Incremental Learning for Robot Perception through HRI

Scene understanding and object recognition is a difficult to achieve yet crucial skill for robots. Recently, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), have shown success in this task. However, there is still a gap between their performance on image datasets and real-world robotics scenarios. We present a novel paradigm for incrementally improving a robot's visual perception through active human interaction. In this paradigm, the user introduces novel objects to the robot by means of pointing and voice commands. Given this information, the robot visually explores the object and adds images from it to re-train the perception module. Our base perception module is based on recent development in object detection and recognition using deep learning. Our method leverages state of the art CNNs from off-line batch learning, human guidance, robot exploration and incremental on-line learning

An Empirical Study of Value Creation Criteria: Case of Iran

Today’s investors, creditors, and managers are look for an on-time and reliable index, with the goal of evaluating value creation amount. The aim of this study is inducing of voluble measures to users and increasing their understanding yielded these measures by comprise informative contexts accounting and economic measures for this purpose, present study by testing hypotheses and selecting 92 companies listed in Tehran’s Stock Exchange, from 2004 to 2008 is performed. The results of the study reveal that there is meaningful relation between accounting measures, just ROI and EPS with value creation.value creation, performance analysis, economic measures, and accounting measures

Application of research-inspired assessment to enhance students learning in civil engineering

The relationship between teaching and research has become a highly challenging issue due to evidence of synergy between them and complexity of integrating them. As reported by Locke [1], the separation of research and teaching could be the result of policy and operational decisions to distinguish the way these activities are funded, managed, assessed and rewarded. However, this would not necessarily excuse higher education institutions from a commitment to optimise the beneficial relations between teaching and research. For example, research conducted by Posch and Steiner [2] at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich on innovation for sustainability, concludes that appropriate integration of research and teaching activities leads to mutual benefits for both higher education institutions and students. In this study an approach introducing research activities in Civil Engineering subjects to enable students to develop skills within critical and creative thinking and being lifelong learners has been developed and evaluated. Research based activities/assessments in two major Civil Engineering subjects at undergraduate level have been introduced, and students? learning process has been monitored and evaluated. The results of this project indicate that by incorporating research components in subjects, research-based learning culture among Civil Engineering students were developed. This clearly gave more satisfaction to the students about the learning experience. Statistical analysis of results indicated that students with better performance in mini-projects performed better in the final exam, which was a totally independent assessment task. In addition, the averaged final exam mark of students with good quality projects was higher than the one for other students

Sustainable high strength steel flush end plate beam-tocolumn composite joints with deconstructable bolted shear connectors

The design of engineering structures for deconstructability can reduce the energy and cost required for their demolition and the disposal of their construction waste, and it also enhances the sustainability of a building by allowing for easy dismantling and the reuse or recycling of structural components and construction materials at the end of the service life of the building. In addition, using high performance materials such as High Strength Steel (HSS) can improve the sustainability of a structure by providing for higher design stresses and accordingly reducing the self-weight of the structure. This paper describes the results of four full-scale beam-to-column deconstructable composite joints with HSS S690 flush end plates. The structural behaviour of the new system in conjunction with application of post-installed friction-grip bolted shear connectors for developing deconstructable composite floors is investigated. The test results show that the proposed composite beam-tocolumn joints can provide the required strength and ductility according to EC3 and EC4 specifications, and that the system can be easily deconstructed at the end of the service life of the structure as a proof of concept

Evaluation of the simultaneous effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles and vitamin C on oxidative stress in rat cerebellum

Background: In recent years, the potential effects of nanoscale materials on the central nervous system have become even more noticeable. The cerebellum is one of the areas of the brain with high absorption of zinc. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) on oxidative stress indices in rat cerebellum in the presence and absence of vitamin C. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, male Wistar rats (250-200g) were divided into the following groups (n=7): a normal saline group (control), three groups that received different doses of zinc oxide NPs (1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg), three groups that received different doses of vitamin ­C (30, 60 and 120 mg/kg) and three groups that received 1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg of zinc oxide NPs combined with 30 mg/kg of vitamin­ C. Half an hour after receiving the medication, the rats were anesthetized and then their cerebellum was removed and the malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiol groups of the cerebellum region were measured. Results: The MDA level decreased significantly in the groups received 5mg/kg of zinc oxide NPs, in the groups received different doses of vitamin­ C, and in the groups received different doses of zinc oxide NPs combined with 30 mg/kg vitamin­ C compared with the saline group. Total thiol concentration did not change significantly in the different study groups compared to the control group. Conclusion: Zinc oxide NPs alone or in combination with vitamin C has a reduced effect on oxidative stress in the rat cerebellum

