A strategy planner for NASA robotics applications

Automatic strategy or task planning is an important element of robotics systems. A strategy planner under development at Goddard Space Flight Center automatically produces robot plans for assembly, disassembly, or repair of NASA spacecraft from computer aided design descriptions of the individual parts of the spacecraft

Behandling med autologt konditionerat serum vid osteoartrit hos häst

Osteoartrit (OA) är en låggradig inflammatorisk och progressiv ledsjukdom som ofta drabbar hästar och som karaktäriseras av degeneration av de ingående strukturerna i den synoviala leden. Sjukdomen har en hög prevalens, är ekonomiskt kostsam för djurägaren och kan innebära slutet på karriären för en tävlingshäst. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är att beskriva den synoviala ledens anatomi och fysiologi, samt patogenesen vid OA. Därtill undersöks även huruvida ACS är en effektiv behandlingsmetod vid OA hos häst med utgångspunkt från experimentella och kliniska studier som genomförts inom veterinär- och humanmedicinen. Den synoviala leden byggs upp av ledkapsel, synovialvätska, artikulärt brosk samt senor, ligament och subkondralt ben. I den friska leden råder en ständig jämvikt mellan anabola och katabola processer. När leden drabbas av OA rubbas denna jämvikt och de katabola processerna dominerar. Vid inflammationen frisätts proinflammatoriska cytokiner såsom interleukin-1 (IL-1) och TNFα, vilket startar en inflammationskaskad där vävnadsnedbrytande enzymer bildas och inflammatoriska celler migrerar till leden. IL-1 och TNFα spelar en central roll i den tidiga inflammationen och nya biologiska produkter har utvecklats med syftet att hämma dessa. Autologt konditionerat serum (ACS) är en biologisk produkt som går under handelsnamnet IRAP. ACS framställs från hästens eget blod och som inkuberas i 37oC under 24 timmar i ett rör med kromsulfatbehandlade glaskulor, varpå blodet centrifugeras för att separera ut plasman. Processen ska öka syntesen av IL-1Ra (Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein), men studier har visat att fler antiinflammatoriska cytokiner och tillväxtfaktorer ökar efter processen. ACS injiceras intraartikulärt i den drabbade leden och IL-1Ra binder kompetetivt till IL-1R, vilket leder till att IL-1 hämmas och därmed inflammationen. I experimentella och kliniska studier har hästar och människor med OA framgångsrikt behandlats med ACS genom intraartikulär injektion. Behandlingen har resulterat i en klinisk förbättring med minskad hälta och smärta jämfört med kontrollgrupperna. Eftersom ACS är en biologisk produkt som framställs från hästens eget blod varierar kompositionen mellan olika individer, vilket i sin tur medför att behandlingseffekten kan variera från individ till individ. De kliniska och experimentella studier som gjorts visar dock positiva resultat och ACS kan vara effektivt för att behandla OA.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a low-grade progressive and inflammatory joint disease characterized by degeneration of all structures of the synovial joint. The disease has a high prevalence, is economically costly and can be a career ending problem for a sporthorse. The aim of this study is to describe anatomi and physiology of the synovial joint, as well as the pathogenesis of OA. The study will also investigate whether the ACS is an effective treatment for OA of the horse starting from experimental and clinical studies conducted in veterinary and human medicine. The synovial joint consists of the joint capsule, synovial fluid, articular cartilage, tendons, ligaments and subchondral bone. In the healthy joint, anabolic and catabolic processes are in constant balance. When the joint is affected by osteoarthritis, an imbalance occurs and the catabolic processes dominate. Proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and TNFα are released at the beginning of the inflammation. These cytokines start an inflammatory cascade where inflammatory cells migrate to the joint and tissue degradation enzymes are released. IL-1 and TNFα play an important role in early inflammation and new biological products have been developed with the aim of inhibit these proinflammatory cytokines. Autologous conditioned serum (ACS) is a biological product that goes under the trade name IRAP. ACS is prepared from the horse's venous blood, which is incubated in 37° C for 24 hours in a tube with borosilicate glass beads, and then the blood is centrifuged to harvest the serum. The process is thought to increase the synthesis of IL-1Ra (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein), but studies have shown increased concentration of other anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors as well. ACS is injected intra-articularly in the affected joint and IL-1Ra binds competitively to IL-1R, which results in inhibition of IL-1 and thereby inflammation. In experimental and clinical studies horses and humans with OA have successfully been treated with ACS by injection intra-articularly. The treatment resulted in clinical improvement with reduced lameness and pain. Since ACS is a biological product made from the horse's own blood, the composition of the ACS varies between individuals and thereby the efficacy of the treatment. The clinical and experimental studies show positive results and ACS seems to have the potential to effectively treat OA

