Development of Architectures for Internet Telerobotics Systems

This paper presents our experience in developing and implementing Internet telerobotics system. Internet telerobotics system refers to a robot system controlled and monitored remotely through the Internet. A robot manipulator with five degrees of freedom, called Mentor, is employed. Client-server architecture is chosen as a platform for our Internet telerobotics system. Three generations of telerobotics systems have evolved in this research. The first generation was based on CGI and two tiered architectures, where a client presents a Graphical User Interface to the user, and utilizes the user＇s data entry and actions to perform requests to robot server running on a different machine. The second generation was developed using Java. We also employ Java 3D for creating and manipulating 3D geometry of manipulator links, and for constructing the structures used in rendering that geometry, resulting in 3D robot movement simulation presented to the users （clients） through their web browser. Recent development in our Internet telerobotics includes object recognition through image captured by a camera, which poses challenging problem, giving the undeterministic latency of the Internet. The third generation is centered around the use of CORBA for development platform of distributed internet telerobotics system, aimed at distributing task of telerobotics system.     

A Multi-Variant,Viral Dynamic Model of Genotype 1 HCV to Assess the in vivo Evolution of Protease-Inhibitor Resistant Variants

Variants resistant to compounds specifically targeting HCV are observed in clinical trials. A multi-variant viral dynamic model was developed to quantify the evolution and in vivo fitness of variants in subjects dosed with monotherapy of an HCV protease inhibitor, telaprevir. Variant fitness was estimated using a model in which variants were selected by competition for shared limited replication space. Fitness was represented in the absence of telaprevir by different variant production rate constants and in the presence of telaprevir by additional antiviral blockage by telaprevir. Model parameters, including rate constants for viral production, clearance, and effective telaprevir concentration, were estimated from 1) plasma HCV RNA levels of subjects before, during, and after dosing, 2) post-dosing prevalence of plasma variants from subjects, and 3) sensitivity of variants to telaprevir in the HCV replicon. The model provided a good fit to plasma HCV RNA levels observed both during and after telaprevir dosing, as well as to variant prevalence observed after telaprevir dosing. After an initial sharp decline in HCV RNA levels during dosing with telaprevir, HCV RNA levels increased in some subjects. The model predicted this increase to be caused by pre-existing variants with sufficient fitness to expand once available replication space increased due to rapid clearance of wild-type (WT) virus. The average replicative fitness estimates in the absence of telaprevir ranged from 1% to 68% of WT fitness. Compared to the relative fitness method, the in vivo estimates from the viral dynamic model corresponded more closely to in vitro replicon data, as well as to qualitative behaviors observed in both on-dosing and long-term post-dosing clinical data. The modeling fitness estimates were robust in sensitivity analyses in which the restoration dynamics of replication space and assumptions of HCV mutation rates were varied.     

Measuring carbon dynamics in field soils using soil spectral reflectance: prediction of maize root density, soil organic carbon and nitrogen content

This paper reports the development of a proximal sensing technique used to predict maize root density, soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content from the visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectral reflectance of soil cores. Eighteen soil cores (0?C60?cm depth with a 4.6?cm diameter) were collected from two sites within a field of 90-day-old maize silage; Kairanga silt loam and Kairanga fine sandy loam (Gley Soils). At each site, three replicate soil cores were taken at 0, 15 and 30?cm distance from the row of maize plants (rows were 60?cm apart). Each soil core was sectioned at 5 depths (7.5, 15, 30, 45, and 60?cm) and soil reflectance spectra were acquired from the freshly cut surface at each depth. A 1.5?cm soil slice was taken at each surface to obtain root mass and total soil C and N reference (measured) data. Root densities decreased with depth and distance from plant and were lower in the silt loam, which had the higher total C and N contents. Calibration models, developed using partial least squares regression (PLSR) between the first derivative of soil reflectance and the reference data, were able to predict with moderate accuracy the soil profile root density (r ²?=?0.75; ratio of prediction to deviation [RPD]?=?2.03; root mean square error of cross-validation [RMSECV]?=?1.68?mg/cm³), soil% C (r ²?=?0.86; RPD?=?2.66; RMSECV?=?0.48%) and soil% N (r ²?=?0.81; RPD?=?2.32; RMSECV?=?0.05%) distribution patterns. The important wavelengths chosen by the PLSR model to predict root density were different to those chosen to predict soil C or N. In addition, predicted root densities were not strongly autocorrelated to soil C (r?=?0.60) or N (r?=?0.53) values, indicating that root density can be predicted independently from soil C. This research has identified a potential method for assessing root densities in field soils enabling study of their role in soil organic matter synthesis.     

