189 research outputs found
Control of a supernumerary robotic hand by foot: an experimental study in virtual reality.
In the operational theater, the surgical team could highly benefit from a robotic supplementary hand under the surgeon's full control. The surgeon may so become more autonomous; this may reduce communication errors with the assistants and take over difficult tasks such as holding tools without tremor. In this paper, we therefore examine the possibility to control a third robotic hand with one foot's movements. Three experiments in virtual reality were designed to assess the feasibility of this control strategy, the learning curve of the subjects in different tasks and the coordination of foot movements with the two natural hands. Results show that the limbs are moved simultaneously, in parallel rather than serially. Participants' performance improved within a few minutes of practice without any specific difficulty to complete the tasks. Subjective assessment by the subjects indicated that controlling a third hand by foot has been easy and required only negligible physical and mental efforts. The sense of ownership was reported to improve through the experiments. The mental burden was not directly related to the level of motion required by a task, but depended on the type of activity and practice. The most difficult task was moving two hands and foot in opposite directions. These results suggest that a combination of practice and appropriate tasks can enhance the learning process for controlling a robotic hand by foot
In a demanding task, three-handed manipulation is preferred to two-handed manipulation.
Equipped with a third hand under their direct control, surgeons may be able to perform certain surgical interventions alone; this would reduce the need for a human assistant and related coordination difficulties. However, does human performance improve with three hands compared to two hands? To evaluate this possibility, we carried out a behavioural study on the performance of naive adults catching objects with three virtual hands controlled by their two hands and right foot. The subjects could successfully control the virtual hands in a few trials. With this control strategy, the workspace of the hands was inversely correlated with the task velocity. The comparison of performance between the three and two hands control revealed no significant difference of success in catching falling objects and in average effort during the tasks. Subjects preferred the three handed control strategy, found it easier, with less physical and mental burden. Although the coordination of the foot with the natural hands increased trial after trial, about two minutes of practice was not sufficient to develop a sense of ownership towards the third arm
A simple tool to measure spasticity in spinal cord injury subjects.
This work presents a wearable device and the algorithms for quantitative modelling of joint spasticity and its application in a pilot group of subjects with different levels of spinal cord injury. The device comprises light-weight instrumented handles to measure the interaction force between the subject and the physical therapist performing the tests, EMG sensors and inertial measurement units to measure muscle activity and joint kinematics. Experimental tests included the passive movement of different body segments, where the spasticity was expected, at different velocities. Tonic stretch reflex thresholds and their velocity modulation factor are computed, as a quantitative index of spasticity, by using the kinematics data at the onset of spasm detected through thresholding the EMG data. This technique was applied to two spinal cord injury subjects. The proposed method allowed the analysis of spasticity at muscle and joint levels. The obtained results are in line with the expert diagnosis and qualitative spasticity characterisation on each individual
Celestial Mechanics, Conformal Structures, and Gravitational Waves
The equations of motion for non-relativistic particles attracting
according to Newton's law are shown to correspond to the equations for null
geodesics in a -dimensional Lorentzian, Ricci-flat, spacetime with a
covariantly constant null vector. Such a spacetime admits a Bargmann structure
and corresponds physically to a generalized pp-wave. Bargmann electromagnetism
in five dimensions comprises the two Galilean electro-magnetic theories (Le
Bellac and L\'evy-Leblond). At the quantum level, the -body Schr\"odinger
equation retains the form of a massless wave equation. We exploit the conformal
symmetries of such spacetimes to discuss some properties of the Newtonian
-body problem: homographic solutions, the virial theorem, Kepler's third
law, the Lagrange-Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector arising from three conformal
Killing 2-tensors, and motions under inverse square law forces with a
gravitational constant varying inversely as time (Dirac). The latter
problem is reduced to one with time independent forces for a rescaled position
vector and a new time variable; this transformation (Vinti and Lynden-Bell)
arises from a conformal transformation preserving the Ricci-flatness
(Brinkmann). A Ricci-flat metric representing non-relativistic
gravitational dyons is also pointed out. Our results for general time-dependent
are applicable to the motion of point particles in an expanding
universe. Finally we extend these results to the quantum regime.Comment: 26 pages, LaTe
Newton-Hooke spacetimes, Hpp-waves and the cosmological constant
We show explicitly how the Newton-Hooke groups act as symmetries of the
equations of motion of non-relativistic cosmological models with a cosmological
constant. We give the action on the associated non-relativistic spacetimes and
show how these may be obtained from a null reduction of 5-dimensional
homogeneous pp-wave Lorentzian spacetimes. This allows us to realize the
Newton-Hooke groups and their Bargmann type central extensions as subgroups of
the isometry groups of the pp-wave spacetimes. The extended Schrodinger type
conformal group is identified and its action on the equations of motion given.
