The New Jersey Institute of Technology Robot-Assisted Virtual Rehabilitation (NJIT-RAVR) system for children with cerebral palsy: a feasibility study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We hypothesize that the integration of virtual reality (VR) with robot assisted rehabilitation could be successful if applied to children with hemiparetic CP. The combined benefits of increased attention provided by VR and the larger training stimulus afforded by adaptive robotics may increase the beneficial effects of these two approaches synergistically. This paper will describe the NJIT-RAVR system, which combines adaptive robotics with complex VR simulations for the rehabilitation of upper extremity impairments and function in children with CP and examine the feasibility of this system in the context of a two subject training study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The NJIT-RAVR system consists of the Haptic Master, a 6 degrees of freedom, admittance controlled robot and a suite of rehabilitation simulations that provide adaptive algorithms for the Haptic Master, allowing the user to interact with rich virtual environments. Two children, a ten year old boy and a seven year old girl, both with spastic hemiplegia secondary to Cerebral Palsy were recruited from the outpatient center of a comprehensive pediatric rehabilitation facility. Subjects performed a battery of clinical testing and kinematic measurements of reaching collected by the NJIT-RAVR system. Subjects trained with the NJIT-RAVR System for one hour, 3 days a week for three weeks. The subjects played a combination of four or five simulations depending on their therapeutic goals, tolerances and preferences. Games were modified to increase difficulty in order to challenge the subjects as their performance improved. The testing battery was repeated following the training period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both participants completed 9 hours of training in 3 weeks. No untoward events occurred and no adverse responses to treatment or complaints of cyber sickness were reported. One participant showed improvements in overall performance on the functional aspects of the testing battery. The second subject made improvements in upper extremity active range of motion and in kinematic measures of reaching movements.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We feel that this study establishes the feasibility of integrating robotics and rich virtual environments to address functional limitations and decreased motor performance in children with mild to moderate cerebral palsy.</p

Bio-Energy: muscular work and breathing in the cornea

[ES] En este artículo de revisión se presentan dos casos del área de bioenergía en relación con la producción de energía vía descomposición del trifosfato de adenosina (ATP). El primero, es el trabajo que realiza el cuerpo humano debido a la contracción del músculo esquelético y el segundo el proceso de difusión de oxígeno en la córnea. Se exponen los antecedentes químico-físicos de la producción y utilización de la molécula energética por excelencia del ATP. Se analizan desde el punto de vista termodinámico, la generación de moléculas bioenergéticas tanto en la respiración aeróbica como en glicólisis anaeróbico. En este sentido, se presentan los procesos de biosíntesis para la utilización de la energía que almacenan las moléculas de ATP y se describe el transporte activo de moléculas en contra de gradientes de concentración. El transporte vesicular de proteínas, la permeabilidad de iones a través de las membranas envolventes a las paredes celulares por medio de las denominadas bombas de sodio-potasio. Posteriormente, se establecen algunos detalles acerca de los mecanismos por medio de los cuales se da la contracción muscular, haciendo referencia a la estructura de las fibras musculares. En el segundo caso, se muestra el estudio de la fisiología de la córnea, donde también se genera trabajo químico para mantener su transparencia a la luz, proveniente del exterior del ojo. Lo que conlleva a la conservación de la estructura adecuada de las células del endotelio, estroma y epitelio. Así mismo, se ilustra el requerimiento de trabajo osmótico para mantener el balance del pH en la córnea, cuando se encuentra con una deficiencia de oxígeno. En tal circunstancia se genera un flujo contra osmótico desde el humor acuoso hacia el estroma que tiende a contrarrestar el aumento de acidez.[EN] In this review article, two cases of the bioenergy area are presented, in relation to the production of energy via the decomposition of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The first is the work done by the human body due to the contraction of the skeletal muscle and the second the process of oxygen diffusion in the cornea. The chemical-physical background of the production and use of the energy molecule par excellence of the ATP is exposed. The generations of bioenergetic molecules in aerobic respiration and in anaerobic glycolysis are analyzed from the thermodynamic point of view. In this sense, the processes of biosynthesis for the use of the energy stored by the ATP molecules are presented and the active transport of molecules against concentration gradients is described. The vesicular transport of proteins, the permeability of ions through the enveloping membranes to the cell walls by means of the so-called sodium potassium pumps. Subsequently, some details are established about the mechanisms by which muscle contraction occurs, with reference to the structure of muscle fibers. In the second case, the study of the physiology of the cornea is shown, where chemical work is also generated to maintain its transparency to light, coming from outside the eye. This leads to the conservation of the proper structure of the endothelial cells, stroma and epithelium. Likewise, the osmotic work requirement is illustrated to maintain the balance of the pH in the cornea, when it encounters an oxygen deficiency. In such circumstance, an osmotic flow is generated from the aqueous humor towards the stroma which tends to counteract the increase in acidity.Autores agradecen al proyecto PAPIIT-UNAM número IG 100618 e IN-114818. CC. Agradece al Grupo de Investigación en Desarrollo de Materiales y Productos GIDEMP del Astin-SENA. YPAT. Agradece al Grupo de Investigación en Química de Coordinación y Organometálica de la UTP, proyecto 9-17-3.Del Castillo, LF.; Ramirez-Calderon, JG.; Caicedo, C.; Avila-Torres, Y.; Caicedo-Cano, DF.; Compañ Moreno, V. (2018). Bioenergía, trabajo muscular y respiración en la córnea. Informador Técnico. 82(1):90-107. https://doi.org/10.23850/22565035.884S9010782

