GRDT: enhancing model based learning for its application in robot navigation

Robotics is one of the most challenging applications for the use of machine learning. Machine learning can offer an increase in flexibility and applicability in many robotic domains. In this paper, we sketch a framework to apply inductive logic programming (ILP) techniques to learning tasks of autonomous mobile robots. We point out differences between three existing algorithms used within this framework and their results. Since all of these algorithms have problems in solving the tasks, we developed GRDT (grammar based rule discovery tool), an algorithm combining their ideas and techniques. The paper is written in English

Riktade nyemissioner ur ett minoritetsperspektiv

Riktade nyemissioner vid kapitalanskaffning är ett väl etablerat tillvägagångssätt. Huvudlinjen vid nyemissioner är att varje befintlig aktieägare skall ha företräde att teckna de nya aktierna i relation till sitt innehav. 1973 luckrades lagen upp till förmån för att bolag skulle kunna vända sig till Allmänna Pensionsfonder, och på så sätt blev en avvikelse från företrädesrätten möjlig. Avvikelsen från företrädesrätten begränsas dock till minoritetsskyddsreglerna om aktieägarna lika rätt dvs. ”generalklausulen” och ”likhetsprincipen”. Denna uppsats syftar till att lokalisera huvudfaktorerna för klandertalan vid riktade emissioner. Samt vilket skydd lagen ger minoriteten från en övergripande majoritet vid en riktad emission. Då detta område inte har blivit behandlat av någon prejudicerande instans i någon extensiv utsträckning har vikten för att redogöra de lege lata lagts vid utredningar och uttalanden från aktiemarknadsnämnden. I slutsatsen belyses att tre kritiska punkter som är av speciell vikt då ett beslut om riktad emission skall granskas med generalklausulens otillbörlighetsrekvisit. Dessa är 1) teckningskursen, 2) maktförskjutningen och 3) de bakomliggande förhållanden. Punkt tre är den vidaste av dem, och ingriper de båda andra punkterna, och används för att understödja de andra punkterna. Men begränsas i bevisningen, i synnerhet beslutets ”lojalitet” mot aktieägarna. Den eventuella otillbörligheten i beslutet får bestämmas efter en avvägning mellan de relativa ekonomiska fördelarna kontra minoritetens intressen. Aktiebolagslagen så som den ser ut idag torde det finnas en sund balans mellan att dels skapa trygghet för minoriteten från en övergripande majoritet, men samtidigt har förutsättningar för att bolagen skall kunna anpassa sig till marknaden.Targeted issue are a well-established way of fundraising. The standard in the Swedish Companies Act (ABL) is that shareholder has a preemptive right to subscribe new shares pro rata to their current holding. In 1973 the legislator opened up for a deviation from the preeemptive rights, with the argument that companies could turn to public pension funds as a way of raising funds. However, the deviation from the preemptive right has its restrictions. It is restricted to the framework that is the minority protection, and in this case the “general clause” (generalklausulen) and the “similarity principle”(likhetsprincipen), both are a outlet of the equal treatment norm. This paper aims to locate the key factors that are of special importance when filing a protest against a targeted issue decision. And also to se how well the existing minority protection protects the minority from an abusive majority. This particular area however, have not been subject to any precedent-setting bodies, which have made that the emphasis to present the lege lata been put on government bills and statements from the Capital Market Board (Aktiemarknadsnämnden). At the end three key points are presented that are of special importance when reviewing if a decision of a targeted issue is undue. These are 1) the subscription price 2) the power shift and 3) the underlying reasons. The underlying reasons are the widest category of them, and intervene with the others. However, the underlying reasons are hard to prove, especially the eventual “loyalty” aspect of the decision. The possible undue in a decision is determined by balancing the relative economic gain against the relative loss of minority influence. Today’s Companies Act (ABL) seems to have found a balance, between protecting the minority from an abusive majority, and still maintain a way for companies to adapt to market changes

Högfrekvent contrarianstrategi

Syfte Att undersöka om det går att nå överavkastning gentemot OMXS30 på Stockholmsbörsen genom en högfrekvent contrarianstrategi och vilka faktorer en eventuell överavkastning beror på. Metod I vår studie valde vi att undersöka de 30 mest omsatta aktierna på Stockholmsbörsen. Högfrekvent aktiedata har inhämtats från databasen STORQ. En portfölj skapas varje dag med de fem aktier som presterat sämst från börsens öppning till klockan 12.00. Portföljerna hålls sedan fram till att börsen stänger klockan 18.00. Teoretiska perspektiv Denna uppsats är baserad på tidigare forskning om contrarianstrategier och deras anknytning till den effektiva marknadshypotesen och överreaktionshypotesen. Resultat De resultat som har uppvisats i denna studie är att en högfrekvent contrarianstrategi inte ger en signifikant överavkastning gentemot OMXS30. Däremot visar det sig att under perioder där börsen har en negativ trend genererar vår portfölj en signifikant överavkastning