Plasmakoncentration av hjärtspecifikt troponin I under konvertering med kinidinsulfat hos hästar med förmaksflimmer

Atrial fibrillation is the most common performance-limiting arrhythmia in horses. In Sweden, atrial fibrillation is treated medically with quinidine sulphate. The aim of this pilot study was primarily to investigate if medical conversion with quinidine sulphate could cause damage to myocytes identified as an increase of cardiac specific troponin I (cTnI) in plasma. In addition, this study also investigated whether an association could be seen between concentrations of cTnI in plasma and the outcome of the treatment. Furthermore, this study also investigated the side effects of quinidine sulphate as well as electrocardiographic changes during treatment. The study included information from six different medical cardioversion attempts including five horses with atrial fibrillation treated at the University Animal Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden. Blood samples were collected continuously during the cardioversion and the following 12 hours after the end of the cardioversion for later analyze of cTnI concentrations. Cardioversion was successful in five of six attempts. In three attempts, treatment was discontinued due to serious adverse reactions, hypersensitivity to quinidine sulphate and in one case due to the owner’s request. In two of these cases, the heart converted to sinus rhythm later even though the treatment attempt was discontinued. All horses in the study showed a variety of adverse reactions that could be associated to treatment with quinidine sulphate (depression, tachycardia, flatulence, diarrhea, colic, sweating, muscle tremor and ataxia). This study also investigated the effects of quinidine sulphate on heart rate, atrial, respiratory rate and the width of the QRS complexes. Heart rate increased over time while atrial rate decreased until sinus rhythm occurred. The width of the QRS complex increased during the cardioversion in all horses, but never above 25%, which is considered a sign of toxicity secondary to treatment with quinidine sulphate. No association could be seen between findings on the ECG recording and plasma concentrations of cTnI. During the study, the plasma concentrations of cTnI were low for all horses. Treatment with quinidine sulphate did not result in any significantly increased concentrations of cTnI in plasma. This indicated that medical cardioversion with quinidine sulphate did not cause extensive damage to the myocytes. However, the initial concentration of cTnI seemed to have a value as a prognostic indicator for whether the cardioversion was to be successful or not. The horses whose plasma concentration of cTnI initially exceeded 2 ng/L and whose plasma concentration increased over time, were those that in this study did not convert to sinus rhythm and respectively, reoccurred to atrial fibrillation despite successful cardioversion to sinus rhythm

Reaching strategies of very preterm infants at 8 months corrected age

Reaching strategies and kinematics for a group of very preterm infants were investigated and compared with a group of full-term infants when reaching for a moving object. Eight-month-old (corrected-age) infants were presented with small toys moving on a semicircular path in the vertical plane. The trajectories of the target and the hands of the infants were measured using a 3D motion analysis system. No differences were found in how often the infants encountered the target. The very preterm group, however, used bimanual strategies more often and had more curved reaching paths than the full-term group. These results suggest that very preterm infants are equally successful as healthy full-term infants in catching a moving object but their reaching strategies are less efficient compared with full-term infants at 8 months (corrected age)

Design and implementation of a compliant robot with force feedback and strategy planning software

Force-feedback robotics techniques are being developed for automated precision assembly and servicing of NASA space flight equipment. Design and implementation of a prototype robot which provides compliance and monitors forces is in progress. Computer software to specify assembly steps and makes force feedback adjustments during assembly are coded and tested for three generically different precision mating problems. A model program demonstrates that a suitably autonomous robot can plan its own strategy

