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This paper summarizes an ongoing research program to advance the state of the art in robotics: the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Autonomous Robotic Manipulation (ARM) program. The program began in 2010 with three tracks, which was later extended to four. The software track is developing intelligent control of manipulators to perform autonomous tasks, using local perception sensors. The hand track has developed rugged, dexterous, multi-fingered hands with significantly reduced costs. The arm track is working to reduce the cost of robot arms. And the outreach track is showcasing robot technology to the general public. Technology developed under the program is iteratively evaluated through a series of hands-off tests. To date, the ARM developers have performed beyond expectations, yielding outstanding hardware designs and robust manipulation software. The results of this program are expected to strengthen the general robotics community and transition technology to U.S. military efforts.

Background Why we sleep is still one of the most perplexing mysteries in biology. Strong evidence indicates that sleep is necessary for normal brain function and that sleep need is a tightly regulated process. Surprisingly, molecular mechanisms that determine sleep need are incompletely described. Moreover, very little is known about transcriptional changes that specifically accompany the accumulation and discharge of sleep need. Several studies have characterized differential gene expression changes following sleep deprivation. Much less is known, however, about changes in gene expression during the compensatory response to sleep deprivation (i.e. recovery sleep). Results In this study we present a comprehensive analysis of the effects of sleep deprivation and subsequent recovery sleep on gene expression in the mouse cortex. We used a non-traditional analytical method for normalization of genome-wide gene expression data, Removal of Unwanted Variation (RUV). RUV improves detection of differential gene expression following sleep deprivation. We also show that RUV normalization is crucial to the discovery of differentially expressed genes associated with recovery sleep. Our analysis indicates that the majority of transcripts upregulated by sleep deprivation require 6 h of recovery sleep to return to baseline levels, while the majority of downregulated transcripts return to baseline levels within 1–3 h. We also find that transcripts that change rapidly during recovery (i.e. within 3 h) do so on average with a time constant that is similar to the time constant for the discharge of sleep need. Conclusions We demonstrate that proper data normalization is essential to identify changes in gene expression that are specifically linked to sleep deprivation and recovery sleep. Our results provide the first evidence that recovery sleep is comprised of two waves of transcriptional regulation that occur at different times and affect functionally distinct classes of genes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3065-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Neck of femur fractures (NOFFs) are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in our community. Minimally displaced intracapsular fractures are treated with internal fixation by a two-hole dynamic hip screw (DHS) or three partially threaded cancellous screws. Data to support the superiority of one are limited. This prospective randomized controlled trial compares outcomes with these two fixation methods. Methods We prospectively recruited patients over 50 years, with an acute fracture subcapital NOFF, who walked and lived independently, and were cognitively intact. They were randomized into DHS or cancellous screw groups and followed up for 2 years (overall 75.9%). Outcomes of mortality, revision, loss of fixation, avascular necrosis, surgical complications, WOMAC, Harris hip score and SF-12 were measured. Results We recruited 62 patients (31 DHS, 29 cancellous screws, 2 failed consent). Six deaths (19.3%) were seen in each group. A total of 3.2% of DHS (1 out of 31) and 10.3% (3 out of 29) of cancellous screw patients required re-operation (P = 0.272). There was no statistical significant difference in patient satisfaction, quality of life (QoL), radiological union or osteonecrosis. There are trends towards better functional scores and QoL in cancellous screws, particularly at 1 year (P = 0.0061), but with a higher re-operation rate. There was a combined mortality and transition to institutional care of 40.0% (24 out of 60) at 2 years. Conclusions This study found no difference in outcomes between DHS and cancellous screws in the treatment of subcapital NOFFs in a fit, independent population, but we found a high level of physical decline in previously fit, independently ambulating patients. A large, multicentre trial will be required to differentiate between these two fixation methods.

