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In this paper, we propose a trajectory prediction method that takes into account pedestrian behavior. To realize safe automated driving in urban areas, it is necessary to predict the future movements of road users. Pedestrians entering the vehicle's direction are a target of interest, but they are difficult to predict because they change their behavior through significant interactions with the vehicle. In this study, we first predict whether pedestrians will yield the way to a vehicle. Next, the predictions are then used to predict the future trajectories of all road users in the scene. The proposed model consists of two neural network structures: the Yielding judgment module to predict pedestrian behavior and the Trajectory prediction module. The yielding judgment module provides intuitive and easily understandable indicators, which also helps to increase the interpretability of the overall model. We evaluated the usefulness of the proposed model using a publicly available dataset. The proposed method was found to reduce the average displacement error by 2.79% and the final displacement error by 2.70% compared to the case where the target pedestrian's behavior is not considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smad proteins transduce signals downstream of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and are one of the factors that regulate the expression of genes related to diseases affecting the skin. In the present study, we identified MAB21L4, also known as male abnormal 21 like 4 or C2orf54 , as the most up-regulated targets of TGF-β and Smad3 in differentiated human progenitor epidermal keratinocytes using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). We found that TGF-β induced expression of the barrier protein involucrin (encoded by the IVL gene). Transcriptional activity of the IVL promoter induced by TGF-β was inhibited by MAB21L4 siRNAs. Further analysis revealed that MAB21L4 siRNAs also down-regulated the expression of several target genes of TGF-β. MAB21L4 protein was located mainly in the cytosol, where it was physically bound to Smad3 and a transcriptional corepressor c-Ski. siRNAs for MAB21L4 did not inhibit the binding of Smad3 to their target genomic regions but down-regulated the acetylation of histone H3 lys 27 (H3K27ac), an active histone mark, near the Smad3 binding regions. These findings suggest that TGF-β-induced MAB21L4 up-regulates the gene expression induced by TGF-β, possibly through the inhibition of c-Ski via physical interaction in the cytosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop an appropriate research platform, this paper presents the design method for a humanoid which has a network-based modular structure and a standard PC architecture. Based on the proposed method, we developed DARwIn-OP which meets the requirements for an open humanoid platform. DARwIn-OP has an expandable system structure, high performance, simple maintenance, familiar development environment and affordable prices. Not only hardware but also software aspects of open humanoid platform are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Examines the two forms of NAD-dependent and D-mandelate dehydrogenase in Enterococcus faecalis. Exhibition of activity toward 2-ketoacid substrates; Fermentation of lactic acid stereoisomer Assessment on the substrate stereospecificity and protein structure of lactate dehydrogenase.

Robotics is becoming increasingly important in modern engineering areas. After the big nuclear accidents in Fukushima 2011, the crossing research of nuclear and robotics draws more and more attentions. In this paper, a method for radioactive source recognition using moving Compton camera imaging robot is proposed. In order to assess the quality of the reconstructed image, a new method called Cross-section Outline at Half Maximum (COHM) is proposed for three dimensional image reconstruction precision assessments. Two experiment validations using Geant4 platform are given which include the measurement with different distances and angles respectively. The result shows that the application of Compton camera imaging robot can improve the radioactive source image reconstruction quality. Based on the result of the experiment, several preconditions and suggestions are given to improve the image reconstruction precision when we apply robot to the radioactive source recognition. The research is focused on the three dimensional image reconstruction by using Compton camera imaging robot. It can improve the radioactive source recognition precision especially for three-dimensional contour recognition. And also it can supply good reference for the robot routine planning when we apply the robot into radioactive source recognition in future. • Moving Compton camera imaging robot is proposed for radioactive source recognition. • COHM is proposed for three dimensional image reconstruction precision assessments. • Preconditions and suggestions are given to improve reconstruction precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prototype system based on a combination of 4π sensitive gamma imaging and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) was developed to find unknown radiation source(s) rapidly. The system consisted of a spherical visible camera, a three-dimensional light detection and ranging, a CdTe pixel array detector for 4π gamma imaging, a portable battery, and a control laptop personal computer; these were mounted on an unmanned vehicle. In a search area of 16 × 16 m2 with a height of 3 m, the prototype system successfully demonstrated the finding of a 137Cs point source with an activity of 0.67 MBq in the surrounding thin walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel method to detect when a vehicle is changing lanes by considering individual driving styles. Some previous works have focused on the relation between lane changes and driving styles; however, the detection method of lane changes while considering driving styles is still not reported. The proposed method extracts a new feature to appropriately describe driving styles based on drivers' risk taking behavior when following