Ett miljöanpassat informationssamhälle 2020

Rapport från regeringens IT-politiska strategigrupp

Effect of desulphurised waste on long-term porosity and pore structure of blended cement pastes

This paper presents some results on the porosity and pore size distribution of cement paste containing simulated desulphurised waste (SDW) cured for 90 d. The SDW was chosen for the investigation due to the variability in chemical composition of real desulphurised waste as explained in previous papers. The SDW is a combination of 85% fly ash and 15% gypsum. The cement in the pastes was replaced with 0, 20 and 40% SDW. The water to binder ratio was 0.5. The binder consists of cement and SDW (by weight). After 90 d of curing, the porosity and pore size distribution tests were conducted on the pastes. Increasing the amount of SDW leads to an increase in the pore volume of the paste. There is no clear trend on the effect of SDW on the size of the pores

Epidemiological trends in nosocomial candidemia in intensive care

BACKGROUND: Infection represents a frequent complication among patients in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and mortality is high. In particular, the incidence of fungal infections, especially due to Candida spp., has been increasing during the last years. METHODS: In a retrospective study we studied the etiology of candidemia in critically ill patients over a five-year period (1999–2003) in the ICU of the San Martino University Hospital in Genoa, Italy. RESULTS: In total, 182 episodes of candidaemia were identified, with an average incidence of 2.22 episodes/10 000 patient-days/year (range 1.25–3.06 episodes). Incidence of candidemia increased during the study period from 1.25 in 1999 to 3.06/10 000 patient-days/year in 2003. Overall, 40% of the fungemia episodes (74/182) were due to C.albicans, followed by C. parapsilosis(23%), C.glabrata (15%), C.tropicalis (9%) and other species (13%). Candidemia due to non-albicans species increased and this was apparently correlated with an increasing use of azoles for prophylaxis or empirical treatment. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates a shift in the species of Candida causing fungemia in a medical and surgical ICU population during a 5 year period. The knowledge of the local epidemiological trends in Candida species isolated in blood cultures is important to guide therapeutic choices

The impact of anti-mould prophylaxis on Aspergillus PCR blood testing for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis

Background The performance of the galactomannan enzyme immunoassay (GM-EIA) is impaired in patients receiving mould-active antifungal therapy. The impact of mould-active antifungal therapy on Aspergillus PCR testing needs to be determined. Objectives To determine the influence of anti-mould prophylaxis (AMP) on the performance of PCR blood testing to aid the diagnosis of proven/probable invasive aspergillosis (IA). Methods As part of the systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 cohort studies investigating Aspergillus PCR blood testing in 2912 patients at risk of IA, subgroup analysis was performed to determine the impact of AMP on the accuracy of Aspergillus PCR. The incidence of IA was calculated in patients receiving and not receiving AMP. The impact of two different positivity thresholds (requiring either a single PCR positive test result or ≥2 consecutive PCR positive test results) on accuracy was evaluated. Meta-analytical pooling of sensitivity and specificity was performed by logistic mixed-model regression. Results In total, 1661 (57%) patients received prophylaxis. The incidence of IA was 14.2%, significantly lower in the prophylaxis group (11%–12%) compared with the non-prophylaxis group (18%–19%) (P < 0.001). The use of AMP did not affect sensitivity, but significantly decreased specificity [single PCR positive result threshold: 26% reduction (P = 0.005); ≥2 consecutive PCR positive results threshold: 12% reduction (P = 0.019)]. Conclusions Contrary to its influence on GM-EIA, AMP significantly decreases Aspergillus PCR specificity, without affecting sensitivity, possibly as a consequence of AMP limiting the clinical progression of IA and/or leading to false-negative GM-EIA results, preventing the classification of probable IA using the EORTC/MSGERC definitions

An overview of systematic reviews of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised people: a report of the fungal PCR initiative (FPCRI)—an Isham Working Group