Associations between habitat and animal distributions are widely used to make conservation recommendations. However, short-term studies do not allow investigation of temporal variation in associations as habitats change or populations decline. Here we quantify changes in the habitat attributes and distribution of breeding territories in a multiple-brooded, crop-nesting farmland bird, the Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra, over a 20-year period during which the study population declined by 91%. Corn Buntings were positively associated with weedy fields, overhead wires, spring cereals and, in early summer, with winter barley and forage grass. Territory associations with wires (positive) and fallow (positive in early summer, negative in late summer) were stronger in later years when the population was smaller. Trends in the proportions of males holding territories into late summer (decline), and mated polygynously or not at all (increases), suggested that habitat quality declined and became more spatially variable in later years. Field size increased and weed abundance within fields declined, reducing the availability of field-boundary song-posts, invertebrate-rich foraging habitats and physical cover for nests within crops. Conservation recommendations are for weed-rich or under-sown spring cereals and winter barley combined with late-cut hay and fallow, especially when offered close to song-posts such as overhead wires. We also demonstrate the value of long-term studies by comparing our 20-year analysis with 3-year periods at the start, middle and end of this period, and expose some risks of conservation recommendations derived from short studies.

Background: In 1995, a yearly drive-thru immunization program was initiated in Louisville, KY. Since then, more than 50,000 doses of influenza vaccine have been administered, with no reports of syncopal episodes or vehicular accidents. This report aimed to identify reported adverse events from other areas that could threaten drive-thru mass immunization approaches.Methods: To identify reported adverse events in any drive-thru mass immunization event, the authors queried the following sources: 1) the vaccine adverse event reporting system, 2) court cases, 3) healthcare risk management databases, 4) MEDLINE, and 5) communication with vaccine experts. The authors also calculated the probability of syncopal episodes using data from our past immunization experiences to further elucidate the possibility of these events occurring.Results: No adverse events due to a drive-thru mass immunization event were identified in any of the sources queried. In our data, the forecasted probability of one adverse event was 0.8 percent for a 2-day event (20,000 immunizations).Conclusions: Although syncope may occur following immunization, it is a risk that can be managed, and due to the rarity of these events, should not be used as a reason to avoid drive-thru administration of influenza vaccine.

Summary Sleep consolidates experience-dependent brain plasticity, but the precise cellular mechanisms mediating this process are unknown [1]. De novo cortical protein synthesis is one possible mechanism. In support of this hypothesis, sleep is associated with increased brain protein synthesis [2, 3] and transcription of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) involved in protein synthesis regulation [4, 5]. Protein synthesis in turn is critical for memory consolidation and persistent forms of plasticity in vitro and in vivo [6, 7]. However, it is unknown whether cortical protein synthesis in sleep serves similar functions. We investigated the role of protein synthesis in the sleep-dependent consolidation of a classic form of cortical plasticity in vivo (ocular dominance plasticity, ODP; [8, 9]) in the cat visual cortex. We show that intracortical inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-dependent protein synthesis during sleep abolishes consolidation but has no effect on plasticity induced during wakefulness. Sleep also promotes phosphorylation of protein synthesis regulators (i.e., 4E-BP1 and eEF2) and the translation (but not transcription) of key plasticity related mRNAs ( ARC and BDNF ). These findings show that sleep promotes cortical mRNA translation. Interruption of this process has functional consequences, because it abolishes the consolidation of experience in the cortex.

In November of 2005, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency initiated a new robotics program, Learning Locomotion, designed to solve some of the key outstanding issues. The expectation was that a combination of machine learning techniques and smart development would accelerate the pace of making autonomous legged systems robust and useful.

Background: A snowbed community with much Deschampsia flexuosa has long been recognised in Norway, but not hitherto as a separate type in Scotland. Aims: The aim of this study was to check provisional observations that similar vegetation occurred frequently in the Cairngorms massif, and describe its composition, soils and snow-lie. Methods: For seven sites on Cairn Gorm and Ben Macdui, all with substantial extent of this vegetation, vegetation composition was recorded, soil profiles assessed and information assimilated from a separate long-term study of snow patches. Results: Deschampsia flexuosa was predominant in this vegetation and the occurrence of other higher plants was low. The main subsidiary species were bryophytes, indicating that the community was related to NVC U12 in the British classification of vegetation. Soils were free-draining alpine podzols. On average, snow-lie continues from the end of June to mid July, which is later than on snowbed vegetation dominated by Nardus stricta, but earlie...

