cosmically colossal scale joining engineering plan for convolutive visually impaired source divergence (CBSS). The CBSS disagreement organize gotten from the data expansion (Infomax) approach is received. The proposed CBSS chip configuration comprises for the most part of Infomax separating modules and scaling variable calculation modules. In an Infomax separating module, input tests are sifted by an Infomax channel with the weights refreshed by Info max-driven stochastic learning rules. Concerning the scaling element calculation module, all operations including strategic sigmoid are incorporated and executed by the circuit configuration predicated on a piecewise-straight estimation conspire. The proposed model chip is executed by means of a semi-custom de-sign using 90-nm CMOS innovation on a kick the bucket size of around 0.54 × 0.54 mm.
MULTIPLATFORM APPROACH TO MOBILE LASER SCANNING

Mobile laser scanning is an emerging technology for capturing three-dimensional information from the surrounding objects. With state of the art sensors the achieved point cloud could capture fine details of the surroundings with good accuracy and effectiveness. Many of the applications deal with the civil engineering purposes in urban areas for traffic and city planning and modelling. In this article we present multiplatform mobile laser scanning solutions for mapping applications that require mobility in various terrains and river environments but yet produce high density point clouds with good reliability and accuracy. The ROAMER mobile laser scanning system was deployed in multitude of tasks from urban areas to climate research. The paper also introduces a completely new backpack Akhka platform for mobile lidar mapping of areas where wheeled vehicles cannot operate. The sensor set is the same in all of the approaches, but the carrying vessel was selected according to the application. This was possible thanks to a relatively light and compact yet simple design of the system. ROAMER system is one of the few high-end MLS systems that are easily adaptable to various platforms. In addition to technical description of the system we discuss the practical performance of the solutions through various applications in the fields of urban mapping, fluvial geomorphology, snow cover characterization and climate change monitoring.
The Application of a Hybrid Inverse Boundary Element Problem Engine for the Solution of Potential Problems

A method that combines a modified back propagation Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Boundary Element Analysis (BEA) was introduced and discussed in the author’s previous papers. This paper discusses the development of an automated inverse boundary element problem engine. This inverse problem engine can be applied to both potential and elastostatic problems. In this study, BEA solutions of a two-dimensional potential problem is utilised to test the system and to train a back propagation Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Once training is completed and the transfer function is created, the solution to any subsequent or new problems can be obtained quickly and in real-time without any further modelling or processing time with a high degree of accuracy. This provides substantial savings on computational time and provides instant solutions to a given problem with infinite combinations of alternative boundary conditions. This approach is particularly useful when parametric optimisation of an existing component is required, which may typically involve several iterations in order to obtain valid results. In this paper the inverse problem engine will be explained in detail. The logic behind its Graphical User Interface (GUI) will be explained and results will be discussed. Using this technique we can for example identify the temperature at the cutting tool tip or on the external surface due to cutting force, from accurate internal temperatures. keyword: Boundary Element Modelling, Artificial Neural Network, Back Propagation, Linear Extrapolation, Weight Updating.
Angelica polysaccharide moderates hypoxia-evoked apoptosis and autophagy in rat neural stem cells by downregulation of BNIP3

Abstract Neonatal hypoxia–ischemia is a troublesome disease. Angelica polysaccharide (AP) is proved to have antioxidant effects. Our study was performed to confirm the effects of AP in hypoxia-exposed neural stem cells (NSCs). NSCs were pre-treated with AP and then stimulated with hypoxia. Viability of NSCs was examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Hypoxia-introduced apoptosis was observed by flow cytometry. Essential regulators of mTOR and Notch signalling pathways were examined by Western blot. mRNA expression was accessed using qRT-PCR. Bcl2/adenovirus EIB 19kD-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) was altered by transfection. We noticed that NSCs were sensitive to hypoxia-induced apoptosis and showed decreased viability. Moreover, Beclin and light chain 3-II was upregulated while p62 was downregulated. However, AP reversed all these results. Similarly, hypoxia decreased the phosphorylation of mTOR and p70S6K and Notch1 expression while AP increased the phosphorylation of mTOR and p70S6K as well as the expression of Notch1. BNIP3 was upregulated by hypoxia while downregulated by AP. Further experiments demonstrated that overexpression of BNIP3 broken all the effects induced by AP shown in cell viability, apoptosis, autophagy and signalling pathways. Collectively, AP alleviated hypoxia-introduced NSCs damages by maintaining cell viability, blocking apoptosis and autophagy via downregulation of BNIP3 with the activation of mTOR and Notch signalling pathways.
I. Identification and designation of galaxies

