Algorithmic Robot Design: Label Maps, Procrustean Graphs, and the Boundary of Non-Destructiveness

This dissertation is focused on the problem of algorithmic robot design. The process of designing a robot or a team of robots that can reliably accomplish a task in an environment requires several key elements. How the problem is formulated can play a big role in the design process. The ability of the model to correctly reflect the environment, the events, and different pieces of the problem is crucial. Another key element is the ability of the model to show the relationship between different designs of a single system. These two elements can enable design algorithms to navigate through the space of all possible designs, and find a set of solutions. In this dissertation, we introduce procrustean graphs, a model for encoding the robot-environment interactions. We also provide a model for navigating through the space of all possible designs, called label maps. Using these models, we focus on answering the following questions: What degradations to the set of sensors or actuators of a robotic system can be tolerated? How different degradations affect the cost of doing a given task? What sets of resources — that is, sensors and actuators — are minimal for accomplishing a specific given job? And how to find such a set? To this end, our general approach is to sample, using a variety of sampling methods, over the space of all maps for a given problem, and use different techniques for answering these questions. We use decision tree classifiers to determine the crucial sensors and actuators required for a robotic system to accomplish its job. We present an algorithm based on space bisection to find the boundary between the feasible and infeasible subspaces of possible designs. We present an algorithm to measure the cost of doing a given task, and another algorithm to find the relationship between different degradation of a robotic system and the cost of doing the task. In all these solutions, we use a variety of techniques to scale up each approach to enable it to solve real world problems. Our experiments show the efficiency of the presented approach

Exploring equity in public transportation planning using smart card data

Existing public transport (PT) planning methods use a trip-based approach, rather than a user-based approach, leading to neglecting equity. In other words, the impacts of regular users—i.e., users with higher trip rates—are overrepresented during analysis and modelling because of higher trip rates. In contrast to the existing studies, this study aims to show the actual demand characteristic and users’ share are different in daily and monthly data. For this, 1-month of smart card data from the Kocaeli, Turkey, was evaluated by means of specific variables, such as boarding frequency, cardholder types, and the number of users, as well as a breakdown of the number of days traveled by each user set. Results show that the proportion of regular PT users to total users in 1 workday, is higher than the monthly proportion of regular PT users to total users. Accordingly, users who have 16–21 days boarding frequency are 16% of the total users, and yet they have been overrepresented by 39% in the 1-day analysis. Moreover, users who have 1–6 days boarding frequency, have a share of 66% in the 1-month dataset and are underrepresented with a share of 22% in the 1-day analysis. Results indicated that the daily travel data without information related to the day-to-day frequency of trips and PT use caused incorrect estimation of real PT demand. Moreover, user-based analyzing approach over a month prepares the more realistic basis for transportation planning, design, and prioritization of transport investments

Spectral, crystallographic, theoretical and antibacterial studies of palladium(II)/platinum(II) complexes with unsymmetric diphosphine ylides

The reaction of alpha-keto-stabilized diphosphine ylides [Ph2P(CH2)(n)PPh2C(H)C(O)C6H4-p-CN] (n = 1 (Y-1); n = 2 (Y-2)) with dibromo(1,5-cyclooctadiene) palladium(II)/platinum(II) complexes, [Pd/PtBr2(cod)], in equimolar ratio gave the new cyclometalated Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes [Br2Pd(kappa(2)-Y-1)] (1), [Br2Pt(kappa(2)-Y-1)] (2), [Br2Pd(kappa(2)-Y-2)] (3) and [Br2Pt(kappa(2)-Y-2)] (4). These compounds were screened in a search for novel antibacterial agents and characterized successfully using Fourier transfer infrared and NMR (H-1, C-13 and P-31) spectroscopic methods. Also, the structures of complexes 1 and 2 were characterized using X-ray crystallography. The results showed that the P,C-chelated complexes 1 and 2 have structures consisting of five-membered rings, while 3 and 4 have six-membered rings, formed by coordination of the ligand through the phosphine group and the ylidic carbon atom to the metal centre. Also, a theoretical study of the structures of complexes 1-4 was conducted at the BP86/def2-SVP level of theory. The nature of metal-ligand bonds in the complexes was investigated using energy decomposition analyses (EDA) and extended transition state combined with natural orbitals for chemical valence analyses. The results of EDA confirmed that the main portions of Delta E-int, about 57-58%, in the complexes are allocated to Delta E-elstat