The objectives of this study were to define the range of normal capillary refill times for an adult population and to assess the contribution of age, gender and environmental temperature to any variability shown. Data from 331 healthy adult volunteers were collected including age, gender, environmental temperature and capillary refill time by a standard method. Multiple regression analyses were used to assess the contribution of temperature, age and gender to the variation in capillary refill times. A wide range of capillary refill times were found. Taking the 95th centile as the upper limit of normal, the upper limit of normal for males aged 14–65 years was 2.2 seconds, for females in the same age group 3.0 seconds; for males over 65 years 3.6 seconds and for females over 65,3.8 seconds. Capillary refill times varied significantly with age, gender and environmental temperature (p

Capsule Adult numbers on many study areas fluctuated from year to year, but overall showed a large decline, down to extinction on most areas. Aims To measure changes in summer numbers of adult Corn Buntings in a large sample of study areas holding discrete localized populations. Methods Singing cocks and hens paired with them were counted in early summer at 30 study areas on farmland from south Angus to central Aberdeenshire. Sixteen populations occurring throughout 1989–95 were called ‘groups’. Counts also included 16 cases where a new ‘offshoot’ appeared in late May or the start of June, not having been seen earlier in that spring or in the previous winter or summer. Results Following relative stability in 1989–95, large declines occurred in 1995–96, 1998–99 and 2003–04, and decreases far outweighed occasional increases between consecutive summers. The numbers of established groups, new offshoots, and older offshoots all declined with the year. Although containing one to nine founding pairs, new offshoo...

Summary. 1 During summer 1953, I studied Snowy Owls in Cumberland Peninsula, Baffin Island 2 The wide range of call-notes given by breeding owls is described 3 Small passerines usually took little notice of the owls, though mobbing was common in July. The male owl usually chased other predators from his territory, which was exclusive of other Snowy Owls 4 Some were shy of man, but others aggressive when disturbed at the nest, and males struck fiercely when they had young. Both sexes often did distraction display and displacement coition. Displacement feeding and hunting were also seen 5 Threat and food-begging, and the behaviour of the young in the nest, are described. The male brought all food to the female and young till about three weeks after the first young hatched, when the female also began to hunt 6 The owls were confined to wet lowland areas where lemmings were abundant. Their density and breeding capacity were closely correlated with lemming density. Territories varied in size from a half to three or four square miles. One male was bigamous and five monogamous 7 Nests were in prominent positions, and alternative sites used in previous years were found nearby 8 Egg-laying started in the third week of May as in most of the range. Mean clutch size was eight eggs 9 The eggs hatched at different dates, resulting in a spread in development of the young. Most young left the nest in their fourth week; they began to fly short distances just after, but not well till about 60 days old, when they also began to hunt 10 Proportionate changes in weight of the young were greatest in the first few days. On the whole they grew faster than young of various other predator species. Later-hatched young tended to grow slower than earlier-hatched young. All young that hatched also fledged, including 15 young in the one territory held by the bigamous male 11 Each young ate an average of about two full-grown lemmings a day while in the nest. Adults ate three to five each in a day, and in the London Zoo about 180 gm. each per day. An estimate was made of the proportion of the lemming population taken by the owls 12 The relation of changes in lemming population to predation by owls is discussed

Summary The population of Golden Eagles was assessed in four different areas of the Scottish Highlands. The average area per pair varied from 11,400 to 17,884 acres, excluding country that was not used by the eagles. Eagle food in these areas consists largely of Red Grouse, Ptarmigan, Mountain Hares and Rabbits, and also dead Red Deer and dead sheep. The numbers and biomass of the four main species of living prey were assessed by representative counts in three main types of habitat; and of dead deer and sheep partly from counts but mainly from published data on stocking densities, mortality and weights. The annual food requirement from a home range was estimated at 249 kg. of meat, calculated from data on the food consumption of eagles, allowing for known breeding success and for the presence of some immature eagles and unmated adults; and this was compared with the total food potential in the four Study Areas, allowance being made for the inedible portions of carcases. The average food potential in all areas is greatly in excess of the requirements. In the three western areas living prey is very scarce, but amounts of carrion are large and the eagles in these areas depend mainly on carrion. Large differences in food potential between areas do not correspond with differences in eagle density. Two examples are cited where a drastic reduction in food supply had no effect on eagle density, which remains remarkably constant in spite of seasonal and annual fluctuations in food supply. Golden Eagle nest-sites are used over many years, and the home ranges are big enough to supply a more than adequate food supply at all times of year. Evidence is provided of territorial or home-range defence, which generally takes the form of display flights but occasionally involves more overt aggression. The home-range size is fixed so high that a critical food level is probably very rarely reached.

