Autonomous task-based grasping for mobile manipulators

A fully integrated grasping system for a mobile manipulator to grasp an unknown object of interest (OI) in an unknown environment is presented. The system autonomously scans its environment, models the OI, plans and executes a grasp, while taking into account base pose uncertainty and obstacles in its way to reach the object. Due to inherent line of sight limitations in sensing, a single scan of the OI often does not reveal enough information to complete grasp analysis; as a result, our system autonomously builds a model of an object via multiple scans from different locations until a grasp can be performed. A volumetric next-best-view (NBV) algorithm is used to model an arbitrary object and terminates modelling when grasp poses are discovered on a partially observed object. Two key sets of experiments are presented: i) modelling and registration error in the OI point cloud model is reduced by selecting viewpoints with more scan overlap, and ii) model construction and grasps are successfully achieved while experiencing base pose uncertainty. A generalized algorithm is presented to discover grasp pose solutions for multiple grasp types for a multi-fingered mechanical gripper using sensed point clouds. The algorithm introduces two key ideas: 1) a histogram of finger contact normals is used to represent a grasp “shape” to guide a gripper orientation search in a histogram of object(s) surface normals, and 2) voxel grid representations of gripper and object(s) are cross-correlated to match finger contact points, i.e. grasp “size”, to discover a grasp pose. Constraints, such as collisions with neighbouring objects, are incorporated in the cross-correlation computation. Simulations and preliminary experiments show that 1) grasp poses for three grasp types are found in near real-time, 2) grasp pose solutions are consistent with respect to voxel resolution changes for both partial and complete point cloud scans, 3) a planned grasp pose is executed with a mechanical gripper, and 4) grasp overlap is presented as a feature to identify regions on a partial object model ideal for object transfer or securing an object

Jerome\u27s commentary on Jonah: Translation with introduction and critical notes

This thesis presents the exegetical practice of the Biblical scholar Eusebius Hieronymus, better known as Jerome (c. 331-420), as exhibited in his commentary on the book of Jonah. Through a translation of this work for English-language readers and an introductory chapter, the thesis offers a case study of Jerome’s hermeneutical approach as it may be observed in his interpretation of a specific Biblical text. Jerome composed his Commentary on Jonah at a critical point in his career as a Biblical scholar and interpreter. It was the first Biblical commentary Jerome wrote after he professed to have repudiated his allegiance to the Origenist manner of Biblical interpretation, which had hitherto served as a primary inspiration in his study of the Bible. Therefore, the thesis includes an extended introductory chapter examining the influence of Origen upon Jerome’s Biblical scholarship. Following this, the translation of the Commentary is given in full. (It marks the first appearance of this work in an English edition.) Significant cruces in the manuscript tradition are treated in footnotes to the text of the Commentary, while extensive endnotes are provided in order to clarify the meaning of the text, illuminate obscurities, and indicate sources and also allusions to other works. Finally, a bibliography is appended

Rapid Monitoring of Organic Foliar Fertilizer Treatments on Organic Spelt by a Portable SPAD Meter and Field Spectroscopy

Remote sensing techniques are widely used for farming applications but are less widespread in the organic sector. This technique offers great perspective for organic farms as field scale spectroscopy could provide rapid monitoring of nutrient imbalances or stresses and the efficiency of organic foliar fertilizer treatments. One of our objectives is to decrease time and budget currently needed for destructive chemical analysis and increase the accuracy of on-site and quasi-real-time analysis of major constitutes

Targeting receptor tyrosine kinases in malignant pleural mesothelioma: Focus on FGF-receptors

Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) constitute a subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases. Four different receptors, FGFR1-4, bind 18 different fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and signal mainly along the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) and the phospholipase c gamma (PLC?) pathway. Physiologically, they are major regulators of embryonic development and metabolism. Deregulation of FGFR signals is increasingly recognized to play important roles in malignant diseases and may constitute a feasible therapeutic target. We recently investigated their role in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), an aggressive malignancy mainly caused by asbestos exposure and with currently limited therapeutic options. We demonstrated high expression of several FGFs/FGFRs, especially FGFR1, FGF2 and FGF18 in cultured tumor cells and tissue specimens and identified FGFR-mediated signals as major driver of MPM cell growth, survival and migration. FGFR blockade by a tyrosine kinase inhibitor or by a dominant-negative receptor construct resulted in reduced MPM growth in vitro and in vivo and, furthermore, enhanced the efficacy of chemo- or radiotherapy. Several other receptor tyrosine kinases, including EGFR, MET and AXL were found to be overexpressed in MPM but translation into clinically successful therapeutic approaches has not yet been achieved. Inhibition of FGF-receptors may have the advantage of targeting both the tumor cells as well as the tumor vasculature and should be further evaluated

