Balance control of a five-DOF robot leg

A biped robot, also known as a humanoid robot, is built to resemble the shape and perform the actions of the human body. While functioning, a biped robot interacts with surrounding human environments. Currently, various robots have been developed to resemble many parts of the human body, such as the head or torso. This material focuses on the development of one robotic leg. Research in humanoid robots will expand knowledge of the human body, while producing greater understanding of the precise motions of the human gait. The eld of research in biped robots is very interesting, and creating something similar to that of the human body is a challenging task. The concept of walking robots is motivating and interesting enough, to perform research in the eld. There are two di erent robot designs, one for the simulation based purposes and the other for real-time data collection. The simulations will be used to help understand the formulas that were developed and researched, in order to control a biped robot. These methods include the Denavit-Hartenberg parameters, Newton-Euler Recursion, Trajectory Generation, Center of Mass and Zero Moment Point. The second robot design, which provides real-time data collection, will be done on a single ve degree of freedom legged robot. This robot leg is equipped with a motor and encoder at each joint that will be used to move and track its position. The foot has four force moment sensors on the bottom of the foot that will be used to help balance the robot leg in the upright position. Since its only a single legged robot, balance is its primary objective

Postsynaptic movement disorders: clinical phenotypes, genotypes, and disease mechanisms

Movement disorders comprise a group of heterogeneous diseases with often complex clinical phenotypes. Overlapping symptoms and a lack of diagnostic biomarkers may hamper making a definitive diagnosis. Next-generation sequencing techniques have substantially contributed to unraveling genetic etiologies underlying movement disorders and thereby improved diagnoses. Defects in dopaminergic signaling in postsynaptic striatal medium spiny neurons are emerging as a pathogenic mechanism in a number of newly identified hyperkinetic movement disorders. Several of the causative genes encode components of the cAMP pathway, a critical postsynaptic signaling pathway in medium spiny neurons. Here, we review the clinical presentation, genetic findings, and disease mechanisms that characterize these genetic postsynaptic movement disorders

Computational modelling in source space from scalp EEG to inform presurgical evaluation of epilepsy

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordObjective: The effectiveness of intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) to inform epilepsy surgery depends on where iEEG electrodes are implanted. This decision is informed by noninvasive recording modalities such as scalp EEG. Herein we propose a framework to interrogate scalp EEG and determine epilepsy lateralization to aid in electrode implantation. Methods: We use eLORETA to map source activities from seizure epochs recorded from scalp EEG and consider 15 regions of interest (ROIs). Functional networks are then constructed using the phase-locking value and studied using a mathematical model. By removing different ROIs from the network and simulating their impact on the network’s ability to generate seizures in silico, the framework provides predictions of epilepsy lateralization. We consider 15 individuals from the EPILEPSIAE database and study a total of 62 seizures. Results were assessed by taking into account actual intracranial implantations and surgical outcome. Results: The framework provided potentially useful information regarding epilepsy lateralization in 12 out of the 15 individuals (p=0.02, binomial test). Conclusions: Our results show promise for the use of this framework to better interrogate scalp EEG to determine epilepsy lateralization. Significance: The framework may aid clinicians in the decision process to define where to implant electrodes for intracranial monitoring.Medical Research CouncilEpilepsy Research UKEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)Wellcome TrustEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)Innovate UKEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020Alzheimer's SocietyMedical Research Counci

Reverse Foam Sclerotherapy of the Great Saphenous Vein with Sapheno-Femoral Ligation Compared to Standard and Invagination Stripping: a Prospective Clinical Series

AbstractObjectivesComparison of Reverse Foam Sclerotherapy of the great saphenous vein (GSV) combed with sapheno-femoral junction (SFJ) ligation to standard (Babcock) stripping and invagination (Pin) stripping in a prospective clinical series.DesignProspective clinical series.Materials and methods90 consecutive limbs of 82 patients with incompetence of the GSV resulting in varicose veins were prospectively randomised into 3 groups of 30, treated by SFJ ligation and either reverse foam sclerotherapy, standard stripping or invagination stripping of the GSV. Outcomes were assessed post-operatively and at 2-weeks follow-up. Peri-operative blood loss (24 hrs), analgesic requirement, bruising and residual varicosities were assessed. Bruising was assessed by both patients and independent assessors using questionnaires.ResultsSFJ ligation plus reverse foam sclerotherapy of the GSV was associated with significantly less blood loss, bruising and post-op discomfort than either of the stripping techniques. (p<0.001, Mann-Whitney)ConclusionStandard stripping of the GSV and invagination stripping are not associated with major discomfort and problems in the early post-operative period. SFJ ligation and GSV reverse foam sclerotherapy yielded greater patient satisfaction with less post-op bruising and discomfort and reduced analgesic requirements