We present the new catalog of principal galaxies (PGC2003). It constitutes the framework of the HYPERLEDA database that supersedes the LEDA one, with more data and more capabilities. The catalog is still restricted to confirmed galaxies, i.e. about one million galaxies, brighter than ≈18 B-mag. In order to provide the best possible identification for each galaxy we give: accurate coordinates (typical accuracy better than 2 arcsec), diameter, axis ratio and position angle. Diameters and axis ratios have been homogenized to the RC2 system at the limiting surface brightness of 25B − mag arcsec −2 , using a new method, the EPIDEMIC method. In order to provide the best designation for each galaxy, we collected the names from 50 catalogues. The compatibility of the spelling is tested against NED and SIMBAD, and, as far as possible we used a spelling compatible with both. For some cases, where no consensus exists between NED, SIMBAD and LEDA, we propose some changes that could make the spelling of names fully compatible. The full catalog is distributed through the CDS and can be extracted from HYPERLEDA.
Putting child labour laws to work: evidence from Colombia

IN ENGLISH: This paper uses household-level survey data from the USAID and the Colombian government to analyse the e ̇ect of the Code of Childhood and Adolescence of 2006, which raised the minimum working age from 12 to 15, on the socioeconomic outcomes of the a ̇ected cohort. We utilise OLS, probit, di ̇erence-in-di ̇erence, and triple di ̇erence techniques. Our results show statistically significant but marginally impactful changes in outcomes due to the law. Education results are mixed, with an increase in secondary school completion but a decrease in tertiary school enrollment. We o ̇er a “Gap Year Hypothesis” to explain this outcome. Rural areas and areas with lower incidences of violence seem to experience more of an e ̇ect from the law change. Our results for probability of being employed are inconclusive, but there is a decrease in wages which asymmetrically harms females. The paper includes a variety of policy proposals to decrease incidences of child labour and create more positive social outcomes. ABSTRACT IN CATALAN: Aquest article fa servir dades de les enquestes a nivell domiciliari de la USAID i el govern colombià per analitzar el Codi de la infància i l'adolescència de 2006, que va elevar l'edat mínima de treball de 12 a 15 anys, sobre els resultats socioeconòmics de la AH cohort ected. Utilitzem tècniques OLS, probit, diherence-in-tenència i triple indicació. Els nostres resultats mostren canvis estadísticament significatius però impactants en els resultats derivats de la llei. Els resultats de l'educació es combinen, amb un augment de la formació de secundària, però una disminució de la matrícula escolar. Es tracta d'una "hipòtesi de bretxa" per explicar aquest resultat. Les zones rurals i les zones amb menor incidència de violència semblen experimentar més d'un eix del canvi de llei. Els nostres resultats per a la probabilitat de ser emprats no són concloents, però hi ha una disminució dels salaris que perjudiquen asimètricament les femelles. El document inclou una varietat de propostes polítiques per reduir les incidències del treball infantil i crear resultats socials més positius. Putting Child Labour Laws to Work: Evidence from Colombia Naveed Ahmed, Francisco Garcia Jordan, Michael Keenan, Benjamin Kline, Ines Lecland
Chapter 2 Regulation of Phenazine Biosynthesis

Microbiologists have historically been struck by both the beautiful pigmentation of phenazine-producing cultures and the high degree of variability in phenazine production among isolates, conditions, and even repeat experiments. Motivated by an interest in controlling phenazine biosynthesis, they have identified many of the factors that affect the regulation of this process. Phenazine production is controlled by complex regulatory networks. The variability of phenazine production can be explained in part by the effects of environmental conditions on these networks and by strain-specific differences in these networks. In this chapter, we describe the components of a common regulatory cascade that is represented in many phenazine-producing pseudomonads. Membrane sensor proteins and two component sensors control the activity of downstream regulators such as quorum sensing systems and RNA-binding proteins and small RNAs; these cytoplasmic regulators then control the production of phenazine biosynthetic proteins. We highlight examples from specific strains and cases where the mechanistic links may vary among them. We also discuss environmental parameters that have been shown to affect phenazine biosynthesis and compare their effects in different isolates. Ongoing work will further elaborate the details of the environmental sensing and regulatory responses that control production of these dramatically colored compounds. New findings have the potential to support enhanced application of phenazine-producing strains in agriculture, where they promote crop health, and the treatment of infections in which phenazines contribute to bacterial pathogenicity. H. Sakhtah L. E. P. Dietrich (&) Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA e-mail: LDietrich@columbia.edu A. Price-Whelan Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA S. Chincholkar and L. Thomashow (eds.), Microbial Phenazines, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-40573-0_2, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 19
The rehabilitation training and antioxidant status in patients with myocardial infarction

