Generation of human-like motion on anthropomorphic systems using inverse dynamics

This work deals with the generation of human-like whole-body movements on anthropomorphic systems. We propose a general framework to generate robot movements from the definition of ordered stack of tasks and a global resolution scheme that enables to consider different kinds of constraints. We compare qualitatively the robot movements generated from this software with similar recorded human movements. We start with a direct global comparison of body movements. Then we analyze the magnitude of the reconstructed human torques and compare with the simulated robot torques during the motion

University students’ use of mobile technology in self-directed language learning: using the integrative model of behavior prediction

Mobile technology offers great potential for university students’ language learning. Numerousstudies have been conducted on utilizing mobile technology in language learning classroom.However, using it in self-initiated and self-directed learning outside class remains to be explored.The present study employed the integrative model of behavior prediction to investigate the re-lationships between attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy and behavioral intention, as well asthe association between intention, facilitating conditions, self-regulation skills and actual use ofmobile technology in self-directed language learning. This study also examined whether self-regulation skills moderated intention and actual use. Survey data from 676 language learnersin different disciplines from Chinese universities were collected and analyzed using structuralequation modeling approach. The results showed that 37.1 percent of respondents indicated thatthey never used mobile technology for self-directed language learning. Of the other 425 re-spondents who did indicate that they used mobile technology for this purpose, the majority ofthem seemed to be extrinsically motivated. Learning activities regarding vocabulary acquisitionand translation were far more reported than those in terms of listening, speaking, reading andwriting. In addition, attitude and subjective norm significantly explained students’ intention touse mobile technology, but self-efficacy did not have a direct effect on students’ intention.Moreover, students’ self-regulation skills and intention significantly predicted students’ actual useof mobile technology. Through moderation analysis, the results indicated that the relationshipbetween intention and actual behavior would be stronger with any increase in self-regulationskills. These findings are discussed and implications are formulated.Teaching and Teacher Learning (ICLON

First Results from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search in the Soudan Underground Lab

We report the first results from a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) in the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment at the Soudan Underground Laboratory. Four Ge and two Si detectors were operated for 52.6 live days, providing 19.4 kg-d of Ge net exposure after cuts for recoil energies between 10--100 keV. A blind analysis was performed using only calibration data to define the energy threshold and selection criteria for nuclear-recoil candidates. Using the standard dark-matter halo and nuclear-physics WIMP model, these data set the world's lowest exclusion limits on the coherent WIMP-nucleon scalar cross-section for all WIMP masses above 15 GeV, ruling out a significant range of neutralino supersymmetric models. The minimum of this limit curve at the 90% C.L. is 4 x 10^{-43} cm^2 at a WIMP mass of 60 GeV.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett; minor clarifications in response to referee's comment

Semi-Supervised Learning for Sparsely-Labeled Sequential Data: Application to Healthcare Video Processing

Labeled data is a critical resource for training and evaluating machine learning models. However, many real-life datasets are only partially labeled. We propose a semi-supervised machine learning training strategy to improve event detection performance on sequential data, such as video recordings, when only sparse labels are available, such as event start times without their corresponding end times. Our method uses noisy guesses of the events' end times to train event detection models. Depending on how conservative these guesses are, mislabeled false positives may be introduced into the training set (i.e., negative sequences mislabeled as positives). We further propose a mathematical model for estimating how many inaccurate labels a model is exposed to, based on how noisy the end time guesses are. Finally, we show that neural networks can improve their detection performance by leveraging more training data with less conservative approximations despite the higher proportion of incorrect labels. We adapt sequential versions of MNIST and CIFAR-10 to empirically evaluate our method, and find that our risk-tolerant strategy outperforms conservative estimates by 12 points of mean average precision for MNIST, and 3.5 points for CIFAR. Then, we leverage the proposed training strategy to tackle a real-life application: processing continuous video recordings of epilepsy patients to improve seizure detection, and show that our method outperforms baseline labeling methods by 10 points of average precision

Association of NEDA-4 With No Long-term Disability Progression in Multiple Sclerosis and Comparison With NEDA-3

