Design and Experimental Validation of a 3-DOF Force Feedback System Featuring Spherical Manipulator and Magnetorheological Actuators

This research focuses on the development of a new 3-DOF (Degree of Freedom) force feedback system featuring a spherical arm mechanism and three magnetorheological (MR) brakes, namely two rotary MR brakes and one linear MR brake. The first rotary MR brake is integrated in the waist joint to reflect the horizontal tangent force, the other rotary MR brake is integrated in the shoulder joint to reflect the elevation tangent force, while the linear MR brake is integrated in the sliding joint of the arm to reflect the radial force (approach force). The proposed configuration can reflect a desired force to the operator at the end-effectors of the arm independently in 3 DOFs by controlling the current applied to the coils of the MR brakes. After the introduction, the configuration of the proposed force feedback system is presented. Afterward, the design and conducted simulation of the MR brakes for the systems are provided. The prototype of the force feedback system, which was manufactured for the experiment, is then presented as well as some of the obtained experimental results. Finally, the proposed control system is presented and its implementation to provide a desired feedback force to the operator is provided

Vietnam's Political Economy: A Discussion on the 1986-2016 Period

Being a member of the thriving ASEAN and successfully implementing economic renovation (Doi Moi) have drawn the world's attention on Vietnam around the turn of the millennium. Some even expected a much faster pace of transformation, and renewed economic, AND political, reforms in Vietnam, or Doi Moi II.However, in the recent transition turmoil the Vietnamese economy has experienced some significant setback, and the solution for getting the country out of the downward spiral of low productivity, waning purchasing power and increasing costs of doing business cannot be worked out without addressing those political economy issues that have shaped the modus operandi of the nation's economic system. This article discusses the post-Doi Moi political economy in Vietnam, from 1986 to 2016 – when the 12th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam takes place – and prospects of reviving reform momentum in subsequent years.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Evaluation of the Luminex xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel FAST v2 assay for detection of multiple respiratory viral pathogens in nasal and throat swabs in Vietnam [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are among the leading causes of hospitalization in children ≤5 years old. Rapid diagnostics of viral pathogens is essential to avoid unnecessary antibiotic treatment, thereby slowing down antibiotic-resistance. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of the Luminex xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel FAST v2 against viral specific PCR as reference assays for ARI in Vietnam. Methods: Four hundred and forty two nose and throat swabs were collected in viral transport medium, and were tested with Luminex xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel FAST v2. Multiplex RT-PCR and single RT-PCR were used as references. Results: Overall, viral pathogens were detected in a total count of 270/294 (91.8%, 95% CI 88.1-94.7) by the Luminex among reference assays, whilst 112/6336 (1.8%, 95% CI, 1.4-2.1) of pathogens were detected by the Luminex, but not by reference assays. Frequency of pathogens detected by Luminex and reference assays was 379 and 292, respectively. The diagnostic yield was 66.7% (295/442, 95%CI 62.1-71.1%) for the Luminex assay and 54.1% (239/442, 95% CI, 49.3-58.8%) for reference assays. The Luminex kit had higher yields for all viruses except influenza B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and human bocavirus. High agreements between both methods [mean (range): 0.91 (0.83-1.00)] were found for 10/15 viral agents. Conclusions: The Luminex assay is a high throughput multiplex platform for rapid detection of common viral pathogens causing ARI. Although the current high cost may prevent Luminex assays from being widely used, especially in limited resource settings where ARI are felt most, its introduction in clinical diagnostics may help reduce unnecessary use of antibiotic prescription