Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A flexible navigation system for autonomous robots operating in heterogeneous environments

This dissertation presents a flexible navigation system for autonomous robot operating in heterogeneous environments. In the proposed system, flexibility occurs at several levels of the navigation system. At the lowest level, proper locomotion modes are selected according to the local context, which includes handling dynamic footprints when computing traversability costs. This flexibility ensures that the kinematic and morphological constraints of the robot are adequately considered when navigating in demanding environments. At the highest level, proper motion planning strategies are selected according to the global context, namely, the expected topology of the environment. This flexibility allows the robot to trade-off, in a context-aware way, accuracy of the planned motions and computational cost. As a result, the complexity of the planner matches the complexity of the environment, which is key to enable a proper management of computational and energetic resources. Following a pragmatic strategy, the robot obtains its global context from off-line generated maps, which are becoming widely available. To validate this idea, a tool for semantic labelling of satellite imagery was developed. Online, the robot obtains its global context extracting the semantic label (e.g., urban environment) and distribution of expected obstacles associated to its current global position. The proposed system leverages on the well-known Robotics Operating System (ROS) framework for the implementation of the navigation system underpinnings. For extensive validation purposes, a physics-based 3D simulator was used. Moreover, the system was validated over 1 Km long experiments on a physical four-wheeled robot. The results obtained show the ability of the system to ensure safe navigation in heterogeneous environments. This is a result of the ability of the system to exploit context awareness to reconfigure itself when facing transitions among topologically different environment regions. The added level of robustness introduced with the proposed system is expected to foster the application of autonomous robots in socially relevant domains. keywords: planning, navigation, semantic, flexible. vii
Surrogate Motherhood – the European Legal Landscape

Surrogate motherhood is a fascinating topic that has been part of human history since time immemorial and still provides kindling for discussion in the twenty-first century. Despite its ancient origin and current topicality, in many ways, surrogacy remains under-discussed. There is no clear consensus on how to deal with it: some important values will be jeopardized regardless of the route we take. Recent developments and research in the area of human reproductive medicine have resulted in a continuous increase in surrogacies each year, so it is paramount to consider the moral, ethical, and legal implications of the practice. This article examines the history of surrogacy laws, the enforceability of surrogacy agreements, and the current legal landscape of surrogacy in Europe.
A new adaptive event-triggered scheme-based finite-time H∞ control for quantized fuzzy semi-Markovian jump systems

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the finite-time control problem of fuzzy semi-Markovian jump systems with quantization and partly unknown transition rates via a new observer-based adaptive event-triggered scheme. Firstly, compared with traditional event-triggered scheme, a new observer-based adaptive event-triggered scheme is designed to reduce the transmission of redundant data and relax the restriction of real system states, which is demonstrated through sufficient comparison experiments in the simulation. Furthermore, by applying the delay system method, free-weighting matrix approach and slack matrix variables, multiple appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional candidates are constructed to formulate novel sufficient conditions which guarantee the stochastic finite-time performance of the closed-loop system, where the nonlinear terms caused by network-induced delay, quantization and partly unknown transition rates can be tackled by suitable method. Finally, two simulation examples are presented to affirm the efficiency and advantages of the proposed fuzzy control scheme.
Embedded mobile computational framework for multidimensional diabetic retinopathy extraction and detection technique using recursive neural network approach for unstructured tomography datasets

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is considered to be the leading cause for preventive blindness in humans, the DR is sighted with a diabetic stage of progression and hence the patient is required to undergo regular health checkups on DR formation and detection. In this paper, the objective is to extract and detect the patterns of DR with respect to the propagation stages using Recursive Neural Network (RNN). In this work, we have developed and validated a novel Inter-Correlated Attribute Coordination (ICAC) Technique for attribute based feature mapping and feature inter-dependent cluster generation. The ICAC technique generates a series of standard dataset attributes ( S D ) A for process alignment towards the generation of feature set (f). The proposed technique has validated the categorization of DR into grade 1 and grade 0 patients for an unambiguous decision making. The technique’s trained datasets provide a self-learning RNN for multidimensional tomography dataset processing. The ICAC technique has developed a detection rate of 97.3% for the 276 feature set clusters.
An optimal design of water distribution networks with hydraulic-connectivity