Performance gap between asset and operational energy performance rating for non-residential buildings

The research work disclosed in this publication is partially funded by the Endeavour Scholarship Scheme (Malta). Scholarships are part-financed by the European Union - European Social Fund Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 “Investing in human capital to create more opportunities and promote the well-being of society”.This paper aims at identifying anomalies that may exist when an asset rating is compared to the actual energy consumption of a non-residential building. This study is part of an on-going Ph.D. study focusing on the performance gap phenomena between energy consumption and energy modelling using standardized energy performance software. As a first stage, it is important to identify the extent of this gap by studying various local non-residential projects with EPCs, as calculated by the Simplified Building Energy Model for Malta (SBEMmt). Discrepancies have been identified for two buildings (a large hospital and a large office building). A first approach for solving such discrepancies have been made to change or enhance the status quo, so that the EPC would become more meaningful for our local situation and for developing energy efficient buildings in the future. The peculiarity of Malta as being predominately cooling will be highlighted and contrasted.peer-reviewe

STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR OF ELLIPTICAL HOLLOW SECTIONS UNDER COMBINED COMPRESSION AND UNIAXIAL BENDING

The structural behaviour of elliptical hollow sections (EHS) has been examined in previous studies under the isolated loading conditions of pure compression and pure bending. This paper examines the response of EHS under combined compression plus uniaxial bending at the cross-sectional level. Structural performance data were initially generated through a series of laboratory stub column tests with various load eccentricities. The measured geometric and material properties of the test specimens, together with the full load-deformation histories have been reported herein. The test data were supplemented by further results generated through parallel numerical studies. Slenderness parameters and limits for EHS under combined compression plus bending were developed following analytical work. Finally, the experimental and numerical data were used to verify proposed interaction expressions for the design of EHS under combined loading; these have been developed in accordance with Eurocode 3 for ease of future incorporation

Distributed System Contract Monitoring

The use of behavioural contracts, to specify, regulate and verify systems, is particularly relevant to runtime monitoring of distributed systems. System distribution poses major challenges to contract monitoring, from monitoring-induced information leaks to computation load balancing, communication overheads and fault-tolerance. We present mDPi, a location-aware process calculus, for reasoning about monitoring of distributed systems. We define a family of Labelled Transition Systems for this calculus, which allow formal reasoning about different monitoring strategies at different levels of abstractions. We also illustrate the expressivity of the calculus by showing how contracts in a simple contract language can be synthesised into different mDPi monitors.Comment: In Proceedings FLACOS 2011, arXiv:1109.239

Association between 5-HTTLPR and Borderline Personality Disorder Traits among Youth

This study provides the first genetic association examination of borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits in children and adolescents (ages 9–15) using two independent samples of youth recruited from the general community. We tested the a priori hypothesis that the serotonin transporter promoter gene (5-HTTLPR) would relate specifically to BPD traits in youth. This association was hypothesized based on prior genetic association research with BPD adults and theory positing that emotion dysregulation may be a core risk process contributing to BPD. Youth provided DNA via buccal cells. Both youth and a parent completed self-report measures assessing youth's BPD traits and depressive symptoms. Results from both Study 1 (N = 242) and an independent replication sample of Study 2 (N = 144) showed that carriers of the short allele of 5-HTTLPR exhibited the highest levels of BPD traits. This relation was observed even after controlling for the substantial co-occurrence between BPD traits and depressive symptoms. This specific association between 5-HTTLPR and BPD traits among youth supports previous genetic associations with adults diagnosed with BPD and provides preliminary support for a developmental extension of etiological risk for BPD among youth

Increased Sensitivity to Possible Muonium to Antimuonium Conversion

A new experimental search for muonium-antimuonium conversion was conducted at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland. The preliminary analysis yielded one event fulfilling all required criteria at an expected background of 1.7(2) events due to accidental coincidences. An upper limit for the conversion probability in 0.1 T magnetic field is extracted as $8 \cdot 10^{-11}$ (90% CL).Comment: 2 figure