the preceding vehicle. Based on the driving style of the target vehicle, performing a lane change is estimated at each time step. The determined driving style is used as input for the lane-change detection method based on the gap acceptance model, and it is integrated with the detection method based on vehicle movements. Experiments are used to demonstrate that the proposed method considerably improves detection performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous mobile robots navigating through human crowds are required to foresee the future trajectories of surrounding pedestrians and accordingly plan safe paths to avoid any possible collision. This paper presents a novel approach for pedestrian trajectory prediction. In particular, we developed a new method based on an encoder–decoder framework using bidirectional recurrent neural networks (BiRNN). The difficulty of incorporating social interactions into the model has been addressed thanks to the special structure of BiRNN enhanced by the attention mechanism, a proximity-independent model of the relative importance of each pedestrian. The main difference between our and the previous approaches is that BiRNN allows us to employs information on the future state of the pedestrians. We tested the performance of our method on several public datasets. The proposed model outperforms the current state-of-the-art approaches on most of these datasets. Furthermore, we analyze the resulting predicted trajectories and the learned attention scores to prove the advantages of BiRRNs on recognizing social interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapies have led to the successful development of novel therapies for cancer. However, there is increasing concern regarding the adverse effects caused by non-tumor-specific immune responses. Here, we report an effective strategy to generate high-avidity tumor-antigen-specific CTLs, using Cas9/single-guide RNA (sgRNA) ribonucleoprotein (RNP) delivery. As a proof-ofprinciple demonstration, we selected the gp100 melanoma-associated tumor antigen, and cloned the gp100-specific high-avidity TCR from gp100-immunized mice. To enable rapid structural dissection of the TCR, we developed a 3D protein structure modeling system for the TCR/antigenmajor histocompatibility complex (pMHC) interaction. Combining these technologies, we efficiently generated gp100-specific PD-1(-) CD8+ T cells, and demonstrated that the genetically engineered CD8+ T cells have high avidity against melanoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our methodology offers computational prediction of the TCR response, and enables efficient generation of tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells that can neutralize tumor-induced immune suppression leading to a potentially powerful cancer therapeutic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sit-to-stand motion is an important daily activity, and disability of motion can significantly reduce quality of life. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanism of sit-to-stand motion in order to prevent such scenarios. The sit-to-stand motion was found to be generated by four muscle groups, through muscle synergy. However, it is unclear how muscle synergy can be controlled. Human sit-to-stand motion may be planned based on body condition before motion. In this study, we aimed to clarify the relationship between body condition and muscle activity during the sit-to-stand motion. Accordingly, we measured the muscle activity when knee movability was disturbed as a condition of body change. We also measured the muscle activity during normal sit-to-stand motion and sit-to-stand motion with disturbed knee movability using surface electromyography. Subsequently, we extracted the muscle synergy from the measured muscle activity and compared the activity levels of muscle synergy. The results revealed that muscle activity contributing to forward bending increased and that contributing to the rise of the hip and stabilization decreased when knee movability was disturbed. These results suggest that humans compensate for disturbed knee movability with forward momentum and bending motion. Moreover, this implies that humans adjust their motion to various environments or body conditions by adjusting the level of forward bending activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a path-planning system for radiation source identification devices using 4π gamma imaging. The estimated source location and activity were calculated by an integrated simulation model by using 4π gamma images at multiple measurement positions. Using these calculated values, a prediction model to estimate the probability of identification at the next measurement position was created by via random forest analysis. The path-planning system based on the prediction model was verified by integrated simulation and experiment for a 137Cs point source. The results showed that 137Cs point sources were identified using the few measurement positions suggested by the path-planning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster occurred during the Great East Japan Earthquake. Inside the reactor, materials with high radioactivity were scattered entirely, leading to a severe condition that restricted the number of measurement spots where the detector could be used. We propose a new system based on a plane model that uses fewer measurement spots and causes fewer estimation errors. We estimated the radiation source distribution using the maximum-likelihood estimation method optimized by gradient descent. Consequently, it was found that the proposed system, showed fewer errors than the previous system with a limited number of measurement spots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which isolated the new family of D-2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases for the D-mandelate dehydrogenase and 2-ketopantoate reductases in Enterococcus faecalis. The isolation was conducted using an activity staining procedure and polymerase chain reaction. The study showed marked sequence similarity with known nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent 2-ketopantoate reductases.

