The emergence of active perception - seeking conceptual foundations

The aim of this thesis is to explain the emergence of active perception. It takes an interdisciplinary approach, by providing the necessary conceptual foundations for active perception research - the key notions that bridge the conceptual gaps remaining in understanding emergent behaviours of active perception in the context of robotic implementations. On the one hand, the autonomous agent approach to mobile robotics claims that perception is active. On the other hand, while explanations of emergence have been extensively pursued in Artificial Life, these explanations have not yet successfully accounted for active perception.The main question dealt with in this thesis is how active perception systems, as behaviour -based autonomous systems, are capable of providing relatively optimal perceptual guidance in response to environmental challenges, which are somewhat unpredictable. The answer is: task -level emergence on grounds of complicatedly combined computational strategies, but this notion needs further explanation.To study the computational strategies undertaken in active perception re- search, the thesis surveys twelve implementations. On the basis of the surveyed implementations, discussions in this thesis show that the perceptual task executed in support of bodily actions does not arise from the intentionality of a homuncu- lus, but is identified automatically on the basis of the dynamic small mod- ules of particular robotic architectures. The identified tasks are accomplished by quasi -functional modules and quasi- action modules, which maintain transformations of perceptual inputs, compute critical variables, and provide guidance of sensory -motor movements to the most relevant positions for fetching further needed information. Given the nature of these modules, active perception emerges in a different fashion from the global behaviour seen in other autonomous agent research.The quasi- functional modules and quasi- action modules cooperate by estimating the internal cohesion of various sources of information in support of the envisaged task. Specifically, such modules basically reflect various computational facilities for a species to single out the most important characteristics of its ecological niche. These facilities help to achieve internal cohesion, by maintaining a stepwise evaluation over the previously computed information, the required task, and the most relevant features presented in the environment.Apart from the above exposition of active perception, the process of task - level emergence is understood with certain principles extracted from four models of life origin. First, the fundamental structure of active perception is identified as the stepwise computation. Second, stepwise computation is promoted from baseline to elaborate patterns, i.e. from a simple system to a combinatory system. Third, a core requirement for all stepwise computational processes is the comparison between collected and needed information in order to insure the contribution to the required task. Interestingly, this point indicates that active perception has an inherent pragmatist dimension.The understanding of emergence in the present thesis goes beyond the distinc- tion between external processes and internal representations, which some current philosophers argue is required to explain emergence. The additional factors are links of various knowledge sources, in which the role of conceptual foundations is two -fold. On the one hand, those conceptual foundations elucidate how various knowledge sources can be linked. On the other, they make possible an interdisci- plinary view of emergence. Given this two -fold role, this thesis shows the unity of task -level emergence. Thus, the thesis demonstrates a cooperation between sci- ence and philosophy for the purpose of understanding the integrity of emergent cognitive phenomena

JCMT POL-2 and ALMA polarimetric observations of 6000-100 au scales in the protostar B335: linking magnetic field and gas kinematics in observations and MHD simulations

We present our analysis of the magnetic field structures from 6000 au to 100 au scales in the Class 0 protostar B335 inferred from our JCMT POL-2 observations and the ALMA archival polarimetric data. To interpret the observational results, we perform a series of (non-)ideal MHD simulations of the collapse of a rotating non-turbulent dense core, whose initial conditions are adopted to be the same as observed in B335, and generate synthetic polarization maps. The comparison of our JCMT and simulation results suggests that the magnetic field on a 6000 au scale in B335 is pinched and well aligned with the bipolar outflow along the east-west direction. Among all our simulations, the ALMA polarimetric results are best explained with weak magnetic field models having an initial mass-to-flux ratio of 9.6. However, we find that with the weak magnetic field, the rotational velocity on a 100 au scale and the disk size in our simulations are larger than the observational estimates by a factor of several. An independent comparison of our simulations and the gas kinematics in B335 observed with the SMA and ALMA favors strong magnetic field models with an initial mass-to-flux ratio smaller than 4.8. We discuss two possibilities resulting in the different magnetic field strengths inferred from the polarimetric and molecular-line observations, (1) overestimated rotational-to-gravitational energy in B335 and (2) additional contributions in the polarized intensity due to scattering on a 100 au scale.Comment: Accepted by Ap