In designing water distribution networks (WDN) against emergency situations, efforts must be made to achieve two objectives: maximizing reliability and minimizing cost. For such optimization, it is necessary first to quantify the reliability of WDN using a surrogate measure. Hydraulic-connectivity is selected as a surrogate measure in this study, which indicates a probability that every demand node in a network is connected to at least one supply source with required flow at adequate pressure. An optimization model using hydraulic-connectivity and the genetic algorithm (GA) is formulated. For illustration, the optimization model is applied to the New York City water supply tunnel. This tunnel cannot satisfy the minimum pressure with existing diameters. The new optimal design with required flow at adequate pressure is found to be lower than the existing tunnel cost by US$25.252 million when the hydraulic-connectivity is 0.9778. It is also noted that this approach allows the exploration of the trade-off between cost and reliability directly. This permits designers to design WDN based on more quantitative information regarding cost and reliability.
The co-occurrence of Ural Owls Strix uralensis and Northern Goshawks Accipiter gentilis differs between extensive and fragmented forests

ABSTRACT Capsule Territories of the nocturnal Ural Owl Strix uralensis and diurnal Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis were spatially associated in fragmented forest but not in extensive forest. Aims To test the hypotheses that (i) the patterns of distribution of Ural Owl and Northern Goshawk territories are different in extensive and fragmented forests and (ii) the distribution of their territories do not depend on local forest structure and habitat variables. Methods The territories of Northern Goshawks and Ural Owls were identified in forests in southern Poland. Spatial analysis was used to examine the co-occurrence patterns of the two species, and multivariate analysis to examine the impact of environmental cues on territory selection. Results Most habitat parameters were not significantly related to the presence of territories of either species. For Northern Goshawk there was a positive association with the occurrence of old-growth patches and a negative association with clear-cut areas and proximity to forest edge in fragmented forests; for Ural Owl there was a significant effect of wood type in extensive forest. None of the habitat parameters distinguished the territories of the two species, suggesting similarity in the habitats used. The territories of the two species were spatially associated in fragmented forests, suggesting some positive interspecific relationship. In contrast, the distributions of the two species were not significantly associated in extensive forest. Conclusions To explain the spatial co-occurrence between Northern Goshawks and Ural Owls we suggest: (i) Ural Owls can occupy unused Northern Goshawk nests in managed extensive forest where there is a deficiency of large tree cavities; (ii) restricted availability of habitat in fragmented forests forces both species to nest in close proximity, and/or (iii) Ural Owls use social information from Northern Goshawks about habitat quality when selecting territories in some landscapes.
Comparison of Safety and Efficacy Between Dabigatran and Rivaroxaban in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation in Tertiary Level Hospital

Background: Thromboembolism is a major complication of atrial fibrillation. Vitamin K antagonist is the main oral anticoagulant which was used for prevention of thromboembolism in atrial fibrillation for many years. New oral anticoagulant drugs are emerging as alternatives to warfarin for the prevention of stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Objective: The aim of the study was to compare safety and efficacy of dabigatran and rivaroxaban for prevention of thromboembolism in tertiary level hospital. Methodology: This Randomized controlled trial study was conducted in the Department of Cardiology in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Shahbagh, Dhaka. Patients were divided into two groups, in group A 37 patients were given dabigatran 110 mg twice daily and in group B 37 patients were given rivaroxaban 20 mg daily for 6 months duration. Data was collected according to the pre designed semistructured data collection sheet. Statistical analyses were carried out by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 for Windows Software. Results: The mean CHADS2- VASC score (Risk of stroke) in rivaroxaban group and in dabigatran group was 3.95±1.37 and 3.74±1.42 respectively. There was no significant difference of CHADS2- VASC score between the two groups. Regarding outcome of 6th month follow up 2(5.4%) patients were lost to follow up in dabigatran group and 3(8.1%) in rivaroxaban group. Comparaing effectiveness and safety study we found that ischemic stroke rate with rivaroxaban group was higher than dabigatran group although statistically not significant. We also found higher bleeding rate in rivaroxaban group than dabigatran group although statistically not significant. Conclusion: Dabigatran is a safe and effective anticoagulant same as rivaroxaban for prevention of thromboembolism in the treatment of non valvular atrial fibrillation. University Heart Journal 2022; 18(1): 10-13
A novel structural damage identification method based on the acceleration responses under ambient vibration and an optimized deep residual algorithm

Recently, structural health monitoring (SHM) methods for civil structures have been investigated widely, especially Deep Learning (DL)-based methods. However, it is usually difficult to fully train a deep neural network, and thus, typical DL-based SHM methods are limited in terms of performance. While addressing these issues, in this paper, a novel methodology is proposed for smart damage identification of frame structures. The newly proposed SHM method is based on raw time-domain structural response signals and deep residual network (DRN). The introduced DRN algorithm has been designed and tested in an effective way for extracting and learning the optimum features of the 1D raw ambient vibration acceleration signals, without any need for engineered features. Also, the network’s performance has been optimized using Bayesian optimization, which clearly enhances the network’s accuracy and information flow across it. Next, the outputs of DRNs are further utilized through new methods for damage size estimation and damage localization. The proposed methodology has been evaluated using the datasets of numerical and experimental frames of the SHM benchmark problem and the dataset of a real-world full-scale truss bridge. The results show that the proposed method is capable of detecting, localizing, and quantifying structural damage accurately for all of the simulated cases of the two examples. Furthermore, conducted comparison studies have approved that the new approach is more efficient than other machine learning-based methods, and it can overcome the major limitations of Artificial intelligence-based SHM models.
Conceptual Design of High Subsonic Prandtl Planes

