Perception-action rule acquisition by coevolutionary fuzzy classifier system

Recently, many researchers have studied the techniques in applying a fuzzy classifier system (FCS) to control mobile robots, since the FCS can easily treat continuous inputs, such as sensors and images by using a fuzzy number. By using the FCS, however, only reflective rules are acquired. Thus, in the proposed approach, an additional genetic algorithm is incorporated in order to search for strategic knowledge, i.e., the sequence of effective activated rules in the FCS. Therefore, the proposed method consists of two modules: an ordinal FCS and the genetic algorithm. Computational experiments based on WEBOTS, one of the Khepera robot simulators, confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method</p

Concomitant Processing of Choice and Outcome in Frontal Corticostriatal Ensembles Correlates with Performance of Rats

The frontal cortex-basal ganglia network plays a pivotal role in adaptive goal-directed behaviors. Medial frontal cortex (MFC) encodes information about choices and outcomes into sequential activation of neural population, or neural trajectory. While MFC projects to the dorsal striatum (DS), whether DS also displays temporally coordinated activity remains unknown. We studied this question by simultaneously recording neural ensembles in the MFC and DS of rodents performing an outcome-based alternative choice task. We found that the two regions exhibited highly parallel evolution of neural trajectories, transforming choice information into outcome-related information. When the two trajectories were highly correlated, spike synchrony was task-dependently modulated in some MFC-DS neuron pairs. Our results suggest that neural trajectories concomitantly process decision-relevant information in MFC and DS with increased spike synchrony between these regions

New 60-cm Radio Survey Telescope with the Sideband-Separating SIS Receiver for the 200 GHz Band

We have upgraded the 60-cm radio survey telescope located in Nobeyama, Japan. We developed a new waveguide-type sideband-separating SIS mixer for the telescope, which enables the simultaneous detection of distinct molecular emission lines both in the upper and lower sidebands. Over the RF frequency range of 205-240 GHz, the single-sideband receiver noise temperatures of the new mixer are 40-100 K for the 4.0-8.0 GHz IF frequency band. The image rejection ratios are greater than 10 dB over the same range. For the dual IF signals obtained by the receiver, we have developed two sets of acousto-optical spectrometers and a telescope control system. Using the new telescope system, we successfully detected the 12CO (J=2-1) and 13CO (J=2-1) emission lines simultaneously toward Orion KL in 2005 March. Using the waveguide-type sideband-separating SIS mixer for the 200 GHz band, we have initiated the first simultaneous 12CO (J=2-1) and 13CO (J=2-1) survey of the galactic plane as well as large-scale mapping observations of nearby molecular clouds.Comment: 15 pages, 15 figures, Accepted for publication in PASJ, version with high resolution figures is available via http://www.nro.nao.ac.jp/~nakajima/vst1_2sb.pd

A homological approach to a mathematical definition of pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema on computed tomography

Three-dimensional imaging is essential to evaluate local abnormalities and understand structure-function relationships in an organ. However, quantifiable and interpretable methods to localize abnormalities remain unestablished. Visual assessments are prone to bias, machine learning methods depend on training images, and the underlying decision principle is usually difficult to interpret. Here, we developed a homological approach to mathematically define emphysema and fibrosis in the lungs on computed tomography (CT). Using persistent homology, the density of homological features, including connected components, tunnels, and voids, was extracted from the volumetric CT scans of lung diseases. A pair of CT values at which each homological feature appeared (birth) and disappeared (death) was computed by sweeping the threshold levels from higher to lower CT values. Consequently, fibrosis and emphysema were defined as voxels with dense voids having a longer lifetime (birth-death difference) and voxels with dense connected components having a lower birth, respectively. In an independent dataset including subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE), the proposed definition enabled accurate segmentation with comparable quality to deep learning in terms of Dice coefficients. Persistent homology-defined fibrosis was closely associated with physiological abnormalities such as impaired diffusion capacity and long-term mortality in subjects with IPF and CPFE, and persistent homology-defined emphysema was associated with impaired diffusion capacity in subjects with COPD. The present persistent homology-based evaluation of structural abnormalities could help explore the clinical and physiological impacts of structural changes and morphological mechanisms of disease progression

NELF interacts with CBC and participates in 3 \u27 end processing of replication-dependent histone rnRNAs

Negative elongation factor (NELF) is a four subunit transcription elongation factor that has been implicated in numerous diseases ranging from neurological disorders to cancer. Here we show that NELF interacts with the nuclear cap binding complex (CBC), a multifunctional factor that plays important roles in several mRNA processing steps, and the two factors together participate in the 3′ end processing of replication-dependent histone mRNAs, most likely through association with the histone stem-loop binding protein (SLBP). Strikingly, absence of NELF and CBC causes aberrant production of polyadenylated histone mRNAs. Moreover, NELF is physically associated with histone gene loci and forms distinct intranuclear foci that we call NELF bodies, which often overlap with Cajal bodies and cleavage bodies. Our results point to a surprising role of NELF in the 3′ end processing of histone mRNAs and also suggest that NELF is a new factor that coordinates different mRNA processing steps during transcription

Intestinal Perforation by Ingested Foreign Bodies

Seven cases with intestinal perforation by ingested foreign bodies (IFBs) were surgically treated in our hospital between January 2000 and August 2009. We reviewed the preoperative mental conditions, awareness of ingestion, preoperative diagnosis, the type of foreign bodies, perforation site, treatment and morbidity for these patients. The ratio of males to females was 4 : 3, and patient age ranged from 27 years to 85 years. Three of 7 patients had an abnormal mental condition, including neurosis with medication in 1, severe mental retardation in 1 and dementia in 1. Six patients were not aware they had IFBs. Preoperative diagnoses were perforative peritonitis in 6 cases and ileus in 1 case. The ingested objects consisted of fish bones in 4 cases, toothpicks in 2 cases and a press-through package in 1 case. Computed tomography (CT) showed the ingested fish bones in all 4 cases, while plain abdominal radiography demonstrated fish bone in only one of these cases. Toothpicks and a press-through package were not detected on CT or by plain abdominal radiography. The perforation sites were the small intestine in 5 cases and the large intestine (transverse colon) in 2 cases. Treatments were intestinal resection with or without omentectomy in 5 cases, suture alone in 1 case and omentectomy alone in 1 case. Postoperative complications were seen in 2 patients, including hepatic failure and bleeding from gastroesophageal reflux disease in 1 case, and removal and reinsertion of a V-P shunt tube in 1 case. The mortality rate was 0%

Evaluation of effects of activator treatment on mandibular growth by analyzing components of condylar growth and mandibular rotation

福岡歯科大学2013年