Manipulation tasks are characterized by continuous motion trajectories containing a set of key phases. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic method to autonomously segment the motion trajectories for estimating the key phases embedded in such a task. The autonomous segmentation process relies on principal component analysis to adaptively project into one of the low-dimensional subspaces, in wh

Flying animals are capable of navigating through environments of different complexity with high precision. To control their flight when negotiating narrow tunnels, bees and birds use the magnitude of apparent image motion (known as optic flow) generated by the walls. In their natural habitat, however, these animals would encounter both cluttered and open environments. Here, we investigate how larg

The maintenance of steam turbines is expensive, particularly if dismantling is required. A concept for the provision Of Support for the maintenance engineer in determining steam turbine status in relation to the recommended maintenance interval is presented here. The concept embodies an artificial neural network which is conditioned to recognise patterns known to be related to faults. The faults S

We analyse the rate of formation, the characteristics, and the performance of different types of new firms in Sweden over a decade. Comparisons with Denmark, Brazil, and the United States suggest that the environment for new firm formation in Sweden is not markedly different than elsewhere. In line with previous studies, spin-offs of incumbents perform better than other types of new firms, particu

Studies on dissolved silicate (DSi) and biogenic silica (BSi) dynamics were carried out in the Oder estuary, Baltic Sea in 2000-2005. The Oder estuary proved to be an important component of the Oder River-Baltic Sea continuum where very intensive seasonal DSi uptake during spring and autumn, but also BSi regeneration during summer take place. Owing to the regeneration process annual DSi patterns i

Introduction: All bird eggs are exposed to microbes in the environment, which if transmitted to the developing embryo, could cause hatching failure. However, the risk of trans-shell infection varies with environmental conditions and is higher for eggs laid in wetter environments. This might relate to generally higher microbial abundances and diversity in more humid environments, including on the s

Context. Elements heavier than Li are produced in the interiors of stars. However, for many elements the exact production sites and the timescales on which they are dispersed into the interstellar medium are unknown. Having a clear picture on the origins of the elements is important for our ability to trace and understand the formation and chemical evolution of the Milky Way and its stellar popula

Partially Premixed Combustion (PPC) is an internal combustion engine concept that aims to yield low NOx and soot emission levels together with high engine efficiency. PPC belongs to the class of low temperature combustion concepts where the ignition delay is prolonged in order to promote the air-fuel-mixture homogeneity in the combustion chamber at the start of combustion. A more homogeneous combu

Power failures in combination with harsh weather conditions during recent years have led to an increased focus on a safe energy supply to our society. Many vital functions are dependent on electricity; e.g., lighting, telephony, medical equipment, lifts, alarm systems, payment, pumps for town's water and, perhaps the most critical of all. heating systems. In Sweden. district heating (DH) is the mo

Sensing and manipulating living cells using vertical nanowire devices requires a complete understanding of cell behavior on these substrates. Changes in cell function and phenotype are often triggered by events taking place at the plasma membrane, the properties of which are influenced by local curvature. The nanowire topography can therefore be expected to greatly affect the cell membrane, emphas

Background and Aims: Recently, several genome-wide association studies have revealed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in proximity to IL28B predict spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as well as outcome following pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy among genotype 1 infected patients. Additionally the presence of the otherwise favorable IL28B genetic variant

Objective: To make a cross-cultural comparison of the contents of rehabilitation goals of patients admitted for rehabilitation and to compare the contents with the comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for rheumatoid arthritis, by linking their contents to the ICF. Patients: A random sample of 80 patients with rheumatoid arthritis was retri

Life oil earth was formed during billions of years, exposed to, and shaped by the original physical forces such as gravitation, cosmic irradiation, atmospheric electric fields and the terrestrial magnetism. The Schumann resonances at 7.4 Hz are all example of oscillations possibly important for life.(1)) The existing organisms are created to function in harmony with these forces. However, in the l

Cation vacancies like V-Ga, V-Al and their complexes with oxygen are predicted to be abundant in III-nitrides and to play an important role in nonradiative recombination. Appearing in triple or double negatively charged states, they are not paramagnetic and have not so far been detected by magnetic resonance even under illumination. In this Brief Report, we demonstrate an efficient way to make cat

Computational models of Achilles tendons can help understanding how healthy tendons are affected by repetitive loading and how the different tissue constituents contribute to the tendon's biomechanical response. However, available models of Achilles tendon are limited in their description of the hierarchical multi-structural composition of the tissue. This study hypothesised that a poroviscoelasti

Previous studies have revealed that wearers had low skin temperatures and cold and pain sensations in the feet, when using sleeping bags under defined comfort and limit temperatures. To improve wearers’ local thermal comfort in the feet, a novel heating sleeping bag (i.e., MARHT) was developed by embedding two heating pads into the traditional sleeping bag (i.e., MARCON) in this region. Seven fema