Mononuclear cell secretome protects from experimental autoimmune myocarditis

Aims Supernatants of serum-free cultured mononuclear cells (MNC) contain a mix of immunomodulating factors (secretome), which have been shown to attenuate detrimental inflammatory responses following myocardial ischaemia. Inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy (iDCM) is a common cause of heart failure in young patients. Experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) is a CD4+ T cell-dependent model, which mirrors important pathogenic aspects of iDCM. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of MNC secretome on myocardial inflammation in the EAM model. Methods and results BALB/c mice were immunized twice with an alpha myosin heavy chain peptide together with Complete Freund adjuvant. Supernatants from mouse mononuclear cells were collected, dialysed, and injected i.p. at Day 0, Day 7, or Day 14, respectively. Myocarditis severity, T cell responses, and autoantibody formation were assessed at Day 21. The impact of MNC secretome on CD4+ T cell function and viability was evaluated using in vitro proliferation and cell viability assays. A single high-dose application of MNC secretome, injected at Day 14 after the first immunization, effectively attenuated myocardial inflammation. Mechanistically, MNC secretome induced caspase-8-dependent apoptosis in autoreactive CD4+ T cells. Conclusion MNC secretome abrogated myocardial inflammation in a CD4+ T cell-dependent animal model of autoimmune myocarditis. This anti-inflammatory effect of MNC secretome suggests a novel and simple potential treatment concept for inflammatory heart disease

Palladium-catalyzed heteroallylation of unactivated alkenes – synthesis of citalopram

A palladium-catalyzed difunctionalization of unactivated alkenes with tethered nucleophiles is reported. The versatile reaction occurs with simple allylic halides and can be carried out under air. The methodology provides rapid access to a wide array of desirable heterocyclic targets, as illustrated by a concise synthesis of the widely prescribed antidepressant citalopram

Viewing America’s energy future in three dimensions

The future of the US energy infrastructure is a major and urgent challenge for our society. This monograph was stimulated by a report of the National Academies' Committee on America's Energy Future, America's Energy Future: Technology and Transformation, Summary Edition, 2009. The report pointed out the critical but poorly understood and little explored role of societal considerations in determining the fate of national energy policies and programs. In our efforts to respond to those concerns, we have examined the thesis that the three major dimensions of the energy challenge—technology, economics, and societal—are overlapping, interactive, and inseparable; therefore, they can be understood only when considered simultaneously and discussed in terms of their interactions. Correspondingly, this monograph describes energy technologies in the context of their economic and societal contexts, energy economics in their technological and societal contexts, and the societal aspects of energy in their technological and economic contexts. The monograph then identifies social science–driven research opportunities pertaining to America’s energy challenge, with the hope that the proposed research will help not only overcome the societal barriers identified by the National Academies' report, but also harness societal forces in developing a rational energy future

Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii accelerates intestinal microbiota maturation and is correlated with increased secretory IgA production in neonatal dairy calves

Neonatal calves have a limited capacity to initiate immune responses due to a relatively immature adaptive immune system, which renders them susceptible to many on-farm diseases. At birth, the mucosal surfaces of the intestine are rapidly colonized by microbes in a process that promotes mucosal immunity and primes the development of the adaptive immune system. In a companion study, our group demonstrated that supplementation of a live yeast probiotic, Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii (SCB) CNCM I-1079, to calves from birth to 1 week of age stimulates secretory IgA (sIgA) production in the intestine. The objective of the study was to evaluate how SCB supplementation impacts the intestinal microbiota of one-week-old male calves, and how changes in the bacterial community in the intestine relate to the increase in secretory IgA. A total of 20 calves were randomly allocated to one of two treatments at birth: Control (CON, n = 10) fed at 5 g/d of carrier with no live yeast; and SCB (n = 10) fed at 5 g of live SCB per day (10 × 109 CFU/d). Our study revealed that supplementing calves with SCB from birth to 1 week of age had its most marked effects in the ileum, increasing species richness and phylogenetic diversity in addition to expediting the transition to a more interconnected bacterial community. Furthermore, LEfSe analysis revealed that there were several differentially abundant taxa between treatments and that SCB increased the relative abundance the family Eubacteriaceae, Corynebacteriaceae, Eggerthellaceae, Bacillaceae, and Ruminococcaceae. Furthermore, network analysis suggests that SCB promoted a more stable bacterial community and appears to reduce colonization with Shigella. Lastly, we observed that the probiotic-driven increase in microbial diversity was highly correlated with the enhanced secretory IgA capacity of the ileum, suggesting that the calf’s gut mucosal immune system relies on the development of a stable and highly diverse microbial community to provide the necessary cues to train and promote its proper function. In summary, this data shows that supplementation of SCB promoted establishment of a diverse and interconnected microbiota, prevented colonization of Escherichia Shigella and indicates a possible role in stimulating humoral mucosal immunity

RNA interference in Lepidoptera: an overview of successful and unsuccessful studies and implications for experimental design

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