No evidence of disease activity (NEDA)-4 has been suggested as a treatment target for disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). However, the ability of NEDA-4 to discriminate long-term outcomes in MS and how its performance compares with NEDA-3 remain uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate (1) the association between NEDA-4 and no long-term disability progression in MS and (2) the comparative performance of NEDA-3 and NEDA-4 in predicting no long-term disability progression. English-language abstracts and manuscripts were systematically searched in MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane databases from January 2006 to November 2021 and reviewed independently by 2 investigators. We selected studies that assessed NEDA-4 at 1 or 2 years after DMT start and had at least 4 years of follow-up for determination of no confirmed disability progression. We conducted a meta-analysis using random-effects model to determine the pooled odds ratio (OR) for no disability progression with NEDA-4 vs EDA-4. For the comparative analysis, we selected studies that evaluated both NEDA-3 and NEDA-4 with at least 4 years of follow-up and examined the difference in the association of NEDA-3 and NEDA-4 with no disability progression. Five studies of 1,000 patients (3 interferon beta and 2 fingolimod) met inclusion criteria for both objectives. The median duration of follow-up was 6 years (interquartile range: 4-6 years). The prevalence of NEDA-4 ranged from 4.2% to 13.9% on interferon beta therapy and 24.9% to 25.1% on fingolimod therapy. The pooled OR for no long-term confirmed disability progression with NEDA-4 vs EDA-4 was 2.14 (95% confidence interval: 1.36-3.37; I 2 = 0). We did not observe any significant difference between NEDA-4 and NEDA-3 in the comparative analyses. In patients with RRMS, NEDA-4 at 1-2 years was associated with 2 times higher odds of no long-term disability progression, at 6 years compared with EDA-4, but offered no advantage over NEDA-3

A novel mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain of ERBB2 in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Several studies showed that gain-of-function somatic mutations affecting the catalytic domain of EGFR in non-small cell lung carcinomas were associated with response to gefitinib and erlotinib, both EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In addition, 4% of non-small cell lung carcinomas were shown to have ERBB2 mutations in the kinase domain. In our study, we sought to determine if similar respective gain-of-function EGFR and ERBB2 mutations were present in hepatoma and/or biliary cancers. METHODS: We extracted genomic DNA from 40 hepatoma (18) and biliary cancers (22) samples, and 44 adenocarcinomas of the lung, this latter as a positive control for mutation detection. We subjected those samples to PCR-based semi-automated double stranded nucleotide sequencing targeting exons 18–21 of EGFR and ERBB2. All samples were tested against matched normal DNA. RESULTS: We found 11% of hepatoma, but no biliary cancers, harbored a novel ERBB2 H878Y mutation in the activating domain. CONCLUSION: These newly described mutations may play a role in predicting response to EGFR-targeted therapy in hepatoma and their role should be explored in prospective studies

In situ edge engineering in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides

Exerting synthetic control over the edge structure and chemistry of two-dimensional (2D) materials is of critical importance to direct the magnetic, optical, electrical, and catalytic properties for specific applications. Here, we directly image the edge evolution of pores in Mo1-xWxSe2 monolayers via atomic-resolution in situ scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and demonstrate that these edges can be structurally transformed to theoretically predicted metastable atomic configurations by thermal and chemical driving forces. Density functional theory calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations explain the observed thermally induced structural evolution and exceptional stability of the four most commonly observed edges based on changing chemical potential during thermal annealing. The coupling of modeling and in situ STEM imaging in changing chemical environments demonstrated here provides a pathway for the predictive and controlled atomic scale manipulation of matter for the directed synthesis of edge configurations in Mo-1_xWxSe2 to achieve desired functionality

Living donor liver transplantation from a donor previously treated with interferon for hepatitis C virus: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Selecting a marginal donor in liver transplantation (LT) remains controversial but is necessary because of the small number of available donors.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 46-year-old Japanese woman was a candidate to donate her liver to her brother, who had decompensated liver cirrhosis of unknown origin. Eight years before the donation, she had a mild liver dysfunction that was diagnosed as a hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (serotype 2). She had received anti-viral therapy with interferon α-2b three times weekly for 24 weeks and had a sustained viral response (SVR). A biopsy of her liver before the donation showed normal findings without any active hepatitis, and her serum was negative for HCV-RNA. Only 67 patients have undergone LT from a cadaveric donor in Japan. The family in this case decided to have living donor LT. A careful selection for the liver graft donation was made; however, since she was the only candidate, we approved her as a living donor. She was discharged nine days after the liver donation. Her liver function recovered immediately. A computed tomography scan showed sufficient liver regeneration one year later. Her brother also had good liver function after LT and had no HCV infection 48 months after surgery and no <it>de novo </it>malignancy. Neither of the siblings has developed an HCV infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A patient with SVR status after interferon therapy might be considered a candidate for living donor LT but only if there are no other possibilities of LT for the recipient. A careful follow-up of the donor after donation is needed. The recipient also must have a very close follow-up because it is difficult to predict what might happen to the graft with post-transplant immunosuppression.</p