Effect of cadmium on survival,osmoregulation and gill structure of the Sunda prawn,Macrobrachium sintangense (de Man), at different salinities

The prawn Macrobrachium sintangense is likely to be subjected to occasional exposure to combined metal and saline stressors in its natural environment. This research evaluated the acute toxicity (96?h LC₅₀) of cadmium (Cd) on the prawn M. sintangense, with respect to the osmoregulatory capacity (OC) of prawns and to document histological changes in the gills after exposure to sublethal Cd concentrations at different salinities. The 96?h LC₅₀ of Cd to M. sintangense decreased with increasing salinity. The 96?h LC₅₀ values were 89.12 (72.53–109.50), 681.26 (554.20–837.46) and 825.37 (676.99–1006.27) μg CdL^?1 at 0, 10 and 20 ppt, respectively. The OC of prawns exposed to 30?μg?CdL^?1 at 0 ppt and to 300?μg?CdL^?1 at10 ppt decreased significantly compared with that of control prawns exposed to 0 and 10 ppt respectively. Swelling, hyperplasia and necrosis of gill lamellae resulting in the loss of marginal canals were observed in the gills of prawns exposed to 30?μg?CdL^?1 at 0 ppt and to 300?μg?CdL^?1 at 10 ppt for 7?days.     

Domain and functional analysis of a novel platelet-endothelial cell surface protein, SCUBE1

SCUBE1 (signal peptide-CUB-EGF domain-containing protein 1) is a novel, secreted, cell surface glycoprotein expressed during early embryogenesis and found in platelet and endothelial cells. This protein is composed of an N-terminal signal peptide sequence followed by nine tandemly arranged epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats, a spacer region, three cysteine-rich repeat motifs, and one CUB domain at the C terminus. However, little is known about its domain and biological function. Here, we generated a comprehensive panel of domain deletion constructs and a new genetic mouse model with targeted disruption of Scube1 (Scube1(Delta cub/Delta cub)) to investigate the domain function and biological significance. A number of cell-based assays were utilized to define the critical role of the spacer region for membrane association and establish that the EGF-like repeats 7-9 are sufficient for the formation of SCUBE1-mediated homophilic adhesions in a calcium-dependent fashion. Biochemical and molecular analyses showed that the C-terminal cysteine-rich motifs and CUB domain could directly bind and antagonize the bone morphogenetic protein activity. Furthermore, genetic ablation of this C-terminal region resulted in brain malformation in the Scube1(Delta cub/Delta cub) embryos. Together, our results support the dual roles of SCUBE1 on brain morphogenesis and cell-cell adhesions through its distinct domain function.     

Food-snatching behavior of free-ranging Japanese macaques observed on Shodoshima Island: a preliminary report

We investigated the characteristics of a particular food-snatching behavior in which one individual forced another’s mouth open and grabbed the food, as performed by free-ranging Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in Choshikei Monkey Park on Shodoshima Island, western Japan. We conducted a survey in late June 2012 and observed one of two monkey troops, comprising 214 monkeys. We recorded the age classes and sexes of the individuals who performed the snatching behavior and were snatched from, and examined the effects of provisioned food distribution and quantity on the frequency of snatching trials and success. During the survey, we recorded 747 snatching trials, of which 609 were successful, all of which were performed by seven individuals: one adult male and six adult females. The snatching behavior occurred only during provisioning. The target animals were primarily juveniles (650 trials, 578 successful), while cases in which food was snatched from adult females (93 trials, 30 successful) and subadult females (4 trials, 1 success) were less frequent. Among the juveniles, small juveniles had food snatched more frequently than large juveniles. The higher frequency of snatching trials against juveniles was likely due to their subordinate nature. Neither the distribution nor quantity of the provisioned foods had significant effects on the number of snatching trials and successes, while the time elapsed after provisioning had significant negative effects, attributed to a decrease in the number of wheat grains left within the mouth pouch of the potential target animals.