WiseMove: A Framework for Safe Deep Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Driving

Machine learning can provide efficient solutions to the complex problems encountered in autonomous driving, but ensuring their safety remains a challenge. A number of authors have attempted to address this issue, but there are few publicly-available tools to adequately explore the trade-offs between functionality, scalability, and safety. We thus present WiseMove, a software framework to investigate safe deep reinforcement learning in the context of motion planning for autonomous driving. WiseMove adopts a modular learning architecture that suits our current research questions and can be adapted to new technologies and new questions. We present the details of WiseMove, demonstrate its use on a common traffic scenario, and describe how we use it in our ongoing safe learning research

Managing Waste in India with Foresight

With rising prosperity and urbanisation in emerging anddeveloping economies there has been a rapid expansion of wastegeneration. India, with an urban population of 377 million that is expectedto reach 590 million by 2030, is also facing an unprecedented challenge ofwaste management. Significant uncertainties about the future trajectoriesof waste management exist, including the concept of waste as a resource and the role of the informal sector. This article describes an analytical framework that combines foresight and political economy methods used in a multi-stakeholder workshop setting to develop future scenarios for the sector. The process provides insights to increase participation in waste management policymaking in India by opening up the process beyond expert committees. The use of foresight tools with political economy analysis has the potential to democratise the policymaking process of waste management in India for the inclusion of all stakeholders and particularly the informal sector

Safety-Oriented Stability Biases for Continual Learning

Continual learning is often confounded by “catastrophic forgetting” that prevents neural networks from learning tasks sequentially. In the case of real world classification systems that are safety-validated prior to deployment, it is essential to ensure that validated knowledge is retained. We propose methods that build on existing unconstrained continual learning solutions, which increase the model variance or weaken the model bias to better retain more of the existing knowledge. We investigate multiple such strategies, both for continual classification as well as continual reinforcement learning. Finally, we demonstrate the improved performance of our methods against popular continual learning approaches, using variants of standard image classification datasets, as well as assess the effect of weaker biases in continual reinforcement learning

To establish normative data in an Indian population for static and dynamic Subjective Visual Vertical and Horizontal (SVV & SVH) examination and to determine the role of SVV & SVH in evaluation of patients with migrainous vertigo

OBJECTIVES: To establish normative data for static and dynamic Subjective Visual Vertical and Horizontal (SVV & SVH) in Indian population and to evaluate its role as a screening tool for migranous vertigo patients. Another objective of our study was to analyse the otoneurological profile of migranous vertigo patients. METHODS: All patients presenting to the ENT opd in a tertiary care hospital who were diagnosed as migranous vertigo were recruited into the study group of migranous vertigo and the relatives of the patients who volunteered for SVV and SVH examination and were found to be clinically normal were recruited into the normal volunteer group. Six readings each for dynamic and static subjective vertical/horizontal were recorded and average means were calculated. The values of migranous vertigo patients were compared with the normative values calculated. RESULTS: The normative values were 1.49 degrees for static vertical, 1.92 degrees for dynamic vertical, 1.63 degrees for static horizontal and 1.94 degrees for dynamic horizontal. The corresponding values in migranous vertigo were significant for dynamic subjective visual vertical and dynamic subjective visual horizontal. The above suggested SVV/SVH to be good screening tool for migranous vertigo. CONCLUSION: NORMAL VOLUNTEER GROUP: 1. The normative values for static and dynamic SVV / SVH are as follows:- Static vertical:-1.49 degrees, Dynamic vertical:-1.92 degrees, Static horizontal:-1.63 degrees, Dynamic horizontal:-1.94degrees. 2. There was no statistically significant difference between the two age groups (20-40 years and 40-60 years) and their corresponding SVV and SVH values. 3. There were no male female differences that were statistically significant between the males and females and SVV and SVH values. 4. The normative values were comparable with those of the western literature. MIGRANOUS VERTIGO GROUP: 5. The average age of presentation for migranous vertigo patients was 29.7 and 48.6 in the respective age groups of 20-40 years and 40 to 60 years. The overall mean age was around 39.7 years. 6. The values for the subjective visual vertical and horizontal in both static and dynamic aspects for patients diagnosed with Migranous vertigo were as follows:- Static vertical:-1.46 degrees, Dynamic vertical:-3.02 degrees, Static horizontal:-1.87 degrees, Dynamic horizontal:-3.24 degrees. 7. The above values of dynamic SVV and dynamic SVH were significantly different when compared to the normative values. 8. Static SVH values were statistically significant in the age group of 40-60 years when compared to the corresponding normative values. 9. The values of dynamic SVV and dynamic SVH were not different among the two age groups and males/females upon statistical analysis in patients of migranous vertigo. 10. There was a female preponderance among patients with migranous vertigo. 11. Of 36 patients of migranous vertigo who had imaging, 8 had abnormalities that are considered non-specific by radiologists. 12. Electronystagmogram was done for 47 patients and 21 out of these were normal study whereas 26 patients had abnormal findings on ENG which is a significant finding suggesting involvement of vestibular pathways in \ patients diagnosed as Migranous vertigo. 13. The episodes of vertigo had durations lasting from as less as to a minute to hours. However, a majority of the patients complained of vertigo which was surrounding rotatory (81.8%) and lasting for few minutes (42.4% patients complained of episodes lasting less than 5 minutes). 14. A significant proportion of the patients diagnosed with Migranous vertigo had associated aura like phonophobia and photophobia (80.3%). 17. SVV and SVH can be an important test that can be added to the list of audiovestibular tests available for migranous vertigo patients