Elementos eclesiológicos para entender “igreja” na pandemia de HIV/AIDS

This article aims to remind us of the fact that the Church of Christ is fundamental also in understanding HIV and AIDS from the perspective of Christian faith. The article starts out by making a few considerations about the concept and definition of eclesiology to make the point that the Church is more than a set of doctrines or an organization like any other. The second half of the article presents models and norms inherent to doctrinal ecclesiology that can be used to assess the practical ecclesiology and ecclesial life of a given Church, which in turn has important implications for the debate on HIV/AIDS and the Church. The content developed out of very productive discussions with students and professors at various institutions of higher learning in Africa, during a series of meetings that centered on possible ecclesiological interpretations in the midst of a pandemic, in this case contextualized in Sub-Saharan Africa and Ethiopia.O objetivo deste artigo é nos lembrar do fato de que a igreja de Cristo é fundamental também para compreender a pandemia de HIV/AIDS a partir da perspectiva da fé cristã. O artigo inicia com algumas considerações sobre o conceito e a definição de eclesiologia com o intuito de mostrar que a igreja é mais do que um conjunto de doutrinas ou do que uma organização qualquer. Na segunda parte do artigo, apresentamos alguns modelos e normas inerentes à doutrina eclesiológica que podem ser usados para avaliar a eclesiologia prática e a vida eclesial de uma igreja, o que por sua vez tem implicações importantes para o debate sobre HIV/AIDS e a igreja. O teor do artigo foi desenvolvido a partir de discussões muito produtivas com alunos e professores em diversas instituições de ensino superior na África, durante vários encontros que giraram em torno de interpretações eclesiológicas possíveis em meio a uma pandemia, neste caso contextualizada na África Subsaariana e na Etiópia

Comparison of the COBE FIRAS and DIRBE Calibrations

We compare the independent FIRAS and DIRBE observations from the COBE in the wavelength range 100-300 microns. This cross calibration provides checks of both data sets. The results show that the data sets are consistent within the estimated gain and offset uncertainties of the two instruments. They show the possibility of improving the gain and offset determination of DIRBE at 140 and 240 microns.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal 11 pages, plus 3 figures in separate postscript files. Figure 3 has three part

Social Entrepreneurship as a Path to Alleviate Global Socio-Economic and Environmental Issues

This project focused on the work of eight students who are part of the Global Scholars program for the 2018-2019 school year. As a team, we traveled to Australia for 10 days in January 2019 to partner with two different nonprofit social enterprises, and five students from Central Queensland University. The primary research question we reviewed was, ‘How can social entrepreneurship save the Great Barrier Reef?’. To answer this, we conducted ethnographic research and the collection of 75 surveys from various individuals and interviewees. Once back at Boise State, we conducted archive research, analyzed our data, and made recommendations to the partner organizations on how they can increase their business operations, resulting in greater impact and positive results on saving the Great Barrier Reef. Conclusions emphasize that no single social enterprise model is sufficient to tackle environmental issues, but that as part of a greater initiative, each model can play a significant role

The Cosmic Infrared Background: Measurements and Implications

The cosmic infrared background records much of the radiant energy released by processes of structure formation that have occurred since the decoupling of matter and radiation following the Big Bang. In the past few years, data from the Cosmic Background Explorer mission provided the first measurements of this background, with additional constraints coming from studies of the attenuation of TeV gamma-rays. At the same time there has been rapid progress in resolving a significant fraction of this background with the deep galaxy counts at infrared wavelengths from the Infrared Space Observatory instruments and at submillimeter wavelengths from the Submillimeter Common User Bolometer Array instrument. This article reviews the measurements of the infrared background and sources contributing to it, and discusses the implications for past and present cosmic processes.Comment: 61 pages, incl. 9 figures, to be published in Annual Reviews of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2001, Vol. 3

Using different definitions affected the reported prevalence of neurodevelopmental impairment in children born very preterm

AimWe investigated the impact of varying definitions on the prevalence of neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) in children born very preterm at 6.5 years of age.MethodsCognitive development and neurosensory impairments were assessed in 91 children (40/51 girls/boys) born ResultsThe prevalence of severe NDI varied from 2% to 23% depending on the definition used. The prevalence of cognitive impairment varied from 2% (−3 SD according to test norms) to 16% (−2 SD according to control group), the prevalence of cerebral palsy from 0% (severe) to 9% (any) and the prevalence of severe visual impairment from 0% (blindness) to 1% (visual acuity ConclusionA high variability in definitions affects the reporting of the prevalence of NDI in long-term follow-up studies of very or extremely preterm born children. There is a need for a better consensus to enable comparisons across studies.</p