Aims To determine whether targeted management intervention helps to halt or reverse the decline of Corn Buntings in eastern Scotland. Methods Counts of territorial male Corn Buntings in the breeding seasons of 2002 and 2004 were compared across 53 2-km squares. Nineteen of these were subject to management intervention designed to benefit Corn Buntings, effective from 2003. The other 34 had no such management. For a subset of 44 tetrads, counts in 2000 and 2002 were also compared between the two sets of tetrads. Results Between 2002 and 2004, Corn Bunting numbers showed no significant change in tetrads with targeted management intervention, but declined by 43% in tetrads with no intervention. By contrast, population changes did not differ significantly in these two groups of tetrads between 2000 and 2002, before management was implemented. Conclusion Targeted management intervention was associated with reduced short-term probability of Corn Bunting population decline on farms in eastern Scotland. Management interventions that are designed to provide habitats required by the species have the potential to halt, or perhaps reverse, the Corn Bunting decline in eastern Scotland.

Quantitative surveys in March 1985 – 97 and cursory observations in 1998 – 2007 showed substantial erosion on arable fields in some years. Most frequent on autumn-sown fields of cereal and oilseed ...

Nineteenth annual report on the survival of Scottish snow patches.

Animals such as cockroaches depend on exploration of unknown environments, and their strategies may inspire robotic approaches. We have previously shown that cockroach behavior, with respect to shelters and the walls of an otherwise empty arena, can be captured with a stochastic state-based algorithm. We call this algorithm RAMBLER, randomized algorithm mimicking biased lone exploration in roaches. In this work, we verified and extended this model by adding a barrier in the previously used arena and conducted more cockroach experiments. In two arena configurations, our simulated model's path length distribution was similar to the experimental distribution (mean experimental path length 3.4 and 3.2 m, mean simulated path length 3.9 and 3.3 m). By analyzing cockroach behavior before, along, and at the end of the barrier, we have generalized RAMBLER to address arbitrarily complex 2D mazes. For biology, this is an abstract behavioral model of a decision-making process in the cockroach brain. For robotics, this is a strategy that may improve exploration for goals, especially in unpredictable environments with non-convex obstacles. Generally, cockroach behavior seems to recommend variability in the absence of planning, and following paths defined by walls.

PURPOSE To describe the use and outcomes of a versatile surgical technique in the reconstruction of deep soft tissue and bony defects of the medial canthus. METHODS A retrospective review of consecutive cases requiring reconstruction of medial canthal defects involving loss of periosteum or bone by a median forehead pericranial flap and full-thickness skin grafting in a tertiary referral hospital setting. Two techniques were used: an open technique, using a midline forehead incision; and an endoscopic technique, using 2 incisions behind the hairline. RESULTS Twenty-one cases were identified: 19 open and 2 endoscopic. The average length of follow-up was 13 months (range, 6-50 months). Ten cases required additional oculoplastic procedures including local periosteal flaps and mucous membrane grafts. Two cases (10%) had complete flap failure; one of these was caused by infection. Five (24%) had partial (< 50%) skin graft necrosis. Two cases (10%) have required further surgery. CONCLUSIONS Our experience shows the pericranial flap to be versatile, robust, and easy to manipulate, offering advantages over alternative techniques when used for the repair of deep medial canthal defects. It is a valuable reconstructive technique that can yield good cosmetic and functional results.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin hypothesized to play an important role in mammalian sleep expression and regulation. In order to investigate the role of the truncated receptor for BDNF, TrkB.T1, in mammalian sleep, we examined sleep architecture and sleep regulation in adult mice constitutively lacking this receptor. We find that TrkB.T1 knockout mice have increased REM sleep time, reduced REM sleep latency, and reduced sleep continuity. These results demonstrate a novel role for the TrkB.T1 receptor in sleep expression and provide new insights into the relationship between BDNF, psychiatric illness, and sleep.

This is our seventeenth annual report on the survival of Scottish snow patches, following that for 2011 in Cameron et al. (2012). Field observations by enthusiastic amateurs, many carrying tape-measure and notepad, form the basis of the report. The number of observers increases yearly, as does the information reported back to the authors, providing an excellent base for future years. Unattributed observations are by authors IC, AW and DD, information from others being personal communications. Measurements of patches give greatest length, breadth and depth in that order. The website www.winterhighland.info again facilitated the collation of information, and much of what is in this paper was first reported there.