Patients with stroke experience declined physical functions and aim to recover by rehabilitation. It is important to improve their functions in the subacute period. Hemiplegic patients who can stand exhibit differing characteristics such as the center of mass and muscle synergy compared to healthy subjects. However, the characteristics to be achieved by the sit-to-stand motion in the subacute period is unknown. This study investigated the sit-to-stand motions of hemiplegic patients (n = 21) in three months of stroke onset. The patients were partitioned into two groups ('mild' and 'severe'), based on the functional independence score at the time of discharge, and the patient's sit-to-stand motion in the subacute period was analyzed by muscle synergy and kinematics. The severe patients performed a biased standing on the non-paralyzed side, and the activation timing of muscle synergy that contributes to whole-body extension was earlier than that of the mild patients. This study contributes to the development of guidelines for optimal intervention for each patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sit-to-stand motion is an important daily activity, and it is important to study the mechanism of the motion to improve the ability when it becomes weak. To study the mechanism, we hypothesized that muscle synergy generates muscle activity as a feedforward signal, which is modified by sensory input. This study focuses on determining the sensory input primarily used for modifying sit-to-stand motion. To obtain this, we built artificial neural network models that generate muscle activities based on sensory input and feedforward signals and analyzed the effect of each input on the output. The models were built for each motion phase. The input was information from vestibular and somatosensory input and averaged muscle synergy as feedforward signals, and the output was muscle synergy. As a result, it was revealed that humans may primarily use hip angle to bend forward, ankle and vertical foot reaction force to hip rise, ankle, knee, and lumber angles and vertical foot reaction force to extend body, and lumber angle to stabilize. This indicates the type of sensory input used to control each muscle synergy in each motion phase. The information should be used to modify the sit-to-stand motion in environmental conditions where the motion is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sense of agency refers to the feeling of control over one's own actions, and through them, the external events. This study examined the effect of modified visual feedback on the sense of agency over one's body movements using virtual reality in healthy individuals whose motor control was disturbed. Participants moved a virtual object using their right hand to trace a trajectory (Experiment 1) or a leading target (Experiment 2). Their motor control was disturbed by a delay in visual feedback (Experiment 1) or a 1-kg weight attached to their wrist (Experiment 2). In the offset conditions, the virtual object was presented at the median point between the desired position and the participants' actual hand position. In both experiments, participants reported improved sense of agency in the offset condition compared to the aligned condition where the visual feedback reflected their actual body movements, despite their motion being less precise in the offset condition. The results show that sense of agency can be enhanced by modifying feedback to motor tasks according to the goal of the task, even when visual feedback is discrepant from the actual body movements. The present study sheds light on the possibility of artificially enhancing body agency to improve voluntary motor control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovery of postural adjustment, especially when seated, is important for performing activities of daily living after stroke. However, conventional clinical measures provide little insight into a common strategy for dynamic sitting balance and gait. We aimed to evaluate functional re-organization of posture and ambulatory performance after stroke. The subjects of the study included 5 healthy men and 21 post-stroke patients. The spatiotemporal modular organization of ground reaction forces during a balance task in which the leg on the non-affected side was lifted off the ground while seated was quantified by using complex principal component analysis. A 3% decrease in the temporal strength of the primary module in post-stroke patients was an independent predictor of gait performance in the hospital setting with high sensitivity and specificity. Tuning of the temporal strength was accompanied by the recovery of sitting and ambulation. Our findings suggest that evaluation of the modular characteristics of ground reaction forces during a sitting balance task allows us to predict recovery and functional adaptation through daily physical rehabilitation. • Ground reaction forces were organized modularly during the non-affected