The non-relativistic conformal symmetries also have applications to
time-dependent harmonic oscillators. Finally we comment on a possible
application to Gao's generalization of the matrix model.Comment: 21 page
Conformal Properties of Chern-Simons Vortices in External Fields
The construction and the symmetries of Chern-Simons vortices in harmonic and
uniform magnetic force backgrounds found by Ezawa, Hotta and Iwazaki, and by
Jackiw and Pi are generalized using the non-relativistic Kaluza-Klein-type
framework presented in our previous paper. All Schrodinger-symmetric
backgrounds are determined.Comment: 10 pages,CPT-94/p.3028, te
Resistencia de la garrapata común del bovino Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus a los acaricidas químicos en Corrientes
La garrapata común del ganado bovino, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, es responsable de importantes pérdidas económicas que afectan a la producción pecuaria de nuestro país. El control de esta garrapata se basa casi exclusivamente en la aplicación de acaricidas químicos a los cuales la garrapata ya ha desarrollado resistencia. Para conocer el estatus actual de resistencia acaricida en Corrientes y su dispersión, se realizó un muestreo por conveniencia donde se tomaron muestras de teleoginas e información sobre el tipo de acaricida empleado y su forma de aplicación. Las muestras provinieron de 44 establecimientos distribuidos en 15 departamentos de Corrientes de las Zonas de Control y Erradicación.Asociación Parasitológica Argentin
Galilean Conformal and Superconformal Symmetries
Firstly we discuss briefly three different algebras named as nonrelativistic
(NR) conformal: Schroedinger, Galilean conformal and infinite algebra of local
NR conformal isometries. Further we shall consider in some detail Galilean
conformal algebra (GCA) obtained in the limit c equal to infinity from
relativistic conformal algebra O(d+1,2) (d - number of space dimensions). Two
different contraction limits providing GCA and some recently considered
realizations will be briefly discussed. Finally by considering NR contraction
of D=4 superconformal algebra the Galilei conformal superalgebra (GCSA) is
obtained, in the formulation using complex Weyl supercharges.Comment: 16 pages, LateX; talk presented at XIV International Conference
"Symmetry Methods in Physics", Tsakhkadzor, Armenia, August 16-22, 201
From dynamical scaling to local scale-invariance: a tutorial
Dynamical scaling arises naturally in various many-body systems far from
equilibrium. After a short historical overview, the elements of possible
extensions of dynamical scaling to a local scale-invariance will be introduced.
Schr\"odinger-invariance, the most simple example of local scale-invariance,
will be introduced as a dynamical symmetry in the Edwards-Wilkinson
universality class of interface growth. The Lie algebra construction, its
representations and the Bargman superselection rules will be combined with
non-equilibrium Janssen-de Dominicis field-theory to produce explicit
predictions for responses and correlators, which can be compared to the results
of explicit model studies.
At the next level, the study of non-stationary states requires to go over,
from Schr\"odinger-invariance, to ageing-invariance. The ageing algebra admits
new representations, which acts as dynamical symmetries on more general
equations, and imply that each non-equilibrium scaling operator is
characterised by two distinct, independent scaling dimensions. Tests of
ageing-invariance are described, in the Glauber-Ising and spherical models of a
phase-ordering ferromagnet and the Arcetri model of interface growth.Comment: 1+ 23 pages, 2 figures, final for
The Effect of Anandamide on Uterine Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity Depends on the Presence of the Blastocyst
Nitric oxide production, catalyzed by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), should be strictly regulated to allow embryo implantation. Thus, our first aim was to study NOS activity during peri-implantation in the rat uterus. Day 6 inter-implantation sites showed lower NOS activity (0.19±0.01 pmoles L-citrulline mg prot−1 h−1) compared to days 4 (0.34±0.03) and 5 (0.35±0.02) of pregnancy and to day 6 implantation sites (0.33±0.01). This regulation was not observed in pseudopregnancy. Both dormant and active blastocysts maintained NOS activity at similar levels. Anandamide (AEA), an endocannabinoid, binds to cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2), and high concentrations are toxic for implantation and embryo development. Previously, we observed that AEA synthesis presents an inverted pattern compared to NOS activity described here. We adopted a pharmacological approach using AEA, URB-597 (a selective inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase, the enzyme that degrades AEA) and receptor selective antagonists to investigate the effect of AEA on uterine NOS activity in vitro in rat models of implantation. While AEA (0.70±0.02 vs 0.40±0.04) and URB-597 (1.08±0.09 vs 0.83±0.06) inhibited NOS activity in the absence of a blastocyst (pseudopregnancy) through CB2 receptors, AEA did not modulate NOS on day 5 pregnant uterus. Once implantation begins, URB-597 decreased NOS activity on day 6 implantation sites via CB1 receptors (0.25±0.04 vs 0.40±0.05). While a CB1 antagonist augmented NOS activity on day 6 inter-implantation sites (0.17±0.02 vs 0.27±0.02), a CB2 antagonist decreased it (0.17±0.02 vs 0.12±0.01). Finally, we described the expression and localization of cannabinoid receptors during implantation. In conclusion, AEA levels close to and at implantation sites seems to modulate NOS activity and thus nitric oxide production, fundamental for implantation, via cannabinoid receptors. This modulation depends on the presence of the blastocyst. These data establish cannabinoid receptors as an interesting target for the treatment of implantation deficiencies
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