A Novel Framework for Mixed Reality–Based Control of Collaborative Robot: Development Study

Background: Applications of robotics in daily life are becoming essential by creating new possibilities in different fields, especially in the collaborative environment. The potentials of collaborative robots are tremendous as they can work in the same workspace as humans. A framework employing a top-notch technology for collaborative robots will surely be worthwhile for further research. Objective: This study aims to present the development of a novel framework for the collaborative robot using mixed reality. Methods: The framework uses Unity and Unity Hub as a cross-platform gaming engine and project management tool to design the mixed reality interface and digital twin. It also uses the Windows Mixed Reality platform to show digital materials on holographic display and the Azure mixed reality services to capture and expose digital information. Eventually, it uses a holographic device (HoloLens 2) to execute the mixed reality–based collaborative system. Results: A thorough experiment was conducted to validate the novel framework for mixed reality–based control of a collaborative robot. This framework was successfully applied to implement a collaborative system using a 5–degree of freedom robot (xArm-5) in a mixed reality environment. The framework was stable and worked smoothly throughout the collaborative session. Due to the distributed nature of cloud applications, there is a negligible latency between giving a command and the execution of the physical collaborative robot. Conclusions: Opportunities for collaborative robots in telerehabilitation and teleoperation are vital as in any other field. The proposed framework was successfully applied in a collaborative session, and it can also be applied in other similar potential applications for robust and more promising performance

Icnofósseis em afloramentos do Rio Grande do Sul: nota preliminar

O trabalho não apresenta resumo

Insights into patient preferences for elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIMS: To investigate factors that contribute to patient decisions regarding attendance for arthroplasty during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A postal questionnaire was distributed to patients on the waiting list for hip or knee arthroplasty in a single tertiary centre within the UK. Patient factors that may have influenced the decision to attend for arthroplasty, global quality of life (QoL) (EuroQol five-dimension three-level (EQ-5D-3L)), and joint-specific QoL (Oxford Hip or Knee Score) were assessed. Patients were asked at which 'COVID-alert' level they would be willing to attend an NHS and a "COVID-light" hospital for arthroplasty. Independent predictors were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 540 distributed questionnaires, 400 (74.1%; 236 awaiting hip arthroplasty, 164 awaiting knee arthroplasty) complete responses were received and included. Less than half (48.2%) were willing to attend for hip or knee arthroplasty while a UK COVID-19 epidemic was in circulation (COVID-alert levels 3 to 5). Patients with worse joint-specific QoL had a preference to proceed with surgery at COVID-alert levels 3 to 5 compared to levels 1 and 2 (hip arthroplasty odds ratio (OR) 1.54 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45 to 1.63); knee arthroplasty OR 1.16 (1.07 to 1.26)). The odds of patients with worse joint-specific QoL being willing to attend for surgery at COVID-alert levels 3 to 5 increased further if surgery in a private, "COVID-light" hospital was available (hip arthroplasty OR 3.50 (95% CI 3.26 to 3.71); knee arthroplasty OR 1.41 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.53). CONCLUSION: Patient decisions surrounding elective surgery have been influenced by the global COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of patient involvement in ensuring optimized provision of elective surgery during these challenging times. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(4):261-270

Persistence and Effectiveness of Non-Biologic Systemic Therapies for Moderate-Severe Psoriasis in Adults: a Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: The persistence and effectiveness of systemic therapies for moderate-to-severe psoriasis in current clinical practice are poorly characterized. OBJECTIVES: To systematically review observational studies investigating the persistence and effectiveness of acitretin, ciclosporin, fumaric acid esters (FAE) and methotrexate, involving at least 100 adult patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, exposed to therapy for ≥ 3 months. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library and PubMed were searched from 1 January 2007 to 1 November 2017 for observational studies reporting on persistence (therapy duration or the proportion of patients discontinuing therapy during follow-up) or effectiveness [improvements in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) or Physician's Global Assessment (PGA)]. This review was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42018099771. RESULTS: Of 411 identified studies, eight involving 4624 patients with psoriasis were included. Variations in the definitions and analyses of persistence and effectiveness outcomes prevented a meta-analysis from being conducted. One prospective multicentre study reported drug survival probabilities of 23% (ciclosporin), 42% (acitretin) and 50% (methotrexate) at 1 year. Effectiveness outcomes were not reported for either acitretin or ciclosporin. The persistence and effectiveness of FAE and methotrexate were better characterized, but mean discontinuation times ranged from 28 to 50 months for FAE and 7·7 to 22·3 months for methotrexate. At 12 months of follow-up, three studies reported that 76% (FAE), 53% (methotrexate) and 59% (methotrexate) of patients achieved ≥ 75% reduction in PASI, and one reported that 76% of FAE-exposed patients achieved a markedly improved or clear PGA. CONCLUSIONS: The comparative persistence and effectiveness of acitretin, ciclosporin, FAE and methotrexate in real-world clinical practice in the past decade cannot be well described due to the inconsistency of the methods used