Group training based on acceptance-commitment approach for improving quality of life and reducing anxiety among diabetic women

The Comorbidity of diabetes with psychological disorders negatively intensifies the symptoms of diabetic patients, reduces their response to treatment, decreases their life quality and consequently increases their mortality rate. The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of group training based on acceptance and commitment in improving quality of life and reducing anxiety in diabetics. The present controlled experimental study was conducted using pretests and posttests. The statistical population comprised all women with diabetes presenting to a medical diagnostic laboratory in Shahriar, Iran. Convenience sampling was used to select highly anxious diabetics, who were assigned to experimental and control groups. The depression anxiety stress scale was used to measure anxiety and the SF-36 to assess quality of life in the samples. The 15-session protocol proposed by Eifert was also used for the group training of the concepts, principles and techniques of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The results obtained suggested significant differences between the experimental and control groups in terms of anxiety and quality of life. In fact, acceptance and commitment based group training significantly reduced anxiety and improved quality of life in women with diabetes. Interventions for teaching the concepts, principles and techniques of ACT increased quality of life and reduced anxiety in women with diabetes. Teaching these concepts therefore can comprise a major mechanism for improving the process of healthy mental growth of women

γδ T Cells Modulate Myeloid Cell Recruitment but Not Pain During Peripheral Inflammation

Circulating immune cells, which are recruited to the site of injury/disease, secrete various inflammatory mediators that are critical to nociception and pain. The role of tissue-resident immune cells, however, remains poorly characterized. One of the first cells to be activated in peripheral tissues following injury are γδT cells, which serve important roles in infection, disease, and wound healing. Using a mouse line lacking these cells, we sought to identify their contribution to inflammatory pain. Three distinct models of peripheral inflammatory pain were used: intraplantar injection of formalin (spontaneous inflammatory pain), incisional wound (acute inflammatory pain), and intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (chronic inflammatory pain). Our results show that absence of γδT cells does not alter baseline sensitivity, nor does it result in changes to mechanical or thermal hypersensitivity after tissue injury. Myeloid cell recruitment did show differential changes between models of acute and chronic inflammatory pain. These results were consistent in both male and female mice, suggesting that there are no sex differences in these outcomes. This comprehensive characterization suggests that γδT cells do not contribute to basal sensitivity or the development and maintenance of inflammatory pain

NMDA Receptor Activation Underlies the Loss of Spinal Dorsal Horn Neurons and the Transition to Persistent Pain after Peripheral Nerve Injury

Peripheral nerve lesions provoke apoptosis in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The cause of cell death, the involvement of neurons, and the relevance for the processing of somatosensory information are controversial. Here, we demonstrate in a mouse model of sciatic nerve injury that glutamate-induced neurodegeneration and loss of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons in the superficial dorsal horn promote the transition from acute to chronic neuropathic pain. Conditional deletion of Grin1, the essential subunit of N-methyl-d-aspartate-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs), protects dorsal horn neurons from excitotoxicity and preserves GABAergic inhibition. Mice deficient in functional NMDARs exhibit normal nociceptive responses and acute pain after nerve injury, but this initial increase in pain sensitivity is reversible. Eliminating NMDARs fully prevents persistent pain-like behavior. Reduced pain in mice lacking proapoptotic Bax confirmed the significance of neurodegeneration. We conclude that NMDAR-mediated neuron death contributes to the development of chronic neuropathic pain