Ornithodoros brasiliensis Aragão (Acari: Argasidae): description of the larva, redescription of male and female, and neotype designation

Ornithodoros brasiliensis is an endemic tick from Brazil and is very aggressive to humans, resulting in pain, fever and intense inflammatory response. After more than 50 years without report, this species was recently found in rural areas of São Francisco de Paula municipality, State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, from where it was originally described. Herein, we describe the larva and redescribe the adults of O. brasiliensis based on scanning electron microscopy. Since the type was lost we designate the neotype specimen under the number IBSP 10409. In addition, the relationship between O. brasiliensis and other species from the Neotropical region that share the morphological characteristics of Ornithodoros with dorsal humps on tarsi, and also live under the soil and feed on hosts other than bats, are discussed. Molecular analysis inferred from a portion of the 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene is also provided and it placed O. brasiliensis in a cluster supported by a maximal bootstrap value (100%) with Ornithodoros parkeri, Ornithodoros rostratus, and Ornithodoros turicata.Fil: Barros Battesti, Darci M.. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Onofrio, Valeria C.. Governo do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria da Saude. Instituto Butantan; BrasilFil: Nieri Bastos, Fernanda A.. Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal; BrasilFil: Soares, João Fábio. Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal; BrasilFil: Marcili, Arlei. Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal; BrasilFil: Famadas, Kátia M.. Universidad Federal Rural de Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Faccini, Joao Luiz H.. Universidad Federal Rural de Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Ramirez, Diego G.. Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal; BrasilFil: Doyle, Rovaina L.. Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor; BrasilFil: Martins, João Ricardo. Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor; BrasilFil: Junior, José R.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Guglielmone, Alberto Alejandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Labruna, Marcelo B.. Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal; Brasi

Obtaining of activated carbon from seeds of eucalyptus by chemical activation with H3PO4. Characterization and evaluation of adsorption capacity of phenol from aqueous solution

Resumen Se sintetizo carbón activado a partir de cáscara de semillas de eucalipto (Eucalyptus globulus Labil), por el método de activación química empleando como agente activante ácido fosfórico, a dos diferentes concentraciones; 30 y 80 % v/v. Los carbones se caracterizaron texturalmente mediante fisisorción de N2, se determinó la superficie específica aparente por el método B.E.T., donde se obtuvieron valores de 2009 y 1027 m2 g-1, se utilizó la ecuación Dubinin-Radushkevich para obtener el volumen de microporo donde se reportan valores de 0.65 y 0.32 cm3 g-1. Se determinó mediante el método Bohem que los carbones son de carácter ácido, aspecto corroborado por la determinación del pH en el punto de carga cero. Se establecieron interacciones energéticas de los sólidos frente a soluciones de HCl y NaOH mediante calorimetría de inmersión, encontrando gran correlación con el contenido de grupos ácidos y básicos de los sólidos. Finalmente se evaluó la capacidad de adsorción de los sólidos con fenol desde solución acuosa, ya que este es un contaminante prioritario, donde se evidenció gran capacidad de adsorción de los dos carbones debido a las amplias áreas superficiales, volúmenes de microporo y la química superficial de los sólidos. Abstract Activated carbons were prepared from shell Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus Labil) by chemical activation using as activating agent solutions of phosphoric acid, at two different concentrations; 30 and 80% v/v. Carbons were texturally characterized by N2 physisorption, the apparent surface area was determined by B.E.T., method, values obtained were 2009 and 1027 m2 g-1. Dubinin-Radushkevich equation was used to obtain the micropore volume with values of 0.65 and 0.32 cm3 g-1. Boehm method established that the carbons are acidic aspect confirmed by determining the point of zero charge. Solid energetic interactions against HCl and NaOH solutions were established by immersion calorimetry finding great correlation with the content of acidic and basic groups of the solids. Finally, the adsorption capacity of the solid was evaluated with phenol from aqueous solution since this is a priority pollutant, where high adsorption capacity of the two carbons was evident due to the large surface area, micropore volume and surface chemistry of solids

First narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in advanced detector data

Spinning neutron stars asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis are potential sources of continuous gravitational waves for ground-based interferometric detectors. In the case of known pulsars a fully coherent search, based on matched filtering, which uses the position and rotational parameters obtained from electromagnetic observations, can be carried out. Matched filtering maximizes the signalto- noise (SNR) ratio, but a large sensitivity loss is expected in case of even a very small mismatch between the assumed and the true signal parameters. For this reason, narrow-band analysis methods have been developed, allowing a fully coherent search for gravitational waves from known pulsars over a fraction of a hertz and several spin-down values. In this paper we describe a narrow-band search of 11 pulsars using data from Advanced LIGO’s first observing run. Although we have found several initial outliers, further studies show no significant evidence for the presence of a gravitational wave signal. Finally, we have placed upper limits on the signal strain amplitude lower than the spin-down limit for 5 of the 11 targets over the bands searched; in the case of J1813-1749 the spin-down limit has been beaten for the first time. For an additional 3 targets, the median upper limit across the search bands is below the spin-down limit. This is the most sensitive narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves carried out so far