Influence of age, gender and delay on overtaking dynamics

"This paper is a preprint of a paper submitted to [journal] and is subject to Institution of Engineering and Technology Copyright. If accepted, the copy of record will be available at IET Digital Library"Overtaking is one of the most dangerous manoeuvres on two-lane rural highways. The most influential factors are related to drivers, so ITS and assistance systems are not yet common. This research is based on experimental data of overtaking manoeuvres collected using an instrumented passenger car, equipped with four cameras, laser rangefinders and a global positioning service (GPS) tracker. This vehicle was driven along four different road segments in the surroundings of Valencia (Spain) at a speed slightly slower than the operating speed of each segment. Overtaking time and speeds were measured. Unlike previous work, the influence of human factor was also considered. Age and gender of overtaking driver, as well as time spent following were used to characterise this influence. More than 200 manoeuvres were recorded and the influence of driver characteristics and delay on gap acceptance, manoeuvre duration and speed differences have been analysed. Results show differences in behaviour between age and gender groups, since young male overtaking drivers have shown a more aggressive behaviour. Overtaking times were around 1 s lower than other drivers, whereas average speed difference was 4 km/h higher. Collected data and their analysis have provided a basis to review design criteria and to develop future assistance systems.Authors would like to thank Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness that subsidizes the research project with reference code TRA2010-21736. Authors thank also Spanish General Traffic Directorate, Spanish Ministry of Public Works and Valencia Regional Governance for their collaboration during field study.Llorca García, C.; García García, A.; Moreno Chou, AT.; Pérez Zuriaga, AM. (2013). Influence of age, gender and delay on overtaking dynamics. IET Intelligent Transport Systems. 7(2):174-181. https://doi.org/10.1049/iet-its.2012.0147S17418172Farah, H. (2011). Age and Gender Differences in Overtaking Maneuvers on Two-Lane Rural Highways. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2248(1), 30-36. doi:10.3141/2248-04Hassan, Y., Easa, S. M., & El Halim, A. O. A. (1996). Passing sight distance on two-lane highways: Review and revision. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 30(6), 453-467. doi:10.1016/0965-8564(95)00032-1Wang, Y., & Cartmell, M. P. (1998). New Model for Passing Sight Distance on Two-Lane Highways. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 124(6), 536-545. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-947x(1998)124:6(536)Polus, A., Livneh, M., & Frischer, B. (2000). Evaluation of the Passing Process on Two-Lane Rural Highways. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1701(1), 53-60. doi:10.3141/1701-07Carlson, P., Miles, J., & Johnson, P. (2006). Daytime High-Speed Passing Maneuvers Observed on Rural Two-Lane, Two-Way Highway: Findings and Implications. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 1961, 9-15. doi:10.3141/1961-02Hegeman, G., Tapani, A., & Hoogendoorn, S. (2009). Overtaking assistant assessment using traffic simulation. Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 17(6), 617-630. doi:10.1016/j.trc.2009.04.010El Zarif, J., Hobeika, A., & Rakha, H. (2003). Evaluating a Detection and Warning System to Deter No-Passing Zone Violations. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 129(6), 590-599. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-947x(2003)129:6(590)Llorca, C., & García, A. (2011). Evaluation of Passing Process on Two-Lane Rural Highways in Spain with New Methodology Based on Video Data. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2262(1), 42-51. doi:10.3141/2262-0

Feeding and Distribution of Porosity in Cast Al-Si Alloys as Function of Alloy Composition and Modification

Unmodified, Na-modified, and Sr-modified castings of Al-7 pct Si and Al-12.5 pct Si alloys were cast in molds in which it was possible to create different cooling conditions. It is shown how solidification influences the distribution of porosity at the surface and the center of the castings as a function of modification and Si content in sand- and chill-cast samples. Eutectic modification, Si content, and cooling conditions have a great impact on the distribution of porosity. Unmodified and Na-modified castings are more easily fed with porosity tending to congregate near the centerline of the casting, while Sr-modified castings solidify in a mushy manner that creates a more homogeneous distribution of porosity in the casting. The amount of porosity was highest in the Sr-modified alloys, lower in the Na-modified alloys, and lowest in the unmodified alloys. The size of the porosity-free layer and the effectiveness of the feeders were greater in the castings made with the steel chills due to the increased thermal gradients and consequent increase in the directionality of solidification

Control of a Wheelchair-Mounted 6DOF Assistive Robot With Chin and Finger Joysticks

Throughout the last decade, many assistive robots for people with disabilities have been developed; however, researchers have not fully utilized these robotic technologies to entirely create independent living conditions for people with disabilities, particularly in relation to activities of daily living (ADLs). An assistive system can help satisfy the demands of regular ADLs for people with disabilities. With an increasing shortage of caregivers and a growing number of individuals with impairments and the elderly, assistive robots can help meet future healthcare demands. One of the critical aspects of designing these assistive devices is to improve functional independence while providing an excellent human–machine interface. People with limited upper limb function due to stroke, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other conditions find the controls of assistive devices such as power wheelchairs difficult to use. Thus, the objective of this research was to design a multimodal control method for robotic self-assistance that could assist individuals with disabilities in performing self-care tasks on a daily basis. In this research, a control framework for two interchangeable operating modes with a finger joystick and a chin joystick is developed where joysticks seamlessly control a wheelchair and a wheelchair-mounted robotic arm. Custom circuitry was developed to complete the control architecture. A user study was conducted to test the robotic system. Ten healthy individuals agreed to perform three tasks using both (chin and finger) joysticks for a total of six tasks with 10 repetitions each. The control method has been tested rigorously, maneuvering the robot at different velocities and under varying payload (1–3.5 lb) conditions. The absolute position accuracy was experimentally found to be approximately 5 mm. The round-trip delay we observed between the commands while controlling the xArm was 4 ms. Tests performed showed that the proposed control system allowed individuals to perform some ADLs such as picking up and placing items with a completion time of less than 1 min for each task and 100% success