Detection of endogenous iron deposits in the injured mouse spinal cord through high-resolution ex vivo and in vivo MRI

The main aim of this study was to employ high-resolution MRI to investigate the spatiotemporal development of pathological features associated with contusive spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice. Experimental mice were subjected to either sham surgery or moderate contusive SCI. A 16.4-T small-animal MR system was employed for nondestructive imaging of post-mortem, fixed spinal cord specimens at the subacute (7?days) and more chronic (2835 days) stages post-injury. Routine histological techniques were used for subsequent investigation of the observed neuropathology at the microscopic level. The central core of the lesion appeared as a dark hypo-intense area on MR images at all time points investigated. Small focal hypo-intense spots were also observed spreading through the dorsal funiculi proximal and distal to the site of impact, an area that is known to undergo gliosis and Wallerian degeneration in response to injury. Histological examination revealed these hypo-intense spots to be high in iron content as determined by Prussian blue staining. Quantitative image analysis confirmed the increased presence of iron deposits at all post-injury time points investigated (p < 0.05). Distant iron deposits were also detectable through live imaging without the use of contrast-enhancing agents, enabling the longitudinal investigation of this pathology in individual animals. Further immunohistochemical evaluation showed that intracellular iron deposits localised to macrophages/microglia, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the subacute phase of SCI, but predominantly to glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive, CC-1-positive astrocytes at later stages of recovery. Progressive, widespread intracellular iron accumulation is thus a normal feature of SCI in mice, and high-resolution MRI can be effectively used to detect and monitor these neuropathological changes with time. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Relationship between galactomannan structure and physicochemical properties of films produced thereof

In this work five sources of galactomannans, Adenanthera pavonina, Cyamopsis tetragonolobus, Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Ceratonia siliqua and Sophora japonica, presenting mannose/galactose ratios of 1.3, 1.7, 2.9, 3.4 and 5.6, respectively, were used to produce galactomannan-based films. These films were characterized in terms of: water vapour, oxygen and carbon dioxide permeabilities (WVP, O 2 P and CO 2 P); moisture content, water solubility, contact angle, elongation-at-break (EB), tensile strength (TS) and glass transition temperature (T g ). Results showed that films properties vary according to the galactomannan source (different galactose distribution) and their mannose/galactose ratio. Water affinity of mannan and galactose chains and the intermolecular interactions of mannose backbone should also be considered being factors that affect films properties. This work has shown that knowing mannose/galactose ratio of galactomannans is possible to foresee galactomannan-based edible films properties.The authors thank the fellowship (SFRH/BPD/ 72753/2010) from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal). The authors also thank the FCT Strategic Project of UID/BIO/ 04469/2013 unit, the project RECI/BBB-EBI/0179/2012 (FCOMP-010124-FEDER-027462) and the project BBioInd - Biotechnology and Bioengineering for improved Industrial and Agro-Food processes, REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028 Co-funded by the Programa OperacionalRegionaldoNorte(ON.2–ONovoNorte),QREN,FEDER. Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – FUNCAP, CE Brazil (CI1-0080-00055.01.00/13)

Macrophages: supportive cells for tissue repair and regeneration.

International audienceMacrophages, and more broadly inflammation, have been considered for a long time as bad markers of tissue homeostasis. However, if it is indisputable that macrophages are associated with many diseases in a deleterious way, new roles have emerged, showing beneficial properties of macrophages during tissue repair and regeneration. This discrepancy is likely due to the high plasticity of macrophages, which may exhibit a wide range of phenotypes and functions depending on their environment. Therefore, regardless of their role in immunity, macrophages play a myriad of roles in the maintenance and recovery of tissue homeostasis. They take a major part in the resolution of inflammation. They also exert various effects of parenchymal cells, including stem and progenitor cell, of which they regulate the fate. In the present review, few examples from various tissues are presented to illustrate that, beyond their specific properties in a given tissue, common features have been described that sustain a role of macrophages in the recovery and maintenance of tissue homeostasis