The increasing airtraffic demands on aircraft capacity, sustainability and profitability, require the investigation of unconventional aircraft configurations with high aerodynamic efficiency, as the commonly applied fuselage-wing-tail configuration shows to reach an optimum in that respect which cannot be further improved using current technology. The application of the box wing system, following from the Best Wing System theory presented by Ludwig Prandtl in 1924, theoretically results in an aircraft configuration generating minimum induced drag, named Prandtl Plane. A balanced performance analysis and comparison is performed in this research, in terms of fuel burn, structural weight and cost benefits, to indicate the types of missions in which the Prandtl Plane could provide a superior alternative to conventional aircraft. For the purpose of this research, the Initiator has been used as the design and analysis environment. Methods applied specifically for the design and analysis of the Prandtl Plane configuration have been implemented in the tool, to compare the performance with respect to conventional aircraft, in the high subsonic transport category. Parametric studies have been performed on the wing design variables to assess the sensitivity of the Prandtl Plane performance. The aspect ratio of the total wing system showed to have the largest influence on the aerodynamic performance, where a large AR results in high aerodynamic efficiency, however at the same time this yields a high wing weight. Three comparison studies have been performed between a PrP and conventional aircraft, designed using the Initiator to perform a single aisle - medium range mission typically covered by an A320-200 (144 pax, range of 4,000 km), a twin aisle - long range mission typically flown by an A340-300 (270 pax, 10,500 km) and finally a high payload - low range mission (514 pax, 2,500 km) for which no conventional aircraft are specifically designed, but large aircraft such as the A380 are exploited. On each of these missions, the PrP design shows lower induced drag during cruise, as expected, and a lower fuselage weight due to distributed bending loads from the double-wing system. An a single aisle – medium range mission this results in 8% savings in fuel burn, on the long range mission in 10% savings in fuel burn and 9% on DOC. Due to a smaller wing span, the capacity of this type of Prandtl Plane can be increased further without exceeding the dimensional constraints on wing span, and could therefore be a competitor of the A380 which currently marks the maximum capabilities of aircraft in terms of maximum range and payload capacity, due to span restrictions imposed by gate dimensions on existing airports. Prandtl planes with a higher passenger capacity could be exploited on existing routes, while meeting identical airport restrictions.
SARM1 Ablation Is Protective and Preserves Spatial Vision in an In Vivo Mouse Model of Retinal Ganglion Cell Degeneration

The challenge of developing gene therapies for genetic forms of blindness is heightened by the heterogeneity of these conditions. However, mechanistic commonalities indicate key pathways that may be targeted in a gene-independent approach. Mitochondrial dysfunction and axon degeneration are common features of many neurodegenerative conditions including retinal degenerations. Here we explore the neuroprotective effect afforded by the absence of sterile alpha and Toll/interleukin-1 receptor motif-containing 1 (SARM1), a prodegenerative NADase, in a rotenone-induced mouse model of retinal ganglion cell loss and visual dysfunction. Sarm1 knockout mice retain visual function after rotenone insult, displaying preservation of photopic negative response following rotenone treatment in addition to significantly higher optokinetic response measurements than wild type mice following rotenone. Protection of spatial vision is sustained over time in both sexes and is accompanied by increased RGC survival and additionally preservation of axonal density in optic nerves of Sarm1−/− mice insulted with rotenone. Primary fibroblasts extracted from Sarm1−/− mice demonstrate an increased oxygen consumption rate relative to those from wild type mice, with significantly higher basal, maximal and spare respiratory capacity. Collectively, our data indicate that Sarm1 ablation increases mitochondrial bioenergetics and confers histological and functional protection in vivo in the mouse retina against mitochondrial dysfunction, a hallmark of many neurodegenerative conditions including a variety of ocular disorders.
Plasma Small Extracellular Vesicles with Complement Alterations in GRN/C9orf72 and Sporadic Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration

Cutting-edge research suggests endosomal/immune dysregulation in GRN/C9orf72-associated frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). In this retrospective study, we investigated plasma small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) and complement proteins in 172 subjects (40 Sporadic FTLD, 40 Intermediate/Pathological C9orf72 expansion carriers, and 49 Heterozygous/Homozygous GRN mutation carriers, 43 controls). Plasma sEVs (concentration, size) were analyzed by nanoparticle tracking analysis; plasma and sEVs C1q, C4, C3 proteins were quantified by multiplex assay. We demonstrated that genetic/sporadic FTLD share lower sEV concentrations and higher sEV sizes. The diagnostic performance of the two most predictive variables (sEV concentration/size ratio) was high (AUC = 0.91, sensitivity 85.3%, specificity 81.4%). C1q, C4, and C3 cargo per sEV is increased in genetic and sporadic FTLD. C4 (cargo per sEV, total sEV concentration) is increased in Sporadic FTLD and reduced in GRN+ Homozygous, suggesting its specific unbalance compared with Heterozygous cases. C3 plasma level was increased in genetic vs. sporadic FTLD. Looking at complement protein compartmentalization, in control subjects, the C3 and C4 sEV concentrations were roughly half that in respect to those measured in plasma; interestingly, this compartmentalization was altered in different ways in patients. These results suggest sEVs and complement proteins as potential therapeutic targets to mitigate neurodegeneration in FTLD.
Oral Manifestations among Diabetic Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes, ranked as the ninth most common disorder has the potential to greatly affect the oral health of a person if not taken care of on a routine basis. AIM: To assess the prevalence of oral manifestations in diabetic participants of Sunder Nagar town, Himachal Pradesh, India. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This online, questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling among diabetics. The questionnaire was pre-tested and pre-validated, contained 16 questions which included self-reported oral health status of the people. The student’s t-test and Pearson’s correlation were applied to find out significant associations, if any. Data was analysed using SPSS version 21.0 and significance (p) was kept significant at ≤0.05. RESULTS: Out of a total of 180 complete responses, 8.3% were type 1 diabetics, 72.8% were type 2 diabetics and the rest 18.9% didn’t know their diabetic status. 71.7% of patients experienced bad breath, out of which 66.7% experience it early in the morning, 16.1% during the daytime, 5% every time, 12.2% never (p=0.02). 24.4% of the participants experienced burning mouth sensation, while 57.8% of participants experienced dry mouth (less salivation). 20.6% of the participants reported white patches over their tongue while 8.3% reported having white patches over the inner cheeks (buccal mucosa) and was found to be statistically significant (p=0.01). 58.9% of the diabetics were found to be non-smokers while 21.7% were occasional smokers and 11.1% were chain smokers. CONCLUSION: There is a need to educate diabetics regarding the effects of this disease on their oral health and the need to maintain proper hygiene.
Comprehensive Composition to Spot Intrusions by Optimized Gaussian Kernel SVM

The intrusion interjects network devices and holds a switch of the network with the command which regulates the programmer and programmer govern the nasty code inoculated in the device for attaining intelligence about the devices. In this paper, the researchers organized the IDS framework by using machine learning algorithms like Linear SVM, RBF SVM, Sigmoid SVM, and Polynomial SVM to detect intrusions and estimate the performance of numerous algorithms for attaining the optimized algorithm. The researchers utilized the KDDCUP99 for equating the accuracy, precision, and recall of the algorithms, and for classifications, the researchers utilized the binary encoder tools. The performance analysis calculates that RBF SVM is the finest classifier amongst the other SVMs, and the prediction report predicts that Linear SVM results with 99.2% accuracy, Sigmoid SVM results with 99.7% accuracy, Polynomial SVM results with 99.5% accuracy, and RBF SVMs results with 99.99% accuracy.
Notice of Retraction Clinical Significance of VEGF,EGFR and BRCA-1 Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

To investigate the expressions of VEGF, EGFR and BRCA-1 proteins and their correlation in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to explore their clinical significance. Immunohistochemical staining with SP method was conducted to determine the expressions of VEGF, EGFR and BRCA-1 in 44 cases of NSCLC. The positive rate of VEGF, EGFR and BRCA-1 was 47.73% (21/44), 79.55% (35/44) and 50% (22/44) respectively. The expressions of VEGF and EGFR were not associated with gender, age, histopathological grading, lymphatic metastasis or smoking status (P>;0.05). But they were associated with clinical stage (P<;0.05). The expression of BRCA-1 was not associated with the clinical features above. The expression of BRCA-1 was positively correlated with the expression of VEGF in NSCLC (r=0.501, P=0.001). There was no significant correlation between VEGF and EGFR, EGFR and BRCA-1(P=0.344; P=0.147). VEGF, EGFR and BRCA-1 have important effects on the pathogenesis and development of NSCLC. Detection of the expressions of VEGF, EGFR and BRCA-1 may be of value in further understanding the biological behavior and predicting the prognosis of NSCLC.