Cognitive impairment, fatigue and depression in multiple sclerosis: Is there a difference between benign and non-benign MS?

Available online 21 March 2023Introduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The severity of disability in people with MS (PwMS) is generally measured with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). A variant of MS known as ‘benign MS’ (BMS) has been defined as an EDSS score of 3 or lower, combined with a disease duration of 10 years or longer; however, there is disagreement in the field about whether BMS really exists. Given that the EDSS does not capture cognitive issues, communication dysfunction, fatigue, depression, or anxiety properly, its ability to accurately represent disability in all PwMS, including BMS, remains questionable. Methods: In this study, 141 persons with BMS (PwBMS) were included, consisting of 115 females (82%) and 26 males (18%) with a mean age of 50.8 (±8.68). A computerized test battery (NeuroTrax®) was used to assess cognition, covering seven cognitive domains (memory, executive function, visual-spatial processing, verbal function, attention, information processing, and motor skills). Fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to assess symptoms of depression. Cognitive impairment was defined for this study as when someone has a score lower than 85 in at least two subdomains of the cognitive test battery. Rates of impairment were compared to 158 persons with non-benign MS (PwNBMS; with a disease duration of 10 years and longer and an EDSS score higher than 3) and 487 PwMS with a disease duration of fewer than 10 years. Results: Cognitive impairment was found in 38% of PwBMS and in 66% of PwNBMS (p<0.001). In PwBMS, the lowest rate of impairment was found in the verbal function domain (18%) and the highest rate of impairment in the domain of information processing (32%). Fatigue and depression were found in 78% and 55% of all PwBMS, with no difference in these rates between PwBMS and PwNBMS (p = 0.787 and p = 0.316 resp.) Conclusion: Cognitive impairment, fatigue and depression are common among people with an EDSS-based definition of benign MS. These aspects should be incorporated into a new and better definition of truly benign MSHans Bogaardt, Daniel Golan, Marissa A Barrera, Stacie Attrill, Olivia Kaczmarek, Myassar Zarif, Barbara Bumstead, Marijean Buhse, Jeffrey Wilken, Glen M Doniger, Laura M Hancock, Iris-Katharina Penner, June Halper, Sarah A Morrow, Thomas J Covey, Mark Gudesblat

Risk of Serious Infections in Patients with Psoriasis on Biologic Therapies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A comprehensive evaluation of the risk of serious infections in biologic therapies for psoriasis is lacking. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies reporting serious infections in people taking any licensed biologic therapy for psoriasis compared with those taking placebo, nonbiologic therapy, or other biologic therapies. The quality of the studies was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria. No significant heterogeneity was detected in data from 32 RCTs (n = 13,359 participants) and one cohort study (n = 4,993 participants). In adults, low- to very-low-quality RCT data showed no significant difference between any biologic therapy and placebo at weeks 12–16 (overall pooled Peto odds ratio = 0.71, 95% confidence interval = 0.36–1.41) and weeks 20–30 (odds ratio = 2.27, 95% confidence interval = 0.45–11.49). No significant differences were found in any of the other comparisons in underpowered RCT data. Prospective cohort study data of low quality suggests that only adalimumab (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR] = 2.52, 95% confidence interval = 1.47–4.32) was associated with a significantly higher risk of serious infection compared with retinoid and/or phototherapy in adults. No association between biologic therapies and serious infections in patients with psoriasis who were eligible for RCTs was detected. Further observational studies are needed to inform the uncertainty around this risk in the real world

The multiple faces of self-assembled lipidic systems

Lipids, the building blocks of cells, common to every living organisms, have the propensity to self-assemble into well-defined structures over short and long-range spatial scales. The driving forces have their roots mainly in the hydrophobic effect and electrostatic interactions. Membranes in lamellar phase are ubiquitous in cellular compartments and can phase-separate upon mixing lipids in different liquid-crystalline states. Hexagonal phases and especially cubic phases can be synthesized and observed in vivo as well. Membrane often closes up into a vesicle whose shape is determined by the interplay of curvature, area difference elasticity and line tension energies, and can adopt the form of a sphere, a tube, a prolate, a starfish and many more. Complexes made of lipids and polyelectrolytes or inorganic materials exhibit a rich diversity of structural morphologies due to additional interactions which become increasingly hard to track without the aid of suitable computer models. From the plasma membrane of archaebacteria to gene delivery, self-assembled lipidic systems have left their mark in cell biology and nanobiotechnology; however, the underlying physics is yet to be fully unraveled