This paper reports adverse impacts on numbers and breeding success of ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) in 1967–1996 at a ski area in the Cairngorms massif, where ptarmigan normally show 10-year population cycles. An influx of carrion crows (Corvus corone), generalist predators, followed the development. On the most developed area near the main car park, ptarmigan occurred at high density but then lost nests to frequent crows, reared abnormally few broods, died flying into ski-lift wires and declined until none bred for many summers. On a nearby higher area with fewer wires, ptarmigan lost nests to frequent crows and reared abnormally few broods, but seldom died on wires. Adult numbers declined and then became unusually steady for over two decades, with no significant cycle. On a third area further from the car park, ptarmigan lost fewer nests to the less frequent crows but bred more poorly than in the massif’s centre, and showed cycles of lower amplitude than there. On a fourth area yet further away, with few or no crows, ptarmigan bred as well as in the massif’s centre and showed cycles of the same amplitude as there.

Animals such as cockroaches depend on exploration of unknown environments, and the complexity of their strategies may inspire robotic approaches. We have previously shown that cockroach behavior with respect to shelters and the walls of an otherwise empty arena can be captured with a stochastic state-based algorithm. We call this algorithm RAMBLER, Randomized Algorithm Mimicking Biased Lone Exploration in Roaches. In this work, we verified and extended this model by adding a barrier to our cockroach experiments. From these experiments, we have generalized RAMBLER to address an arbitrarily large maze. For biology, this is a model of the decision-making process in the cockroach brain. For robotics, this is a strategy that may improve exploration for goals in certain environments. Generally, the cockroach behavior seems to recommend variability in the absence of planning, and following paths defined by the walls.

Electrochemical oxygen sensors are widely used for industrial hygiene applications to monitor potentially dangerous conditions due to oxygen deficiency or excess. Oxygen sensors of the galvanic type operate by consumption of an internal, easily oxidizable anode. Once the entire anode has been consumed, the sensor will no longer respond to oxygen and this failure of the sensor is often rapid and with little warning. This paper describes an electrical test, consisting of measuring the ratio of the steady state current at an applied potential of ∼0.4 V vs. the steady state current at 0 V. A ratio close to unity indicates that the sensor is functioning normally, whereas a ratio much less than unity indicates that the sensor will fail soon. This test may be performed in situ on the oxygen sensor by a gas detection instrument, which provides a means for the detection of an imminent failure, while the sensor is still operational.

We report a case of a raised pigmented nodule that arose within conjunctival primary acquired melanosis (PAM). This nodule showed no histological features of invasive disease.

There is growing evidence indicating that in order to meet the neuronal energy demands, astrocytes provide lactate as an energy substrate for neurons through a mechanism called "astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle" (ANLS). Since neuronal activity changes dramatically during vigilance states, we hypothesized that the ANLS may be regulated during the sleep-wake cycle. To test this hypothesis we investigated the expression of genes associated with the ANLS specifically in astrocytes following sleep deprivation. Astrocytes were purified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting from transgenic mice expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the human astrocytic GFAP-promoter.6-hour instrumental sleep deprivation (TSD).Animal sleep research laboratory.Young (P23-P27) FVB/N-Tg (GFAP-GFP) 14Mes/J (Tg) mice of both sexes and 7-8 week male Tg and FVB/Nj mice.Basal sleep recordings and sleep deprivation achieved using a modified cage where animals were gently forced to move.Since Tg and FVB/Nj mice displayed a similar sleep-wake pattern, we performed a TSD in young Tg mice. Total RNA was extracted from the GFP-positive and GFP-negative cells sorted from cerebral cortex. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that levels of Glut1, α-2-Na/K pump, Glt1, and Ldha mRNAs were significantly increased following TSD in GFP-positive cells. In GFP-negative cells, a tendency to increase, although not significant, was observed for Ldha, Mct2, and α-3-Na/K pump mRNAs.This study shows that TSD induces the expression of genes associated with ANLS specifically in astrocytes, underlying the important role of astrocytes in the maintenance of the neuro-metabolic coupling across the sleep-wake cycle.