Flood Vulnerability and Risk Maps in Taipei City, Taiwan

This paper presents the process of constructing a flood risk map in Taipei City. The study calculates the social vulnerability index (SVI) for flooding at a district level, based on five factors including (1) female population (2) alone living elderly (3) low-income households (4) household income and (5) house-hold possessions. The index is determined according to the factor ratios in a district comparing to the statistical average across Taipei City. By combining the SVI with spatial varied flood potential information simulated by a hydraulic model, the flood risk index is obtained for district level that has an area of about 0.2 km2. Results show that the flood risk in Taipei City changed from 2002 to 2010 due to changes in the demographic structure. During the period from 2002 to 2004, the most obvious change of flood risk occurred in the Wanhua district due to the increase in the ratio of household possessions, which escalated the vulnerability to flooding. Between 2005 and 2007, the ratio of household possessions dropped in the Nankang district such that the flood risk reduced mostly in the region

Local Magnetic Field Role in Star Formation

We highlight distinct and systematic observational features of magnetic field morphologies in polarized submm dust continuum. We illustrate this with specific examples and show statistical trends from a sample of 50 star-forming regions.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; to appear in the EAS Proceedings of the 6th Zermatt ISM Symposium "Conditions and Impact of Star Formation from Lab to Space", September 201

Association between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis of observational studies

BackgroundSystemic inflammation is one of the underlying mechanisms of cognitive impairment. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has emerged as a systemic inflammation indicator. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between high NLR and cognitive impairment (CI) risk.MethodA comprehensive systematic search was conducted to identify eligible studies published until May 30, 2023. The reference group comprised patients with the lowest NLR level, whereas the exposure group comprised those with the highest NLR level. The main outcome was to examine the relationship between NLR and CI risk. The secondary outcome included the association between patient characteristics or comorbidities and CI risk.ResultsThis meta-analysis included 11 studies published between 2018 and 2023, involving 10,357 patients. Patients with CI had a higher NLR than those without (mean difference=0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.44, p < 00001, I2 = 86%). Consistently, pooled results revealed an association between high NLR and CI risk (odds ratio [OR]=2.53, 95% CI:1.67–3.82, p<0.0001, I2 = 84%). Furthermore, aging (mean difference =4.31 years, 95% CI:2.83–5.8, p < 0.00001, I2 = 92%), diabetes (OR=1.59, 95% CI:1.35–1.88, p < 0.00001, I2 = 66%), and hypertension (OR=1.36, 95% CI:1.19–1.57, p < 0.00001, I2 = 0%) were significant risk factors for CI. However, no significant associations were observed between CI and male gender (OR = 0.84, 95% CI:0.64–1.11, p = 0.22, I2 = 81%), body mass index (mean = −0.32 kg/m2, 95% CI: −0.82, 0.18, p = 0.2, I2 = 82%), alcohol consumption (OR = 1.11, 95% CI:0.95−1.3, p = 1.35, I2 = 0%), and smoking (OR = 0.99, 95% CI:0.87–1.13, p = 0.86, I2 = 0%). Meta-regression found that diabetes and hypertension, but not age, significantly moderated the association between NLR and CI.ConclusionThis meta-analysis showed a significant association between high NLR and increased CI risk. Moreover, meta-regression identified diabetes and hypertension, but not age, as significant moderating factors in the relationship between NLR and CI. To validate and strengthen these findings, further large-scale studies are required.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023430384, identifier CRD42023430384

Sox2, a stemness gene, regulates tumor-initiating and drug-resistant properties in CD133-positive glioblastoma stem cells

AbstractBackgroundGlioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most lethal type of adult brain cancer and performs outrageous growth and resistance regardless of adjuvant chemotherapies, eventually contributing to tumor recurrence and poor outcomes. Considering the common heterogeneity of cancer cells, the imbalanced regulatory mechanism could be switched on/off and contribute to drug resistance. Moreover, the subpopulation of GBM cells was recently discovered to share similar phenotypes with neural stem cells. These cancer stem cells (CSCs) promote the potency of tumor initiation. As a result, targeting of glioma stem cells has become the dominant way of improving the therapeutic outcome against GBM and extending the life span of patients. Among the biomarkers of CSCs, CD-133 (prominin-1) has been known to effectively isolate CSCs from cancer population, including GBM; however, the underlying mechanism of how stemness genes manipulate CSC-associated phenotypes, such as tumor initiation and relapse, is still unclear.MethodsTumorigenicity, drug resistance and embryonic stem cell markers were examined in primary CD133-positive (CD133+) GBM cells and CD133+ subpopulation. Stemness signature of CD133+ GBM cells was identified using microarray analysis. Stem cell potency, tumorigenicity and drug resistance were also tested in differential expression of SOX2 in GBM cells.ResultsIn this study, high tumorigenic and drug resistance was noticed in primary CD-133+ GBM cells; meanwhile, plenty of embryonic stem cell markers were also elevated in the CD-133+ subpopulation. Using microarray analysis, we identified SOX2 as the most enriched gene among the stemness signature in CD133+ GBM cells. Overexpression of SOX2 consistently enhanced the stem cell potency in the GBM cell lines, whereas knockdown of SOX2 dramatically withdrew CD133 expression in CD133+ GBM cells. Additionally, we silenced SOX2 expression using RNAi system, which abrogated the ability of tumor initiation as well as drug resistance of CD133+ GBM cells, suggesting that SOX2 plays a crucial role in regulating tumorigenicity in CD133+ GBM cells.ConclusionSOX2 plays a crucial role in regulating tumorigenicity in CD133+ GBM cells. Our results not only revealed the genetic plasticity contributing to drug resistance and stemness but also demonstrated the dominant role of SOX2 in maintenance of GBM CSCs, which may provide a novel therapeutic target to overcome the conundrum of poor survival of brain cancers

JNK suppression is essential for 17β-Estradiol inhibits prostaglandin E2-Induced uPA and MMP-9 expressions and cell migration in human LoVo colon cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epidemiological studies demonstrate that the incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer in women are lower than in men. However, it is unknown if 17β-estradiol treatment is sufficient to inhibit prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-induced cellular motility in human colon cancer cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed the protein expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), and the cellular motility in PGE2-stimulated human LoVo cells. 17β-Estradiol and the inhibitors including LY294002 (Akt activation inhibitor), U0126 (ERK1/2 inhibitor), SB203580 (p38 MAPK inhibitor), SP600125 (JNK1/2 inhibitor), QNZ (NFκB inhibitor) and ICI 182 780 were further used to explore the inhibitory effects of 17β-estradiol on PGE2-induced LoVo cell motility. Student's t-test was used to analyze the difference between the two groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Upregulation of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs) is reported to associate with the development of cancer cell mobility, metastasis, and subsequent malignant tumor. After administration of inhibitors including LY294002, U0126, SB203580, SP600125 or QNZ, we found that PGE2 treatment up-regulated uPA and MMP-9 expression via JNK1/2 signaling pathway, thus promoting cellular motility in human LoVo cancer cells. However, PGE2 treatment showed no effects on regulating expression of tPA, MMP-2, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, -2, -3 and -4 (TIMP-1, -2, -3 and -4). We further observed that 17β-estradiol treatment inhibited PGE2-induced uPA, MMP-9 and cellular motility by suppressing activation of JNK1/2 in human LoVo cancer cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Collectively, these results suggest that 17β-estradiol treatment significantly inhibits PGE2-induced motility of human LoVo colon cancer cells.</p

Clinical Study of Uric Acid Urolithiasis

Uric acid urolithiasis develops from various causes. To investigate the clinical and biochemical presentation of patients with uric acid urolithiasis, a retrospective study was designed. A total of 46 cases were enrolled between January 2004 and December 2005. The compositions of the stones were analyzed by infrared spectrophotometry. There were 39 males (84.8%) and seven females (15.2%), with a mean age of 61.5 ± 10.6 years and mean body mass index (BMI) of 26.7 ± 3.1 kg/m2. The stone location was kidney in 10 (21.7%), ureter in 22 (41.8%), and bladder in 14 (30.5%). Multiple stones were diagnosed in 36 patients (78.3%). Pre-existing comorbidities included diabetes mellitus in 11 patients (23.9%), hypertension in 23 (50%), gout in 13 (28.2%), and benign prostatic hyperplasia in 14 (30.4%). Mean serum creatinine and uric acid was 1.6 ± 0.6 mg/dL and 7.6 ± 1.8 mg/dL, respectively. There were 27 patients (58%) with creatinine > 1.4 mg/dL. The mean urinary pH was 5.42 ± 0.46. Patients with uric acid urolithiasis were predominantly male, older, with higher BMI, multiple stone presentation, with lower urinary pH, and hyperuricemia. Exacerbation of the renal function should also be of concern because of the high proportion of patients with renal insufficiency diagnosed in this study