In-home and remote use of robotic body surrogates by people with profound motor deficits

By controlling robots comparable to the human body, people with profound motor deficits could potentially perform a variety of physical tasks for themselves, improving their quality of life. The extent to which this is achievable has been unclear due to the lack of suitable interfaces by which to control robotic body surrogates and a dearth of studies involving substantial numbers of people with profound motor deficits. We developed a novel, web-based augmented reality interface that enables people with profound motor deficits to remotely control a PR2 mobile manipulator from Willow Garage, which is a human-scale, wheeled robot with two arms. We then conducted two studies to investigate the use of robotic body surrogates. In the first study, 15 novice users with profound motor deficits from across the United States controlled a PR2 in Atlanta, GA to perform a modified Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and a simulated self-care task. Participants achieved clinically meaningful improvements on the ARAT and 12 of 15 participants (80%) successfully completed the simulated self-care task. Participants agreed that the robotic system was easy to use, was useful, and would provide a meaningful improvement in their lives. In the second study, one expert user with profound motor deficits had free use of a PR2 in his home for seven days. He performed a variety of self-care and household tasks, and also used the robot in novel ways. Taking both studies together, our results suggest that people with profound motor deficits can improve their quality of life using robotic body surrogates, and that they can gain benefit with only low-level robot autonomy and without invasive interfaces. However, methods to reduce the rate of errors and increase operational speed merit further investigation.Comment: 43 Pages, 13 Figure

Visual Molecular Dynamics Investigations of the Impact of Hydrophobic Nanoparticles on Prognosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Cancers

The possible impact of hydrophobic lectin nanoparticles on the prognosis and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cancers was investigated by Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) computer modeling programs available from the Beckmann Advanced Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana. Our results indicate the possibility of impeding pathological aggregation of certain proteins such as modified tau- or beta-amyloid that are currently being considered as possible causes of Alzheimer's disease. VMD programs serve as useful tools for investigation hydrophobic protein aggregation that may play a role in aging of human populations

City regions and polycentricity: the East Midlands urban network

The aims of this paper were to clarify the meaning of the terms city region and polycentricy and to then examine evidence on urban centres in the East Midlands to see how far these terms describe the present configuration of the region

General Covariance in Quantum Gravity at a Lifshitz Point

In the minimal formulation of gravity with Lifshitz-type anisotropic scaling, the gauge symmetries of the system are foliation-preserving diffeomorphisms of spacetime. Consequently, compared to general relativity, the spectrum contains an extra scalar graviton polarization. Here we investigate the possibility of extending the gauge group by a local U(1) symmetry to "nonrelativistic general covariance." This extended gauge symmetry eliminates the scalar graviton, and forces the coupling constant $\lambda$ in the kinetic term of the minimal formulation to take its relativistic value, $\lambda=1$. The resulting theory exhibits anisotropic scaling at short distances, and reproduces many features of general relativity at long distances.Comment: 41 pages; v2: small clarifications, references adde

Authentic Corporate Social Responsibility Based on Authentic Empowerment: An Exemplary Business Leadership Case

Authors Dillon, Back, and Manz examine the underpinnings of genuine or authentic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), noting the direct nexus between stakeholder empowerment and the socially-responsible actions of authentic leaders. Such an empowering leadership approach– involving structural, psychological, developmental, and financial components – is particularly exemplified by a family-owned (Back) wine and cheese company (Fairview Trust), situate in South Africa

ECONOMETRIC PRODUCTION MODELS WITH ENDOGENOUS INPUT TIMING: AN APPLICATION TO ECUADORIAN POTATO PRODUCTION

In this article, a model was developed in which the quantity and timing of input and harvest decisions are endogenous. The endogenous timing model allows all of the information about input and harvest behavior to be utilized, and it provides a basis for linking econometric production analysis to the time-specific analyses in other scientific disciplines used to assess the environmental or human health impacts of agricultural production practices. The case study of fungicide use on Ecuadorian potatoes was conducted with a unique data set containing detailed information on both quantity and timing of input use. The results showed that both quantity and timing of chemical use were responsive to economic variables.Crop Production/Industries,

Space Station Centrifuge: A Requirement for Life Science Research

A centrifuge with the largest diameter that can be accommodated on Space Station Freedom is required to conduct life science research in the microgravity environment of space. (This was one of the findings of a group of life scientists convened at the University of California, Davis, by Ames Research Center.) The centrifuge will be used as a research tool to understand how gravity affects biological processes; to provide an on-orbit one-g control; and to assess the efficacy of using artificial gravity to counteract the deleterious biological effect of space flight. The rationale for the recommendation and examples of using ground-based centrifugation for animal and plant acceleration studies are presented. Included are four appendixes and an extensive bibliography of hypergravity studies