Evaluation of different dietary protein and energy levels on growth performance and body composition of narrow clawed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus)

Nine practical diets containing increasing percentages of crude protein (CP) and energy (30%, 35%, 40% and 300kcal/100g, 370kcal/100g and 450kcal/100g) were fed to narrow clawed crayfish (mean individual weight=17±2.3 g) during an 8 week feeding trial. Weight Gain, Feed conversion ratio (FCR), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER), Net Protein Utilization (NPU), Daily Food Consumption (DFC) and body composition of tail-muscle meat of narrow clawed crayfish were determined. At the conclusion of the experiment, comparing the growth parameters in response to interaction between protein and energy levels demonstrated that dietary number 2 (30/370) resulted in higher WG, NPU, PER, and the lowest FCR whereas dietary number 3 (30:450) showed higher SGR and DFC. Comparison of the body composition results indicates the greatest amount of protein absorption in diet number 2 (30/370). Results from this study indicate that narrow clawed crayfish can be fed a practical diet containing 30% protein and 370 Kcal/100gr. Reducing CP levels in narrow clawed crayfish diets may help reduce operating costs and thereby increase producers’ profits

Physical activity and colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. In developed countries 60% of the populations are at risk of this cancer, and colorectal cancer is considered as 10% and 11% of newly diagnosed cancers among men and women, respectively (1). The Europe Society of Gastroenterology declared that colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in 2000. The incidence of colorectal cancer varies in different parts of the world, so that the highest incidence is visible in developed countries such as America, Australia, West Europe and New Zealand and lowest in countries such as South of America, Africa and Asia (2, 3). Colorectal cancer is a multifactorial disease with a set of genetic and environmental factors. In this disease a series of factors such as lifestyle, nutrition and physical activity play a key role in susceptibility to cancer. The role of physical activity in susceptibility to colorectal cancer has received special attention; so that the findings resulted out of most of these studies indicate the effect of physical activity in reducing the risk of suscptibility to colorectal cancer (4, 5). In fact, there is a reverse relationship between physical activity and colorectal cancer, in such a way that the risk of colorectal cancer in people with physical activity in their free time is 27% less than people without physical activity are (6). Severe physical activity is associated with the reduced risk of colon cancer, so that the relative risk of proximal and distal colon cancer in severe physical activity group compared with no physical activity group was 0.73(95% CI, 0.66–0.81), and 0.74 (95% CI, 0.68–0.80), respectively (7). People who have a history of continuous physical activity during the past 20 yr have more benefits from the protective effects of exercise in reducing the risk of occurrence of colon cancer (4). In men and women with high physical activity, incidence of colorectal cancer compared to those with little or no physical activity reduced by 40%–50% (8). In people that during their leisure time had at least 60 min of daily physical activity compared to those who had physically active for 10 min or less, the hazard ratio of colorectal cancer was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.41–0.79). Hazard ratio for colon cancer was 0.56 (95% CI, 0.37–0.83) and for rectal cancer was 0.59 (95% CI, 0.34–1.02) (9). In recent years, mechanisms by which physical activity reduces the risk of colorectal cancer, were not entirely clear, albeit assumptions such as changes in the material in gastrointestinal transmit time, changes in immune function as well as changes in prostaglandin levels, insulin, insulin-like growth factors, bile acid secretion, serum cholesterol as well as pancreatic and gastrointestinal hormone profiles are presented. There is currently limited empirical data in epidemiologic studies on humans and animals in order to approve each of these mechanisms in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer; therefore, it is probable that beneficial effect of physical activity in reducing colorectal cancer has been due to the combined effects of these factors and other unknown factors (10). Doctors recommend physical activity for the general population with the aim of reducing the burden related to colorectal cancer. However, doctors do not need a full understanding of this mechanism. Therefore, in health education programs and medical advice for reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, physicians must pay particular attention to the protective effect of exercise and physical activity, and at the same time conduct scientific and biological surveys to achieve a clearer understanding of the beneficial mechanisms of physical activity in reducing risk of colorectal cancer