This overview of reviews (i.e., an umbrella review) is designed to reappraise the validity of systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses related to the performance of Aspergillus PCR tests for the diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. The methodological quality of the SRs was assessed using the AMSTAR-2 checklist; the quality of the evidence (QOE) within each SR was appraised following the GRADE approach. Eight out of 12 SRs were evaluated for qualitative and quantitative assessment. Five SRs evaluated Aspergillus PCR on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) and three on blood specimens. The eight SRs included 167 overlapping reports (59 evaluating PCR in blood specimens, and 108 in BAL), based on 107 individual primary studies (98 trials with a cohort design, and 19 with a case−control design). In BAL specimens, the mean sensitivity and specificity ranged from 0.57 to 0.91, and from 0.92 to 0.97, respectively (QOE: very low to low). In blood specimens (whole blood or serum), the mean sensitivity ranged from 0.57 to 0.84, and the mean specificity from 0.58 to 0.95 (QOE: low to moderate). Across studies, only a low proportion of AMSTAR-2 critical domains were unmet (1.8%), demonstrating a high quality of methodological assessment. Conclusions. Based on the overall methodological assessment of the reviews included, on average we can have high confidence in the quality of results generated by the SRs

Periodontal conditions, oral Candida albicans and salivary proteins in type 2 diabetic subjects with emphasis on gender

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The association between periodontal conditions, oral yeast colonisation and salivary proteins in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not yet documented. The present study aimed to assess the relationship between these variables in type 2 diabetic subjects with reference to gender.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-eight type 2 diabetic subjects (23 males and 35 females) with random blood glucose level ≥ 11.1 mmol/L were investigated. Periodontal conditions (plaque index [PI], bleeding on probing [BOP], probing pocket depth [PD] (4 to 6 mm and ≥ 6 mm), oral yeasts, salivary immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgG and total protein concentrations, and number of present teeth were determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Periodontal conditions (PI [<it>p </it>< 0.00001], BOP [<it>p </it>< 0.01] and PD of 4 to 6 mm [<it>p </it>< 0.001], salivary IgG (μg)/mg protein (<it>p </it>< 0.001) and salivary total protein concentrations (<it>p </it>< 0.05) were higher in type 2 diabetic females with <it>Candida albicans </it>(<it>C. albicans</it>) colonisation compared to males in the same group. Type 2 diabetic females with <it>C. albicans </it>colonisation had more teeth compared to males in the same group (<it>p </it>< 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Clinical and salivary parameters of periodontal inflammation (BOP and IgG (μg)/mg protein) were higher in type 2 diabetic females with oral <it>C. albicans </it>colonisation compared to males in the same group. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the association of gender with these variables in subjects with T2D.</p

New Strategy for Rapid Diagnosis and Characterization of Fungal Infections: The Example of Corneal Scrapings

PURPOSE: The prognosis of people infected with Fungi especially immunocompromised depends on rapid and accurate diagnosis to capitalize on time administration of specific treatments. However, cultures produce false negative results and nucleic-acid amplification techniques require complex post-amplification procedures to differentiate relevant fungal types. The objective of this work was to develop a new diagnostic strategy based on real-time polymerase-chain reaction high-resolution melting analysis (PCR-HRM) that a) detects yeasts and filamentous Fungi, b) differentiates yeasts from filamentous Fungi, and c) discriminates among relevant species of yeasts. METHODS: PCR-HRM detection limits and specificity were assessed with a) isolated strains; b) human blood samples experimentally infected with Fungi; c) blood experimentally infected with other infectious agents; d) corneal scrapings from patients with suspected fungal keratitis (culture positive and negative) and e) scrapings from patients with suspected bacterial, viral or Acanthamoeba infections. The DNAs were extracted and mixed with primers diluted in the MeltDoctor® HRM Master Mix in 2 tubes, the first for yeasts, containing the forward primer CandUn (5'CATGCCTGTTTGAGCGTC) and the reverse primer FungUn (5'TCCTCCGCTT ATTGATATGCT) and the second for filamentous Fungi, containing the forward primer FilamUn (5'TGCCTGTCCGAGCGTCAT) and FungUn. Molecular probes were not necessary. The yields of DNA extraction and the PCR inhibitors were systematically monitored. RESULTS: PCR-HRM detected 0.1 Colony Forming Units (CFU)/µl of yeasts and filamentous Fungi, differentiated filamentous Fungi from yeasts and discriminated among relevant species of yeasts. PCR-HRM performances were higher than haemoculture and sensitivity and specificity was 100% for culture positive samples, detecting and characterizing Fungi in 7 out 10 culture negative suspected fungal keratitis. CONCLUSIONS: PCR-HRM appears as a new, sensitive, specific and inexpensive test that detects Fungi and differentiates filamentous Fungi from yeasts. It allows direct fungal detection from clinical samples and experimentally infected blood in less than 2.30 h after DNA extraction