leg is off the ground. • The temporal pattern of the primary module is a key factor in recovery of gait performance. • This modular strategy reflects prognosis and type of interventions needed for recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standing-up motion is an important daily activity. It has been known that humans can employ different strategies to stand up from a chair, but it was not clear how people control their redundant muscles to achieve different strategies. This study employs the concept of muscle synergy which suggests that humans utilize the small number of modules (called muscle synergy) to generate the movements. This study uses two approaches to understand how humans generate different movements. Firstly, measurement experiment was performed to investigate the muscle synergy structure during different strategies. Next, the finding from the measurement experiment is validated through the forward dynamic simulation using our developed neuromusculoskeletal model. Both of our results from simulation study and measurement experiment showed that four muscle synergies could generate standing-up motion. However, they adaptively changed the start time of a certain synergy to achieve different strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Evaluating knee osteoarthritis is an important issue. Gait pattern has been suggested to be related to the progression of knee osteoarthritis; however, there are only a few studies elucidating the motion features associated with knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, our objective is to analyze the elevation angle of patients with knee osteoarthritis during gait and to clarify the movement features by an approximate plane of the elevation angle. As a result, the same planar law could be applied to patients with knee osteoarthritis as well as to healthy people. The patients have approximate plane slopes that differ from that of healthy people. Our validation results have shown that these angular differences can distinguish between the patients and healthy people. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The single amino acid replacement of Tyr52 with Leu drastically increased the activity of Lactobacillus pentosus NAD-dependent o-lactate dehydrogenase toward larger aliphatic or aromatic 2-ketoacid substrates by 3 or 4 orders of magnitude and decreased the activity toward pyruvate by about 30-fold, converting the enzyme into a highly active D-2-hydroxyisocaproate dehydrogenase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a patient with acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis who recovered rapidly after pericardial drainage and without corticosteroid therapy. The 25-year-old man was referred to our hospital with suspected acute myocardial infarction on the basis of severe epigastralgia, abnormal Q waves and ST elevation on electrocardiography, and an increase in cardiac enzymes. Echocardiography disclosed pericardial effusion that compressed the right ventricle, left ventricular dysfunction in conjunction with posterolateral hypokinesis, and a thickened ventricular wall but no mural thrombus. The eosinophil count in the peripheral blood was slightly increased. Coronary angiography showed normal arteries and thus prompted an endomyocardial biopsy. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit with a clinical diagnosis of myocarditis associated with cardiac tamponade. Emergency pericardiocentesis relieved symptoms immediately. The cells in the pericardial effusion were mainly eosinophils; interleukin 5 and interleukin 13 levels were predominantly elevated, and the effusion was drained for 5 days. The biopsy specimen revealed necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis. Left ventricular function recovered within a week without corticosteroid therapy. No relapse was observed as of 8 months after diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans are capable of associating actions with their respective consequences if there is reliable contingency between them. The present study examined the link between the reliability of action consequence and the readiness potential (RP), which is a negative potential observed from about 1-2 s prior to the onset of an action with electroencephalography. In a condition of constant outcome, the participants’ voluntary action always triggered beep sounds; thus, they were able to perceive the contingency between their action and the sound. In contrast, in a condition of inconstant outcome, the participants’ actions only triggered the sound in half the trials. We found that both the early and late RPs were larger in the condition of constant compared to the condition of inconstant outcome. Our results showed that the RPs preceding the voluntary action reflected the reliability of action consequence. In other words, the action-effect contingency enhanced neural activities prior to the action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]