A Unified Model For Developmental Robotics

We present the architecture and distributed algorithms of an implemented system called NeuSter, that unifies learning, perception and action for autonomous robot control. NeuSter comprises several sub-systems that provide online learning for networks of million neurons on machine clusters. It extracts information from sensors, builds its own representations of the environment in order to learn non-predefined goals

Contribution of CaMKIV to injury and fear- induced ultrasonic vocalizations in adult mice

Calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) is a protein kinase that activates the transcription factor CREB. Our previous work demonstrated that mice lacking CaMKIV had a defect in fear memory while behavioral responses to noxious stimuli were unchanged. Here, we measured ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) before and after fear conditioning and in response to a noxious injection of capsaicin to measure behavioral responses to emotional stimuli. Consistent with previous findings, behavioral nociceptive responses to capsaicin were undistinguishable between wild-type and CaMKIV(-/- )mice. Wild-type animals showed a selective increase in 50 kHz USVs in response to capsaicin while such an increase was absent in CaMKIV(-/- )mice. The foot shock given during fear conditioning caused an increase in 30 kHz USVs in both wild-type and CaMKIV(-/- )mice. When returned to the context one hour later, USVs from the wild-type were significantly decreased. Additionally, the onset of a tone, which had previously been paired with the foot shock, caused a significant decrease in USVs during auditory conditioning. CaMKIV(-/- )mice showed significantly less reduction in USVs when placed in the same context three days after receiving the shock, consistent with the decrease in freezing reported previously. Our results provide a new approach for investigating the molecular mechanism for emotional vocalization in mice and suggest that CaMKIV dependent signaling pathways play an important role in the emotional response to pain and fear

Pengelolaan Limbah Medis Padat pada Puskesmas Kabupaten Pati

Puskesmas merupakan salah satu unit pelayanan kesehatan yang menghasilkan limbahmedis padat. Puskesmas di Kabupaten Pati telah memiliki incinerator untuk mengelolalimbah medis padat. Masalah penelitian adalah bagaimana proses pengelolaan limbahmedis padat di Puskesmas Kabupaten Pati dan apakah sudah sesuai dengan KepmenkesNo.1428/Menkes/SK/XII/2006. Tujuan penelitian untuk mengetahui bagaimana prosespengelolaan limbah medis padat di Puskesmas Kabupaten Pati. Metode penelitiandeskriptif dengan rancangan studi kasus di 3 Puskesmas, yaitu Puskesmas A, B, dan C.Instrumen penelitian menggunakan pedoman wawancara,alat perekam gambar, dan alatperekam suara. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan proses pengelolaan limbah medis padatpada puskesmas yang seharusnya menggunakan incinerator, belum semua puskesmasmelakukannya. Puskesmas A melakukan penanganan akhir limbah medis padatmenggunakan incinerator, Puskesmas B dengan pembakaran biasa, dan PuskesmasC dengan melakukan pembakaran di dalam tong berdiameter 40 cm tanpa tidakmenggunakan incinerator. Simpulan penelitian, pengelolaan limbah medis padat padaPuskesmas Kabupaten Pati belum sesuai dengan ketentuan dalam pengelolaan limbahmedis menurut Kepmenkes No 1428/MENKES/SK/XII/2006. Public Health Center is one of the health care unit that produces solid medical waste.Public Health Centers in Pati have incinerator to manage solid medical waste. Researchproblem was how to process solid medical waste in health centers Pati and whether it is inaccordance with Kepmenkes No.1428/Menkes/SK/XII/2006. Research purpose to determinethe process of solid medical waste management in health centers Pati. Descriptive researchmethods by case study in 3 health centers, namely A , B , and C. Research instrument wereinterview guides, image recording, and voice recorder. Th e results showed solid medicalwaste management processes in health centers should use the incinerator, but not all healthcenters did it. Health center A handling solid medical waste by incinerators, Health centerB by usual burning, and Health Center C burning in the barrel with diameter of 40 cmwithout incinerator. Th e conclusions, medical management of solid medical waste in healthcenter Pati not accordance with the provision of management medical waste according toKepmenkes No. 1428/MENKES/SK/XII/2006

Surprise! Infants consider possible bases of generalization for a single input example