Introduction: Myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with increased oxidative stress and reduced antioxidants. Some studies have shown that exercise training increases the serum level antioxidants. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of rehabilitation training on antioxidant status in patients with myocardial infarction. Materials and methods: In this study, 20 patients with myocardial infarction were selected and randomly assigned to training group (n=10) or control group (n=10). Training program included 3 sessions of concurrent training per week for eight consecutive weeks. To measure the values of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonylation (PC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), 10 ml of blood were taken preand post-training in each patient. The t-test was used to analyze the data. P<0.05 was considered significant in all tests. Results: The data showed that 8 weeks of rehabilitation training significantly reduces MDA (2.37±0.59 μM and 3.74±1.34 μM in training and control groups, respectively; P=0.000) and PC (9.15±1.77 nmol/mg protein and 11.48±1.60 nmol/mg protein in training and control groups, respectively; P=0.006) levels and significantly increases TAC (10.09±1.70 U/ml and 8.34±1.56 U/ml in training and control groups, respectively; P=0.031). Conclusion: Since the findings of the present study show a reduction in oxidative stress markers (MDA, PC) and an increase in total antioxidants capacity, it seems that eight weeks of concurrent training may improve the antioxidant capacity in patients after myocardial infarction.
Exploring Topic and Sentiment of Hotel Reviews

Online review can help people getting more information about products. It offers a unique proposition for sentiment analysis. In this paper, a method for automatic extracting topic and it's sentiment of hotel reviews is proposed. Our method focus on a special case which means some explicit topics is already given. The unknown topics are extracted by means of given topics. Previous studies mainly focus on the polarity of the sentiment. Furthermore, in this paper, the sentiment strength is calculated by lexicon-based approach. Empirical experiments on hotel reviews demonstrate the advantage of the proposed method.
Prevention and monitoring of adverse events following immunization : the “ Green Channel ” of the Veneto region in Italy

Measures to improve vaccine safety are essential for successful immunization programs. Therefore, an activity for vaccine adverse events prevention and surveillance, named the Green Channel, was established in the Veneto ion of Italy in 1992. This report summarizes the results of 10 years activity of a specialized pre-vaccination counseling service, offered to 543 selected at risk individuals referred for prior AEFIs or suspected contraindications (CI) to vaccine administration. Furthermore, data on 1762 AEFIs reported in this region are analyzed and discussed. This joint activity appeared effective and it is proposed as a model. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Molecular biomarker‐guided anti‐angiogenic targeted therapy for malignant glioma

Despite aggressive multimodality treatment, the prognosis of glioma, especially malignant glioma, remains very poor. After decades of effort, anti‐angiogenic therapy has become an important method of cancer treatment in addition to surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Although the performance of anti‐angiogenic therapy in colorectal cancer is good, its performance in malignant glioma remains unsatisfactory. Several phase III clinical trials showed no overall survival benefits. To solve this problem, the division of patients into groups based on their molecular biomarkers is an important step. This paper provides current insights into anti‐angiogenic drugs undergoing clinical trials and discusses the potential of molecular biomarkers to guide glioma diagnosis.
Study on nondestructive discrimination of genuine and counterfeit wild ginsengs using NIRS

A new approach for the nondestructive discrimination between genuine wild ginsengs and the counterfeit ones by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was developed. Both discriminant analysis and back propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) were applied to the model establishment for discrimination. Optimal modeling wavelengths were determined based on the anomalous spectral information of counterfeit samples. Through principal component analysis (PCA) of various wild ginseng samples, genuine and counterfeit, the cumulative percentages of variance of the principal components were obtained, serving as a reference for principal component (PC) factor determination. Discriminant analysis achieved an identification ratio of 88.46%. With samples' truth values as its outputs, a three-layer BP-ANN model was built, which yielded a higher discrimination accuracy of 100%. The overall results sufficiently demonstrate that NIRS combined with BP-ANN classification algorithm performs better on ginseng discrimination than discriminant analysis, and can be used as a rapid and nondestructive method for the detection of counterfeit wild ginsengs in food and pharmaceutical industry.
Formation control for a class of output-feedback systems

We address the problem of designing decentralized output feedback laws to force the outputs of a class of strict feedback nonlinear systems (agents) to follow geometric paths while holding a desired formation pattern. To this effect we propose a general framework that takes into account, the topology of the communication links among the agents and the fact that velocities states of agents are unavailable. We provide a decentralized controller based on an observer backstepping approach. By using available exponential observers, stability of the interconnected observer-coordinated controller system is obtained. As a case study, the coordination output-feedback control design is performed for synchronizing a fleet of AUVs where only position measurements are available. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the approach.