Rare case of Rosai Dorfman disease involving paranasal sinuses in paediatric patient: A case report

AbstractRosai Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare, benign disease of unknown aetiology. It typically presents with massive, painless cervical lymphadenopathy but may have a varied presentation. We report a paediatric case of RDD with initial isolated involvement of nasal cavity and PNS with subsequent involvement of cervical lymph nodes. Endoscopic biopsy confirmed the pathological diagnosis and he was managed successfully with medical therapy. At 20month follow up there was no evidence of recurrence. The ideal protocol for the treatment is still debated. A long term follow-up is warranted to detect relapses. This case report is illustrated aiming at developing insights into management and diagnosis of such rare clinical entity in a paediatric patient

Metaplastic Carcinoma of the Left Breast with Extensive Chondroid Differentiation

Metaplastic breast carcinoma is very rare neoplasm which contains mixture of carcinomatous (epithelial) and sarcomatous (mesenchymal) elements in variable proportion. Metaplastic carcinoma with chondroid differentiation is even rarer. We report a case of metaplastic carcinoma with extensive chondroid differentiation as there is paucity of information regarding pathological features and clinical outcomes for these rare tumors. Tumor had characteristic definite areas of classic infiltrating duct carcinoma with abundant chondromyxoid matrix, focal areas of chondrosarcoma and cartilagenous metaplasia. Tumour cells were immunoreactive for S-100, ER, and PR. When pathologist encounter breast tumor with chondroid differentiation, careful gross sampling, histopathology and immunoreactivity for mesenchymal and epithelial component are most useful to differentiate metaplastic carcinoma from malignant phylloides tumors and malignant adenomyoepithelioma

Larvicidal Activity of Methanol and Chloroform Extract of Swertia celiata against Three Mosquito Vectors

Background: Mosquitoes are an important public health concern as they spread life-threatening diseases such as malaria, filaria, Japanese encephalitis, dengue fever, chikungunya, and yellow fever. In the last decades, synthetic insecticides were extensively used for the control of these vector-borne diseases but it also reported the detrimental side-effects in human beings and pet animals. To overcome the side effects, plants-derived secondary metabolites were screened and tested for insecticidal properties. The present study deals with the insecticidal activity of chloroform and methanol extracts of Swertia celiata leaves against Culex quenquifasciatus, Aedes aegypti, and Anopheles stephensi larvae.Method: The S. celiata leaves were subjected to chloroform and methanol with 1:3 (Weight/ Volume) ratio and the extracted solvent was dried using rotary vacuum evaporator. The larvicidal activity of the extract was tested using WHO method and LC50 and LC90 were evaluated by probit analysis.Results: The LC50 value of chloroform extract of S. celiata was found to be 65.288, 67.406 and 71.608 ppm whereas LC90 was 184.721, 186.582 and 192.497 ppm against C. quinquefasciatus, Ae. aegypti and A. stephensi, respectively. The methanolic extract was also found potent; LC50 was 91.503, 101.574 and 99.104 ppm whereas LC90 was 230.823, 271.927 and 234.257 ppm against C. quinquefasciatus, Ae. aegypti and A. stephensi, respectively. Both chloroform and methanol extract were found significantly lethal tothe tested mosquito vectors.Conclusion: Taken results together, chloroform extract showed higher toxicity as compared to methanolic extract against all the tested species. The study clearly revealed that S. ciliata extract or bioactive compounds can be used as an alternative to synthetic insecticides