Infants have been shown to generalize from a small number of input examples. However, existing studies allow two possible means of generalization. One is via a process of noting similarities shared by several examples. Alternatively, generalization may reflect an implicit desire to explain the input. The latter view suggests that generalization might occur when even a single input example is surprising, given the learner's current model of the domain. To test the possibility that infants are able to generalize based on a single example, we familiarized 9-month-olds with a single three-syllable input example that contained either one surprising feature (syllable repetition, Experiment 1) or two features (repetition and a rare syllable, Experiment 2). In both experiments, infants generalized only to new strings that maintained all of the surprising features from familiarization. This research suggests that surprise can promote very rapid generalization. Infants have been shown to generalize from a small number of input examples. However, existing studies allow two possible means of generalization

Addition of Interleukin-21 for Expansion of T-Cells for Adoptive Immunotherapy of Murine Melanoma

We previously demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-7/15 was superior to IL-2 for expansion of T cells in vitrofor adoptive immunotherapy. We sought to ascertain whether IL-21 would further improve yield and therapeutic efficacy of T cells in culture. Naïve T cell receptor (TcR) transgenic splenocytes or antigen-sensitized lymph node cells were harvested from PMEL-1 mice and exposed to bryostatin-1 and ionomycin (B/I) for 18 h. Cells were then cultured in IL-2, IL-21, IL-7/15 or IL-7/15/21 for six days. Harvested cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and used to treat C57Bl/6 mice injected intravenously with B16 melanoma. Lungs were harvested and metastases counted 14 days after treatment. Culturing lymphocytes in IL-7/15/21 increased expansion compared to IL-2 or IL-7/15. IL-21 and IL-7/15/21 increased CD8+ cells compared to IL-2 or IL-7/15. IL-21 preferentially expanded a CD8+CD44−CD62L+ T “naïve” population, whereas IL-7/15/21 increased CD8+CD44+CD62Lhigh central-memory T cells. T cells grown in IL-7/15/21 were more effective at reducing metastases than IL-2. The addition of IL-21 to IL-7/15 induced greater expansion of lymphocytes in culture and increased the yield of CD8+ T central-memory cells vs. IL-7/15 alone. This may have significant impact on future clinical trials of adoptive immunotherapy, particularly for generating adequate numbers of lymphocytes for treatment

Producing Periodic Motion for Underactuated Systems

This project considers a special class of aero-dynamics of two different underactuated systems. The two systems under consideration are the Pendubot (actuator at the hip) and the Acrobot (actuator at the knee). The main objectives are to show stability and periodicity of the two systems. The next step is to change the zero-dynamics such that resulting periodic orbits produce walking gait patterns. The stability analysis involves searching for a Lyapunov function which would prove stability and in turn, as can be shown, imply periodicty. The Lyapunov function would also be a powerful help in knowing how to change the zero-dynamics so that desired motions are obtained. However, a Lyapunov function could not be found, which implies that the succeeding steps are hard to make. We present in this work some conclusions that would follow from a Lyapunov function and highlight some properties of the systems. We also show how the Pendubot could be brought to upright position

Economic growth in Lebanon viewed through the transport sector : a case study of the potential revival of the Tripoli-Beirut railway as a way of addressing the paradox of sustainable development -

Thesis. M.A. American University of Beirut. Department of Economics, 2015. T:6289Advisor : Dr. Nisreen Salti, Associate Professor, Economics ; Members of Committee : Dr. Ramzi Mabsout, Assistant Professor, Economics ; Dr. Isam Kaysi, Professor, Civil Engineering.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 115-121)Transport is strongly linked to economic development by a complex set of opposite double-effect mechanisms and determinants. In Lebanon, a small developing country with rapid urban sprawl promoting auto dependency trends, huge negative externalities including congestion, accidents, air pollution, environmental noise and climate change estimated in our study at 3 Billion USD (7percent of GDP forecast 2015) are generated by road transport. In this context, the revitalization of sustainable transport modes such as railway along the highly congested suburban corridors (i.e. Beirut-Jounieh-Tripoli) is examined as a potential mean to reduce the effect of these welfare losses and address the challenge of sustainable development. With these results we aspire to develop the notion of self-destructive economic growth, and to justify the urgent need to shift the current development paradigm, moving away from the traditional unconditional growth-oriented and all-else-equal models towards all-inclusive models of sustainable development